Just like many other days, I started with a coffee drink. I stopped at Panera for an iced espresso beverage.
They had pumpkin muffins and I wanted to try it. I liked the crumb topping.
My destination today was
Pigeon Point Lighthouse State Historical Park.
Recently I had watched
Pete's Dragon, which is where my fascination with lighthouses comes from.
I had passed this lighthouse a few times, such as on the drive I took earlier this year in that big red car.
The lighthouse was majestic. With the gray clouds and the waves below hitting the rocks, it felt like being in the scene of a movie.
This is some of the vegetation on the lighthouse grounds.
When I was at the sandwich shop, I picked up a turkey sandwich to eat while I was at the lighthouse. I knew there would be picnic tables, and that I would get hungry.
This gigantic piece of driftwood made a good place to sit for a picture.
This is a small gathering of rocks in the water below.
After a bit, the clouds started to part.
"A thing of beauty is a joy forever." -John Keats
Inside the lighthouse museum, they have a Fresnel lens on display.
This is a model of one of the ships that had crashed in the harbor.
Here are some animals that can be found at Pigeon Point. I would love to see a whale in person, though not necessarily up close. They are too majestic!
I liked this model of the lighthouse.
The sun was shining through the windows and through the Fresnel lens. It made a small rainbow reflection on the wall.
Inside the gift shop, they had a nice collection of ceramic sea animals.
There were also a lot of lovies. If I had a gigantic house, I would buy them all!
After the museum and gift shop, I went back outside for more exploring and photos.
The sun came all the way out and made the water look very blue. And the greenery looked bold, too.
I walked to the shore area. There wasn't really a place to be on the sand, but there was a nice bench to enjoy the view.
This is the view of the lighthouse from the overlook bench.
A bird landed in front of me and stayed still long enough for me to snap a pic.
After leaving the park, I stopped at a roadside shop,
Pie Ranch, where they advertised fresh pie. They had this little sort of bike to ride.
They are either part of a farm or have a partnership with one and they sold fresh produce.
This was a fun bottle opener. If I can find one, I would pick one up.
I did use it to open my own bottle of cold brew coffee.
They had these yummy little pies. I liked the crust but I really liked the texture of the filling.
And they had pumpkins! My first fresh, in-person pumpkins of the season. Though this doesn't count as a festive event, it still put me in the harvest mood.
After my stop at the Pie Ranch, I got back in the car and enjoyed the coastal drive. The beach, coffee, pumpkins... it really was a Brazzle Dazzle Day.
