Dressed to Shine

Before restoration.

 The Piedras Blancas Light Station is all dressed up and ready visitors.  Last year when we went out there, volunteers and others were in the process of removing all the old lead-based paint and doing other repairs to this amazing years-long restoration.

After the new paint job

Looking up the spiral staircase

 

The ground-cover yarrow isn't in bloom yet (that happens later in June-July) but the sand poppies are out, the sea lions are on the rocks and the whales and their babies are skating very close to shore on their migration north to the cold feeding grounds. The weather should be perfect this weekend for a visit.

     Tours are an easy 1 1/2 mile ramble, last about 2 hours and from now until June 15th, are offered on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturdays.  Starting June 15th, they're held 6 days a week, Monday through Saturday.  Cost is $10, which goes to help with restoration costs.

Meet at the former Piedras Blancas Motel, which is located 1.5 miles north of the light station at 9:45 a.m.  The groups then caravan in your own car to the lighthouse.  Piedras Blancas is located north of Cambria, north of the elephant seal rookery.  (Plenty of young elephant seals are still there lolling around in the coves so that's also worth a visit. And remember to stop by at Sebastian's Cafe in old historic San Simeon (opposite the Hearst Castle entrance) for one of their killer sandwiches for lunch.)

Be on the lookout for whales heading north.

 For further information,go to http://www.piedrasblancas.org   or http://www.piedrasblancas.gov.