Drake's Estero

They say curiosity killed the cat.  But I’m guessing that was a pretty fulfilled cat.  And hopefully that wasn’t his 9th life.  Curiosity is a cornerstone of exploration.  For this dispatch, I came for the lighthouse but left with an old oyster company, a quad of pelicans, a grey heron, and Mt. Vision Road. 

Unintended consequences are what some people call fate.

On my way out to snap Pt. Reyes Lighthouse I noticed several orange constructions signs advising of delays in reaching the the lighthouse. And additional signs noting very limited access to the monument once on site. I was already in Pt. Reyes, past Inverness.

As I debated whether or not to keep going, I came across an open gate to Drake's Estero. This is where the legendary Drakes Bay Oyster Farm used to operate. Drakes Bay Oyster company was forced to shut down by the National Park Service in 2012. I decided to take a look.

Drake's Bay Oyster Company. Before and after.

The Drakes Bay Oyster Company buildings are all gone. Traces of the operation can be seen by simply looking down at your feet. This was at low tide. Oyster shells, and the occasional scallop shell, in various stages of dissolution. A quad of white pelicans with bright orange beaks take advantage of the low tide. As does a Great Blue Heron.

After visiting the estuary, I turned the truck around and began the twisty drive back. And came across a road I'd never noticed before. Mt. Vision Road in Inverness. A right turn up this one lane, paved road and I began the ascent of the last ridge in Pt. Reyes before it cascades down transforming into pastures, marshes, lakes, ponds and estuaries.

I'd never had this vantage point of Pt. Reyes, except for the routine flights I used to make from SFO to Portland and Seattle. It reminded me of all the pins I had dropped while flying. Pins I had dropped in the hopes that one day I'd be able to return at ground level for a closer look. Curiosity killed the cat. You sure about that?