The other day on a flight bound for Texas, I struck up a conversation with my neighbor just before landing for a layover in San Francisco. He told me tales of his life as a “human lab rat”, basically making his living testing drugs for other humans in labs around the country. As the pilot announced our upcoming landing, I told him about a college internship I had at Point Reyes National Seashore just north of San Francisco. I was lucky enough to be sent by the Student Conservation Association to Point Reyes for the summer to work with the biologist, assist guests in the visitor’s center, teach kids at the summer camp, lead earthquake walks along the San Andreas fault, and pull non native plants (uh for HOURS). The best part, they gave me a house to live in right on the beach and I basically shared the entire shore with 3 other people – all park rangers. I even met the great Huey Lewis,(click the link for great fun) in of all places, the middle of the woods (which competes for the best part).
Just as I was telling my seat-mate that he had to go one day, I looked over his shoulder and out the window and there it was! We were flying right over Limantour Beach (the beach where I lived for 3 months) and we had a perfect aerial view of almost the entire park. I was yelling “Oh my God, there is! There it is!” The entire plane went silent and I shrunk back into my seat and I stared with my mouth hanging open – a photographer so entranced she was unable to think about even pulling out a camera. (Luckily I found this photo on the internet that is the exact same view).
I’ll never forget my favorite college biology professor, the late Dr. Daryl Karns tell me, “Suzanne I’ve been all over the world and you are going to one of the most beautiful places on earth.” He was right. And I try to make a journey back as often as possible. As soon as I get there I suck in the air so I can smell the bay leaves, eucalyptus, and salt water and I instantly go back to the summer of 1990.
I took these photos from the ground during one of my visits.
The park is often over – looked and many people have never heard of it. So if you are ever near San Francisco, drive about 4o minutes north and you won’t regret it. You can walk sandy beaches, camp by the ocean, and commune with elk as you hike a ridge overlooking the sea.
Uh, but not today, it’s closed, thanks to a handful of House of Representative crazies.