Tranquility on the seashore

There is a place where you can forget the hustle and bustle of a hectic life and take time to relax, enjoy nature and even learn a little something in the process.And it's less than a tank of gas away.Point Reyes Station in Marin County, situated 30 miles north of San Francisco on Highway 1, boasts everything from quaint bed-and-breakfast inns and unique shops and restaurants to the unspoiled beauty of the Point Reyes National Seashore.A unique national park, Point Reyes National Seashore can be explored on foot, by car, on bicycle or boat. There are numerous critters to spot, plenty of outdoor activities to enjoy year-round and too much to experience in just a few days.Established by President John F. Kennedy in 1962, the Point Reyes National Seashore is home to the Point Reyes Lighthouse, the Bear Valley Visitor Center and a Tule elk preserve. Any trip to the area should start at the Bear Valley Visitor Center. Here, visitors can talk with park employees for a better idea of where to go and what to see and do. Featured just a short walk from the center is a replica Miwok Indian village guests can tour. Signs throughout the area describe the people who lived and worked there more than 200 years ago, as well as give descriptions of the use of each building and structure. Just across the street from the center is the Earthquake Trail, where guests of the park can see nature at work. A highlight of the walk is a fence - which makes a great spot for pictures - that shows effects of the 1906 earthquake that devastated the area. Along the San Andreas fault line, the earth moved as much as 20 feet in some areas.For those looking for a more strenuous walk, there's the steps that lead down to the Point Reyes Lighthouse. About a 20-miles drive from the Bear Valley Visitor Center, the lighthouse has its own visitor center, which featured information on the lighthouse that kept mariners safe for more than 100 years. From the parking lot, it's roughly a half-mile walk to the center and the steps leading down to the lighthouse. Going down is easy; coming back is the tough part.More than 300 steps and some mildly steep inclines lead to the lighthouse, which is open 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily except Tuesday and Wednesday. The area is the windiest place on the Pacific Coast and the second foggiest place in North America. Visitors should plan on foggy conditions in the summer, and may want to visit early in the day before the fog really moves in.Another good area best visited in the early part of the day is the Tule elk preserve, located on the other side of the National Seashore from the lighthouse. From the parking lot, visitors can walk as much as 5 miles along unpaved trails out to the point of the peninsula where the elk roam freely.If elk aren't your style, the National Seashore is one of the most popular places in the world to whale watch and spot everything from elephant and harbor seals to coyote and deer.But the Point Reyes National Seashore isn't all there is to Point Reyes Station. Populated year-round by about 350 people, the hamlet explores every summer weekend with tourists looking for interesting craft items like garments from Black Mountain Weavers, artwork from Marty Knapp Photography Gallery or ethnic crafts from Zuma.Toby's, a market on Highway 1, hosts a farmers' market every Saturday morning and restaurants like Café Reyes, Cowgirl Creamery, The Station House Café and Rosie's Cowboy Cookhouse are sure to please the pickiest eater with a sandwich, salad or bowl of New England clam chowder. Seafood is available at most restaurants, including great oyster dishes at the Olema Farm House restaurant, just south of Point Reyes Station along Highway 1 in Olema.Though there are no major hotel/motel chains in Point Reyes station, there are plenty of places to stay and enjoy the scenery. Guesthouses and bed-and-breakfasts like Abalone Inn and Old Point Reyes Schoolhouse offering charming rooms and gorgeous scenery. On the outskirts of Point Reyes Station is the Point Reyes Station Inn, run by Ralph and Renee Giacomini, who are originally from the area and built the structure themselves 10 years ago. Their inn, in particular, hosts five rooms, each lavishly decorated in it's own theme, such as the Sun Room and the Victorian Room.Most of the rooms have a great view of the courtyard that boasts a three-tiered fountain and a hot tub, while inside are fireplaces, whirlpool tubs and great views of the rolling green hills surrounding the community.Whether it's a weekend getaway or a weeklong vacation, Point Reyes Station and the Point Reyes National Seashore have something for everyone.- Sherri L. Shaulis can be reached at sherris@goldcountrymedia.com.