In January 2015, last-minute plans materialized for a small family to trip to San Francisco, a city that I visited once as a small child. Naturally, I remember little of that first excursion, except that I was cold 90% of the time, the lemonade at Bubba Gump’s restaurant tasted like watered-down pee, and my younger sister kept crying because of the loud wind noises. I jumped at the opportunity to revisit the beloved Bay Area and build upon those oh-so-deep childhood impressions.
Since we had arranged to meet up with Kevin’s mother and siblings in San Francisco, most of our trip would be spent with family. We would have nearly one whole day to ourselves, and as soon as I began my planning process, I stumbled upon Point Reyes National Seashore. As a lifelong East Coaster, I’d never heard of it, but the photos from a quick Google image search had me addicted to a place I had yet to visit. This stunning national park, located an hour and a half north of San Francisco, features white-capped waves raging against a rugged, dramatic coastline.
In other words, the quintessential image that most of us have of California.
“No matter what,” I told Kevin. “We are making time to visit this park!” I assured him that a visit would only require half a day and that our family obligations would all be fulfilled.
When we arrived in San Francisco, we trudged through one day of rain and fog at Fisherman’s Wharf, but the rest of our week was bathed in blue skies and bright sunshine. Talk about winning the San Francisco lottery, am I right? On the second day of our vacation, I snapped this stunning view of the Golden Gate:
And, on the third day of our great Bay adventure, we enjoyed a stellar approach to Alcatraz. Look at that sky! I swear, those postcards you see all over the city with bright blue skies are not photo-shopped – San Francisco is occasionally blessed with colors like this.
In those few days, largely spent wandering throughout SF’s diverse neighborhoods and the impressive Golden Gate Park, we found ourselves in paradise. D.C.’s temperature rarely made it above twenty-degrees and my parents in Connecticut were shoveling feet of snow seemingly every few hours. This was a dream mid-winter escape that I couldn’t have written any better.
Okay, now that I’ve set the tone for our vacation, let me introduce to you all Point Reyes National Seashore, circa mid-February 2015:
Beaches of Point Reyes
When we left downtown San Francisco on Friday morning, park-bound, the skies were clear, even though the winds were slightly stronger and the temperature chiller than preceding days. The ranger at the Point Reyes National Seashore warned us that it looked like some fog might set in before we reach the lighthouse, the park’s most identifiable attraction. We had shrugged and assumed that our good fortune would continue.
It takes slightly more than thirty minutes to drive from the visitor center to the lighthouse, and somehow, neither Kevin (the driver) nor I had thought to check the gas gauge before entering the park. Obviously, there are no pumps in the park, and the low gas light came on about twenty minutes into the park.
Of course.
To make matters more absurd, we had to be back in San Francisco for dinner, since we had agreed to visit one of Kevin’s cousins and her husband at their house in Daly City. We didn’t have excess time to rush around searching for gas, but Kevin was confident we’d be able to explore the park and make it back without running out of gas. I, the perennially nervous what-can-go-wrong-will-go-wrong type, wasn’t so sure.
One of the park’s beaches marked the first stop on our tour, and fog was visible, but no so much that we couldn’t admire the beauty of the area.
While it might not have completed lived up to those jaw-dropping photos I saw on Google in January, that the view was still decent and, despite our petrol dilemma, we were enjoying our time at Point Reyes National Seashore.
Oh, but did Mother Nature change the moment we pulled into the small parking lot next to trail that leads to the lighthouse.
Cliffside Views…Or Not
On a clear day, the short stroll from the parking lot to the lighthouse allows for some of the most iconic panoramas of not just Point Reyes park but the entire California coast. This is what we saw:
I know, it could be worse, and truth be told, the views were still spectacular and unforgettable. Unfortunately, I truly remember the dense fog and low gas light the most. Funny how, sometimes, travel works that way.
The Lighthouse At Point Reyes National Seashore
The lighthouse makes for Point Reyes’ top stop, and can only be accessed by a series of 300+ steps. Luckily, on our visit, we were able to see the lighthouse. We later learned that sometimes the fog becomes so thick that the lighthouse is no longer visible.
Which, practically, likely made this a great location for a lighthouse.
At any rate, I found the descent to the lighthouse quite fun, especially since Kevin meticulously counted each and every one of the steps. Want to be privy to an insider tip? I’d read online ahead of time that each step is permanently marked with a number, easily visible to those going back up to the top. There’s no need to keep count of the stairs; simply look below your feet. Somehow, I must have forgotten to share this small detail with Kevin. Oops.
At the bottom, Kevin proudly informed me that we had, in fact, just climbed down 311 stairs. I started laughing hysterically and pointed to the bold “311” written on the bottom-most step. Suffice it to say he wasn’t as amused as I.
Point Reyes is a gorgeous park, and the lighthouse especially is photogenic in any condition. This is a wonderful family-friendly spot as well; the climb up those 311 stairs is not for the faint of heart, and we watched many kids enjoy running past their “slow poke” parents.
Now, I only emphasized the fog in this piece to drive home one important point: when traveling, never pin your hopes on the weather. Brochures and travel guides typically showcase landmarks and natural vistas in the most appealing light possible, and this can instill false hopes in travelers who arrive only to see fog, rain, or snow. Part of traveling requires an ability to live in and enjoy the moment, and this is impossible when we become so focused on factors completely out of our control, like the weather. Admittedly, this is something I’m still working on, and in my memory, Point Reyes was a lot more foggy than these photos show. I was so focused on the fog that I barely looked at what was visible.
As a travel writer, it’s my duty to not just share with you the glistening photographs of Alcatraz or the Golden Gate. I don’t want to sanitize travel, and frankly, squinting through the fog and arguing about a low gas light are part of the fun, the adventure. Few of my travel photos look like the cover of a Lonely Planet guidebook or a stock image on Pinterest – and that’s fine.
If nothing else, please, always check your gas gauge before entering a national park. Kevin and I did make it to the nearby town, albeit on fumes, and I hope you all can learn from our mistake.
Traveler Tips:
- Point Reyes National Seashore is an easy day trip from San Francisco. This place definitely gets crowded in the summer, though, especially on clear days, so consider visiting on a weekday. Kevin and I drove to Point Reyes on a Friday in February, with high fog, and the park still had numerous visitors with parking spots by the lighthouse disappearing fast.
