Even in the summer the farthest-west Pacific Ocean beaches at Point Reyes National Seashore in Marin County are often all but deserted on a perfect Sunday afternoon such as this one. The long drive on narrow roads to reach this destination – plus a reputation for cold winds and fog – seem to be enough to keep most locals at a distance most of the time, and the place (even though free and gorgeous) is apparently too remote for tourists. From the parking lot I walked south for two miles on the pebbly sand near the water and met nobody. No people, that is. The non-human encounters were numerous, as indicated below.
