Over the years, guests and friends of the Lighthouse Inn have asked many interesting questions. Of course, we get the standards, like “where is the beach?” and “where is a good place for dinner?” Those answers are easy and quick. The more interesting questions, however, are about the inn and its history. Those are the ones that spark conversations and memories that last a lifetime. In no particular order, here are our top five favorites:

1. Why are the shower heads so low?
   When you know the answer to this one, you have the opportunity to step back in time and experience a touch of history yourself. The hotel was originally built back in 1938, and then another wing was added on in 1952. The 1938 section was refurbished to include en-suite baths, as it originally was set up for shared bath. So, essentially, all the showers were added and redone in the early 1950s when the addition was built. In those days, women spent hours at the Beauty Parlour getting their hair done. They didn’t wash their hair daily; it was much more common to have it washed and set at the Parlour. Although men didn’t frequent the Beauty Parlour like women did, they didn’t typically wash their hair daily, either. The shower heads in hotels were set to hit about chest height, so one could wash without mussing up that nice coiffure.
2. Are any of the room identical?
   We have about 2 dozen rooms and while some of them are similar, none of them are identical.  Each room or suite has its own character and personality.  They vary in color, décor,  and furniture.  Some have decorative fireplaces (#3, #23).  Some have sofa beds (#1, #3, #30, #39).  Half the rooms are carpeted and the others have wood style flooring. This way each guest can find the room that best fits with their tastes.
3. Is this place haunted?
   Depends. Some people say it is, and others say it isn’t. Some signs of possible haunting that seemed creepy, like flickering lights, were present when we first bought the hotel but went away as soon as we fixed the wiring (hm….); however, some people have reported that they feel strangely calm while visiting, moreso than they’d expected. We leave it to you to discover if there are ghosts about, but rest assured that if we are haunted, the spirits are friendly ones.
4. Why don’t you have coffeemakers in the rooms?
   We happily provide as much coffee as you can drink in the lobby daily from 7-10 a.m. The lobby is an inviting gathering place with comfortable seating and a warm fire crackling. Often, we find that people who would never have interacted before begin conversations over coffee that prove to be very interesting. Some of those connections can turn into lasting friendships or fruitful relationships. If those people would have had coffee in their rooms, would they have made those connections?
5. Why is the place named Lighthouse Inn when there isn’t a lighthouse around for miles?
   This right here is a question for the ages. Our humble inn was originally named Hotel Ragan, after the original innkeepers. Sometime during the last 75 years, the name was changed to the Florence Coast Motel, which it remained awhile before being changed again. Our current moniker has been in place for about twenty years. For tradition’s sake, we kept it, but if we could slip back through time to ask any question of our own, surely it would be, “Why Lighthouse Inn?”