Last Saturday Ron and I had a chance to climb the Anclote Key Lighthouse. The lighthouse was built in 1887 and deactivated in 1985. After years of neglect and vandalism, a group of citizens raised $1 million to restore the lighthouse and it was relit in 2003.
I remember trying to get to the lighthouse years ago, before the restoration. We anchored our boat off the Gulf side of the island and started walking through the marshes. About half way there, we were swarmed by the most ferocious mosquitoes I’ve ever experienced. We were covered! We must have been a funny sight, screaming and running back to the boat. :-) Things are a lot different now. A park ranger lives on the island full-time, boardwalks have been added and the mosquitoes are (mostly) under control.