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Encountering the Natural Beauty of the Point Reyes National Seashore

I embarked on a private tour of Point Reyes with Eric’s VIP Tours to have an encounter with the rugged and unspoiled Pacific coastline.   Instead of taking the highways, I selected the scenic, coastal route that

I embarked on a private tour of Point Reyes with Eric’s VIP Tours to have an encounter with the rugged and unspoiled Pacific coastline.

 

Instead of taking the highways, I selected the scenic, coastal route that was inspired by compelling scenery along the way. At the beginning of this journey, I saw the Pacific Ocean swells crashing against the rocks and the sheer beauty of Stinson and Muir Beaches. I traveled on winding paths lined with towering canopies of giant redwood trees.

 

As a private guide, Eric provides day and multi- day tours to various destinations that are accessible from San Francisco. He is an expert guiding me on a tour around sites that I would not typically see on my own. He has a wealth of experience in knowing where and when to go and how to get the most of a heightened, picturesque experience.

 

This private tour enhanced the experience as I encountered the most striking beauty of this particular location. Eric took me through the most beautiful parts of the redwood trees.
Upon reaching Point Reyes, I come across some unusual characteristics of the natural surroundings, such as seeing the native cypress trees bend sideways to adapt to the ocean and wind conditions.

 

California writer, John Hart, describes the Point Reyes National Seashore as an “Island in Time” and it’s not hard to see why. This landform is actually a peninsula surrounded on three sides by water. It has a commanding position of the open sea. Point Reyes’ s extraordinary landscape has an unusual composition of open pastures, farmland and wilderness.

 

A fascinating feature of Point Reyes is its weather that is known to be the foggiest place on the West Coast. At certain times, the weather is fickle, changing from sunny to fog in less than a few minutes, On the day of my tour, I am fortunate to have fair weather.

 

Hiking along the San Andreas Fault, the past is evoked in this location, revealing the site of the 1906 earthquake that struck San Francisco and also
Point Reyes.

 

Inverness Explorations
In Inverness, I discover an old shipwreck with its original S.S. Point Reyes nameplate, beached on the shore. There I have a picnic lunch next to an oyster depot and wait for the fishermen to bring in their daily catch of fresh Pacific oysters from Tomales Bay.

 

In another part of the seashore, an unusual grove of trees forms an amazing archway that is known as the Cypress Tree-Tunnel. At the end of this maze, I discover the old KPH Maritime Radio Receiving Station that was built and operated as an overseas wireless transmission station to send telegraph communications across the Pacific.

 

Point Reyes Lighthouse
Leaving Inverness, I travel through cow pastures and the rugged countryside to view the sheer beauty of Point Reyes Beach and the Pacific Ocean enroute to the Point Reyes Lighthouse. There I find magnificent views of this lighthouse perched on the steep cliffs above the turbulent waters.

 

Whale Watching
I descend 313 steps to reach the observation decks on the rocky cliffs. The experience is breathtaking, especially in gazing out to the ocean and observing the spouting sprays from the blowholes of migrating humpback whales passing in the distance. I am spellbound in watching these marvelous creatures from the observation platform. This experience is so exciting that I don’t mind climbing up and down the vertical cliff. It’s a real workout, but it’s well worth the effort to view such an extraordinary wildlife spectacle.

 

At the lighthouse, the park ranger describes how the lens and mechanism were actually constructed in France prior to its installation at Point Reyes in 1870. This lighthouse operated for over a century until it was retired in 1975 when the U.S. Coast Guard installed an automated light.

 

Wildlife Sightings
The most exciting parts of the Point Reyes National Seashore might be seeing the elephant seals lying on the beach or watching the elk roam, or perhaps gazing at the cow herds moving through the pastures, but my outstanding moment is watching the movement of the whales from the lighthouse. Looking out at the expanse of the Pacific Ocean, this historical landmark is strikingly beautiful and one of the most memorable places in California.

 

This trip reminds me that memorable experiences are what truly matters. Whether it’s whale watching, seeing crashing ocean breakers against rocky headlands or visiting sandy beaches and open grasslands, experiencing Point Reyes is spectacular regardless of the time of year.

 

For further details contact:

Point Reyes National Seashore
www.nps.gov/pore

Eric’s VIP Tours
www.ericsviptours.com
e-mail: info@ericsviptours.com

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