Bay Area has so many amazing attractions, interesting cities to visit, and a variety of things to do that unless you are a surfer you may easily overlook the coast and you might not visit any of the destinations on the Pacific Ocean Coast. But for this particular trip we decided not to do any shops on San Francisco Bay but only go along the coast end here is five of our favorites.
“What distinguishes the successful from unsuccessful is the way they deal with the inevitable disappointments and difficulties that arise. Psychologist call it the 90-10 principle. Ten percent of life is what happens to you, and 90 percent is decided by how you react to it. We have no control over what happens to us- high winds rip the roof off, your train is delayed, or a meteorite lands on your car. The 90 percent, however, is up to you. ” Rod Judkins. This is such a great reminder to keep on dreaming, keep on picking yourself up, and don’t give up.
Drakes Beach Sand Sculpture Contest
Drakes Beach is a very enjoyable beach with plenty of space to enjoy yourself in any activity. From swimming to frisbee there are plenty of things you can do here. But the most exciting thing of all is the annual sand sculpture contest which is held here each year in August. If you desire to compete you can do so easily and the admission is free for both the participants and spectators. There are different group and age categories that you can sign up for. We plan to participate next year but this year we found cool nature finds and drew in our nature journal.
HI Pt. Montara Hostel
This lighthouse was built in Massachusetts but was later moved to Montana, California. It is 30 feet tall so it’s easier to move. It was brought to California in 1928. Here you can stay the night at the hostel. You can walk down to the beach and there are benches and places to take in all the beautiful scenery. The lighthouse itself is closed. You can enjoy it from the outside.
To book your overnight stay visit http://www.norcalhostels.org/montara/reservations/
Fritzgerald Marine Reserve
Fitzgerald Marine Preserve is a very good place to observe nature and even more so during low tide. With a good selection of seaweed and crabs and apparently an occasional octopus, this is a great place to tidepool and you should definitely be careful when exploring because there are hermit crabs all over the place. Bring binoculars because there are seals here too. This place is really neat because 25 new invertebrates and plant species have been discovered here. Make sure you look up when it is low tide so you can actually see the marine species here.
Bluff Trail Cypress
Coastal Trail Cypress is a 0.8 mile loop that is surrounded by trees. Most of these trees are cypress. This is a beautiful way to spend time exploring nature. There are so many trees to climb on as well. On this trail when you get closer to the water you will want to look up because the trees are covered in a orange algae known as Trentepohlia. The color is so bright and beautiful. We have never seen this type of algae before. This trail is an extension of the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve.
Sam’s Chowder House
After exploring tidepools and hiking in fresh air for a few hours we craved some seafood and Sam’s Chowder House did not disappoint. We loved the seafood salad and the daily fresh catch.
Located at 4210 North Cabrillo Highway Half Moon Bay, CA 94019.
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