Oh, Sabrina. This one really speaks to me because Point Reyes is truly one of my happy places, as it is for you. Toward the end of my long Babylonian exile in Texas, Heather and I began renting a house in Point Reyes Station for a couple of weeks every September to escape the late-summer heat in the Lone Star State. One year we took our kids there, and one fine day we all went for a hike on the Pierce Point Ranch trail.
It was a gorgeous day, with blue skies above the beaches and the wild Pacific. The tule elk were out and the wildflowers were blooming and dancing in the breeze, and at one point Tito, then about twenty, stopped and turned to face us. “Wait,” he said incredulously. “Are you telling me we had a choice between this and TEXAS?!?”
Well. Heather, God rest her soul, loved her native Texas, and got quite defensive when anybody - even or perhaps especially her own flesh and blood - dared to say anything negative about it. So, yes, things got a bit frosty there for a while. But even she freely admitted that there was something extraordinary about Point Reyes and environs.
I was thinking about you often as I wrote this knowing how much we both treasure that special place. I hadn't heard that story and it is precious. Smart lad, that Tito. Thanks so much for sharing it! There is so much more I/we could say about Point Reyes, but that is perhaps for another day.
I can sense the sheer joy in this post - the journey backward through time. And I relate, as you know. The memories and the feel of place, what we call country. I also really love the way if you turn slightly in your current home, there is a sense of full circle. Life's strange sometimes, isn't it? XXXX
Thanks Prue. Yes, I was really chuffed to discover the various versions of while cliffs all around me. That feel of a beloved place, as you put it. It's what got me on the geography track to begin with and helps keeps me centred where ever I go. xx
Another wonderful, and different genre, post :). Thank you. It reminded me how lucky we were to have that National Seashore as good as a backyard. We were/are so lucky to have enjoyed, roamed, picnicked, and explored that area during our formative years (which every year continues to be). I enjoyed figuring out who the unnamed people were - not hard, especially the one who shares the same birthday.
One of my most recent memories is going to the Morgan Horse Ranch by the Visitors' Center, where my mother's beau used to volunteer after he retired and before he was thrown and stepped on by a horse. I used to drive my mother and Ozzie out there every visit to California. On the last one with my mother, she lay flat out on the picnic table soaking up the sun. One is never to old to enjoy the many wonders of Point Reyes.
Its proximity I'm sure gave me an extra appreciation for the land, landscapes, and the wildlife that I still hold.
Thanks for your kind words, and for sharing your recent memory of our beloved wilderness! Sun was a treasured commodity when visiting the area. And I am sorry to hear about Ozzie's horse throwing. What a shock that must have been! The more I started remembering time spent there, the more time I realised I had spent...it really was a formative landscape for so many of us lucky folks. I am delighted to hear you got a chance to remember it too.
Every time I've been on the Pt. Reyes peninsula, I've felt a strong primeval sense of the place; a feeling that I was intruding into an area in a time long before our occupation. It's an otherworldliness where one would expect to see a magical animal or something else of a fantastical time. Our white cliffs have an undulating shape making room for the seasonal creeks with winter water runoff. A local photographer, Marty Knapp, has captured the magic of this area for years including this photo Drakes Bay white cliffs: https://martyknapp.com/items/winter-moon/
Oh goodness that IS a gorgeous photo Ginny, thanks for sharing that link! You captured the feeling of the otherworldliness very well. It is so true, and like I said to Martin, I cold have gone on and on about the sense of the place there. So magical. Thanks so much for taking the time to share your thoughts!
Beautiful, moving writing, Sabrina! So many synergies: I grew up in Marin, live Pt Reyes, am American living in Australia, am a descendant of Sir Francis Drake and perhaps most pertinent of all, we share a common, cherished, beloved best friend and co-Substack writer, Andrea Eschen!! ❤️💚💛
How lovely to reconnect with you Betsey!!! I’ve been following you from afar via Andrea over the years. I did not know you were a direct descendant of Sir Francis Drake! Clue is in your name, obviously 🙄. You thank you for your kind words. I hope you find other essays relevant to your situation as well. It is a particular path to move around and away from one’s original home place. So wonderful to hear from you-thanks so much!
Wow, such a great post - yet again I'm behind on my reading but I'm so glad to have caught up.
I've learned so much - I love reading about places I don't know and the adventures of others - that Point Reyes story (bye bye, contact lens!) was just gorgeous. As for the photographs - just wow.
And thank you so much for linking to my cliff post - you and I are into our cliffs at the moment, aren't we?! xxx
Thanks for your kind words Rebecca! And yes, the cliffs seem to be dominating our landscapes as a result of all the rain and their rather active tendencies as a result!
Lovely ... makes me realize I don't spend nearly enough time at Point Reyes when I'm in California! (I can guess who you chaperoned on their first date, too.)
It is a trek to get out there, isn't it? But I miss it too and writing this convinced me I must make the time next trip. Maybe we can go together! And yes, of course you know of whom I speak. It's part of family lore!
Oh, Sabrina. This one really speaks to me because Point Reyes is truly one of my happy places, as it is for you. Toward the end of my long Babylonian exile in Texas, Heather and I began renting a house in Point Reyes Station for a couple of weeks every September to escape the late-summer heat in the Lone Star State. One year we took our kids there, and one fine day we all went for a hike on the Pierce Point Ranch trail.
It was a gorgeous day, with blue skies above the beaches and the wild Pacific. The tule elk were out and the wildflowers were blooming and dancing in the breeze, and at one point Tito, then about twenty, stopped and turned to face us. “Wait,” he said incredulously. “Are you telling me we had a choice between this and TEXAS?!?”
Well. Heather, God rest her soul, loved her native Texas, and got quite defensive when anybody - even or perhaps especially her own flesh and blood - dared to say anything negative about it. So, yes, things got a bit frosty there for a while. But even she freely admitted that there was something extraordinary about Point Reyes and environs.
I was thinking about you often as I wrote this knowing how much we both treasure that special place. I hadn't heard that story and it is precious. Smart lad, that Tito. Thanks so much for sharing it! There is so much more I/we could say about Point Reyes, but that is perhaps for another day.
I can sense the sheer joy in this post - the journey backward through time. And I relate, as you know. The memories and the feel of place, what we call country. I also really love the way if you turn slightly in your current home, there is a sense of full circle. Life's strange sometimes, isn't it? XXXX
Thanks Prue. Yes, I was really chuffed to discover the various versions of while cliffs all around me. That feel of a beloved place, as you put it. It's what got me on the geography track to begin with and helps keeps me centred where ever I go. xx
Another wonderful, and different genre, post :). Thank you. It reminded me how lucky we were to have that National Seashore as good as a backyard. We were/are so lucky to have enjoyed, roamed, picnicked, and explored that area during our formative years (which every year continues to be). I enjoyed figuring out who the unnamed people were - not hard, especially the one who shares the same birthday.
One of my most recent memories is going to the Morgan Horse Ranch by the Visitors' Center, where my mother's beau used to volunteer after he retired and before he was thrown and stepped on by a horse. I used to drive my mother and Ozzie out there every visit to California. On the last one with my mother, she lay flat out on the picnic table soaking up the sun. One is never to old to enjoy the many wonders of Point Reyes.
Its proximity I'm sure gave me an extra appreciation for the land, landscapes, and the wildlife that I still hold.
Thank you for bringing me "home."
Thanks for your kind words, and for sharing your recent memory of our beloved wilderness! Sun was a treasured commodity when visiting the area. And I am sorry to hear about Ozzie's horse throwing. What a shock that must have been! The more I started remembering time spent there, the more time I realised I had spent...it really was a formative landscape for so many of us lucky folks. I am delighted to hear you got a chance to remember it too.
Every time I've been on the Pt. Reyes peninsula, I've felt a strong primeval sense of the place; a feeling that I was intruding into an area in a time long before our occupation. It's an otherworldliness where one would expect to see a magical animal or something else of a fantastical time. Our white cliffs have an undulating shape making room for the seasonal creeks with winter water runoff. A local photographer, Marty Knapp, has captured the magic of this area for years including this photo Drakes Bay white cliffs: https://martyknapp.com/items/winter-moon/
Oh goodness that IS a gorgeous photo Ginny, thanks for sharing that link! You captured the feeling of the otherworldliness very well. It is so true, and like I said to Martin, I cold have gone on and on about the sense of the place there. So magical. Thanks so much for taking the time to share your thoughts!
Beautiful, moving writing, Sabrina! So many synergies: I grew up in Marin, live Pt Reyes, am American living in Australia, am a descendant of Sir Francis Drake and perhaps most pertinent of all, we share a common, cherished, beloved best friend and co-Substack writer, Andrea Eschen!! ❤️💚💛
How lovely to reconnect with you Betsey!!! I’ve been following you from afar via Andrea over the years. I did not know you were a direct descendant of Sir Francis Drake! Clue is in your name, obviously 🙄. You thank you for your kind words. I hope you find other essays relevant to your situation as well. It is a particular path to move around and away from one’s original home place. So wonderful to hear from you-thanks so much!
Wow, such a great post - yet again I'm behind on my reading but I'm so glad to have caught up.
I've learned so much - I love reading about places I don't know and the adventures of others - that Point Reyes story (bye bye, contact lens!) was just gorgeous. As for the photographs - just wow.
And thank you so much for linking to my cliff post - you and I are into our cliffs at the moment, aren't we?! xxx
Thanks for your kind words Rebecca! And yes, the cliffs seem to be dominating our landscapes as a result of all the rain and their rather active tendencies as a result!
Hope you had a lovely Easter holiday!
😘
Lovely ... makes me realize I don't spend nearly enough time at Point Reyes when I'm in California! (I can guess who you chaperoned on their first date, too.)
It is a trek to get out there, isn't it? But I miss it too and writing this convinced me I must make the time next trip. Maybe we can go together! And yes, of course you know of whom I speak. It's part of family lore!
I have many happy memories of that place with you!
We did have some delightful times there….Glad you remember them and fondly too!