KK the naturalist wanted to show me a great place in Malibu, so we headed out to the cliffs at Point Dume, pronounced “doom” by locals. These cliffs are an excellent place to observe gray whales migrating up and down the coast, but none were seen this late in the season – they must be North by now. KK led me on an excellent tour, describing the endemic plants found only here and on the Channel Islands. Meanwhile, a seal bobbed in the surf below. We continued to hike out to the plateau, high above the ocean waters. A plaque stated that Point Dume received its name from Captain George Vancouver, who entered it into his survey in a quasi-Spanish style, named for a friend who was a brother at a nearby Spanish mission. The views were exquisite up here - fully panoramic. In the privacy of this place, KK and I had a rousing conversation about California energy policy, political corruption, and the potential for a better future. On the way back down the trail, I had the sense of heightened appreciation from feeling that I wouldn’t see this place I was leaving for some time, if ever again. As we hopped back in the car and headed out through the exclusive Malibu neighborhood, we were pleased to find the garbage truck flipping Britney Spears‘ recycling into the bed for processing.
