Seaside getaway: Stay overnight in these East Coast lighthouses
The Haig Point Lighthouse in South Carolina. Credit: Haig Point Lighthouse
Lighthouses have a mystique that captures the imagination. Is it that they, as guiding lights in darkness, make us feel hopeful? Or is it the aroma of romance that surrounds them with their backdrop of seas and often cliffs?
There's plenty to love about lighthouses. If you find them fascinating, spend a few nights in one.
Long Islanders can check the experience off your bucket list at one of these East Coast lighthouses where you can make yourself at home.
Connecticut: Lighthouse at Saybrook Point Resort & Marina
2 Bridge St., Old Saybrook
DRIVING DISTANCE FROM LI: About two hours away
The Saybrook Point Resort and Marina in Old Saybrook, Connecticut. Credit: Frank Gilroy
Imagine the views from your suite in a lighthouse perched on the dock where the Connecticut River merges with Long Island Sound. Enjoy a living room, fireplace, dining area, kitchenette, bedroom and balcony offering prime views of the sun setting on the marina with its sailboats and yachts. The Lighthouse Suite typically goes from $939-$1,200 a night, with lower rates in early April and peak pricing later in the season. The resort, which also has villas, guesthouses and rooms in the main hotel, has a full-service spa, restaurant, bar, lounge, and indoor and outdoor pools. Old Saybrook is that classic charming costal town with beaches, restaurants, parks, golf, boutiques and water bike tours.
MORE INFO: 860-395-3080, saybrook.com
New York: Saugerties Lighthouse
168 Lighthouse Dr., Saugerties
DRIVING DISTANCE FROM LI: About two hours and 30 minutes away
The Saugerties Lighthouse in Saugerties, New York. Credit: Patrick Landewe
This 19th century lighthouse is surrounded by water on a remote shoal. The Hudson Valley hideaway (you’ll walk an easy half-mile trail to reach it) has two rooms for up to four people (though for families, two extra people can be accommodated with cots). Climb the original staircase and a ladder to the lantern room where the operational lighthouse tower is. Expect epic views of the Hudson River. Hang out on the first floor of the lighthouse to dine, read, play your favorite games or simply gaze through the windows that surround you.
Be ready to rough it a bit. Though the lighthouse is heated in winter, there is no air conditioning in summer, and there is a composting toilet because of the remote location. Don’t look for a television and there is limited internet access. Focus on each other and nature. Think picnics, birdwatching and fishing. A hearty breakfast is included with your stay. The lighthouse has a mini fridge/freezer and outdoor propane grill. Pop into town where there are a few restaurants. Rates are $550 a night.
MORE INFO: 845-247-0656, saugertieslighthouse.com
Rhode Island: Rose Island Lighthouse
P.O. Box 1419, Newport
DRIVING DISTANCE FROM LI: About three hours away
The Rose Island Lighthouse in Rose Island, Rhode Island. Credit: Rose Island Lighthouse & Fort Hamilton Trust
From Newport, ride the Rose, the boat provided by the Rose Island Lighthouse for guests staying overnight or longer. Transportation is included in your nightly rate. A two-night minimum stay is required, but you may want more time to explore the 18-acre island with its quiet beaches and gardens.
Stay in the lighthouse keeper’s second floor apartment, loved for its views of Narragansett Bay and the Newport Bridge. It accommodates up to four guests (but two additional children can be accommodated in the adjacent bunk room). Get cozy in the bedroom, dining room, living room (with a sofa bed) and full kitchen. Relax off the grid, because there is no Wi-Fi service on the island, though there is cell service. Solar energy provides electricity.
You’ll get lost in the beauty while exploring the island with its beaches, kayaking, seal spotting and fishing (get a license from the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management). Rates for the lighthouse start at $585 in season, 20% off in April and October.
MORE INFO: 401-847-4242, roseisland.org
Maryland: Cove Point Lighthouse
3500 Lighthouse Blvd., Lusby
DRIVING DISTANCE FROM LI: About five hours away
The Cove Point Lighthouse in Lusby, Maryland. Credit: Cove Point Lighthouse
Built in 1828, Maryland’s oldest continually used lighthouse is on Chesapeake Bay. Cove Point is on seven acres and home to the 51-foot-tall cone-shaped lighthouse. Make your reservation via Airbnb for three or four nights, or a full week. You can rent one or both sides of the renovated keeper’s quarters, but still have many original features. Each side has three bedrooms with five beds. Prices change seasonally; a seven-day stay is currently offered at $5,592 for the full house.
There’s a small, private sandy beach. While swimming isn’t permitted, search for shark’s teeth and other treasures. Calvert Marine Museum is a short drive, as are other sites, such as Cove Point Winery, Calvert Cliffs State Park for hiking and fossil hunting, and the Ann Marie Sculpture Gardens and Arts Center in Solomons and its outdoor art and trails. Dine in Lusby at waterfront spots like Vera’s, famous for crab cakes, fish tacos and live music during happy hour.
MORE INFO: 410-326-2042, calvertmarinemuseum.com
South Carolina: Haig Point Lighthouse
1 Lighthouse Ln., Daufuskie Island
DRIVING DISTANCE FROM LI: About 13 hours away
Membership has its privileges, because Haig Point is a private, members-only community you can only stay in the historic lighthouse if you book a "stay & play" package.
Find out for yourself if the lighthouse built in 1873 and restored in the 1980s is really haunted or if that’s just lighthouse lore. There are two bedrooms, two bathrooms, 40-foot-tower, fireplace, claw-foot tub, kitchen and dining room as well as the go-to place that is the long back porch overlooking Calibogue Sound, great for sitting and having a cup of coffee or glass of wine. The stay & play package includes accommodations, golf cart rental, daily golf or single horseback beach or trail ride, concierge services, complimentary ferry transportation, access to Haig Point Water Taxis, amenities like the Calibogue and Beach Club, clubhouse, tennis, fitness, community and equestrian centers and the private beach. The rate for two nights and one activity for two people is $2,320. You are Iess than a 10-minute water taxi ride to Harbour Town with its boutiques, galleries, restaurants and cafes.
MORE INFO: 843-686-2000, haigpoint.com
