Our trip out of Carson City to Truckee and the famous Donner Pass area just west of town was a white-knuckle ride that didn’t allow a single photo to be taken. Yesterday’s icy road communicated to us that there was a good chance for snow on the Sierra Nevada mountains. Without snow tires or chains, we approached a check-in station at the California border and explained our situation and the officer told us to catch up with the snowplows that were just ahead of us and stay behind them until we were out of the snowline. We were as nervous as could be as it snowed nearly the entire time we were in the mountains, and while it was incredibly beautiful, we were too attentive to the trucks in front of us and the snow that was accumulating on the road even as they cleared it. Out of the mountains and finally back into the sunlight, we were able to relax.

This abandoned boat and rainbow will stay with me forever as my first impression of the Point Reyes area.

Looking north up the Point Reyes seashore.

The road out here is not for the faint of heart, and I thought the coastal highway between San Simeon and Big Sur was nearly panic-inducing.

Wouldn’t I love to tell you that this was the place we’d be spending the night, but it wasn’t, as we tend to opt for the cheapest places we can find. Maybe someday.

Even in relatively poor weather, this place shines with all the beauty and solitude of an unspoiled coast not overrun by commercial enterprises and private residences. This is the Point Reyes Lighthouse that, weather permitting, allows visitors during very limited hours between Fridays and Mondays.

Guess where we’ll have to come back to?

Even under the threat of a hostile weather front on the horizon, this place is incredible. It’s almost unbelievable that just across a bay is the city of San Francisco.

I can’t believe we only had a few hours out here, but it was enough to ensure that we’d return.