Have you ever stayed in a hostel? I have and it's weird and fun all at the same time. My daughter would vehemently disagree.
It all started some 15 years ago in New Zealand. The love of my life (as much as I hate to admit it) was working in Wellington and I took my daughter and his two sons over for a two-week visit. During the two weeks, we took a mini vacation within a vacation and stayed at the Skotel. I've been enamored of venturing to hostels ever since. In the hostel world, infrequently is frequent enough.
Anyhoo, there are a couple of hostels here in NorCal that are situated in old lighthouses. I've stayed at the Pigeon Point Lighthouse in the past (awesome) and wanted to check out it's sister hostel a bit further up the coast near Half Moon Bay. So I left the comfy beach and drove north on Hwy 1.
I was pretty hungry at this point so I stopped at the Safeway to pick up some cheese, cold cuts, and crackers and headed over to the Half Moon Bay jetty to see if there were any surfers about.
There were, although it was getting colder and the surf was pretty small. I also saw a pelican and cormorant competing for fish.
I've also loved cormorants ever since I went to New Zealand. I saw so many over there and hadn't ever really saw or, should I say, noticed them around here. They're beautiful, graceful birds.
After eating my lunch and taking a walk down the jetty, I headed for my final destination, Point Montara lighthouse. The day was decidedly gray at this point with rolls of fog over the hills. The marine layer hugging the distant mountains at the start of the day was now my immediate reality.
I parked my car at the top of the hill and walked down the road towards the lighthouse/hostel. Probably seems silly but I was delighted when I saw the old-fashioned, rough-hewn sign pointing the way to distant cities, including Wellington, NZ! Only 7,102 miles away...
The lighthouse has a pretty interesting history and was originally erected on the east coast in 1881. It moved west in 1922 and was put in place to watch over it's second ocean in 1928. Believed to be the only lighthouse to have guarded two oceans.
It was and is much needed in it's current location due to the treacherous rocks and fog along this stretch of coast. This is the view directly below the lighthouse.
The coastline is just gorgeous here. I walked about and saw tons of banana slugs!
This guy is crawling up the old buoys used to edge the walkway.
The buildings all have a military feel, which is to be expected since that was it's main use through the years. Still so beautiful with the coastal foliage and 1920s charm.
There is a little path along the cliffs which meanders down to a beautiful...I mean absolutely gorgeous cove.
This is me above the cove, hoping I don't take a major tumble! These cliffs are STEEP...
I managed to emerge unscathed and quite enjoyed my walkabout. But judging from the silhouette of the sun behind the fog, it was time to head back to the valley.
The last image I had before I got in my car for the drive was the bewitching sight of the fog rolling into the lush trees lining the road home.
xoxo
