Point CabrilloPoint Cabrillo lighthouse in the fog. The light really works. One of the recurring themes along the California coast is the lighthouses. Even with GPS and modern navigation, the foggy cliffs and harsh currents make them necessary. Mind you, they're mostly automated, but that's probably a good thing. 

The 300 StepsPoint Reyes lighthouse.

Point Reyes lighthouse is 300 steps down from the main land. Not too bad on a clear, cool morning in the sun, but not for the faint of heart in a storm. (and to be honest not for the faint of heart at all - it's a 30 story climb.) The original keepers used a wheeled cart to lower and raise supplies. You can see the marks from the cable at the top of the stairs.

Sailing into Santa Cruz HarborSanta Cruz Lighthouse. Only a few years old. One of the two lighthouses in Santa Cruz, this one is only a few years old and marks the entrance to the small boat harbor. The Alcoa plant at Moss Landing is just visible on the horizon.