Beacon
The
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PIEDRAS BLANCAS LIGHT STATION OUTSTANDING NATURAL AREA
~PART OF THE CALIFORNIA COASTAL NATIONAL MONUMENT~
The Beacon is a joint publication of the Piedras Blancas Light Station Association and the Bureau of Land
Management. The PBLSA is a nonprofit partner of the BLM and provides support for the restoration,
conservation, interpretation, and stewardship of the unique natural, historical, and cultural resources
at the Piedras Blancas Light Station. © Copyright 2021
Judy at Point Sur
Great news! The Light Station is now open for our usual schedule of summer tours, reservable online by clicking the Buy Tour
Tickets link at . Tours are self-guided, allowing visitors to take their time and enjoy the beautiful views or
linger to read more about the fascinating history of the lighthouse. Knowledgeable volunteers are stationed along the walking
trail and near the lighthouse and outbuildings to answer all of your questions. Reserve now to visit us on Monday, Tuesday,
Thursday, Friday, or Saturday. Meet at the former Piedras Blancas Motel, 1.5 miles north of the lighthouse at 9:45 a.m., where
one of our staff will check you in and lead the caravan to the lighthouse. Reservations are required in order to keep tour groups
manageable. As always, the health and safety of our staff, interns, volunteers, and visitors is our paramount concern. After
Labor Day, the tour schedule will return to Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday only. We are closed Sundays and Wednesdays
year-round.
On May 27, 2021, Abel Martinez, beloved Piedras Blancas Light Station volunteer,
crossed the bar. Abel and his wife, Toni, have been volunteers since 2002, and he
will be missed by all who knew him. Abel loved the light station and was
passionate about promoting stewardship of this special place. We can honor his
memory by continuing to preserve and protect Piedras Blancas.
As Jodie Nelson, BLM Recreation Planner, so eloquently stated on the day Abel
died: “He is at peace, but we will miss him dearly. I can't begin to describe what
Abel meant to Piedras Blancas. As I drove to the light station today, the sun
illuminated the lighthouse and the day was beautiful, the sea was translucent and
deep blue, the fog remained at bay, and the wind never picked up. Abel was with
us today and will always be a
presence we feel at Piedras
Blancas. Our hearts and thoughts are
with Toni and her family and friends.”
The expression "crossing the bar"
comes from a poem by Alfred Lord
Tennyson. The expression can be
interpreted to mean “crossing the
sandbar” out into sea, serenely
transitioning from life into death.
The world is a better place because
Abel passed through it.
(58 miles south of PBLS)
Located in Avila Beach. For a complete
listing of guided tours and special
events and to reserve a ride on the
shuttle, visit:
PointSanLuisLighthouse.org
or call 805-540-5771.
(65 miles north of PBLS)
Summer Hours (April-September) Saturdays and
Wednesdays 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., Sundays 10 a.m. Visit
their website: PointSur.org or call 831-625-4419.
(90 miles north of PBLS)
Located in Pacific Grove. Open Saturdays 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
and Thursdays through Mondays 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. For more
information: PointPinosLighthouse.org.
In 1866 (155 years ago) Piedras Blancas was set aside as a lighthouse reservation. On June 6th, 1866, a letter was
sent from the Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C., to the President of the United States requesting that 13
unoccupied public lands located within the states of California, Oregon, and the territory of Washington be reserved
for lighthouse purposes.
On June 8th, 1866, the President ordered: “Let the land
within described be reserved for lighthouse purposes
as recommended by the Acting Secretary of the
Interior.”
(signed) Andrew Johnson, President of the United
States
The first tract of land listed in this order under California
was Piedras Blancas.
In 2001 (twenty years ago) the Bureau of Land
Management began managing Piedras Blancas Light
Station. On October 12, 2001, the following
announcement appeared in the Federal Register:
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, Bureau of Land Management. Public Land Order No. 7501: Partial revocation
of Executive Order Dated June 8, 1866 and Withdrawal of Public Land for Piedras Blancas Light Station. Summary:
“This order partially revokes an executive order insofar as it affects 19.9 acres of public land withdrawn for
lighthouse purposes. The land is no longer needed by the United States Coast Guard for the purpose for which it
was withdrawn.” Effective date: October 12, 2001.
The Bureau of Land Management’s task was to assure long term protection and preservation of historic Piedras
Blancas Light Station and associated values.
1872 map. Note the site was referred to as a “L.H. RESERVATION.”
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The Piedras Blancas Light Station Association meets
every 4th Wednesday of the month at 6 p.m. Due to
COVID concerns, we are currently holding virtual Zoom
meetings. Please email us if you would like to participate.
The public is always welcome to come and listen, ask
questions, or voice concerns.
The board consists of people from varied backgrounds and
education who live in different parts of the county. We are
always interested in speaking with anyone who is
interested in becoming a board member.
Please send us an email if you are interested in becoming
a board member or have questions concerning the Light
Station: contact.pblsa@gmail.com.
Meeting minutes are published on our website under the
About Us page.
Forgot to buy a souvenir when you visited the
lighthouse? Our online gift shop offers custom
ornaments, etched wine glasses, shot glasses, t-shirts,
fleece jackets and vests, plus a lot more. And don’t
forget, an engraved brick installed at the light station
makes a great way to honor any lover of lighthouses!
Visit us at -
Tim joined the Piedras Blancas Light Station volunteer
family in 2007, as part of the tour training class
preparing to begin giving mid-week tours in 2008.
Tim became an indispensable member of the public tour
team and the school outreach program. Tim was always
eager to help as guide or assistant, or as an enactor
during living history tours. He also helped prepare
interpretive elements, like the slideshow on display in the
lighthouse. Tim also researched historic and
technical topics and wrote informative articles used in
the Beacon and for tour training.
Tim’s mathematics background came in handy when he
studied the old light station site maps, determined where
historic structures once stood, and marked the locations
so we can all better imagine what was where. The
sites of the keepers dwelling, the Keeper’s cottage, the
rain shed, and the original barn were outlined by Tim.
Always willing to help, Tim also set up records for volunteer hours and tour numbers. The alumni records, so
important in keeping contact information for those who lived and worked at the light station in the past, was set up
by Tim. He also maintained the roster of BLM volunteers.
But Tim is not just a brainy guy. He was also willing to get dirty, pulling non-native plants or helping with a variety of
other projects.
Tim served for many years on the Piedras Blancas Light Station Association board, where his intelligent, thoughtful,
and gentlemanly manner were real assets.
Recently, Tim moved from the area. We miss you and wish you well, Tim. Thank you for everything you did for the
Piedras Blancas Light Station!
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4 cups cut rhubarb
1 cup sugar
2 Tbs. flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 double piecrust
2 Tbs. butter
1 tsp. cream
1 tsp. sugar
Mix rhubarb, sugar, flour, spices in bowl; pour into pie
tin with bottom crust in place. Dot butter around
rhubarb mixture. Place top crust and crimp. Drop
cream over crust and rub gently, lightly sprinkle with
sugar. Poke steam holes in top crust. Bake in hot
oven, 400° nearly 1 hour.
Excerpted with permission from Beverly Praver’s
cookbook Dinner at the Lighthouse, available in our
giftshop.
Want to introduce your child or grandchild to the
fascinating history of lighthouses and lighthouse
keepers? Take a look at these books in our gift shop
on your next visit.
A Lighthouse Saves the Day
A board book about the creatures and people who live
near and depend on lighthouses.
Keep the Lights Burning, Abbie
by Peter and Connie Roop
Recommended for ages 7-10, this book tells the true
story of a little girl who saved the day!
When visiting lighthouses, it’s interesting to notice the stairs. Are they
placed right next to the wall or out a little? Do they have handrails on one
side or both? Are the interior walls conically shaped or cylindrical? Are the
stairs ornate or plain?
At Piedras Blancas, both the shape of the exterior and the interior is conical
and the stairs are set out a little from the wall.
Left: At Piedras Blancas, there is space
between the steps and the wall, and there
are handrails on both sides of the stairs.
Right: In the Point Arena lighthouse, there
is less space between the steps and the
wall and no outer handrail.
By Kristen Norton
Round and round and round go the iron stairs,
the iron railings, round and round to the top —
from San Francisco they came to be installed piece by piece,
as up rose the tower, brick by brick, course
by course, higher and higher, all the way up to views
of land and sea and sky, views of rocks and birds
and whales; yes, these stairs, these iron stairs
carried me, just last year, and carried you,
my ancestor, more than a hundred and fifty years ago —
up you went, stair by stair, first one up, pride of place for
you, the builder, the supervisor, months and months
of work in your hands as you walked stair by stair,
hand to finished walls, to stand at the top, to look,
to dream of captains who’d never walk these iron stairs
but who’d look to the tower, to the light, to the keepers,
to the builders, with gratitude — yes, these iron stairs
carried you, carried crew, carried keepers, holding firm
through earthquake and gale, holding firm these many years
for workers, for visitors, holding firm for you and for me —
Kristen Norton is the great-great-great granddaughter of Sidney J. Ashley, Captain, U.S
Army Corps of Engineers, and Supervisor of Construction for Point Arena Light Station
(1869) and Piedras Blancas Light Station (1874). Kristen is currently writing a book about
her family history, including the role S.J. Ashley played as master mason of construction of
Piedras Blancas Light Station.
Kristen visited Point Arena Light Station in January 2020, which inspired the poem, “Holding
Firm,” reprinted here. This poem won first place in the Point Arena Light Station 150th + 1
Anniversary Writers Invitation and was first printed in the Independent Coast Observer, April
30, 2021.
Although the poem was written about Point Arena, the feeling is just as appropriate to
Piedras Blancas.
Reprinted by permission.
Check out our live webcam to get a
270˚ view of the light station grounds,
the beach, and the nearby ocean.
Pseudognaphalium californicum
Anthophora abrupta
When most of us hear the word “bee” we think of the
European honey bee, producer of the honey we enjoy
as a sweetener. But there are many other kinds of
bees, including native bees, that don’t live in white
boxes.
Miner bees (also called mining bees, chimney bees,
ground bees, and other names) are native bees that
build nests in underground tunnels. They prefer clay or
other well-draining soils, and have also been found
nesting in the cracks of old stone or log buildings.
They are sometimes called chimney bees because
each female builds a nest by digging a tunnel and
building a “chimney” aboveground with the loose soil.
Even though nests are found in clusters, each tunnel is
separate, with each female only providing for her own
nest and future offspring. Only one generation at a time
is found in the nests. The offspring overwinter in the
prepupae stage and emerge as adults in the spring.
Miner bees are smaller than honey bees. They are
sometimes mistaken for bumble bees because they are
black and yellow summer bees. Most are harmless to
humans; they are non-aggressive and fast moving.
They do not produce honey, but they are important
pollinators, as both male and female bees collect nectar
from many species of native flowers.
Commercial honey beekeepers are increasingly moving
their hives to U.S. public lands. Scientists warn that
millions of introduced honey bees pose a risk to native
bee species, outcompeting them for pollen and altering
fragile plant communities.
Above: A cluster of miner bee tunnel openings along the Boucher
Trail, Piedras Blancas.
Below: A miner bee at the opening of a tunnel.
Native to the west coast from Washington to Baja, this
fragrant plant is common in California coastal chaparral,
but can also be found in other habitats. The flowers
form from spring to early summer; the blossoms are
white to pink and are egg-shaped.
California everlasting is an annual, biennial, or short-
lived perennial. Plants grow to 2-4 feet tall and 2 feet
wide. The leaves are sticky. As the leaves dry, they re-
lease a delightful scent, reminiscent of maple syrup.
The name, Pseudognaphalium, is from the Greek word
gnaphalon, meaning lock of wool, which refers to the
woolly appearance of the leaves.
This lovely native plant provides needed habitat for
American Lady butterflies.
Tours are offered year-round on Tuesdays, Thursdays,
and Saturdays. From June 15 through August 31, tours
are offered daily except Wednesdays and Sundays.
There are no tours on federal holidays. Tours last about
two hours and include the historic Piedras Blancas
lighthouse and support buildings along with a half mile
interpretive trail that provides spectacular ocean views
and opportunities to view wildlife. Make your reservations
online through our website, . Meet at
the former Piedras Blancas Motel located 1.5 miles north
of the light station at 9:45 a.m.
Please do not wait at the gate to the light station!
For information, email PiedrasBlancasTours@gmail.com
or call 805-927-7361
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All memberships include our quarterly newsletter. Your dues
help with the maintenance and restoration of the Piedras
Blancas Light Station.
___ $50 Friend of the Lighthouse
(1 complimentary tour )
___ $100 Acting Keeper
(2 complimentary tours )
___ $250 Assistant Keeper
(4 complimentary tours)
___ $500 Principal Keeper
(engraved brick)
___ $1000 Superintendent of Lights
(engraved brick & private tour for up to 6)
Name: ____________________________________________
Address: __________________________________________
City:___________________ State:_________ Zip:__________
Phone: ______________ Email:_________________________
Please make checks payable to PBLSA
You may also join online at piedrasblancas.org
Thank you for your support!
Help restore
and preserve
Piedras Blancas
Light Station
by joining PBLSA
Groups of 10 or more,
please make advanced
arrangements.
$10 for adults, $5 ages
6-17, no fee for children
5 and under.
Tours may be
cancelled on the day
of the tour due to
inclement weather.
Dress warmly and wear comfortable
walking shoes. Sorry, no pets!
