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Sunday, August 14, 2011

What To Do On A Nice Saturday

First, go to http://www.sanluislighthouse.org/  then call (805) 540-5771 to reserve a tour.  It's $20 per person.  The Trolley Departs 12, 1 & 2 pm. on every Saturday from a parking area outside Avila Beach (Directions will come with your reservation confirmation) .  Docent led tours are about 1 1/2 hours. 

The lighouse was built in 1890, closed in 1974, was granted to the San Luis Harbor District in 1992, in 1995 Point San Luis Lighthouse Keepers formed to restore and manage the light station.  The trolly tours started in 2010.  Don't miss this one.

If you were at lightkeeper in 1890, or the lightkeeper's wife,


Here's what you'd see coming up the wagon road from Avila Beach

And here's what you'd see walking up to your front door.

And here's what you'd cook breakfast, lunch, dinner on.  And heat dish water and bath water on. It ran on coal. 

And here's where'd you wash up, with hot water from the stove.

And then you'd sit in the livingroom in front of the coal stove.

And here's what you'd see up in the tower while you were cleaning the Fresnel lamp.


And here's the beautiful Fresnel lamp and pendulum that turned the great lamp.

And here's part of the steam run machinery that ran the great foghorn that boomed out across the sea, keeping ships from harm on dark and stormy nights.

And if you were the lightkeeper's 10 year-old daughter, here's what you'd see as you left your home to catch the boat that met the train at the foot of Avila's pier that took you into San Luis Obispo for a big day out in the big city.

4 comments:

Anne R. Allen said...

It sounds as if you had a fantastic day. And thanks for the mini-tour in photos! That lamp is just awesome.

Sewertoons AKA Lynette Tornatzky said...

Thanks for the photos Ann! I haven't been there for a few years and can't believe how much for the better the lighthouse has changed. It is really beautiful now! Looks like it is time to go back!

Churadogs said...

Yes, time for a re-visit. The vounteers have done a fantastic job. It's a lovely tour and yes, that Fresnel lamp is awesome.I can imagine somebody digging that up 1,000 years from now and staring at it and saying WTF???? It looks like some amazing piece of art that came from Mars.

Sewertoons AKA Lynette Tornatzky said...

Exactly right - Mars!! It is hard to imagine coming up with that design and then even more amazing, actually making it!