News from East Brother Light Station, San Francisco

East Brother Lighthouse in San Francisco, California, is a beautifully restored Victorian Lighthouse Bed and Breakfast Inn perched atop an island in the strait that separates San Francisco and San Pablo Bays. From the island, visitors take in the spectacular views of the San Francisco skyline, Mount Tamalpais, and the Marin coastline. The Inn began operations over 26 years ago as a means of earning money for upkeep of the restored lighthouse and facilities. Here are some items from the newsletter of the East Brother Light Station. Thanks to Jutta Stingl for passing them along!

The Race Is On

East Brother Light Station is an island of beautiful contrasts; a mysterious combination of old and new, wild and refined, secluded and friendly. One of the best ways to experience this contrast is to visit the island on a day when a race or regatta is slicing through the water.

Several local yacht clubs host events that take dozens of boats around the North Bay, occasionally coming so close to East Brother Light Station that you'd think you could hop on one for a quick loop around. These sleek ships are quite a sight as they quietly shoot past the islands with their full, multi-colored spinnakers pulling them along, or as they tack through the wind and heel over dramatically.
Tiburon Yacht Club will hold its last two Midwinter Regattas on February 13th and March 13th, which sometimes come very close to East Brother Light Station. The most spectacular race to watch from the island every year is the Great Vallejo Race from the Vallejo Yacht Club. In 2010, it will be held on May 1st and May 2nd.

To find out when other races or regattas will be nearby, check out the calendar at Latitude 38.

Landscaping Project Update

Over the past couple of months, we've been working hard to redesign the landscaping and have built raised beds with rocks and soil that our volunteers hauled to the island. In November, we finally started the fun part of our project that we've been waiting for - the planting. Under the supervision of our landscape designer Diane Bloom, we planted native, drought-tolerant plants that will get established over the rainy season and enhance the beauty of the island.

Since our funds for landscaping are limited, we'd like to express our gratitude to The Watershed Nursery, a native plant nursery in Richmond, who supported us with a generous donation of plants and great advice. Information about The Watershed Nursery is available on-line. We'd also like to thank Oaktown Nursery in Alameda for another generous donation of native plants.

Many of you saw our work in progress; now we invite you to come and visit us again to enjoy what we created as our plants mature.

If you would like to support our improvement projects, any donations are greatly appreciated. Donations to East Brother Light Station, a 501 (c) 3 non-profit corporation, are tax deductible.

Free Romance Package

To extend the festivities, we have turned Valentine's Day into Valentine's Month. Book a reservation for any day and room in February, and we will have a free Romance Package waiting in your room upon your arrival. The Romance Package includes one bottle of chilled Domaine Chandon, 2 signature glasses, and a box of Belgian chocolates (value $72.00). Offer valid with new reservations only. Please mention "Valentine's Special" at time of booking.

Offer Expires: February 28, 2010

Click here for more on the East Brother Light Station.