Beloved California lighthouse gets new caretakers
East Brother Island, Calif. — On the San Francisco Bay, an isolated island presented an unusual job opportunity: living and working in a Victorian lighthouse.
"I tell you, I can't think of a country in the world we didn't get applications from," said Tom Butt.
He was in charge of replacing Jillian Meeker and Che Rodgers, who have been working at the East Brother Light Station for two years.
"This really epitomizes that for people. There is a huge desire to step back from the pace of modern life," Rodgers said.
But the pace of life on the island isn't exactly laid back. It is actually a bed and breakfast inn. Meeker and Rodgers do everything from running the boat to cooking and serving meals.
The lighthouse is now considered a treasure. But at one time, the Coast Guard was ready to demolish it, until lighthouse lovers stepped in to save it.
"The guests can come up here whenever they want. A lot of proposals happen up here," Meeker said.
Two recent visitors were Tyler Waterson and Tiffany Danse, the couple selected to run the place.
"People always ask are you going to have a cook or a maintenance person? Or anything. It's all us," Waterson said.
Among their new duties, learning to get the old fog horn up and running, as a noisy demonstration for overnight guests. When the sun goes down, the little island becomes the guiding light its been for 145 years.