No matter how many times I've done it, it's always fun to climb the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse.  The day was warm and sunny, a perfect Indian Summer morning.  We took our time on the climb, stopping along the way to peer out the windows and chat about the history of the light.  268 steps later, we reached the top.  The view from the top is never the same, weather dependent on how far you can see.  On this particular morning, the sea mist interacted with the bright morning sun, making photographing the view from the top virtually impossible.  So, instead, I turned my camera down, towards the beautiful patterned floor that never ceases to make me think of how many footprints have crossed it through the years.

As we were waiting for the lighthouse to open, we got to watch the Park Ranger raising the American flag.  I dare you not to feel pulled to place your hand over your heart in that special moment.

We visited the museum and watched the video of the relocation of the lighthouse, in awe of the amount of time and effort that went in to protecting such an important piece of Outer Banks history.