As the cancellation shows, this postcard was mailed from the Point Reyes Lighthouse.
Point Reyes is a popular Northern California tourist destination on the Pacific coast. It is approximately 30 miles Northwest of San Francisco. As characteristic of the area, it can get very foggy and windy during certain parts of the year . To be effective, the lighthouse had to be situated below the characteristic high fog. When foggy, visibility is so slim that one cannot even view the lighthouse from the top of the approximately 300 steps necessary to walk down to reach it. The lighthouse serves a great purpose in such a foggy area, as there is no beach to wash up on; it is on a rocky cliff. Day or night, the light may be the only thing visible to ships.
Point Reyes is also historically important as the landing site of Sir Francis Drake. On June 17, 1579, he became the first European explorer to land in Northern California, and proclaimed it Nova Albion (New England).
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