The Bay Area is home to a number of lighthouses, including the very first on the West Coast… constructed on Alcatraz in 1854. Here’s a video visit to three other local light stations, Point Bonita, East Brother and Pigeon Point.

Photo by Ralphman

–M’Gee Johnston

With its beautiful scenery, Sausalito, California has attracted artists for many decades and the community of Sausalito has long welcomed and celebrated the talent and dedication of its local artists.  Since 1952 Sausalito has hosted what many consider to be the best Art Festival around.  This year the Sausalito Art Festival will begin on Friday August 29th and continue to Monday September 1st.   The spectacular views of the Bay, Tiburon and Angel Island and the colorful houseboat community, make for a splendid backdrop for displaying this year’s finest art.

Doug McConnell

I recently saw a flock of pelicans gliding slowly in formation just above the water of San Francisco Bay. They were cruising for food or for the fun of it just the way pelicans have for millions of years.

Pelicans look like miniature pterodactyls, envoys from a lost planet. And they themselves were almost lost in the twentieth century, pushed to the gates of extinction by us human newcomers. Fortunately, we changed our destructive ways a little just in time to help nurture pelican populations back to better health. It’s always exciting to see wild things following their ancient rituals, and we have quite a few stories about places to see wildlife in the West. Go to the wildlife category in the column next to this blog and take a look at what we have. And then please send us your best wildlife stories, pictures and video, too. The more we can all see and know the wonders of wildlife the more we’ll care for it. Pelicans point to what’s possible.