Lighthouses of the Pacific Coast

Lighthouses of the Pacific Coast, published by Voyageur Press, is a guide in words and pictures to historic lighthouses along the Pacific Coast Highway.

Santa Cruz Lighthouse

Lighthouses of the Pacific Coast is one of the most fascinating, well-written, and well-photographed books about the coast that we’ve seen in a long time. It isn’t specifically about the Pacific Coast Highway, of course, but take a road trip up or down PCH and you’re sure to come upon some of these impressive lighthouses.

Some are historic buildings, some are in really striking and dramatic settings, some even have accommodations that you can stay in, and this book is a very entertaining tale that covers the building of them, the history, the science - and the characters that have lived in them.

First Lighthouses of the Pacific Coast

It was interesting to learn that the first Public Works Act in the USA was the Lighthouse Bill of 1789. Lighthouses didn’t come to the west coast until the middle of the 19th century. This was after the US took possession of California from Mexico in 1848 and the subsequent discovery of gold near Sacramento.

There was a very real fear of a foreign invasion through the main harbor at San Francisco, so lighthouses were built to help protect the Bay area. The first lighthouse along the Pacific Coast was at Alcatraz, and it was lit on 1st June, 1854. The building of it was accompanied by political scandal, showing that things never change.

The authors (Randy Leffingwell and Pamela Welty) really bring these exciting times alive through their writing. Leffingwell also took the wonderful and very varied photos that make up this handsome paperback coffee-table book that runs to 176 pages.

The only criticism we had was that the book would have benefited from a map, showing the lighthouse locations.

Other Aspects of West Coast Lighthouses

The book opens with a fine piece of writing, a vivid description of the excitement and the problems of an urgent repair job on the lighthouse at Cape Flattery. All lighthouse repairs are urgent - those lights have to stay lit.

Later in the book the authors explore other aspects in the life of a lighthouse - the lenses, the lights, the fuels they use, the finances of running a lighthouse, even down to the pensions for former lighthouse keepers. They’re all part of the bigger picture of keeping those lighthouses running.

Air Mail Service

So what do lighthouses have to do with the establishment of the US air mail service? The authors, having done their research thoroughly, let us know. The service was set up in 1918, and tragically seven out of the first ten airmail pilots died while doing their work.

It’s the facts and human interest stories like this that make Lighthouses of the Pacific Coast such a good read.

Staying in a Lighthouse

For anyone who wants to stay in a lighthouse, a box on page 140 lists those with accommodation options. The Appendix at the back of the book then lists all lighthouses in alphabetical order with a potted history, latitude/longitude, opening hours and driving directions.

To sum up, Lighthouses of the Pacific Coast is a surprisingly lively and enjoyable read, with hundreds of dramatic color photos, and is a fine tribute to these historic west coast buildings.

Buying Lighthouses of the Pacific Coast
Lighthouses of the Pacific Coast is published by Voyageur Press and is available on Amazon USA, Amazon UK and worldwide on Amazon and through bookstores.

Other books pages

Soul of Los Angeles
Soul of Los Angeles from French publishers Jonglez is a travel guide to 30 Exceptional Experiences in California's largest city.
Frommer's Guide to Seattle
The Frommer's Guide to Seattle has good information about the city and side excursions to the Olympic National Park and elsewhere, plus free city and area map.
The Best Coast Book Review
The Best Coast is a west coast travel guide, sub-titled A Road Trip Atlas it doesn't use photos but instead has hundreds of beautiful illustrations.
Culture Trails
Pacific Coast Highway Travel reviews the book Culture Trails by Lonely Planet, which has a section on Vintage Hollywood alongside 51 other perfect weekends.
California Coast Guide
One of the best California coast guides is the California Coastal Access Guide, describing the coast’s beaches, National Parks, State Parks, with many maps.
Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip Guide
Pacific Coast Highway Travel reviews the Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip Guide book covering the drive from Vancouver to San Diego.
Napa and Sonoma Guidebook
The Napa and Sonoma Guidebook to California Wine Country is from the Moon Handbooks’ travel guide series with reviews of wineries,vineyards, and wine tastings.
Guide to the Olympic Peninsula
Moon's Spotlight Guide to the Olympic Peninsula covers hotels, restaurants, and sights, including Forks, the Olympic National Park and other places.
Pacific Coast Highway Guides. Book and ebook hotel guides to PCH
Pacific Coast Highway guides include our own printed book and ebook guides to the best hotels along the PCH, available in paperback, PDF and Kindle formats.
Pacific Coast Highway in California
The Pacific Coast Highway in California book shows in historic photos the building of the Pacific Coast Highway from its earliest beginnings in 1911.
Greetings from California
Greetings from California is a beautiful coffee-table book which describes the legends, landmarks and lore of California, including the Pacific Coast Highway.
Washington State Travel Guide
The Washington State travel guide from Frommer's covers hotels in Seattle, driving the Pacific Coast Highway, Olympic National Park, where to eat and more.
West Coast RV Parks
One of the best guides to West Coast RV Parks, covering campgrounds in California, Oregon, and Washington, is West Coast RV Camping from Moon Guides.
Pacific Coast Highway Road Trips: Lonely Planet Guidebook Review
Review of the Pacific Coast Highway Road Trips book from Lonely Planet, which includes a California Driving Guide, by the Pacific Coast Highway Travel website.
Epic Drives of the World
Epic Drives of the World from Lonely Planet describes 50 of the world's most exciting road trips, including, of course, the Pacific Coast Highway.
California Backroads
Some of the best California Backroads are included in Backroads of the California Coast, with 24 highly recommended driving tours off the Pacific Coast Highway.
Vintage Hollywood
Vintage Hollywood in Los Angeles is an extract from the Lonely Planets book Culture Trails.
Your Insider's Guide to San Francisco
Pacific Coast Highway Travel's book review of Insider's Guide to San Francisco guidebook by Jill Loeffler, publisher of the San Francisco Tourism Tips website.
Free San Francisco Kindle Guide to Free Attractions
101 free San Francisco attractions and things to do are in the Kindle guide, 101 Free Things to Do in San Francisco, in the Travel Free eGuidebooks series.
California Bed and Breakfast Inns
The guide to California Bed and Breakfast Inns lists over 250 boutique hotels, wine country cottages and more.
John Steinbeck California Guide
This John Steinbeck California Guide, A Journey into Steinbeck's California, shows readers how towns like Monterey, Carmel and Salinas influenced the author.
Green Guide USA West
The Green Guide to the USA West from Michelin covers California, the Pacific North West, the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, New Mexico, and even Kansas and Alaska.
Cycling the USA West Coast
Lonely Planet's Guide to Cycling the USA West Coast is a bicycling guidebook for anyone touring California, Oregon and Washington by bike.
Brewpubs and Good Beer on the West Coast USA
Brewpubs and good beer are at the heart of the Good Beer Guide to the West Coast USA which lists the best bars and breweries from Seattle to San Diego.
Santa Barbara Guidebook
The Santa Barbara Guidebook from Moon Handbooks also covers California’s Central Coast with Ventura, San Luis Obispo, wine country, and Hearst Castle.