In November the historic Pigeon Point Lighthouse (Located on Highway 1 between Santa Cruz and Half Moon Bay) turned 136 years old!!! Every year around this time for two hours the electric light is turned of, and the ancient kerosene powered Fresnel lens is turned. The Fresnel Lens uses five kerosene lamps and produces twenty four beams of light. When the light rotates ships at sea can see a beam of light every ten seconds. For the benefit of photographers the light is held stationary for the first five minutes, and then rotated for two hours. The light is so powerful that if it was held stationary for a long period of time, nearby trees could be set on fire. Pigeon Point Lighthouse, and the entire San Mateo Coast is pretty amazing, and to see the Fresnel Lens is action is quite a sight. More about Pigeon Point http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=533