Then continue south where a dazzling array of beacons light up Cape Cod Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. Make no mistake about it, Massachusetts is the lighthouse capital of America. Throughout the spring, summer and fall several companies offer lighthouse cruises. Offering spectacular views, many of these tours are narrated and pass by 10 or more lights in a day.
Numerous lighthouses are also open to the public, and a few even offer overnight accommodations.
Under Congressional order it will always be a manned lighthouse station. Today, Coast Guard staff alternate two-week duty rotations on Little Brewster Island. He kept a lantern burning in his attic window to aid local mariners. Ship captains paid for his lantern oil by donating 25 cents a month. It was also the nation's first flashing beacon.