Point Reyes Lighthouse is 50 miles north of San Francisco in the Point Reyes National
Seashore. This is a protected area covering approximately 71,000 acres and is a wonderful area to explore. There is only one, very small town in the whole area and that is Inverness. Most of the area is uninhabited but there are quite a few historic dairy farms which are still in operation so there are lots of cows.
Point Reyes itself is a curiosity as it is moving north at a rate of 2 inches a year. The rocks and vegetation are completely different here than on the opposite side of Tomales Bay.
There are a number of interesting places to visit. North of Inverness there are three, small secluded beaches on the Tomales Bay side - Shell Beach, Hearts Desire Beach and Marshall Beach. They are hard to find and not signposted at all from the road. At the northern end of Point Reyes there are free roaming Tule Elk and they are a wonderful sight. Also in the same area is the Historic Pierce Point Ranch with a self guided tour around the complex. Running past the ranch is the lovely Tomales Point Trail.
Today though we are headed for the lighthouse. This involves a drive of 20 miles from the entrance of the National Seashore, passing a few of the dairy farms. At weekends and holidays during the whale watching season, no cars are allowed to drive to the lighthouse and there is a bus shuttle instead. At this time of the year we can drive all the way to the small car park at the end.
As we got out of the car we had a marvelous view of the Farallon Islands. There is a 0.4 mile walk with some breathtaking views to get to the beginning of the lighthouse complex. There is a small visitors center before you get to the top of the steps leading down to the lighthouse.
As we approached the steps, we met a lady who was waiting for her son to return from his trip down to the lighthouse. We had a fascinating conversation with her. What an interesting life she had led. In the ten minutes or so we were talking to her we almost had her life story. The highlight was her telling us that for a few years she had been a hooker in Berkeley. I won’t give any more information in case anybody who reads this knows her!
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November 18 2007 | Special Places | No Comments »
We left home well before daybreak. It was dark when we crossed the Golden Gate Bridge; it was dark driving through San Anselmo; it was still dark driving through Point Reyes Station. It was just getting light when we reached our first destination - Nicks Cove and Miller’s Landing on the eastern side of Tomales Bay.
[Click on the image for a larger version]
When we were last here in March 2005, there was a dilapidated and abandoned restaurant here which was a well known seafood restaurant back in the 1990s. Signs were posted saying it was going to be renovated. recently we read that the work was finished and the restaurant had been reopened. So we have come to check it out.
There was a boat launch here as well but it is closed at the moment because that is now being renovated.
Tom got out and took a few photos but I sat in the car as it was very cold outside. I started writing but at first I could barely see the lines on the page. Gradually it grew lighter and I was able to see what I was writing.
Opposite the restaurant are some cabins. Back in 2005 there were cabins here but they were boarded up and ramshackle. They have been rebuilt as well and are very smart but they are very expensive to hire. There are smaller cabins alongside the restaurant and built over the bay on stilts. There are eleven cabins altogether ranging from $300 - $965 per night - I told you they were expensive!
I watched as someone from the restaurant cross the road and delivered newspapers to the cabins.
Guess I had better get out and take a look though I am very reluctant to do so as it’s very chilly out there. It was 63 degrees when we left San Jose and it is 20 degrees colder here. We are promised a warm day today though. As it is still only 7 in the morning I cannot expect too much heat just yet.
It was too cold to stay outside long and Tom was already making his way back to the car so I took a quick look at the restaurant. It certainly looks much better than last time. They serve seafood and cocktails and they are great views of the bay. It wasn’t open so I couldn’t go inside. There was a lot of activity so I guess they will be open for breakfast later.
We decided to head back to Point Reyes Station for breakfast. Just after we left Nicks Cove there was a wild turkey in the middle of the road. We need a turkey for Thanksgiving but Tom refused to run it down!
November 05 2007 | Special Places | 2 Comments »
Seashore. This is a protected area covering approximately 71,000 acres and is a wonderful area to explore. There is only one, very small town in the whole area and that is Inverness. Most of the area is uninhabited but there are quite a few historic dairy farms which are still in operation so there are lots of cows.
Today though we are headed for the lighthouse. This involves a drive of 20 miles from the entrance of the National Seashore, passing a few of the dairy farms. At weekends and holidays during the whale watching season, no cars are allowed to drive to the lighthouse and there is a bus shuttle instead. At this time of the year we can drive all the way to the small car park at the end.
