A day in West Marin did the trick. JG and I drove out there after filling the Volksenschnitzel with biodiesel. Our first stop: Inverness. After a spell at the quaint coffee shop for a double-espresso, I was ready for revelry. We headed out along winding roads, passing through pastoral dairy lands to the Point Reyes Lighthouse. After parking daffy-style along the road, we caroused the path to the staircase which descended along the cliff to the lighthouse below. The ocean was unobscured by fog except at the furthest reaches, which shone with a white glittering gleam. After a peek inside the lighthouse to see the Parisian lamp and operating machinery, the ranger announced that we were on overtime and would have to exit and head back up the stairs. This ascent made for a good wind, as I’d expected; but upon completion we got back in the ride and headed to Chimney Rock for more hiking out to the point. Near the end, at the cliffs, we looked over at dozens of basking elephant seals, even witnessing the lone exile out in the water come in to pick a fight for beach space. After a couple of good first strikes, the defender came down hard on the challenger’s right side, visibly stinging him and sending him wallowing back into the surf. Across to the other side stood the cliffs which Drake first sighted and compared to Dover. Heading back through the winding roadways of West Marin, awe struck in the beautiful treescapes, large raptors overhead, and filled moon in the turquoise sky. I breathed deliberately, taking inspiration.
