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Sweeping Coastlines and Lighthouses
St. George Reef Lighthouse
 Located
6 Miles off the coast of
Crescent City
California , the St. George Reef lighthouse was the most
expensive
lighthouse ever built at the time. It was built after
the steamship the Brother Jonathan hit
the reef and over 200 people
were lost. Construction began in 1865 and took over 10
years to complete. The light was first lit in 1892 and stayed on
until the coastguard abandoned the lighthouse in 1975.
Now, there is only one way that you
can get a tour of the St.
George Reef Lighthouse. The St. George Reef
Lighthouse Preservation Society is the only organization authorized
to land at the lighthouse. Airshasta
Rotor and Wing and Matty Chopper are the exclusive providers of
helicopters for this effort and we're proud of the work being
accomplished to both restore this historic landmark and to make it
accessible to the public. You can contact the St.
George Reef
Lighthouse Preservation Society directly to reserve
a tour.
Odiyan Buddhist
Retreat
 We first spotted the Odiyan
Buddhist Retreat on
our way to an
exclusive coastside community called Sea
Ranch to visit some friends. At first we thought
it was an elaborate movie set, then when we got closer, we realized that this is one of the best kept
secrets in California. Located a short flight to the north
of San
Francisco, the Odiyan Buddhist retreat is a great example of
something
close by that few  people get to see. The 1,000 acre retreat is ideally
positioned on a coastal ridge behind locked gates. While it is still under construction,
some of the
temples are complete and as you can see
from these photos are a true wonder. The only way to get inside
the gates is
to become a volunteer
for 6 months.
So, unless you're going to volunteer, we're pretty much the best
option.
Pigeon
Point Lighthouse
  First
lit in 1872, the Pigeon Point lighthouse is one of the tallest
lighthouses in the U.S. This
lighthouse is more conveniently located onshore and is located just
west of the San Francisco Bay south of Half Moon Bay. The Pigeon
Point lighthouse was named after the clipper ship the Carrier Pigeon
which hit the rocks in 1853 (notice a common
theme?). Unfortunately, in 1865 the Sir John
Franklin, in 1866 the  Coya,
and in
1868 the
Hellespont all ran into the rocks off the coast before construction
began on the lighthouse in the 1870's.
You can actually stay right at the lighthouse in the former lighthouse
keepers quarters which are now run by Golden
Gate Council of Hostelling International. Contact the Pigeon Point
lighthouse Hostle for more information.
Elephant Seals At Año Nuevo
Just South of the Pigeon Point Lighthouse is Año Nuevo State
Reserve. This is
the site of the largest mainland breeding colony in the world for the
northern elephant seal. During the
breeding season, December through
March, daily access to the reserve is available via guided walks only.
Most of the adult seals are gone by early March, leaving behind the
weaned pups who remain through April. The elephant seals return to
Año
Nuevo's beaches during the spring and summer months to molt and can be
observed during this time through a permit system.
While we love nature, we strictly adhere to the request that we remain
2,000 foot above the coastline and its inhabitants. So, if you
want to see the Elephant seals up close, we're going to suggest the
slower, more boring, land-based transportation.
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