Lighthouse Hostel Short Trip from San Francisco
Since my days of as a kid with nothing to do on the Mississippi River, through my time as a icy adventure woman on Lake Superior, to camping on the beaches of Venezuela, I feel a little more sound and at ease with myself near water. I prefer islands, mostly for romantic reasons: their solitude, their desperation, and the kind of vertigo you get when there’s nothing but blue blue blue in all directions. Treasures are buried and secrets are kept with the wandering birds of islands.
Last weekend while taking a shower at my friends house, I transported myself to the Azores Islands via a map of the world on her shower curtains. So began, once again, my need to leave town and spend some time alone amongst the spirits of water.
Since I can’t just leave my job, I had to wait for the weekend. By not so much of a coincidence, I just happen to live in a city almost entirely surrounded by water. For times when I need some space and time away from the city’s constant thrusting of all kinds, I usually take the ferry to Angel Island. The ferry leaves from the Embarcadero Ferry Plaza as well as the Fisherman’s Warf in San Francisco and the Oakland Marina in Oakland. When I lived in Northbeach, my apartment sat perfectly within walking distance between Embarcadero and the Fisherman’s Warf. Now that I live in the Mission, I almost always take the BART to Embarcadero and then walk two blocks to the ferry building.
45 minutes and $6 later, I’m out of the city and stepping off the ferry that has taken me around Alcatraz onto an island with hiking trails, museums, and a look out where you can supposedly see 6 differently bridges across the bay. The most I’ve ever counted was 4, but I don’t think I was looking in the right places. At one time a quarantine for Chinese immigrants and missel defense Navy base, Angel Island is just the romantic escape for someone who likes to hike with the deer and uncover lost histories.
This weekend, though, Angel Island won’t be big enough to scratch this roaming, sea loving itch of mine. Since I can't go to Hawaii this weekend, I think I’m going to go after another water fantasy I've always delighted in: Lighthouses.
Like islands, lighthouses have a sort of abandon to them. A curious isolation surrounds them in the fog, and a sense of importance fills the ship-wreck stories in the sunlight. I’ll never forget my first time staying at a lighthouse hostel in the northern region of Scotland, and how completely magical every moment of our stay was there. The hearty food, friendly puffins, dry winds, and sounds of the waves beating against the shore as we fell asleep.
It doesn’t take much to fall in love with lighthouses, and no so coincidentally, I happen to live near many that are in excellent condition. Northern California's coastline is home to an array of sea life, dense redwood forest state parks, and many scenic Lighthouse Hostels that seem to come from out of nowhere along the Great Highway. Although many are difficult or impossible to get to by public transportation, I’ve set my sights on the Montara Lighthouse.
Originally established in 1875 as a fog signal station after several ships ran ashore in the late 1860s, a red lantern was added after several more wrecks in 1900. Point Montara added its current lighthouse in 1928. During World War II, the station housed military units including the K-9 Corps. Men and dogs would patrol the beaches below. A mobile artillery unit was also housed here. In the early '70s, automation led to the abandonment of the buildings, which fell into disrepair due to the harsh coastal weather and vandalism. Through partnerships between the HI-USA Golden Gate Council, US Coastguard, California State Parks, and the California Coastal Conservancy, the facility was renovated to become a hostel. The site has served as a hostel since 1980.
Just 25 miles south of San Francisco, this lighthouse is completely accessible by public transportation. Take BART to Daly City, then transfer to the Samtrans bus 110 which turns into bus 294 - tell the driver where you're going and he'll drop you off at the lighthouse gate, otherwise you'll have to walk a 1/4 mile from the bus stop. To get from SF to Montara takes about an hour and a half - but it's a beautiful drive down highway 1 through redwood forests and along the coastline.
I had a little trouble getting back to the city on Sunday - the bus leaves Montara three times a day 8:08am, 12:08pm and 3:08pm. The bus stop is at 7th and Main street - you'll see a sign - but don't sit under it like I did. You actually have to be across the street from the sign or else the bus will roll right past you and your cute flower suitcase - like it did for me. Luckily, everyone in town is EXTREEMLY kind and will give you a lift to anywhere you want to go. I got several offers from local families and the Cafe Lucca owners to drive me back to SF or down to Half Moon Bay to watch the A's game at the local pub (there are no bars in Montara).
For an adult to stay in the dorms, the average price is about $21. A private room is $50 a night. The view is spectacular, the rooms are clean and quiet and there's an expresso bar at the front desk so you can watch the morning waves and drink a latte. Yes, it really is perfect.
Bring a flashlight if you're adventurous enough to go to the rocky beach at night. The waves are not good for swimming, but wading is fine. The beach is mostly rocky and there are great tide pools to explore but watch out for the many creeper waves at this beach. The hostel has a fireplace and live cameras perched along the rocky coast - so you don't need to worry about weather to enjoy whale and/or bird watching.
In all, if you don't have much money or anything to do on the weekend - go to the Montara Lighthouse Hostel, but be careful to give yourself PLENTY of time getting back, and I wouldn't advise coming back the same day you have to catch a flight.
