Point Reyes is the windiest place on the Pacific Coast and the
second foggiest place on the North American continent. Weeks of fog,
especially during the summer months, frequently reduce visibility to
hundreds of feet. The Point Reyes Headlands, which jut 10 miles out to
sea, pose a threat to each ship entering or leaving San Francisco Bay.
The historic Point Reyes Lighthouse warned mariners of danger for more
than a hundred years.
The Point Reyes Lighthouse, built in 1870,
was retired from service in 1975 when the U.S. Coast Guard installed an
automated light. They then transferred ownership of the lighthouse to
the National Park Service, which has taken on the job of preserving
this fine specimen of our heritage.
All lighthouses in the
United States are now automated because it is cheaper to let
electronics do the work. Many decommissioned lighthouses were
transformed into restaurants, inns or museums. The lighthouse at Point
Reyes National Seashore is now a museum piece, where the era of the
lightkeepers' lives, the craftsmanship and the beauty of the lighthouse
are actively preserved.
Posted at 06:00 pm by dravid
