By Steve
We're on the Oregon coast. We were here three years ago and enjoyed it so much we
thought we'd return this summer. When we were last here, we missed a section of
the coast that's kind of in the middle of the state, so we're now making sure we
see all the areas that we had missed.
Oregon has a lot of lighthouses along its coastline. Most of these were built
around 100 years ago and provided much-needed navigational help along a
coastline that can be pretty rocky and unforgiving. I'm sure these lighthouses have seen their share of disasters and unusual events. Some of these lighthouses
are now in state parks and open for tours during non-pandemic years. Some are
purely historic, while others are still operational, their whale oil and
kerosene lamps having been replaced with incandescent lights, and now LED
lights. To a certain extent, if you've seen one, you've seen them all. There are
just so many common elements: they are usually situated on on outcropping of land, and there's a tower with a spiral staircase to get to the top, where you'll find a
Fresnel lens rotating around a light source. What makes them different from each other are the sites where they are located.
The Heceta Head lighthouse, pictured above, is considered one of the more picturesque ones. (Heceta is pronounced "ha-see-ta", not "heck-a-ta" as we had long thought.) The lightkeeper's house has been turned into a Bed and Breakfast, making the location ideal for important occasions, like a wedding.
It is situated on Heceta Head, and has a dramatic view looking down the coast to the south.
To enjoy this view, you just have to make the relatively short hike out to the lighthouse and find a spot on this convenient bench, as Jane has done.
It reads: "In Loving Memory - Manja Geier nee Moravec died in this place September 13, 1997 surrounded by family and friends at her granddaughter's wedding." Apparently Grandma died of a heart attack some 23 years ago. I'm sure this made a lasting impression on all the wedding guests. You won't quickly forget an event like that. We wonder about the details: At what point in the ceremony did this happen? Did the wedding continue? Did the marriage last, with such a rocky start? I don't expect we'll ever know. While it would be interesting to know the details, it may be one of those things that is better left to the imagination.
We noticed that the bench had some flowers attached to it with ribbon where the plaque is located. So someone remembers and honors this place. Perhaps a daughter or the granddaughter lives nearby and brings flowers on meaningful days. Perhaps a friend. I don't expect we'll ever know, and the lighthouse, which has seen a lot, isn't telling.
