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Tidepool Lighthouse #1 LbNA #29208 (ARCHIVED)

Owner:Adoptable
Plant date:Mar 14, 2007
Location:
City:Laguna Beach
County:Orange
State:California
Boxes:1
Planted by:Take A Hike Club
Found by: The 4 Splinters
Last found:Jan 3, 2008
Status:FaaFFFa
Last edited:Mar 14, 2007
Tidepool Lighthouse
(It’s an adventure)

WARNING: Seek this letterbox only when the tide is out.

It’s a little piece of Orange County history. What appears to be a tiny ancient lighthouse actually contains a spiral stairway down to the beach from the home above. The house was built in 1926 by Senator William E. Brown, and he called it LaTour.

Then a man named Kendrick lived there. He was called The Answer Man because all the children in town knew him, and when he met a youngster he would ask him or her a question. If they could answer correctly he would give them a coin or a piece of bubble gum, which he always had in his pockets. Kendrick was a world traveler who decorated his home with unusual treasures like a set of armor and shrunken heads. Sometimes he would have treasure hunts for the children in the neighborhood. He buried coins in the walls of the ‘lighthouse’ and let the children see who could find the most of them.

The next owner of the home was Bette Midler. She once hired a barge with a spectacular fireworks display for her husband’s birthday celebration. After the Northridge earthquake, Bette was so frightened that she sold all of her California properties and moved to New York.

From the #5 Freeway exit onto Pacific Coast Highway and turn north toward Laguna Beach. When you pass Crown Valley Parkway --- follow the next paragraph*

*From Crown Valley Parkway turn RIGHT onto Pacific Coast Highway. Continue on PCH past Country Club Road to Nyes Place. Turn RIGHT, but make an immediate LEFT onto Victoria to pass under PCH.

From Laguna Canyon Road turn LEFT on Pacific Coast Hwy. Continue on through Laguna Beach past Bluebird Canyon Road, past Diamond, past Rockledge to the triangle intersection at Nyes Place. Make a hard left, and an immediate left turn onto Victoria. This goes under the Coast Highway.Victoria is a narrow residential street that curves around the hill. Within about a block you will see a metal railing on the left, leading to steps down to the beach. There are about 85 steps on this passageway to the beach. Parking is allowed only on the ocean side of the street. Do not block a driveway or entrance or you risk being towed away.

At the bottom of the stairs, start your hike across the sand toward the ocean, veering RIGHT around the cliff. You will see many tide pools and the remains of a round tidal basin swimming pool that dates back to the early 1920’s. Continue making your way around the cliff until you see the small, ancient lighthouse. Many believe it is an old lifeguard stand, but it is actually a staircase from the home above. The lighthouse is an estimated one block from the steps. Go to the lighthouse and from there you will take approximately 30 careful paces from the lighthouse past a large wooden staircase that goes up to another home. You will pass an old fireplace built into the seawall. Continue to the edge of the rocks, and cross over two sand gullies that drain rain and tidal flow into the ocean. It was probably used in those earlier days.

About 40 careful paces from the edge of the second sand gulley there are two large rock abutments (the remains of an old stairway, dock, or ramp). The second, taller abutment, is approximately 12 feet high. Climb to the top of this and along one edge you will find the box hidden under some smaller, loose rocks. Stamp into your log, and replace the box carefully as it is described here. Enjoy this unique and little-known historic place.