2023 New Jersey Lighthouse Challenge | Full Adventure | Accomplished!

[@DestinationEarth]

Wow, Shane isn't a little kid anymore is he! Wow, that's a somber saying isn't it - you have to go out, but don't have to come back. The clouds are moving super fast at all the lighthouses, lol. Running the lighthouses was such an important job. You forget at times that many people lived in those spaces in almost complete isolation at times. It would have been a hard life. What a great set of lighthouses you have there! A wonderful multi-day tour that looked like everyone in the extended family enjoyed!

[@AmericasParks]

Appreciate your kind words, my friend! Hope you guys are doing well!

[@markakira8988]

Shane is so big. Time flies by fast. Hope you win the raffle.

[@AmericasParks]

You are not kidding... big growth spurt in 2023 for the man!

[@lesliesmith7835]

Congratulations Randy, Julie and Shane on successfully completing the Lighthouse challenge. Everything about this video is excellent. God Bless America's Parks and the entire Smith family!! ... Robin 🙏❤

[@AmericasParks]

Hey Robin, much appreciated my friend!

[@ivanp9171]

My son and I followed your route and did the challenge this past October 2024. We had a great time and thank for making this video.

[@AmericasParks]

That's wonderful to hear! I'll never forget those enjoyable two days. Glad you had a nice time as well!

[@RobertLWard]

What a great way to spend a weekend! Pennie and I both really enjoyed watching. Hope all is well and wishing you a fast recovery. Just had my surgery last Wednesday and man am I sore. Nice to see you get a clip up. I'm going to be working on some vintage stuff while home recovering ( just put one up yesterday). Anyways, glad to see this!

[@AmericasParks]

Thanks, Robert! Glad to hear your surgery went well. All the best for a speedy recovery!

[@riseandshinebeautiful]

Great video as always! It’s not just the amazing places but especially your enthusiasm and your energy! God bless you and your wonderful family

[@AmericasParks]

Really encouraged by your kind and encouraging words! Enjoy the rest of your week!

[@OurNationalAdventure]

What fun! Congratulations to you and your family! These were fun to see. Wishing you all a happy holiday!

[@AmericasParks]

Thanks very much... and a blessed Christmas to you as well! Such a special time to raise young children. Enjoy every moment!

[@MarkH163]

Great video, Randy! What a fascinating walk through history! Great footage with the drone shots (when you could) and the 360 camera is an invaluable tool providing truly unique shots from outside the lighthouses..good seeing you and your family! God bless!

[@AmericasParks]

Thansk so much, my friend! Hope you have a blessed Christmas!

[@MarkH163]

@@AmericasParks Thanks, you and your family have a blessed Christmas also!

[@kaylasmith1515]

I can’t believe the last lighthouse you visited in NJ was Sea Girt! Great compilation of facts and fun times.

[@AmericasParks]

Thanks Kayla!

[@adventuringoutdoorswitheric]

It's great to see a new video from you, Randy. Shane has really grown up! He doesn't look like a little boy anymore. The only lighthouse i've been to is the one in Atlantic City, which is the tallest. All the lighthouses were so beautiful and they all looked totally different from each other. What great exercise doing this challenge going up all those stairs constantly. Neat video, Randy!

[@AmericasParks]

Hey Eric, hope you are doing well! Thanks for the kind words and hope you are enjoying this special time of the year!

[@tylerbledsoe4478]

Cool video! I'm glad you guys were able to complete the 2023 New Jersey Lighthouse Challenge and hopefully you win the raffle. 👍

[@AmericasParks]

Thanks, Tyler! Still waiting on the phone call regarding the raffle! :)

[@jameshouse1268]

This is another great challenge to undertake and complete! 🥳 Congratulations! Take care always and have a blessed Christmas with your family, church family, and friends!

[@AmericasParks]

Thanks, James! Hope you have a blessed Christmas too!

[@coljae156]

Great summation of the weekend experience! Thanks for all the work in recording and editing this! Great memories!

[@AmericasParks]

Happy to hear you guys enjoyed the video! One weekend our families will never forget!

[@Carolann_237]

Congrats on the challenge. This brought back some good memories. We completed the challenge back in 2006. They were giving out wooden discs at each lighthouse (with the lighthouse engraved on them) and we received a tshirt for completing the challenge.

[@AmericasParks]

Really cool and congratulations on your achievement!

[@tompfeiffer2755]

Had never heard of this before. Really enjoyed the video tour. Thanks for sharing! Looking forward to visiting the sites even if not part of the challenge.

[@AmericasParks]

It was a great weekend - highly recommended. Most of the lighthouses are always open on the weekends, especially in the summer. It's just convenient to have all of them open at one time for the challenge. Take care!

[@TravelSmallLiveBig]

What a cool thing to do! I would need more time though 😂 Kind of funny you hadn’t been to the one about 3 miles from your house, but it’s often true - we skip the nearby places. Gorgeous neighborhood around that one too.

[@AmericasParks]

Thanks, Heather! Had to move rather quick over the two days, but thankful we were able to complete the "challenge." Wishing you and Jim a wonderful Christmas!

[@hikingelevated]

That's awesome. I love visiting lighthouses. Great video.

[@AmericasParks]

Thanks, a weekend we'll always remember! Have a blessed Christmas!

[@jymnmeier3527]

Congratulations on completeing the Lighthouse Challenge. What a fun experience. We could not believe how tall Shane has gotten. Nearly as tall as Julie :) Time sure flies by. Thank you for sharing and as always much love to you all

[@AmericasParks]

Thanks, my friend! Shane has really been on a growth spurt over the past few months. Hope you and the family are enjoying this special season of the year!

[@jimgreen5788]

Woh! What did you feed Shane over the summer? He must have grown a foot!😀 Q2: How did you get acquainted with the girls? Thanks for taking us on the tour--great as always!

[@AmericasParks]

Hey Jim, raising these kids seems to go by too quickly. Have a blessed Christmas!

[@RyanD123]

That's awesome! Go celebrate with a pork roll egg and cheese!

[@AmericasParks]

Right on! Keep that NJ talk going!

[@alrichardson7027]

Hello America's Parks! I've been watching you guys challenging the Lighthouses in New Jersey. That is so AWESOME and AMAZING! Randy we've got to get together and check out some cool places. I recently took a drive to Kent Falls State Park in CT with my son and he's about as tall as you😊. It's a beautiful place. Hey, where not far from each other. Congratulations on challenging the Lighthouses 😎😎.

[@AmericasParks]

Hello, my friend! You are a good man and would be an honor to meet you one of these days! Been laying low on the traveling (other than a church trip to AZ, nothing lined-up for 2024), but would be cool to connect if I get back up north. Have a blessed 2024!

[@YeahItsThatBad]

Thank you for this video, I discovered your channel through your national parks videos so you could imagine my surprise when you said that you were also from New Jersey! I just got back from a cross country road trip where we drove from NJ to California and visited 15 national parks! Anyway, I really like the idea of this lighthouse challenge, I am going to run it by my family to see if they would like to try it.

[@AmericasParks]

Love meeting NJ people on the channel! Actually, after 23 years in NJ, we moved back to the Midwest. Miss the east coat!

[@YeahItsThatBad]

This weekend was the lighthouse challenge, and I tried it thanks to this video! I only got to see seven sites though, but we had a lot of fun, thanks for the video!

[@Randster5252]

@@YeahItsThatBadGlad to hear you had a great time! That sure was a memorable adventure!

[@davidpiersall1727]

The only lighthouse I’ve ever visited was in Nebraska if you can believe that.

[@AmericasParks]

Never would have imagined that! :)

[@sluggotinfantryman]

My Grandfather moved to Barnegat light after WWII. He said there were 2 houses then. Then empty coastline is Canaveral Seashore. Got good stretch there.

[@AmericasParks]

Really near to hear! This is such a classic stretch on the NJ coast!

[@ernestlcolemanjr]

Sandy Hook Lighthouse & I share the same birth month & day. Lightship Barnegat it's shame they don't have that on the list but I understand why. I love lighthouses been to 71 of them.

[@farrendavis4143]

Merry Christmas to the America's Parks team! have so enjoyed the videos. keep them coming. hope to see you in one of the parks this coming year.

[@AmericasParks]

Thanks much and hope you had a very Merry Christmas yourself!