Looking up into the Fresnel lens inside the lighthouse. The hand-cut glass lens and cast-iron and brass clockwork mechanism were constructed in France in 1867. Transported by steamer via Cape Horn and hauled overland on ox-drawn cart, the light first shone on Dec 1, 1870. The light and its keepers gave 105 years faithful service, losing only 13 minutes of downtime following the 1906 earthquake, when the entire headland moved 18 feet north! This picture is an example of being in the right place at the right time. Point Reyes is the second foggiest place in North America, and also the windiest point on the Pacific Coast. We arrived to find clear skies, light winds and an ocean full of migrating whales. As we reached the bottom of the 308 stairs, a Park Service ranger unlocked the tower and invited us to take a look inside.
