Welcome To The Edge Of The World!
That’s California’s shoreline facing a massive expanse of the Pacific Ocean – literally the edge of the world – and one of the most beautiful sights we’ve seen!
My wife Alex and I had a VERY WINDY closeup look and I wanted to share it again – #wanderlust and all!
First, check out these maps of our location:
Welcome To The Edge Of The World!
You are at the tip of the Pt. Reyes National Seashore, jutting out from California’s northern coastline! As the National Park Service website proudly proclaims:
“From its thunderous ocean breakers crashing against rocky headlands and expansive sand beaches to its open grasslands, brushy hillsides, and forested ridges, Point Reyes offers visitors over 1500 species of plants and animals to discover.”
Driving To The Pt. Reyes Lighthouse!
You can drive across the park to a very famous location: the Pt. Reyes Lighthouse!
We wanted to see the famous Lighthouse up close, so it was time to drive across the peninsula to the edge of the world!
Don’t worry, we weren’t alone:
All along the drive you see animals: in this case, a herd of deer grazing on a hillside – no fences, just grass to enjoy…there are lots of cows as well, as some of the land is commercialized for farming – this area is famous for its milk and cheese, so these guys are kept fenced in!
Standing At A VERY WINDY Edge Of The World!
It’s a beautiful, serene twenty minute drive across the peninsula to the Lighthouse, but as we got closer we came across something very unusual:
Sand!
Yes, this is SAND, and it covered the road to a point that I was concerned about driving across it!
We are NOWHERE near a beach, and well above sea level!
You see, the sand came all the way up the side of the hill – because of the wind!
Luckily, we plowed slowly through it – following the path of other cars that had gone though, and while we slipped and slid a bit, we made it across….and arrived to see THIS:
After parking, you look to the north and this is what you see – the incredible seashore along the western edge of the bluff – and yes, that’s where the sand blows from!
Yes, it’s so windy that the sane literally climbs up the side of the hill!
Oh, I can hear you say “it’s not that windy…”
Here is a video of me, trying to explain to you what you are seeing – listen closely:
Oh, and it was brisk as well!
While it was close to seventy degrees out, the Pacific Ocean is cold, and so the wind that comes off of it is as well!
We parked in a nicely maintained lot and started walking up a closed road to the Lighthouse:
We continued on, walking the quarter mile up the remainder of the hill, with the seashore on one side, and wild deer grazing on the other.
Moments later, we rounded a corner to find the Lighthouse:
Here’s how the National Park Service describes it:
“The Point Reyes Headlands juts 10 miles out to sea and pose a threat to ships traveling between San Francisco Bay and locations to the north. The historic Point Reyes Lighthouse was built in 1870 to warn mariners of this navigational hazard and served for 105 years. The Point Reyes Lighthouse was retired from service in 1975 when the U.S. Coast Guard installed an automated light adjacent and below the historic tower. The Coast Guard then transferred ownership of the lighthouse to the National Park Service, which has taken on the job of preserving this fine specimen of our maritime heritage.”
As you can see, the views are phenomenal from here – take a look:
While closed due to the pandemic, we can see all of the surrounding views, which are truly stunning – and we are, indeed, at the edge of the world:
And yes, it was WINDY!
To recap: you can drive right to the Lighthouse, park your car, and a ten minute walk gives you a spectacular view of the ocean…dress warm enough to withstand the wind, do NOT wear a hat or it will soon be lost to the sea, and enjoy the view!
All this beauty will make you hungry, but we’ve got you covered!
There are great places to eat in the town of Pt. Reyes close by, and along Tomales Bay you can get fresh oysters at Hog Island Oyster Company to enjoy as well, so we did:
These Oysters were freshly shucked from Tomales Bay, which sits right in front of the restaurant, and we had some grilled Oysters as well…what a feast!
And if you drive about a half hour north, you can enjoy this:
“The Birds!”
That’s right, Alfred Hitchcock’s shocker was filmed close by, and it’s a great way to do a “Hitch Hike”!
You can see a fun hiking adventure at this beautiful by AND a look at Hitchcock’s classic shocker by clicking on my “Hitch Hiking” story here:
And if you head south a few hours, you can do a bit of wind surfing in the Pacific Ocean as well:
You can glide over the majestic Morro Rock at Morro Bay on California’s central coast – click here to see more of that adventure:
And just last year, my wife and I were staring at the Sea Of Cortez near Cabo – and we saw a wild display of tail splashing from a pod of whales…be patient and then you will see a very wide shot of it, but it went on for awhile!
It was similar when my daughter Jessica and I went there, but this time we were on a boat and the whales were all around us!
Click here for the story and more close-up video:
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Let me know if you’d done a road trip along California’s incredible coastline!
Categories: Exotic Travel, Memoirs, nature, Sports, Travel, Travel Adventures, Travel Memoir
johnrieber 
Thank you for showing me this wonder of nature! I didn’t know anything about it before now!
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It is very serene and isolated to be sure – but that wind! Thanks for the comment!
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what incredible views, worth the journey to get there and even worth the wind.
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Wow! This is such a cool place!
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Wow! What a beautiful place. And to think it’s only a 20 minute drive. It really must look and feel like the edge of the world. I so enjoyed this.
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That is a glorious coastal view!! Love the lighthouse too! 🙂
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Yes, it was incredible – and so so windy! Thanks for reading!
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There is something special about standing on the edge of the ocean knowing it is thousands of miles until the next piece of land! 😉
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Indeed! A stunning location to be sure – thanks for the comment!
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Love it, John! We took the drive down the California coast last year and saw SO much beauty, and several lighthouses, but missed this one! We’ll have to add it to our itinerary next time!
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It’s spectacular!
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Definitely very windy, John! But impressive, and worth the trip.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Pete, it was SO windy – but on a day of heavy rain throughout most of California, it was a fun #wanderlust share…and now I can’t get The Kinks out of my head thanks to you – and a big thanks as I love the band – I have Ray Davies’ memoir called “X-Ray!”
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