California is a great place. Here are just a few names will help to demonstrate that point – Pacific Ocean, Mojave Desert, Death Valley, Sierra Nevada Mountains, Mt Whitney, Yosemite and Sequoia, redwoods (two different kinds), Big Sur, Mt Shasta; shall I go on?
Recently my wife and I spent a few days in two of these places that makes California so special – the Central Coast and Napa Valley. I’d like to share a little of what we saw there. Where to start?
When you think of light houses you don’t necessarily think of California. But we have some great ones. Here are a few examples.
Pigeon Point Lighthouse is really cool, especially on a day like this one. It has the slender beauty typically associated with New England lighthouses. And it has the benefit of being on the West Coast where we have some pretty nice sunsets.
There is another lighthouse I’d like to share with you. Point Reyes is a short distance north of San Francisco. It is a treacherous piece of coast line and the lighthouse at the tip of the point has saved many lives since it was first lit on December 1st, 1870.
There is a long stairway leading down to the lighthouse, a stairway of 308 steps. It’s easy going down. Climbing back up….
Point Reyes offers many interesting places to explore.
Viewed from the vantage point high up on the flanks of Mt Vision the Point shows some if its diversity in the pre-dawn light – lagoons, ranch lands, oyster farms, Christmas tree farms, Drake’s Bay and habitat for an impressive variety of wildlife.
From the lighthouse deer roam above a rare broad beach that extends northward into the mist.
Several large herds of Tule Elk make Point Reyes their home. These two bull elks were having a bit of a standoff but in spite of the aggressiveness of the large elk in the distance, it was the one in the foreground that had all the gals hanging out with him.
And how about this? What a place to be a cow.
Drake’s Bay is on the peaceful side of Point Reyes. It’s quite possible that Sir Frances Drake set foot here in 1579 during his circumnavigation of the globe.
Point Reyes is where the San Andreas fault, the dominant earthquake fault in California and the rent in the earth’s crust that separates the North American tectonic plate from the Pacific plate, it is Point Reyes where it finally heads out to sea. Tomales Bay marks the fault and separates the Pacific and North American plates. It is normally a peaceful place with light that ranges from gentle fogs and brilliant mornings.
One of the most photographed attractions along Tomales Bay is the grounded ship aptly named “Point Reyes.”
Continuing up the coast from Point Reyes the seashore continues to deliver.
Before turning inland, how is it possible to not mention San Francisco and its most famous icon, the Golden Gate Bridge.
This bridge is impressive in the middle of the day but I like it even more at sunrise.
Not as famous but equally spectacular are the Marin Headlands at the north end of the bridge.
Turning inland, Napa Valley lies waiting. What do you think of when you hear the words Napa Valley?
Quite naturally, we think of some of the finest wines in the world. I’ll get back to that. But did you know that Yellowstone Park does not have exclusive bragging rights for an Old Faithful geyser? That’s right. And our Old Faithful geyser is at the north end of Napa Valley just outside the town of Calistoga.
Yes, it’s for real. It erupts about every 30 to40 minutes, shoots 80 feet into the air and carries on for four to five minutes. Cool!
One of the conditions that makes Napa Valley such a premium wine region are the volcanic soils. The north end of the valley culminates in Mt St Helena, an extinct volcano that is responsible for these productive soils (and the geyser).
Most of the vast expanse of Napa Valley is filled with vineyards and wineries. Wonderful vistas abound. Let me share a few with you.
All these vineyards produce tons of some of the finest wind grapes in the world. And it is the wineries that transform these perfect grapes in to works of art. A drive through the valley takes you past one legendary winery after another.
So there it is, a taste of one of California’s less famous but equally impressive regions. It’s easy to fall in love with this area. My favorite time of year is early November when the weather and light is at its absolute best. I’ll be there. Come on out and join me.
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