Hosteling in Point Reyes

Your mom and I spent the weekend in one of our favorite places, Point Reyes. We had initially intended to bring some friends along, but it didn't work out, so we headed out on our own to enjoy the beautiful late summer weather on the coast.

Of course on the way I insisted we check out a beer place in the area I hadn't tried yet, Iron Springs. This one was really good, and it gave us an opportunity to see some of Fairfax, a town we've never explored (lots of wealthy people in expensive casual wear or riding around on bicycles). 

Then it was off to Inverness. We always stop in this tiny town for a break and to see Tomales Bay. We reminisced about our kayaking adventure out there and noticed the bay was much higher now, flooding some of the areas we've walked around before. 

As soon as we got to Point Reyes we hit the beach to soak in the surf and sun. The weather seemed perfect. 

Your mom wrote the ceremonial marking: our names in the sand commemorating another trip to the water's edge.

We made our way further up the Point, and your mom, who's always had a fondness for these historic coastal ranches, took some gorgeous pictures on the way. She said these remind her of her ranch home growing up. We saw one with around ten cats roaming or lounging around outside, and she said it was a very familiar site. 

 

The road to the lighthouse. We didn't make the trek on foot to see the lighthouse this time. 

She caught some really fantastic images of some deer and elk which seemed to be all over the place that day! 

 

We winded our way to the hostel to check in. It was a cute and small place, much like our last hostel experience, teeming with young folks and exploring visitors from other countries. 

The setting was magnificent! It's always a bit interesting sleeping in a bunk bed with a stranger in a dorm full of people, but everyone is typically very polite and friendly. Before setting in for the night, we headed back to the beach to find a cozy spot to enjoy the darkness of this secluded area. The stars were absolutely breathtaking! 

I woke up early to be the first in the shower, then roamed around with the camera to see what I could see in the early morning fogginess. For a while I stalked this hummingbird which was making rounds and staving off other birds who came nearby. I eventually got a nice shot of him (or her?)!

Your mom joined me right as a bevy of quails arrived on the scene, chirping and cooing and darting all over. 

We packed up and hit the road. It was a pretty drive back as the fog slowly gave way to rafts of sunlight. 

We caught more glimpses of birds and noticed this sturdy spider web covered in dew which made it a fantastic sight!

Point Reyes Station is the small town at the base of the point. We stopped here for breakfast on our way back and explored a bit, since we had never made a point to see the town itself before.

Of course we made a point to stop in to the local bookstore. Your mom tried to get some recommendations in classic horror fiction which led to her and the shop owner gushing a bit about Frankenstein. 

Then on the way through San Rafael we stopped at this neat little vintage boutique called Garage. It was situated in an old gas station and still had the big awning outside which covered some really old and well-maintained cars and trailers and such. Your mom found a small souvenir and we made our way back home.