East Brother Light Station — Hotel in Richmond

We live in Oakland and were looking for a quick and easy getaway for our anniversary. The East Brother Light Station has been on my list for years and I was so glad to get a reservation just a few weeks before the date. I booked the West Brother room which ended up being a good choice. The view out the window was magical! ||There is a lot to be said for the isolated island experience. For one, we felt incredibly safe - didn't have to worry about locking the door and we could sleep with the windows open, which was heaven at night. ||Dre and Charity were great hosts! They are both no nonsense folks and they didn't give a bunch of rules - basically we could go anywhere we wanted. The food was delicious and they accommodated some other guest's dietary requests that were provided in advance. ||things of note: |It gets chilly at night, probably no matter what the season, so bring at least a sweater! If you stay only one night, no shower is available. There are regular bathrooms of course, just limited water. |Getting from the small boat to the dock of the island can involve a 12 food ladder, so be prepared. I had more difficulty climbing down on the way home but with some patience, I made it. There is also a steep walk up to the main part of the island.|It's a traditional B & B experience with communal dining so bring some good stories! |No wifi (which was nice!) although cell reception wasn't bad. It's a good excuse to...

At last after decades of dreaming, this bucket list item is finally crossed off the list. Celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary this was the perfect gift. We had no idea what to expect and it was more than we could ever have imagined. ||We enjoyed the most perfect autumn weather. So that was an absolute stroke of luck. Tides were in our favor and the boat trip to and from the islands were comfortable. Innkeepers Danielle and Rae (seven months new to this gig) are/were incredible hosts, tour guides, chefs, and comics. We were the only guests spending two nights and so glad we opted for that. Enjoyed a beautiful view from our second-story room - West Brother Island and the raucous comings and goings of the island birds was incredible from the Marin Room. ||Breakfast, happy hour, and dinner were more than enough and so delicious. Everything made with love and from scratch. We enjoyed the company of other guests - many Bay Area locals but also from San Diego and Illinois. One couple was also celebrating an anniversary and another a birthday. If you're a wildlife and nature lover, put this a the top of your list. Not only a wide range of birds, but also Harbor Seals, Sea Lions, and Harbor Porpoise were seen on our visit.||Wines and other berages are provided but we did bring a few bottles of our favorite beer and sake from Takara Sake...

This trip was brilliant fun! The island is fascinating, the inn is delightful, the company was fantastic, and the food was incredible! Charity and Dre, the innkeepers, accommodated each of my family member's different food restrictions with good cheer and no fuss -- and the results were delicious. The other guests were great conversationalists, and I think we all had a good time getting to know each other. I took tons of photos, as the views are amazing. We've visited a bunch of the lighthouses along the California coast, and this one is unique because of how close you can get to it, and because the island also houses a foghorn, which the innkeepers kindly play for guests before you leave. The foghorn equipment is a step back in time, and super interesting. My husband and I and our adult son stayed in the Two Sisters room (named after two other islands visible from the room). This is the only room that can accommodate three people, and we were lucky it was available while our son was visiting us. I think we've all decided we want to make...