Above: The beached "Point Reyes," looking a bit like the a California version of the "African Queen," waits in vain for a rising tide, Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn.

________________________________________

Point Reyes and Environs

Although I was off my bike longer than I like to be, the past few days were spent most pleasant with Ken Rockwell and an enthusiastic, and talented group of photographers, on our excursion to Point Reyes National Seashore, Tomales Bay, Bodega Bay and Petaluma, all north of San Francisco. We had the luxury of time to explore and connect with the world around us, with our cameras, as well as with our minds and our souls.

We also had the help of local photographer, Tim May, who spent Friday guiding us to several locations.

Here are some of the results of my own efforts. (Click on any of the images for larger sizes.)

Above: A leaf floats in the creek running through Samuel P. Taylor State Park.

Above: On one of the backroads from Petaluma to Point Reyes. We stayed in Petaluma, about a 20 minute ride through the lovely rural landscape to the national seashore. Pt. Reyes is comprised of the Pt. Reyes Peninsula, which rises out of the ocean, between the beaches and coves and sea stacks to the west, and Tomales Bay to the east.

Above: Railroad tracks in Petaluma.

Above: Woman in a sari at the Point Reyes Lighthouse. For me, this was the serendipitous moment of the trip, an unexpected element thrown into the mix. We were photographing the interior of the bottom of the lighthouse, with its ladder and unusual ceiling, with an attendant orange glow from the orange paint on the floor that suffused the scene, when a visitor arrived in a dress that seemed made to match the room. When it happened, it was the moment of connection with a vision – and with another human – for which we all yearn.

Above: Bar stools in the oldest bar in Petaluma, Andresen's.

Above: One sister admires the tattoos of the other, on the beach at Bodega Bay (where portions of Hitchock's "The Birds" was filmed).

Above: Ranch scene, Point Reyes. For me, this sums up much of what Point Reyes is about: the peaceful interaction of nature with the occasional overlay of the human element. Except for desert terrain, I think Pt. Reyes has it all: forests of oak and pine and redwoods, grasslands, beaches and coves and bays and creeks, herds of elk, historic architecture, and friendly people (though not to many of them).

Above: A tunnel of trees at Point Reyes National Seashore served as a coda to our symphony of sights for the weekend.

Note: All the photos I think are worth posting are on a new photo-sharing website, here. The site was created and designed by one of the participants on our trip; it's so new, it's still undergoing tweaks and refinements; check it out, it's got a slick interface.

Note: Click on any of the images for larger-sized versions.