Point Reyes Seashore Lodge http://www.pointreyesseashore.com/blog Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:30:10 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 Fall… http://www.pointreyesseashore.com/blog/2009/11/11/fall/ http://www.pointreyesseashore.com/blog/2009/11/11/fall/#comments Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:55:25 +0000 pointreyes http://www.pointreyesseashore.com/blog/?p=36 As fall settles in and the hours of light grow shorter they also grow more precious.  The slant of the fall sun and the early rains give everything in the natural world a sparkle.  That slanted light makes me take a deep breath of comfort, breathing in the season.

This is one of my favorite times to hike in the park.  Hikes are necessarily shorter and more intense, just like the light. One of my favorite hikes for this time of the year is a loop starting at the Sky Trail parking lot off Limantour Road.

Start fairly early to use every moment of daylight.  Follow the trail going downhill parallel to the road.  Shortly cross the road and pick up the Bayview Trail.  This section of trail is a bit like walking in an enchanted forest with changing glimpses of Drake’s Bay.  The trail is lined with Bishop Pines that are exactly the same age, grown up after the Point Reyes fire.  The Bishop pine is a fire species whose cones only release seeds in the intense heat caused by a fire, although you can sometimes hear them popping open during a heat wave.

At the end of the Bayview trail, take Muddy Hollow Road, cross Limantour road and continue on the road past the youth hostel to Clem Miller Environmental Center.  This is a good place to stop and eat your lunch.  Be sure to bring some of those bitingly crisp fall apples to go with the red leaves of the poison oak thickets.

From the Environmental Center pick up the Laguna trail to take you back to your car.  This is another sweet trail, winding gently uphill through mixed forest and meadows with more glimpses of the ocean.  Let the hill slow your steps and savor all of the subtle fall colors, admire the late afternoon light, look for some early mushrooms, listen to the sound of your own breath, feel the mist or sun on your face.  This hike makes me feel deeply grateful for the intricate beauty of this land.

Linda, Front Desk Clerk

]]> http://www.pointreyesseashore.com/blog/2009/11/11/fall/feed/ 0 Fun and Interesting Facts About the Area… http://www.pointreyesseashore.com/blog/2009/10/21/fun-and-interesting-facts-about-the-area/ http://www.pointreyesseashore.com/blog/2009/10/21/fun-and-interesting-facts-about-the-area/#comments Wed, 21 Oct 2009 23:43:38 +0000 pointreyes http://www.pointreyesseashore.com/blog/?p=32 olema01Located on Olema Creek, the town of Olema resides at an elevation of sixty feet and is two and one quarter miles from Point Reyes Station. The origins of Olema come from the root “Oye,” the name of a powerful animal spirit and ancestor to the Native American Miwok. Olema, in Miwok, means “coyote” and the coyote plays an important role for he represents a creator god as well as the trickster, messenger, and fool. In the Native American tradition and mythology, coyotes—along with other animals—are sometimes known as creators of the land and of human beings. Sometimes coyotes are tricksters who break rules and stir things up—though often with ultimately beneficial results. Coyotes are fools who bring deeper wisdom and insight in those they fool. They are transformers and change-bringers who deepen connection with the wisdom keepers — those who walked the earth in generations past.  Coyotes encourage and enrich a communion with nature, the land, the spirit in the land, and all of creation. In a remembrance of the spirit of the place, both the land and the people who inhabited it, we honor the essence of this special place, Olema.

Point Reyes Bookstore, the Point Reyes Library, and the Bear Valley Visitor’s Center have books including more information on the coyote as well as the Miwok.  For an additional exploration and experience, from the Visitor’s Center you can take a hike around a replica in honor of a Coast Miwok village, “Kule Loklo” which means Bear Valley.

coyote02All best–Stacy,   Front Desk Clerk

]]> http://www.pointreyesseashore.com/blog/2009/10/21/fun-and-interesting-facts-about-the-area/feed/ 0 Our First Blog… http://www.pointreyesseashore.com/blog/2009/10/12/our-first-blog/ http://www.pointreyesseashore.com/blog/2009/10/12/our-first-blog/#comments Mon, 12 Oct 2009 22:49:56 +0000 pointreyes http://www.pointreyesseashore.com/blog/?p=22 Welcome to our redesigned website – launched on Friday, October 9, 2009.  We hope you like it!  Fall just fell today.  The air feels fresh and clean and the leaves are turning yellow and red.  Look at this photo taken by Bill Akers of the yellow leaves in the Casa Olema arbor…arbor yellow leaves small

 

 

 

 

 

This is such a beautiful season out here in Point Reyes.  I especially love to walk the beach and find that sometimes the only footprints are mine.  That is amazing considering that we are in a National Park.  What a fabulous way to unwind and recharge. 

beach small

Keep an eye out for our winter specials to be posted soon on our website. The Park is open year ’round and we locals always love this time of year for the moderate temperatures due to our close proximity to the ocean. Thanks for visiting our website and reading the first blog.  I’m sure I’ll figure this blogging stuff out and share lots of fun information with you, our visitors, on future blogs.  Until then, come on out to see the beautiful fall leaves and leave your own footprints in the sand.

Susan, Lodgekeeper

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