The Petaluma area is absolutely amazing. So far Point Reyes National Seashore is my favorite place. It's 18 miles from our place to the entrance, and the twisty, hilly drive through green mountains and pastures would be a worthwhile trip by itself. But the park is breathtaking. It's 20 miles from the entrance to the farthest point, the lighthouse, which has spectacular views. There are also beaches on protected bays, and beaches on the open ocean, and rolling farmland with 150yr old dairy farms, and rocky cliffs.
Here's a photo of the north end of the park. See that pointy rock in the distance? There are people climbing up that rock.
Here is some of the pasture land on the inland part of Point Reyes.
This is Drake's Beach, at the southern end of the park. It's part of a secluded bay so the waves are pretty tame, but big for those of us accustomed to Great Lakes waters. These tall cliffs overlook the beach. If you look closely, you can see Mom and Dad walking near the base of the cliffs. It's also where a few male elephant seals were basking.
This is Point Reyes Beach South. It's on the west side and faces open ocean. The waves are huge and the surf is loud. One guidebook warns to "never turn your back on the ocean" here, because a big wave could come along at any time. This is where we saw a couple of whale spouts, and Jay and I saw the back of one whale crest above the waves.
Anja needs to grow some hair or learn to wear a hat with all the sun out here.
Today we went to John Muir National Monument, a small national park not far from here. We walked a couple of miles through some cool (in temperature) redwood forests. My pictures weren't so great, but here are a couple. Anja managed a short nap in the carrier, which is not as common as it once was. She does best with two naps a day, and a nap in the carrier or the car doesn't seem to be the same as a nap at home like it used to be.
Anja liked the trees.
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