Point Reyes

This weekend, we explored the Point Reyes peninsula, about thirty miles northwest of San Francisco — paddling in bioluminescent Tomales Bay, eating oysters in Marshall, and wandering in Point Reyes Station.

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Dusk at Miller Boat Launch at Tomales Bay, just north of Marshall. We paddled out later that night through bioluminescent waters, thanks to Point Reyes Outdoors. (No photographs, sadly. I didn’t take my phone, and it would do no good anyway — we were kayaking in total darkness at 11:00 at night.)

lighthouse

The historic Point Reyes Lighthouse on the Point Reyes National Seashore, the windiest spot on the Pacific Coast.

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A fisheye shot of the lighthouse.

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Another fisheye image of the lighthouse, from up the staircase. There are three-hundred or so steps from the visitor’s center and lookout point to the lighthouse below.

oyster sign

The chalkboard menu at the outdoor oyster bar at Hog Island Oyster Farm in Marshall.

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A dozen of raw oysters from the Marshall Store on Tomales Bay.

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A sign made of recycled license plates on a wall on the main street of Point Reyes Station.

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A view to the west from a quiet road near the police station in Point Reyes Station. Hello, fog.

sir and star

The front veranda of Sir and Star, a restaurant in the tiny town of Olema. If you ever find yourself passing through, eat here: an eclectic menu and a quirky setting of local bird taxidermy, creaky floors, and other interesting decor. Order the faux gras and the neighbor’s quail, please.

Published by Cheri Lucas Rowlands

I am an editor at Longreads. For over a decade, I've worked on curation, editing, and storytelling projects across Automattic, including WordPress.com.

27 thoughts on “Point Reyes

  1. Your photos are always gorgeous. This set is especially outstanding. The colors leap from the screen. I could almost taste the salt in the oysters. Perhaps because one of the best shot I have of two of my daughters, right before they entered adolescence, was taken at Point Reyes, I feel more emotionnally connected. The beauty of this part of Northern California is still raw and undisturbed. Thank you for the short trip on memory lane.

  2. You had me at “Oysters” 🙂 I have driven through the San Fran to get to Napa but have not spent any time in the city itself. Judging by these pictures it needs to go to the top of my list! Thank you for sharing.

  3. I do adore photos that capture the spirit and sense of a place and your images have done just that. What a lovely way to start a Monday morning. Thanks you for sharing!

  4. Oh my goodness, I want to live in that oyster photograph. Gorgeous, Cheri. And I love how the colors pop in the license plate photo. Soaking up these images was a lovely start to my day. Thanks for posting them 🙂

  5. So glad you posted these pictures. On my one and only visit to Point Reyes, it was so foggy we could hardly see one step in front of us. Thanks for the beautiful photos. I, too, love the stairs shot.

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