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SF Bay Lighthouse Bed & Breakfast Looking for New Innkeepers

RICHMOND (KCBS)— There's two job openings at a historic landmark in the middle of San Francisco Bay. East Brother Lighthouse Bed and Breakfast is searching for two innkeepers by June.

Located about two miles north of the Richmond San Rafael Bridge and a quarter mile off the coast of Richmond, the one-acre in size light station was built in 1873.

Tom Butt runs the non-profit that oversees the island which has a working lighthouse and foghorns.

"We operate it as a bed and breakfast inn to produce revenue so we can maintain it," he said.

KCBS' Anna Duckworth Reports:

With five rooms, its full capacity is 10 people. The bed and breakfast is open four days a week.

"It's like the ultimate staycation. It's something that is within a short driving distance of most of the Bay Area and yet, once you're out there it's like another world," Butt added.

Butt said its hard work, but it does pay about $90,000 for both people who take the job and comes with a health plan and living quarters.

"They do just about everything, except maintain facilities on the island," he said which means cooking breakfasts and dinners in addition to cleaning and shopping on days off.

In addition to needing culinary experience, one of the keepers also needs a coast guard commercial boat operator's license to pick up and drop off guests and give them tours of the island.

Butt said the keepers rotate out on average every two or three years.

"It's one of those things they say 'I wouldn't trade that experience for anything in the world' but you can just do it for so long."

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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