Pigeon Point Lighthouse
One of the most beautiful drives in California and certainly one of our favorites is along
Highway 1 from Half Moon Bay to Pigeon Point Lighthouse. The scenery is stunning, especially early on a bright, clear, autumn morning. The ocean is blue and calm with a few small fishing boats dotted around.
[Click on the image for a larger version]
Notices for pumpkin patches abound at this time of the year but as it is only 9 in the morning I doubt whether any of them are open yet. By lunch time they will be in full swing.
The views inland are just as spectacular, with low valleys in the foreground and the Santa Cruz mountains behind. Along the way we pass many interesting beaches, each with their particular charm. There is San Gregorio with its driftwood sculputres; Pescadero with its sand dunes and trails around the marsh and Pomponio with its fascinating rocks. All of them deserve their own account and we will visit them all at a later date.
Pigeon Point Lighthouse is roughly half way between Half Moon Bay and Santa Cruz and is a landmark both offshore and on. ‘In June 1853 the Boston-based Carrier Pigeon, on her maiden voyage, was torn apart by a fog-blanketed rock off Whale Point. Thereafter, it was called Pigeon Point.’ (taken from the Pigeon Point Light Station State Historic Park brochure.)
The lighthouse was built in 1872 and its Fresnel lens guided mariners for over a century. A light still flashes every 10 seconds but now it is from a 1,000 watt light bulb.
As we stepped out of the car, all five sense were on full throttle. The smell of the ocean, pine and seaweed; the sound of the surf and birdsong; the sight of the distant horizon and the light flashing from the lighthouse; the taste of salt spray and lastly, the feel of the sand under my feet and the rough texture of the rocks.
In the last couple of years they have added a couple of features. To the east there is now a short trail along the top of the bluffs and since our last visit there are stairs leading down to a small beach.
October 25 2007 | Special Places | No Comments »
