Welcome back to our blog series: Budget Friendly Adventures! Just a reminder this will be a weekly series, so if you'd like to stay up to date please subscribe to our newsletter at the bottom of this page. Today we are gonna visit a little beach town that my wife and I loving going to near us: Half Moon Bay. It's not just the beach we love going to, it's also the quaint shops and the activities to do on the way to and while there. Half Moon Bay is only 20 miles from where we live and on a good day when traffic is moving along, it it doesn't take more than 30 minutes to drive there. From most of the Peninsula cities, the easiest way to get to Half Moon Bay is highway 92. The drive through 92 once you pass 280 is beautiful! Lots of green trees, hills and great views. It is about 2 miles before you arrive to Half Moon Bay where we like to start our day trip.
If you like plant nurseries, shops, succulents, and little fruit stands, then begin your trip at many of the stops along highway 92. There is plenty of nurseries to stop at on the way into Half Moon Bay, but one of our favorite areas to stop is a row of store fronts on your left hand side. There you will find places like Highway 92 Succulents, which has a ton of succulents ranging from tiny to x-large sized. You can spend a lot of time here just looking that the many different types of succulents they have to offer. We've taken quite a few home to add to our collection! There is also Half Moon Bay Lavender, which sells all sorts of lavender and lavender infused products. Another cool place to stop is Predatory Plants, which has a lot of different types of carnivorous plants.
After spending sometime there you can also visit Spanish Town, which has a few really interesting shops and giant metal statues like dinosaurs, horses and more. Then there is downtown as you come out of 92 you will see Main St. Make a left turn at the light and as you pass a little bridge, you'll enter into the small and darling downtown. There is so much to do! From olive oil tastings at the olive crush, to all the restaurants ranging from quick bites like San Benito's Deli and Nano's to nice sit down restaurants like It's Italia and Pasta Moon. If your looking to wine taste you can check out Half Moon Bay Wine and Cheese and Barterra Winery both located downtown. We like to stop at the coffee shops and bakeries. There is Half Moon Bay Bakery, Cafe Society, and one of our favorites Moonside Bakery and Deli, although Half Moon Bay Bakery is starting to become a number one pick. There is plenty to see like art shops and even activities for the kiddos. Oddyssea is a really cool arts, craft and unique treasures store of sorts for kids and adults.
Now lets move down to the beach area and waterfront fun! Head down Highway 1 to Princeton area or Pillar Point Harbor where you will find Half Moon Bay Brewing Company its on Capistrano Rd, you can also find Meza Luna with amazing Southern Italian cuisine.
Walking on the beach and nearby or on the trails is a great thing to do Half Moon Bay state Beach is awesome. The views are amazing and there are miles of path. We also enjoy spending time exploring the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve. It's a good place to take kids too because the many shallow tide pools have an assortment of small sea creatures like star fish among others. If you want to brave the cold water, signing up for some surf lessons is a lot of fun. You can take lessons at Pillar Point Surf School or Sea, Surf, and Fun- Surf Lessons. You'll need a wet suit for sure, because although we are in California -- Northern California waters are a lot colder than Southern California water. But if you're prepared, you will great time! With so much to do its definitely a great place to visit for a day or a weekend. Have you been to Half Moon Bay? What are are your favorite spots?
Walking on the beach and nearby or on the trails is a great thing to do Half Moon Bay state Beach is awesome. The views are amazing and there are miles of path. We also enjoy spending time exploring the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve. It's a good place to take kids too because the many shallow tide pools have an assortment of small sea creatures like star fish among others. If you want to brave the cold water, signing up for some surf lessons is a lot of fun. You can take lessons at Pillar Point Surf School or Sea, Surf, and Fun- Surf Lessons. You'll need a wet suit for sure, because although we are in California -- Northern California waters are a lot colder than Southern California water. But if you're prepared, you will great time! With so much to do its definitely a great place to visit for a day or a weekend. Have you been to Half Moon Bay? What are are your favorite spots?
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David and Cassidy