Waves  crashing  constantly on the  rocks,  as if  to keep time  eternally, this  is Point  Arena.  Just pure  nature, and  a  man made  lighthouse. The lighthouse  stands at  the tip of a narrow  peninsula  jutting  about  half a mile into the pacific Ocean – serene and  ethereal.   In the sparsely populated  cost  of  Northern  California  this is an ideal  getaway to commune  with your soul.

“Dance with the  waves,
Move with  the  sea,
Let  the rhythm of the water
Set your soul free”
-Christy Ann  Martine

The  current light house  building is  over 100 years  old, and  is  no longer  manned as  in the old  days. The  old  keepers   quarters  were  converted into   guest accommodations.   A stay here is  an  incredible  experience, not in terms of  luxury but in  the  old fashioned  charm.  Don’t  worry , it  does  not  take  you too far back into the past. You will have a  comfortable stay.

Highlights

What : Point Arena Lighthouse
Where :   Along US 1  about 130 miles north of San Francisco
Things to do : Relax,  explore,  take a lighthouse  tour,  spot a whale and  chat with harbor  seals.
If You Go : Do plan to  arrive  early, as  most of the  shops  close by 7p.m.. Have something warm with you, the mornings are cold even in summer.
Must Do The light house tour.

We  reached  the  light  house  grounds well past  the  closing  time,  but  it  was  summer  and  the sun  hadn’t  set  yet.  The instructions  were  for us  to open the gate  and  let  ourselves in, and  that is  exactly  what  we  did.  It was like  stepping into another  time .

This  was  what  we were treated  to  as  we  entered  the “Keepers Quarters”, that  was ours  for  the  time  being.  Now  this is  definitely  worth  the  drive ! Look out  through any of  the  windows  this  is  what  the   eyes  will be  feasting on – waves crashing onto the cliffs  is the ambient  music here.

This  is  the place  for  you  to fall in love,  whether it is  with the light house,  the ocean, or  the person  by your  side. Now  we  were  driving  down  from Oregon,  so I won’t  blame  you  if  you  were  wondering “What  was  she  smoking!”.  Let  me  assure  you the  only thing  I inhaled  was  the  salty ocean  air 🙂

There is  plenty of  coastal life  to  explore . Mendocino coast is  beautiful,  dotted with  cliffs, sea stacks,  beautiful beaches and  everything  else that comes  with it . The  town is  sparsely populated,  the  entire  population is  under 500 ,  leaving  much of  the  coast  untouched.  There are  other lodgings available , but if  you get a  chance I highly recommend  that  you stay at  the  lighthouse.

Take a   tour of the  lighthouse  and  explore the   history. During operating  hours  they offer  guided  tours  to the  top of the  light house.  Climb  these  winding  stairs  to  the  top  and  you will be  treated  to  fantastic  360° views.   The old  Fresnel lens  that  stood at the  top  is moved to  the museum  store, This  huge 6 tonne assembly is  replaced  by a  small coast  guard  beacon now.   The  views  from  the top  are fantastic.

The  museum is  a  good place  to learn  about  light  signatures,  and  everything lighthouse.   The  fist order  Fresel lens could  catch and  direct  the  light   making it  visible  up to  20 miles into ocean.  I am  sure  there  were  very many mariners  who  were  glad  to see  it blink so far  out  and  had a  chance  to escape   running   aground   by the  rocks that  protrude  about  a  mile  into the  ocean .

 

Here are  a few more pictures from the lighthouse tower

There are a  total of  145 steps  to  climb to the  top of  the  tower.   This is  first  one  of  the  beautiful  spiral  stairway.  Yes it  is  older  than t he  current  light house, but  still strong .

 

Here are a  few  more  from the  grounds

 

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