THURSDAY,
JULY 30:
Well,
our 3rd
Big Sur day! Unexpected, but fabulous!
We'd
decided last night that if it weren't completely fogged in, we'd take
the Point Sur Lighthouse tour this morning. They only offer it a few
times a week, and this would be our last opportunity. We're so glad
we did! What a delighful tour! An unhurried 3 hours long!
Our
2 volunteer guides led our small group on a leisurely walk up a 1/2
mile incline to the lighthouse, giving us so much fascinating history
along the way. This lightstation was built in 1889. It was one of
several built along the California Central Coast during that era. A
freighter carried all of the building materials for all of the
lighthouses in almost a kit form, all the way from the east coast,
around Cape Horn, up to Monterey Bay, and from there by wagon to this
remote outpost.
But
before they could even start constructing the lighthouse itself, they
had to blast away and level the top of the huge rock on which it was going
to be situated. One consideration was keeping the lighthouse below
the fog level.
The
first lighthouse keeper assigned here was from the east, was hired
for $800/year, and lasted only one year. But the families which
succeeded him had a much longer record of longevity, all the way
until 1974, when the lightstation became fully automated. As we
walked back down the hill after being able to visit each of the
buildings on top (original
lighthouse keeper's family home, the “triplex” - for assistant
lighthouse keepers & their families, the water storage tower, the
tool and blacksmith shop, 1 or 2 others),
we
felt that we got a real feel for what life on a remote lightstation
must have been like. We were so impressed with the quality of the
volunteer docents. In fact, this entire lighthouse is pretty much
operated by volunteers, even though it's part of the California State
Park system. Even the restoration work is done nearly entirely by
volunteers – engineers, craftsmen, etc. What a gift of their
talents – to ensure that this piece of history will be able to be
experienced and enjoyed for us and future generations.
We
came for the tour expecting chilly winds, but were pleasantly
surrpised by warm temperature and relatively clear skies, which was
really nice so that we could enjoy seeing the sea lions below, as
well as some really beautiful views.
One
of our guides shared with us that in winter, the various species of
whales migrate right by here – straight underneath the ledge where
we were standing. Catch the right day, and you can see their entire
bodies floating on top of the water. Wonder if the families who
lived here without electricity were wow'd by sights like that!
The
most unexpected gift of the day: just as we were driving out of the
long driveway back to Hwy 1, the remaining overcast cloudiness was
disappearing literally before our eyes! First truly blue skies we'd
witnessed in Big Sur! So, without hesitation, we decided to drive
down to Nepenthe again and experience it as it was meant to be! It
was expectedly crowded, but after a short wait, we scored a prime
table on the patio. Even though we thoroughly enjoyed our food
(their famous Ambrosiaburger for me, a tuna salad sandwich for Bill
which he pronounced the best he'd ever had), this time it really was
about the scenery. Simply sublime. And quintessentially perfect
California weather. What a purely pleasurable couple of hours spent
here! (We celebrated with a shared slice of key lime pie.)
As
we were walking down the hill to the parking lot and stopped to
admire some redwoods with artfully carved fountains placed under
them, we were delightfully entertained by 3 really active red-crowned
birds. Don't know what their species is, but sure striking and fun
to watch!
With
the afternoon being so perfectly delightful, we decided to take
advantage of our time down here at Big Sur by going to another nearby
State park and hike a trail. We'd asked one of our morning docents
for recommendations – even before the weather turned so gorgeous.
So made the short drive to Andrew Molera State Park (and beach).
(Don't know the story of who this was named after.) After a walk
through the tenting-only campground, we found the trail that was
recommended to us – the Headlands Trail. Aptly named, it led us
almost down to the beach before veering off gaining elevation up a
relatively easy series of steps and a gradual slope.
Once
again, we were rewarded with fabulous views. This time, the viewes
included some surfers whom we watched for quite a while – they were
very entertaining.
Tired
when we arrived home around 7:00, but the kind of exhilarating
tiredness after a full, splendid day, filled with unexpected
naturally extravagant gifts from Above.
