In January 2017 I made a New Year's resolution to experience the Hull Harbor Illumination. When the date rolled around in July, I woke up that morning to a very sick pup. Scout had a horribly upset stomach and there was just no way I could go. I felt like a big baby because when I called my mom to tell her what was happening, I cried. What can I say? I take my resolutions really seriously and it sucked to know I was going to miss one I had been looking forward to for seven months.
Thankfully, the event is annual and I marked the 2018 date on my calendar as soon as it was announced. That day, we would be driving home from a week on Cape Cod and would stop in Hull to spend the afternoon on Nantasket Beach with my cousins, eat dinner together and then head over to the Illumination.
Each year the event is hosted by the Hull Lifesaving Museum. The best spot to stand is at the A Street Pier, right by Local 02045 (which used to be the Sea Dog Brew Pub). In addition to the main event (the lights), they also have live music and food trucks. My sister made a beeline for the ice cream truck and promptly got herself a Chipwich.
At 8:30pm a team of volunteers began lighting the flares one by one.
In addition to the flares on the pier, there was also a long line of lights on the sand of the bay beach.
As the sun set, the lights looked even brighter.
By the time it was truly dark, the pink glow was breathtaking. I love the reflection of the flares on the water.
It was crazy to see how far down the bay the line of flares extended.
I tried to capture the entire view, left to right, with the Panorama feature on my iPhone.
The Illumination was as beautiful as I hoped it would be. The best part of the whole experience was that it was completely free to attend and enjoy (minus the cash my sister spent on the Chipwich). This is a great event for people of all ages and an amazing way to end a day on Nantasket Beach.
I'll be there again next year. Hope to see you at the pier!
