Two weeks ago Barbara and I hiked Bluff Cove in Palos Verdes, the Southern terminus of Santa Monica Bay and last week we hiked Santa Monica Beach from the pier to Venice, so it seemed logical to explore Point Dume, Santa Monica Bay's Northern terminus to complete the curve and revisit the ancient volcanic cone promontory that the Chumash considered sacred space. In 1793, English explorer George Vancouver named Point Dume in honor of pioneer Franciscan friar Francisco Dumetz, and though his name was misspelled on the map, the moniker stuck. During the 19th and 20th centuries, sailing ships used the point as a critical landmark warning to avoid submerged rocks. By far the most adventurous hike we've taken in a while, this fairly short but tricky hike took us to the top edge of the promontory, wove us through trails amid the landscape of the Natural Preserve, and then dropped us down rope pulleys on the side of the bluff to Big Dume Beach. We started out from the parking lot at Westward Beach (the southern half of Zuma Beach), looking up to the top of the promontory as our first goal. A well-defined trail wound up the hill to the top of the bluff where we carefully navigated out to the tip for some pix and a view below of rock climbers on one side and Pirates Cove on the other. One of the most stunning locations in SoCal, the California Historical Landmark lists 73 TV and film credits that include the ending of "Planet of the Apes and the setting for Tony Stark's mansion in Iron Man. The hike is so visually impressive that the view—spreading from Point Mugu along the shore to Palos Verdes—easily distracted us as we maneuvered around rocks and along rocky trails edging the bluff. But the trickiness was half the fun. We spotted dolphins in the ocean, seals sunning on rocks, and birds diving for brunch in the waves. After we left the promontory we followed the trail south to a lookout point and then down to Point Dume Beach below. The first time we took this hike three years ago, access to the beach was blocked. Today another trail led us to the side of the bluff and we rappelled down ropes to the sand, a first for us, and so much fun. We stopped for a snack then roped back up to the trail and followed the path through the Natural Preserve and up to the highest spot on the Point and more eye-popping views. Feeling incredibly accomplished, we hiked back down to the beach and the car. A must-do hike for the history, the views, and the adventure!