Another View of the Lighthouse

This view of the Point Vicente Lighthouse is from the Interpretative Center. You can barely see Catalina Island in the background. Some days you can see if very clearly. Other times, like this day, it's hidden by the marine layer.

Enjoying the Lens

Sky View from the Lighthouse

Inside the Lighthouse

Last weekend was International Lighthouse Weekend. As part of the celebration we got to go up into the Point Vincente Lighthouse again.

First Order Light

I love the way glass is used in lighthouses.  This is another view of the Point Reyes Lighthouse.

Point Reyes Lighthouse

This light house operated from 1870 to 1975.  We have to walk down a steep incline and 302 steps to reach it.  It was placed low on the cliff so that it was below the high-lying fog of that part of the California coast north of San Francisco.  They've recorded winds of up to 133 mph here.  It's known as one of the most windy and foggy locations in the U.S.A.

74 Steps to the Top

When the Point Vicente Lighthouse is open to the public, you can climb the 74 steps to get up to see the lens and the light. There are four levels with four sets of stairs-- the last set is rather steep. I was walking down from the top when I took this photo.

Point Vincente Lighthouse #1

This view of the lighthouse is from inside of the Coast Guard gates as I attended the Palos Verdes Radio Club picnic. I had a great time inside of the lighthouse itself, too. It was finished in 1926, stands 67 feet high, and is 185 feet above sea level. Stop by tomorrow and later in the week to see more of the inside of the lighthouse, including the stairs and lens.

International Lighthouse Weekend

Each year amateur radio operators (ham radio) celebrate International Lighthouse Weekend. This year it's August 15-17. The local ham radio club operates a station from this lighthouse at Point Vincente. The goal is to contact by radio as many lighthouses as possible. In spite of the advances in wireless communication, radio communication is often the most reliable form of communication in the case of an emergency. The lighthouse is owned and operated by the U.S. Coast Guard and is open to the public once a month. The radio club has its annual picnic here each August during the International Lighthouse weekend.
There's also Coast Guard residential housing here, too. Check back in the next few days for other photos of the lighthouse and base.