New boardwalk

Construction has begun on the boardwalk at the north end of the bluff. This project will take six months, but it will be wonderful for visitors. Having a boardwalk will make it much more accessible, for people who have trouble walking and mothers with kids in strollers.

The workers are in the California Conservation Corps, http://www.ccc.ca.gov/. It's a great program to help young people who haven't found a job, or are somehow struggling to get their adult lives started. The state certainly needs their help, and they are ideal for a project like this.

Thousands of visitors flocked to the viewpoint on this Memorial Day weekend.

The boardwalk will also reduce erosion on the bluff. That dirt trail was deteriorating under too many feet. Inviting people to see the seals requires that we make provision for them.

This year the poison oak was much more abundant, too. I always felt conflicted about warning people about it. It wasn't directly on the trail, and so long as they stayed on the trail, they wouldn't touch it. People often over-reacted to warnings, avoiding the trail entirely when I mentioned it. I never heard of anyone getting poison oak out there.