The Walton Lighthouse

In Santa Cruz California

Photo by Joseph Sintum on Unsplash

Dan and I moved to California in 1979. One of my favorite things to do was to walk by the ocean, and one of our hobbies was checking out the Pacific Coast lighthouses. We were walking along the shore one sunny Sunday afternoon when we spotted a new lighthouse in the Santa Cruz Harbor. How had we missed it previously? Imagine our surprise when we learned that it was the Walton Lighthouse.

The sign said

The light station was dedicated on June 9, 2002, and was officially named the Walton Lighthouse in honor of Charles Walton’s late brother, Derek, who served in the merchant marines. Charles Walton is a benefactor from Los Gatos whose contributions helped make the project a reality.

Dan’s middle name was Charles; his grandfather was Charles - but not that one.

Needless to say, this was a special place for us, and we went back to visit “our lighthouse” many times over the years.

As Dan’s memory deteriorated, he was sure the lighthouse was named for his father and would stop people walking by to share his story with them. They were very impressed, but of course I knew better.

Since then, I’ve been back several times, smiling at the memories and fondly remembering.

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