On Monday we left Santa Rosa and headed back over to Hwy 1, stopping along the way for lunch with a bridge view before continuing south to Half Moon Bay State Beach.
Lunch with a view
The city of Half Moon Bay lies on the coast about 30 miles south of San Francisco. Considering its close proximity to a large city, Half Moon Bay has a surprising small town feel to it. The area is ripe with agriculture and as we rolled into town field after field of various greens, artichokes, and pumpkins came into view. We missed the famous pumpkin festival that draws thousands of visitors every October, but plenty of pumpkins remained in the fields and at roadside stands. Coming from the cold northeast it’s a new experience for us to see flourishing agriculture crops in the middle of November. What we really came to see though was the beach. Half Moon Bay has miles of the most gorgeous coastline with fine sand beaches and gentle surf.
Ahhhh….the beach
The weather was phenomenal during our stay. With temps in the mid-70s and a bright sun overhead we broke out the shorts and t-shirts for our daily walks on the beach. Phineas rejoiced as well and ventured into the ocean for the first time since somewhere in the middle of Oregon.
Beach dog
High bluffs line the beaches and a walking/bike path hugs the edge of the bluff offering stunning views of the ocean below.
Tim on the bluffs
The state park was fairly empty during our weekday visit and while we didn’t pay the extra $15 for a water view, our large open site on the corner with a huge front yard was quite nice. The highlight of our stay at Half Moon Bay was a visit with fellow airstreamers Dave and Kelly who currently live in their 27ft airstream at a campground down the road from the state park. While circumstances don’t allow them to travel full-time right now, they take many weekend and week long trips and hope one day to go mobile. We had a great time chatting about trailer life and all that comes with it. It was very refreshing for us to meet others with similar life goals and values. We felt an immediate connection with them and hope to meet up again somewhere down the road.
Ready for guests
Despite my best intentions I got so wrapped up in our conversation that I completely forgot to take any pictures of our get together. Whoops.
Fire on a chilly night
This week we’re continuing down the coast…next stop Santa Cruz.
5 comments
Hey guys, thanks for the mention.
RE: Santa Cruz … I forgot to suggest that while you’re there you MUST make time to visit two places:
1. The Buttery: A fantastic bakery w/ killer treats and also a great (and huge) selection of baked breads.
2. The Picnic Basket: I will go on public record with this — the absolute best ice cream anywhere. Yes, anywhere. Even better, the boardwalk location and atmosphere makes for great people watching.
I’m drooling at my desk just thinking about both places…
We were too quick for you, by the time you wrote this we had already left :( Good suggestions for next time though!
It’s been sooo many years since I last visited Half Moon Bay. You got some great shots of the area…making me nostalgic. Never stayed at the SP there so gotta add that one to the list.
Nina
Yeah, it’s a pretty cool place. This was by far our favorite beach since leaving Oregon.
And not a word about Pigeon Point Lighthouse where I was Wickie in 1948, or Ano Nuevo State Park where you can walk among the Elephant seals. But Santa Cruz is as great, I am sure, as it was in the Forties. Next time maybe.