Our Little Red Lighthouse

There is a wonderful story by Hildegarde H. Swift and Lynd Ward titled "The Little Red Lighthouse and The Great Gray Bridge" It is a fabulous story about a charming little lighthouse that stands on the banks of the Hudson River at the north point of Manhattan.

One day while driving down the Henry Hudson Pkwy towards the city I noticed this little lighthouse tucked under the George Washington Bridge and was taken by surprise. The bridge connects New York to New Jersey. Months later while in a book store I notice the children's book about the lighthouse. I know that this was a perfect excuse for an adventure.

So today, on our second day of summer we hiked down the hill to meet our little red lighthouse. The weather was perfect! We wandered up and over the Henry Hudson Parkway, under over handing trees and along the banks of the Hudson River. A cool breeze was blowing off of the Hudson and we were able to find a spot of shade thanks to our little lighthouse and read the book, just to help the story come to life. Jack had me read it several times and would point out the landmarks around us as we came to them in the storyline.

It was one of those Mommy days when you think..."This is great!" Just as long as the kids did not fall in the Hudson or get hit in the head by the rocks they were throwing we were in great shape.

Lance asked to bring our binoculars to get a better look around. He loved playing I-spy with them. He found the Empire State Building, New Jersey, and a speed boat passing by, just to name a few.

Jack was doing everything he could to get into the gate. He got everything in but his head and as he tried to pull it through the bars he would giggle and say "Ow" every time his noggin clunked against the bars. Lucky for me he never got through. I was afraid I was going to have to call the NY fire department if he got stuck.

What a great day to bring a bit of literature alive. As I type Jack is thumbing through the book and talking about what he saw at the little red lighthouse. What a great start to a wonderful summer.