Cruise down California's Pacific Coast Highway on a crisp clear moonlight November evening and if you are lucky you might chance a glimpse of arguably the most stunning lighthouse ever constructed. Perched on a rocky bluff 148 feet above the sea Pigeon Point Lighthouse stands guard over the grave of several ships most notably the wayward Carrier Pigeon for which the area is named. When lit the main Fresnel lens sends out 24 separate beams in a breathtaking star-burst pattern. The light beams extend out 27 miles to the horizon and light up the coastal foothills.