Thirty-seventh Lighthouse Expedition

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Revision as of 20:23, 27 May 2009

May 14 - 25, 2001 -- San Francisco Bay with the U.S. Lighthouse Society and Northern California

May 14, 2001, Monday

6:10 am

Left home.

6:55 am

Arrived at US Park near Metro Airport to leave our car.

7:10 am

Arrived at the airport and checked in. We were able to get our return flight changed to a non-stop flight. YEA!

7:35 am

We went to our gate. We were 1 1/2 hrs. early but we were happy to be sitting there rather than having the stress of leaving a little later and being involved in rush hour traffic. We were surprised to find Bryan Joyner there. He was on his way to the GM Desert Proving Grounds on business. Don smiled. His retirement from GM is July 1st and he has lots of vacation time to enjoy first.

9:35 am

The plane left a little late.

1:45 pm EDST - 10:45 am PDST

Plane touched down at San Francisco Airport. Flight time 4 hrs. and 10 min.

11:25 am

We got our luggage and arrived at the Dollar Car Rental Counter.

11:50 am

We got our car, a white Dodge Stratus and loaded our luggage, etc.

12:05 pm

We left the airport and got on Hwy 101 and headed toward downtown San Francisco. It's 65 degrees and sunny.

12:45 pm

We crossed the Golden Gate Bridge! This is our first visit to the west coast and first time to see the Pacific Ocean. It's clear today and we can also see much of the beautiful San Francisco Bay including Alcatraz Island. We then got on Hwy 1 and headed along the rocky coastline. This road is WINDY with hairpin turns for miles and miles.

1:45 pm

Arrived in the town of Olema.

2:30 pm

We finally arrived at the Point Reyes Lighthouse. We were eager to get there as this lighthouse is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and this was our best chance to see it. We did make the 4:00 deadline, too! We weren't too sure as the driving is so slow on HWY 1! We hiked a short distance from the parking area and then began the 308 steps DOWN to the light. Linda Holm of the National Park Service told us a little about the lighthouse. [It's 130 years old. The last keeper retired in 1975. The lens is a first-order Fresnel. She also said Reyes Point is the most foggy-windy spot in the US. It's not the windiest or the foggiest but a combination of the two. Over 150 ships have wrecked off this point.] There were also murres on the rocks (birds that look like little penguins). The wildflowers were in bloom and it was beautiful. As we walked back UP the steps we were met by two bus loads of school children from Sacramento. Talk about good timing!

3:45 pm

We arrived back at our car and again headed north on Hwy 1.

4:45 pm

We arrived in the town of Pt. Reyes Station and were able to get reservations at the Point Reyes Station Inn, a beautiful Bed & Breakfast. We had the garden room which included our own private garden. The courtyard was beautiful with a fountain and gazebos and lots of flowers in bloom.

5:20 pm

We went to the Station House Café for dinner. We went back to the Inn. We turned in early as it had been a long day (not to mention the time difference.)

May 15, 2001, Tuesday

8:15 am

We had a continental breakfast at the Inn and left. It was foggy near the ocean. We got back on Hwy 1 and headed north. Again lots of hills and curves. Very seldom did we reach 25 mph.

9:05 am

We stopped in Bodega Bay for gas.

9:20 am

We decided to stop at Arched Rock Beach. It was so foggy and we knew we were missing some beautiful scenery. We thought we'd wait an hour and sure enough it did improve. By this time we were able to see rocks further out in the water. It wasn't great but better.

10:25 am

We left the beach and got back on the windy road.

11:45 am

We had lunch at the Sandpiper Restaurant in Gualala. It was wonderful. It was still foggy and misty as we drove along the shore.

12:50 pm

Our slow drive was rewarded finally by the sight of the Point Arena Lighthouse. There was a museum and a small gift shop there. The cost was $3.00 per person. We climbed the 145 steps to the top and even while overcast and misty we had a beautiful view. Virgil Belanger, a museum docent, met us at the top and told us about the light. [The lens is a first-order Fresnel and is still there but not in use. The lens room is covered with curtains. An aero beacon is attached outside on the railing. The Point Arena Rock is located off the point. It's a 10 acre rock 6' under water and has a 100' wall. Many ship wrecks have occurred here. This light is located at the "bend" in California.]

1:45 pm

We left the lighthouse and stopped at the Rollerville Junction Campground store for ice cream.

2:05 pm

We're back on guess what? - that windy curvy road again! In the town of Elk we stopped at a park to take some pictures of the rocks in the water - still misty.

3:10 pm

We arrived at the parking lot for the Point Cabrillo Light Station. We began our 1/2 mile walk in a light rain.

3:20 pm

We enjoyed the beautiful wild flowers along the way to the lighthouse. The lighthouse is currently being renovated and the painters were inside. This lighthouse looks like a schoolhouse with a light tower in front. As we see these lighthouses in the fog and mist we realize that's why they are here! We left at 3:35.

3:55 pm

Arrived back at the car.

4:20 pm

We arrived at the Surf 'n Sand Motel in Ft. Bragg. We had a nice room with an ocean view but we couldn't see it because of the fog.

5:45 pm

We had an excellent salmon dinner at the North Coast Brewing Co.

7:00 pm

Arrived back at the motel.

May 16, 2001 Wednesday

7:50 am

We left Ft. Bragg and again it was very foggy along the coast. When the road wound inland, it was sunny and the skies were clear. We had a beautiful drive through the forest.

9:05 am

We reached the town of Leggett. It took us 1 hr. and 15 minutes to travel 42 miles. There is no doubt that Hwy 1 is beautiful - for the passenger. It was however, quite a draining experience for the driver. We had breakfast at the restaurant in Leggett. Their big claim to fame is the Drive Thru "Chandelier" Redwood Tree. Admission is $3.00 per car. It was a unique experience, one of those things you should do once.

9:45 am

We finally got off Hwy 1 and onto Hwy 101. This was more of a two lane and sometimes a 4 lane highway. Still windy and curvy but you could travel closer to 60.

10:20 am

We got off 101 and onto the "Avenue of the Giants" in Redwood country. We saw the "Chimney Tree" but we were disappointed to learn that the "Land of the Hobbits" trail was closed due to vandalism during the winter. We left at 10:35.

10:55 am

We stopped to take some pictures in the Redwood forest.

11:50 am

We stopped in Eureka for gas. It was $2.09 per gallon. We thought the gas in Michigan was high! We left at 12:00.

12:10 pm

We reached the Table Bluff Lighthouse at the marina in Eureka on Woodley Island. This lighthouse had been moved from Table Bluff. It was Humboldt Bay's second lighthouse. When the lighthouse was to be demolished, preservationists rescued it and brought it to the marina. We left at 12:25.

12:30 pm

We stopped at McDonalds and got burgers to go.

1:00 pm

We reached the town of Trinidad and found the Trinidad Head Lighthouse replica. The original light is on the face of Trinidad head and is on US Coast Guard property and can't be reached or seen. The replica is in a beautiful location with Trinidad Bay in the background. The park area around the light is also beautiful with flowers. While it is hazy, we can see the rocks quite a distance out in the water. We left at 1:20.

2:45 pm

We arrived at the parking lot for the Battery Point Light in Crescent City. With the tide out we were able to cross the isthmus to the island. Larry and Nancy Schneider are the current curator/residents and have been here four years. There is a museum and gift shop. The area around the light was beautiful with the wildflowers in bloom. They have done a wonderful job of restoring the lighthouse. We left at 3:35.

3:45 pm

We drove to the end of Washington Street and could barely see the St. George Reef Lighthouse six miles out in the water. Because of the haze, we could not get a good picture.

4:10 pm

We found a room at the Holiday Inn Express in Crescent City and had dinner at the Apple Peddler Restaurant.

6:45 pm

We drove back down to the shore to view the Battery Point Lighthouse again and stopped at a market before returning to the Holiday Inn.

May 17, 2001, Thursday

8:20 am

It is sunny but clouds are moving in off the ocean. We went back to Battery Point Lighthouse but it was too late to get pictures of the sun shining on the lighthouse, as the clouds had already covered the sun. We left crescent City at 8:50 and headed south on Hwy. 101.

9:20 am

We took the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway south of Klamath to view some of the Redwoods including "Big Tree" near the south end of the parkway.

11:25 am

We left Hwy 101 and arrived in the town of Ferndale. We had lunch at the deli of the Ferndale Meat Co. - very good sandwiches. We walked around the town for a little while. It's a beautiful Victorian village with many restored homes.

12:30 pm

We drove to the Ferndale County Fairgrounds to see the Cape Mendocino lens which has been placed in a lighthouse replica and used as a ticket booth. We left at 12:40. As we drove south we noticed the temperature rise. At 1:05 it was 63 degrees and by 4:10 it was 92 degrees!

1:50 pm

We stopped at the World Famous Tree House which was a Redwood gift shop and left at 2:10.

3:30 pm

We got to the town of Ukiah and started to see the grape vines - we were now in wine country.

5:20 pm

Arrived in the town of Petaluma and found a room at the Best Western.

6:00 pm

We had dinner in town at the New York Pizza restaurant. (Hey, we're in CA!) About an hour later we left and walked around historic Petaluma and then drove to see some of the restored Victorian homes. This town is used quite a bit by the movie companies because of the restored "Americana" look. "American Graffiti" and "Peggy Sue Got Married" are just two. We returned to the motel at 7:45.

May 18, 2001 Thursday

8:45 am

   We left the Best Western in Petaluma.

9:15 am

   Arrived in the town of Sonoma. We went to a bakery and got juice and muffins and found a bench in the plaza near the rose garden for our picnic breakfast. We visited the information center and then walked around the plaza. Most of the stores were still closed but we found the Cheese Co. open and got crackers, cheese and strawberries for our lunch. We left Sonoma at 10:25.

10:30 am

   There are many wineries in the area and we had no idea which one to visit. We decided to visit the Cline Winery. Their drive is lined with beautiful roses and the farm style house is used as a tasting room. While we were not interested in wine at this time of day, we did want to visit and see the beautiful vineyards in the area.. From there we drove to the nearby Gloria Ferrer Winery. This is a Spanish style building up on a hill with a beautiful view.

11:20 am

   We left Wine Country and headed toward San Francisco.

11:50 am

   We went out of our way to a gas station at the intersection of Hwy 101 and 1 to buy gas. It was the cheapest we found in CA - $1.77.

12:10 pm

   We went to a bluff overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge to get pictures. We should have done this on Monday when the skies were clear!!! At 12:15 we were crossing the Golden Gate Bridge. It was much hazier than it had been on Monday, but we could still see the beautiful view.

12:25 pm

   We went to Golden Gate Park and finally found a spot for our picnic lunch and left at 12:50.

1:30 pm

   We arrived at the Holiday Inn in South San Francisco near the airport and found out that the US Lighthouse Society tour group had been moved to the nearby Ramada Inn. We were too early to check in and they were having problems with their computers. This was the first of many problems at the hotel. It took an hour to get our room.

2:35 pm

   We drove the car to the rental return at the airport. We had driven 893 miles during the week. After various shuttles from the car rental return to the airport and then to the motel, we arrived back at the Ramada at 3:30.

6:30 pm

   We gathered in the dining room of the hotel to meet with the rest of the tour group. We had a wonderful dinner at 7:30 and got details about the upcoming 4 days of the tour. Wayne Wheeler, President of the United States Lighthouse Society, was be our tour guide. As with our other tours, the group was made up of lighthouse enthusiasts from all across the country: Jerry & Donna Adrian, Greenfield, WI; Al & Linda Bailey, Battle Ground, WA; Tom & Lynn Baumgarten, Tomah, WI; Phil & Mary Borkowski, Ann Arbor, MI; Cynthia & Brian Deans, Berkley, CA; Mike & Sue Fisher, Lakeland, FL; Alice Goldman, Deerfield Beach, FL; James & Joan Goshow, Paoli, PA; Dick & Sara Hampton, Geneva, IL; Robert Hartshorn, Martin, TN; Larry & Stephanie Hoffis, Spring, TX; Orton & Joyce Johnson, Bremmerton, WA; Howard & Barbara Kuhns, Cleveland, TN; Lewis & Lorna Libby, Jacksonville, FL; Michael & Shirley Moore, Rapid City, SD; Frances Moran, Oceanside, CA; Ken & Gay Nichols, Burbank CA; Michael & Laura Portee, Keasbey, NJ; Sue Roberts, Goodlettsville, TN; Bob Quirk & Nancy Warzecha, Des Plaines, IL; Christian & Joan Specht, Wantagh, NY; Lila Walker, Oceanside, CA; Bruce & Lori Yates, Tomah, WI; Mary Zajac, Hudson, WI.

May, 19, 2001, Saturday

8:05 am

   After a continental breakfast at the Ramada Inn the bus left and headed north thru San Francisco.

8:45 am

   We crossed the Golden Gate Bridge and stopped on the north side for some pictures. Foggy but still a beautiful sight.

9:05 am

   We arrived at the Point Bonita Lighthouse. This station was the last one manned on the west coast. The first light here had been higher on the head but it was moved because it was in the fog most of the time. The walk was about 1/2 mile which included a tunnel and a couple of bridges and then a suspension bridge to the lighthouse. (Because of the swaying, only 5 people were allowed on the suspension bridge at a time.) The same lens has been at this location since 1855. The suspension bridge was built in 1954 when the rocks eroded.

10:40 am

   We left Point Bonita. We drove through San Francisco on Lombard street then onto Van Ness, through China Town onto Embarcadero.

11:15 am

   From the Oakland Bay Bridge we could view Alcatraz Island Lighthouse and the Yerba Buena Lighthouse.

11:20 am

   We arrived at Yerba Buena Island Lighthouse. This light is on the island in the middle of the Oakland Bay Bridge. This is a BEAUTIFUL spot. It was built in 1875 and the location was originally for a fog signal station. It's purpose now is for navigational aid for ships on San Francisco Bay. The lighthouse has a fourth-order lens. The 3 star Vice-Admiral of the US Coast Guard for the Pacific, Ernest Riutta, lives at this location. After viewing the lighthouse and the beautiful gardens we were invited in to the beautiful "keeper's" home. The view of San Francisco Bay and the Bay Bridge is incredible. We also had a nice surprise. Dave Snyder of the USLHS met us with his friend, Eric, and also Marie Tilson whom we met on the Ireland Trip in 1995.

12:20 pm

   We left Point Bonita. We continued across the rest of the Oakland Bay Bridge and arrived at L. J. Quinn's Restaurant at 12:40. This building was once the Oakland Harbor Lighthouse built in 1894. In 1962 it was declared excess and moved to this location to become a restaurant. We had a wonderful lunch of salad, lasagna, bread and a decadent chocolate cake for dessert.

2:20 pm

   We left Quinn's and went to see the Lightship Relief. This is the lightship that the USLHS has been restoring for several years. There were two reasons for the lightships: To mark a reef where a lighthouse could not be built, or to show an entrance to a harbor. This lightship would have had a crew of 21 men - 14 on board and 7 on shore. They worked two weeks on the ship and one week off. John Byrne has been working on the restoration project and showed us around the ship. We left at 3:35.

4:15 pm

   We returned to the Ramada and straightened out another mess with our room registration.

6:00 pm

   We met the group in the Ramada dining room and had dinner at 7:00. Dave and Eric also joined us for dinner. After dinner Wayne Wheeler gave a wonderful slide and history presentation of the San Francisco Bay lights.