Terry and Kathy Living Our Dream: Point Reyes National Seashore

It was time for us to leave the magnificent redwood groves on Saturday, October 1st and move further down the Pacific Coast to Olema, California. I am so thankful that memories last forever because being in this ancient forest is an experience I hope I never forget. Our plans were to stay at Olema Campground for 8 nights to have some down time and visit San Francisco. This campground was located 35 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge and the rate reflected it. Our sites were dirt with only 30 amp service, no sewer and we had to move to another site during our stay. The rate was discounted to $43.10 per night with our Good Sam membership. A bit pricey for sites of this type but we paid for the close proximity to San Francisco.

We had been watching the weather and from the forecast knew Sunday would be a clear sunny day but the next few days was calling for rain. Point Reyes was only a few miles from the campground so Terry and I headed out to the windiest place on the Pacific Coast and the second foggiest place on the North American continent. The landscape can be changed instantly by Mother Nature adding fog. The area gets 200 foggy days per year that can stick around for weeks. Point Reyes Headlands jut 10 miles out to sea which pose a threat to the ships entering or leaving San Francisco Bay. The winds have been clocked at hurricane force levels.

Lucky for us, our trip to the seashore was a bright sunny day. When we thought about the California coast visions of high cliffs, sanding beaches, sea lions and whales came to our mind. What did not come to our minds were elk, deer, coyotes and dairy farms and that is what we saw in the park along with beaches and whales. The road to the park was full of sharp turns and rough so no need for us to get in a hurry. We just took our time and enjoyed the views of the coastline in such an isolated area. Oh and yes it was very windy and a bit chilly.

Have you ever seen a two-headed deer? Neither have we until Joe captured this shot. This is perfect timing.

Sea lions were hanging out in this area.

Ship-to-Shore communication provided by AT&T and RCA. These antenna fields were established in 1931. AT&T provided two-way voice services to ships at sea and telephones on land. RCA provided commercial communication to the ships at sea through Morse code. This was an interesting stop for us, especially for Terry since he spent 30 plus years working in the telecommunication industry.

Nice buck.

Keeping a close eye on her.

Beautiful coastline.

Point Reyes Lighthouse had to be relocated 300 feet below the top of the cliff to be more effective.

Crashing waves of the ocean will chip away at the rocks and over time will win.

The waves are so versatile-powerful but yet calming.

Looking at the vastness of the Pacific Ocean time seemed to have stopped as we felt our inner peace and listened to all the sounds from the ocean.

This rock gives protection to this plant from the westerly winds.

Gray whale skull found in 1985.

The trees show just how windy it is here.

Algae growing on rocks.

These deer were observing all the visitors on the trail.

Is the coast clear yet?

There were many warning signs about the danger of these cliffs.

Elk we saw on the way to the Point Reyes Lighthouse.

Drakes Bay was the home to the Point Reyes Lifeboat Station for 41 years. The station was built to rescue seamen who got wrecked on the treacherous shores of the peninsula.

Drakes Bay Shore is the home to elephant seals.

This area was covered with a ground cover that boast beautiful red and orange colors.

A couple of photographers were set up at the end of this road trying to get a perfect shot of these trees.

$5,000 fine and up to 6 months in jail for taking antlers- it is important to the ecosystem
that the antlers remain in the park to provide nutrients and minerals
to small animals and rodents.

We saw this coyote not to far away from the dairy farms in the area.

Rip currents and severe undertow are deadly in this area of the coastline. Point Reyes Peninsula is separated from the mainland by a narrow valley running northwest-southeast. The valley lies directly on the San Andreas Fault, where the Pacific Ocean and North American continental plates meet. The peninsula leapt 20 feet northwestward in less than one minute during the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake. It could happen again in 30 minutes or 300 years.