Following the beautiful visit to Anacapa Island, we made our way to Pt. Reyes National Seashore about two hours north of San Francisco. We tucked “Theo” into the quaint Olema Campground and though soggy from recent rains, our site was surrounded by greens of every shade as the California coast was in full spring bloom.
Our time was spent exploring the picturesque seashore including the iconic S. S. Point Reyes Shipwreck, Cypress Tree Tunnel, and venturing out to the historic Point Reyes Lighthouse. The lighthouse is located at the westernmost end of the Point Reyes Headlands and the drive along Sir Francis Drake Boulevard is curvy and slow-going. After parking it’s a half mile walk out to catch the first glimpse of the lighthouse. And to truly see this historic piece of maritime history, one must descend 308 stairs down (fun going down, less so on the way back up ;o) to the rocky outcropping where the building is perched. Point Reyes is the windiest place on the Pacific Coast and the second foggiest place on the North American continent, yet we were fortunate to be there on a sunny, nearly cloudless day. This afforded views far out to sea, whales breaching, and seabirds calling to protect their nearby nests.
The kids earned their Jr. Ranger patches and our weekend was marked by a visit from longtime friends from Dallas, the Breens. They recently moved out to California and were “in the area” (like 2 hours extra-drive-time-“near”) for a gymnastics meet, so they generously came by to hang out for the morning! We absolutely love this family, appreciated getting to catch up in person, and are forever grateful for their enduring freindship.
Next stop: Muir Woods National Monument!