Dear Editor:

As Steve and I left Maine and traveled home to Vermont, our hearts were full after we volunteered as tour guides, at a well attended event on Burnt Island last Saturday, Sept. 14 for Maine Lighthouse Day. Special thanks to Beth and Jay from DMR, and Jana from the Keeper’s of Burnt Island Light for being on hand to help our visitors navigate the trails from the dock for museum and lighthouse tours, without incident.

While the numbers of visitors who came are not officially in, it’s safe to say the tally was well over 160 people between reservations on the Balmy Days Cruises, boaters who came in their own boats, and kayakers.

As tours were in progress,  many of our visitors announced they were first timers from Boothbay and the local area. However, several folks were from as far west as Colorado, Montana, south from Texas and Florida, and the New England states of MA, VT, RI, NH, and Conn.

Kelly at the reservation desk at Balmy Days tours, reported to Steve and I that the happy returnees from their round trip to Burnt Island were all smiles and had positive comments about their experience on lighthouse day.

This event was a cooperative effort involving the  Boothbay Register and the American Lighthouse Foundation for advertising, and the Balmy Days Water Taxi who provided advertising and several trips taking visitors to and from the island between 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.

Maine Lighthouse Day 2024 was a great example of a partnership in action; DMR and KBIL working together and involving our community partners for a common mission in the Boothbay region. It was a good day!

Steve and Nancy McCullough

Passionate volunteers for 26 years

Burnt Island Light Station