Spring Break Trip-Day 2

Post date: Mar 25, 2012 3:53:50 AM

We woke up on the second day of our trip to the views and sounds of the ocean. It had rained all night and the sky was lightly overcast. We had slept in a little and were in no hurry to do anything. We grabbed a simple breakfast from the inn and brought it back to our room. There were no set plans for this day and we spent the morning relaxing before heading out for lunch. We both bought a couple of tacos (really tiny but good) from the Pirates Cove in Point Arena and then headed towards the lighthouse (below). We didn't get up close and personal or go in the lighthouse because they charged an entry fee. In reality, do you take photos of the lighthouse or within it? Therefore, we stopped alongside the ocean cliffs and took a few pics in the wind and drizzle. Next, we drove back down the road a little ways, parked, and walked into the Arena Rock Marine Natural Preserve to view a few natural arches in the rocks (known as Sea Lion Rocks) just off the coast. After this we decided to head north to Glass Beach.We took CA-1 and on the way passed by many gorgeous views of the coast and many quaint little towns like Manchester, Elk, and Albion. Elk was our favorite. About 45 miles north of Point Arena is Fort Bragg and on the northern end of Fort Bragg is Glass Beach. Here's an excerpt from Fort Bragg's community website:"Glass Beach is a unique beach, not because nature made it that way, but because time and the pounding surf have corrected one of man's mistakes. Beginning in 1949, the area around Glass Beach became a public dump. It is hard to imagine this happening today, but back then people dumped all kinds of refuse straight into the ocean, including old cars, and their household garbage, which of course included lots of glass. By the early sixties, some attempts were made to control what was dumped, and dumping of any toxic items was banned. Finally in 1967, the North Coast Water Quality Board realized what a mistake it was and plans were begun for a new dump away from the ocean. Now, over 30 years later, Mother Nature has reclaimed this beach. Years of pounding wave action have deposited tons of polished glass onto the beach. You'll still see the occasional reminder of it earlier life, such as a rusted spark plug, but for the most part what you'll see is millions of pieces of glass sparkling in the sun. (As part of MacKerricher State Park, collecting is no longer allowed). Glass Beach also has a very interesting array of tide pools to explore. Crabs, mollusks, and many aquatic plants make their homes in these ever changing environments. It is very easy to spend your whole day poking around the tide pools and watching the busy little worlds that go on inside each one."