Frying pan tower would be the ultimate fisherman's getaway.
Some people just want to get away from it all and get in touch with nature again. There may be no better place on Earth to do that than Frying Pan Tower off the coast of North Carolina. Situated in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean about 30 miles from Wilmington, this former Coast Guard light Station was originally put in place to prevent shipwrecks on the dangerously shallow waters of Frying Pan shoals.
As with many light stations around the world, modern technology eventually made the tower obsolete. To the point that the US Coast Guard considered demolishing it. Thankfully, Charlotte resident Richard Neal saw the rusting light tower's potential and bought it for $85,000.
Today, it sometimes serves as a bed and breakfast or the world's "most dangerous hotel" due to the fact it is situated some 90 feet above the waters of the Gulf Stream. The only way to get there is via boat or helicopter out of Southport which lands on the station's helipad.
Maybe we're a little crazy, but Frying Pan Shoals light tower seems like an excellent place to get away from it all and relax to us. As this second video tour shows, the accommodations are a little rough. As can be expected out of any USCG station and because of the age and nature of the location.
Still, it has a kitchen, multiple bedrooms, and a recreation room. It even has a nice little fish cleaning station for the hardcore anglers. Because the base of the tower provides something the fish can relate to, there are always fish waiting to be caught. What could be better than waking up in the morning and walking a few feet to catch breakfast?
This light does get battered by storms on a regular basis. It was directly by Hurricane Florence in 2018 but survived. Frying Pan Tower became a viral sensation during that storm because people were watching the Explore.org live cam which showed an American flag on the tower being battered by the elements. As you saw from the tour, the elements are rough on flags out on the shoals.
Seems like it would be a great place to wait out the coronavirus quarantines. Or any zombie apocalypse. You know, just in case. While the tower is in rough shape, the nonprofit FPTower Inc. was formed to find volunteers and funding for the restoration of the place. Hopefully they succeed. We'd love to visit this place someday and do a little fishing and stargazing of our own!
For more outdoor content from Travis Smola, be sure to follow him on Twitter and check out his Geocaching and Outdoors with Travis YouTube channels.
NEXT: THE AXIS DEER AND HOW THEY'RE IMPACTING PARTS OF THE UNITED STATES
WATCH
