Back in February of 2010 we ended up here on the end of our spontaneous weekend adventure up the California Coast from the Monterey Peninsula. We had meandered up the coast and stopped here only to find out at the visitors station that we were too late to see the lighthouse that day they would be closing soon. The park ranger showed us everything she could in the visitors center and even gave the kids a free poster to take home and put on their wall if we promised to come back again another day.
Two years later we finally made the trip back. The Point Reyes Lighthouse is one of the most picturesque which must be why 2.5 million visitors visit annually. With the entire national park seashore it could easily be a weekend or summer vacation destination. Although some of it’s peak seasons are January and March when whale watching is it at it’s prime season. In January the whales are migrating south from Alaska to Cabo San Lucas. In March they begin their journey back to Alaska. From the observation deck we looked and looked for the misty spray that rises up from the sea which is the sure sign of whales, but were not lucky enough to catch to a glimpse. There was plenty of other wildlife to see and we learned some interesting things about our early California history.
Our overly friendly lunch guest Common Murres on the rocks
We got up close and personal with some Seagulls that were after Stuart’s lunch. Since he happened to be the one most likely to leave a crumb trail. There were also Murres, and we learned how the project at Point Reyes is helping to reestablish one of the largest colonies of Murres in North America. We saw Northern Elephant Seals at Chimney Rock, the seals come to this beach semi annually to breed it is one of only eleven beaches in the world that they breed on. The national park is also home to the Tomales Tule Elk Preserve.
The trip out to the lighthouse started with a shuttle from one of the visitor centers to the base of the lighthouse visitor area where we then walked up a paved road to get to the observation deck. This is where you can then decide to go down the steps to the lighthouse and explore some more. There is a big warning sign that this can be a very strenuous climb back up, but who pays attention to warning signs. The lighthouse was fun to see up close and I found it very interesting to see how small the new automated light and fog horn is in comparison to the grand old lighthouse. However, on the way back up I realized that the warning sign was not kidding when it said strenuous. I wasn’t sure I was going to make it for awhile but alas embarrassment kicks in and you dig deep to find that all needed energy to make it to the top. Did I mention that it is 308 steps the equivalent to a 30 story building.
New Modern Mechanism 308 Steps! The Climb Up
I was fascinated with the history of the Sir Francis Drake and how in 1579 during his trip to circumnavigate the globe he stopped in what is now Drakes Bay for 4-5 weeks to repair his ship and outfit it for the trip across the Pacific.
Farallone Islands Drake’s Bay
We also learned about the history of the Farallone Islands which sit just west of the lighthouse about 20 miles off shore. You can see them on a clear sunny day. These islands are much bigger than they appear and are a wildlife preserve for several species of birds and seal. During the 1800’s San Franciscans used to go to these islands and collect the thousands of eggs that can be found here. The residents were dinning on these delicacies and they soon became a very profitable commodity. So much so that the wildlife was endanger. A great controversy arose as to the collection and sale of these eggs even to the point of two men being killed. Eventually Theodore Roosevelt had to step in and declare these islands a national wildlife reserve.
There was much to see and do at the national park and we didn’t have nearly enough time to see it all.
Our day at Point Reyes and the climb back up with the kids
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