I didn’t write this recently.

I think this is a really fun way to start my blog. For me, this has all come full circle. I had forgotten I had even written this, I found it last week when I was organizing my hard drive. I remember this hike, vaguely.

This hike doesn’t stick out in my head, but after looking at the pictures, it should have. I dated the folder with the images and post 12-3-16, so I guess that is the day we went. I re-read the post, edited some of the images (taken on a very old Android) and thought it was a fun way to start this whole blog.

How has this come full circle you ask? At the end of this post, I mention wanting to come back to Point Dume in the spring to see the wildflowers, this was the start of the last Super Bloom, before the spring of 2017. Point Dume is mentioned in my California Super Bloom 2019 post, which I wrote prior to finding this. A big reason I am starting this blog is to document my life and all the memorable and intriguing moments.

This was the end of our first year here and everything was still so new. I’m not editing the post much, I want it to remain as intact to that time as possible. I hope you enjoy Past Sara’s take on Point Dume.

We decided to take a hike since it was such a beauty Saturday afternoon. I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to it being 70 and sunny in December, it’s a blessing and I am grateful for this weather everyday. Living in KY, the beach was something I looked forward to and only visited once a year. I would go on summer vacation or spring break.
Being so close to the beach is one of of my favorite things about LA. LA gives you the ability to experience living in a big and busy city but nature is everywhere and it’s easy to quickly feel like your in the middle of nowhere, it’s the best kind of balance. Don’t get me wrong, LA isn’t for everyone but I sure love it.

I wanted a hike with views of the ocean so after a little googling and recommendations from a friend, I picked Point Dume in Malibu. Point Dume, is a dome-shaped promontory jutting into the Pacific at the northwest end of Santa Monica Bay. It is surrounded by white sand beaches and blue waters. The hike isn’t very long, but it's breathtaking with a number of winding trails to walk through. It would be easy to spend hours here but the trail itself isn’t long so it can be a quick hike as well.

As we walked away from the small parking lot and onto the trail, there was a path that led down to a long staircase which took you to the beach with tide pools just east of the dume. We ran into a nice guy who told us about other areas of the beach that were photographable.
East down the beach was Paradise Cove, which was a nice beach with a little restaurant. We didn’t go that far but as we walked, we saw some beautiful homes. Madonna, Sean Penn, Cher and Bob Dylan have all lived in Point Dume. Most of the houses were under heavy security but from what was visible, these houses are amazing and are major house goals.

Walking back up the stairs and toward the top of the dume was gorgeous. Mountains, cactus’, blue skies and endless ocean. It was clear enough to see Catalina in the distance. The fairly easy hike was worth the breathtaking views.
I want to come into the spring, I could see wildflowers trying to bloom but it was a bit too chilly for that.

Point Dume Facts

Point Dume was named by George Vancouver in 1793 in honor of Padre Francisco Dumetz of Mission San Buenaventura.[2] The name was misspelled on Vancouver's map as "Dume" and was never corrected. In the early 1980s, real estate development interests began pronouncing the name "du-MAY" and spelling it "Dumé"; this did not catch on.
Up until the 1940s, Point Dume was a windblown, treeless bluff covered by native chaparral. Post-World War II the bluff became slowly settled by independent-minded people, who planted trees and other non-native flora among their single-family homesteads.
In 1968, Point Dume Elementary School opened, but closed in 1980. It reopened in 1996 and remains open today, now known as the Point Dume Marine Science Elementary School.
By 2007, many of the simple homesteads were torn down to make way for mansions and mega-mansions behind walls, many with expansive ocean views, while other large homes were surrounded by mature trees.

Tips:

If you’re in the area and looking to spend an active day at the beach, I highly recommend this hike.
There is a small parking lot, maybe 15 or so spots with a max of 2 hour parking
Dogs and other pets are not allowed on the beach so leave them at home for this hike - we did see some dogs but the looked to be with their owners that lived on the beach
There is a grey whale migration December-March so if you go then, keep your eye peeled.