PIEDRAS BLANCAS LIGHTHOUSE
San Simeon, California
Beheaded would be a good description for this old tower. One of the three original towers in California (Point Arena & Pigeon Point), the structure still stands today, minus it's lantern room and magnificent lens. The good news is that the lens is on display in the nearby town of Cambria and I have included some photos of it. I used a fisheye lens for some of them. Kinda wild looking.
It lost that top in
1949 when the lantern room sustained damage in a severe storm. The Coast Guard
came in and automated the light by capping the top of the tower and installing a
revolving aero-beacon, as you can see above.
Piedras Blancas began its career on February 15, 1875, when the 5 wick lamp was
lit inside the 1st order Fresnel lens.
It is easy to find, just drive south on Hwy 1 from Monterey or North on Hwy 1 from San Luis Obispo. It is north of the Hearst Castle and west of Hwy 1 ( Duh! ). The grounds are closed, but you can pull off right at the gate and take pictures there, although the light will be best in the early morning for that angle. Further south are some parking lots for viewing the elephant seals where you can get the shot shown below. The buildings at the lighthouse are used by marine biologists for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Department.
Here's how I saw it:
OF THE MOUNTAINS
John B Caddell
Copyright 2001