Coastal Bluffs and Beach, Pacific Ocean, Point Reyes National Seashore, California

A seafarer's stopover

At this spot about 30 miles from San Francisco, Drakes Bay washes up on the breaker-battered Drakes Beach, as Drakes Estero drains into the bay behind us and Sir Francis Drake Boulevard brings a flow of fellow visitors. So what's with all the Drake? In 1579, halfway through circling the globe, the English sea captain Francis Drake brought his ship aground for repairs right here at Point Reyes National Seashore. It's said that these pale, sandy slopes reminded Drake and company of the Cliffs of Dover, and crew journals indicate the Coast Miwok people hosted the homesick sailors here for more than a month.