Camping: Samuel P Taylor

We took off for a weekend of camping at Samuel P. Taylor Park. 

Friday was for arrival, setting up camp, getting a camp fire roaring, and then eating and drinking!

 Saturday we went to Point Reyes National Seashore Lighthouse. 

Looking out over the view, I wondered what was beyond the fog. 

When in doubt, find a map.  

We asked the Ranger what it looks like on a clear day.  "I don't remember!" she said with a smile.  We asked if the lovely gift shop photos were photoshopped.  

Even with the fog, the wildflowers were spectacular. 

The lighthouse itself is down a long flight of stairs.  Stairs that begin with a warning sign that says "Caution:  this is a strenuous climb and equivalent to climbing up thirty stories!"   We took them on.  We walked down.  And down.  And down.  (my thanks to the folks that took these photos posted on the links:  they better describe the walk!)  

We arrive at the lighthouse.  I couldn't tell if it was the sheer cliff drops or the walk that had my legs a bit shaky!

The lighthouse is now a museum.  There was a nice presentation of both information on the lighthouse and the history of the lives around it.  Looking on line, there are more entries from the keepers logs. 

Each lighthouse, I found, has a different signal pattern to help mariners identify their location. 

There were small breaks in the fog that allowed us to look at the ocean below.  

Exploring completed (and we were chilled!), it was time to start back up the stairs. 

More stops to rest take photos. 

This alga was gorgeous!  Trentepohlia 

Here's where we protest the "302" steps thing.  See that long smooth part?  It was a steep graded ramp, but didn't count in the step count!  Unfair!  

The climb definitely warmed us up!  My calves are still tender!  

We left the lighthouse and headed to Drakes Beach. 

The wide open shoreline was perfect for walking.  

Tide pools with sea stars.

The water was shockingly cold and refreshing! 

The cliffs were striking. 

I enjoyed how smooth the transition between ocean and sand and tide pools were. 

We left the cool seashore and headed back into town.  We stopped in Point Reyes Station to check out Cowgirl Creamery.  

Oh, yum!  We behaved ourselves, only sampling the fresh cheve.  Delicious!

A full day of adventures, we headed back to the campsite for dinner. 

Now that is one of my favorite parts of camping!  Was thrilled that dinner included zucchini, cucumbers, and lettuce from our gardens.  

Most of my friends have been turned off of s'mores completely.  Years ago I had gourmet s'mores at the Sonoma Mission Inn, which converted me to an adult s'mores believer!   I'm happy to say that I have converted more folks this weekend. 

To soften the chocolate, we tried getting the cracker and chocolate closer to the heat.  We found this got things a bit *too* warm!  Ah well, always a work in progress!   

Sunday was for cleaning up and breaking down.  We enjoyed breakfast before heading down Highway 1 for home.  

A great weekend!