Monika’s Birthday – October 15, 2016

November 10, 2016

The sky opened up in time for a pretty sunset at the Point Arena lighthouse.

You may recall that Monika loves birthdays and wants to remember every one of them. She does some strange things like climbing Yosemite’s Half Dome, jumping out of an airplane at 18,000 feet, spending two weeks exploring Cuba or riding a camel in the Altai Gobi Desert in Mongolia. This year she took another adventure off her birthday–bucket list; to stay in a lighthouse. Well in this case not actually in the lighthouse but in the lighthouse keeper’s apartment. With a full kitchen and a cozy fireplace we thought we’d have some great dinners, climb the lighthouse by moonlight and go for a walk. Then the weather changed.

Along the Point Arena-Stornetta hiking trail, we watched the angry waves crashing into the coast line.

The rain came sideways off the ocean, stinging our faces like little pieces of ice. Our North Face Gore-Tex jackets flapped frantically as another 60-mile-an-hour gust nearly pushed us off the trail we were walking alongside the cliffs of the Pacific Ocean. Twenty-foot monster waves rolled in and built over the submerged rocks, crested in plumes of spray, built again and crashed violently into the helpless escarpments just below us. The water rushed back out to sea, forcing itself into the next set of breakers. What were we doing here in this gale was a question that came to mind, but of course, it was Monika’s birthday.

The horizon of the angry Pacific was shrouded in dense fog. There is actually a huge reef just offshore only 6 feet under the water. Literally hundreds of ships had been trapped and demolished on these rocks. Any survivors, if they could even swim, had little chance of reaching the shore and scaling the vertical cliffs.

Point Arena Lighthouse, CA

The Point Arena Lighthouse, originally built in 1870 out of necessity and rebuilt after the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco, happens to be the tallest on the West Coast of California that is still open to the public (115 ft/41 m). The view from the top was inspiring, even as we watched the storm moving in. The excellent museum next to the lighthouse documents some of the amazing history.

Our picturesque hike along the coast through the Point Arena-Stornetta Unit of the California Coastal National Monument was only 4.5 miles from the lighthouse to the town of Point Arena where we could take refuge out of the wind and rain for a cup of coffee. We could see that the torment was not letting up and the rain was increasing. Our Extreme Gore-Tex North Face jackets and pants were no match, but fortunately, even with the wind, it was a warm Pacific rain. Little creeks we had hopped across on our away to Point Arena were now flooded and muddy trails descending into the ravines were treacherous. By the time we got back to our warm cabin we were completely wet. A note stuck on the door explained that due to the power outage, the moonlight tour of the lighthouse had been canceled.

No power? No problem. We enjoyed a romantic candle light dinner starting with fresh oysters.

The sky opened just in time for a beautiful sunset. We stood outside with the other guests and found out two of them were also celebrating their birthday! Must be a Libra thing. Still without power, we dined in romantic candlelight on fresh oysters for appetizers, followed by a delicious French cut rack of lamb, a baked potato and vegetables, accompanied with a good bottle of Zinfandel, and a sumptuous chocolate birthday cake, all the while sitting in front of a cozy warm fireplace. It was the perfect meal to end another memorable birthday!

: It was amazing to watch the huge waves build and crest with the wind blowing their tops off.

: On a calmer day, this section of the Pacific Coast would be an equally spectacular hike.

: Windblown, we were relieved to take this short protected section through the forest.

: As we walked along the angry coastline we could only imagine the hundreds of sailors who had been lost in dense fog with no possible escape.

: These forceful Pacific storms have been slowly and steadily eroding the coastal cliffs.

: It was all we could do to keep our balance as the gusts of 60 mph winds slammed into us.

: Nothing like a little wind and rain to give you a new hairdo.

: Another chunk of the California coast broke off and slowly erodes into the sea.

: As the storm cleared, the Point Arena peninsula took on a different personality.

: Even with the power out, we enjoyed Monika’s birthday dinner of fresh oysters and a tasty French cut rack of lamb accompanied with a good Zin.

: The French cut lamb chops were the perfect choice for Monika’s special birthday dinner.

: Thanks to a gas stove/oven we even had a birthday cake.

: The lighthouse keeper’s apartment was quite comfortable with a full kitchen and a cozy fireplace.

: This detailed ink drawing by Dael Keplinger, a local artist, hung in our living room. If you look at it carefully, there are many creatures hidden inside the lines.

: Dael Keplinger, a local artist, reflects on his ink drawing of the Point Arena Lighthouse.

: Mark Hancock is the Executive Director of Point Arena Lighthouse.

: The 1st Order Fresnel Lens is over six feet in diameter and weighs more than six tons. The lens is made up of 258 hand-ground glass prisms, all focused toward three sets of double bullseyes that gave the light (1000 watt bulb) the incredible reach of 23 miles from a ship’s deck 20 feet above the water out at sea.

: Point Arena Lighthouse, CA

: Driving back along Hwy 1 we stopped at the mouth of the Russian river to admire the Harbor Seal Nursery.

: We followed this beautiful rainbow for at least 20 minutes as we headed back home. Monika considers it a great omen. Where will she celebrate her next birthday???