14 June - Lighthouses, Facebook, Dinner at Jim Schwandt's

14 June
Today (yesterday as this posting is late...) we headed towards the San Francisco area for the day.  We got balled up in the traffic and missed our turn so we ended up taking I-80 right into SF.  Did not want to do that with the big ol' RAM truck, but it worked out.  We did get a nice view of both the Golden gate bridge and Alcatraz on the way.

Golden gate Bridge in the background, from the I-80 bridge

We finally got on route 101 and our first stop was Point Montara Lighthouse.  Doreen got her lighthouse passport book stamped and we enjoyed the 1926 structure.  It is secured so we could not climb it, and badly in need of repairs and corrosion control, but at least it was accessible.  It is co-located with a small, quaint hotel with a dozen or so rooms.

Entrance sign (not the actual lighhouse)

Point Montara lighthouse.  One of the shortest lighthouses we have visited.

A view of the keeper's residence and oil building

The hotel main building

The hotel rooms, separate from the main building 

The salt spray is taking it's toll.  Needs some TLC.  Most likely a funding issue.

Rocky coastline and shoals drove the need for the lighthouse.  Many shipwrecks occurred as vessels would turn the corner in the dense fog and think they were in San Francisco bay, running  aground.

A view from the point, gives a perspective on how short the lighthouse actually is.

Beautiful flowers growing from the ground vegetation.

Lighthouse with the buildings in the background.

Gorgeous background.

We left Point Montara lighthouse and traveled about 40 minutes south to Pidgeon Point Light Station.  This lighthouse is now part of a state park and maintained by the State of California.  It was built in 1871 and is the tallest lighthouse on the west coast of the United States.  They have converted some of the outbuildings into a hostel so you can stay here and enjoy the area.  Doreen was able to get her passport stamped here also.

The entrance

Pidgeon Point Light Station.  The area is secured with chain link fence and  it is closed to climbing

The oil building is outside the chain link.

The chain link fence surrounds the lighthouse

The Fog Signal building which houses the Fresnel lens display

The keepers building is now the visitor center.  

Beautiful flowers outside the hostel area, shown in the background.

 After finishing up at Pidgeon Point we headed back north and then took the windy but scenic Highway 92 east into San Mateo where Doreen's cousin Jim Schwandt lives.  We dropped Liberty off at Jim's and then headed to Facebook Headquarters for a tour.  Our daughter-in-law's sister Kayse Nation is a recruiter for Facebook and facilitated the tour!

Doreen and Kayse in what I would describe is a courtyard in the middle of a cluster of Facebook buildings.  It was designed by those who designed the areas in Disney World.   

 Facebook is unlike any place I have ever visited.  The concept behind how the employees are treated is 180 degrees out from my military life, to say the least.  My compressed translation and examples, hopefully most of this is accurate:
- Seemingly very few workplace rules pertaining to getting your job done, whatever your job is.
- No set work hours - evaluation is based on performance.
- Very little if any dress code (I assume within reason)
- Wednesdays are "work from home Wednesdays", if you care to
- Open physical office architecture - like a warehouse full of work stations - no offices.  There are some small offices where you can reserve them for small meetings and shut the door, but the doors and walls are glass and viewable to everyone
- Building interior surfaces and structures are kind of plain, called "unfinished" as everything within Facebook is "unfinished" and always in the process of changing and being improved.  Apparently they routinely tear systems apart or "break them, and then fix and improve them
- Whole floors or even buildings are dedicated to sub-systems within Facebook, like Messenger, Oculus (virtual reality), the news feeds, the marketplace, maps, etc etc.
- I have never seen flat panel monitors as large as most used here.  2'x3' or even larger.  Wow~!
- Adaptable workstations so you can sit at your computer in the morning and stand at your computer in the afternoon
- Widespread use of iPhones and iPads.  Not uncommon to see a worker laying on a couch with an iPad and their feet propped up and their shoes off in shorts and a tee shirt working on their "system"
- Technology throughout, starting with us entering our visitor info on an iPad to get our visitor badges
- Bicycles and helmets provided, shuttles provided to get around the campus
- If you ride your personal bike to work they will repair and maintain it free of charge (except  parts) while you work
- If you drive your electric car to work they will charge the batteries free
- If you drive your petroleum-powered car to work:
  -- they will go refill it for you while you work (you pay for the gas)
  -- they will change your oil and detail it while you work (unknown charges)
- Anything and everything you want to eat and drink is free
  -- The "courtyard" as I would describe it is lined with un-ending restaurants - tacos, pasta, burgers, ice cream, buffets, and on and on - you want it, it is likely here
  -- On each floor and around each corner are refrigerated vending machines with anything imaginable you want to drink - soda's, waters, etc
  -- Seemingly around each corner in each building is a refrigerated case with pre-made salads and other things to eat
- Scattered throughout each floor is a vending machine that dispenses expendable IT products like iPhone charging cords, mice, keyboards, etc - ALL FREE
- bring in your laundry and they will do it while you work - free also I believe
- On-site medical, banking, concierge services, woodworking shop, etc.  You may get tired of working and then go down to the wood shop and make a few gifts for your relatives

There are probably thousands of other tidbits I have omitted, but needless to say this place is incredible, almost indescribable. They have done about anything you can think of to promote a positive work environment and make it comfortable and productive for you to work.  Based on my upbringing and background I have serious concerns about this culture, but now I am showing my age and I won't go into it further :-)    

At the entrance to Facebook,  Notice the street address!!

I am so thankful we had this opportunity to visit Facebook and see Kayse!

After Facebook we returned to Doreen's cousin's house and visited with him until his wife Alison got home.  Later Jim's daughter Elizabeth and son Ryan arrived along with Ryan's friend Ashley and Ashley's friend and we had brisket dinner with all the fixin's.  It was great to see them as it had been since last  year in Idaho.  Jim and Alison have a beautiful ranch style home in San Mateo.  After dinner we hit the road back to the Air base and about 10:30 we were here.

A view of the toll plaza on the way home.  This is about 10pm!

Today we are staying here and taking care of business. Liberty got a bath and is deep asleep as it was a long day for her too.   Doreen wants to do some laundry, visit the BX and Commissary, etc.  I will do some routine maintenance and have spent the last two hours downloading pictures and updating the blog.




https://www.airforcetimes.com/articles/false-alarm-at-travis