My afternoon in Half-Moon Bay was one of the most delightful, relaxing afternoons I’ve had in a long time. It was just what I needed to reboot and get back to a healthy state of mind. It also reminded me of a very important lesson: you don’t need to go on long, lavish trips to have a great experience; sometimes, the best experiences are lurking only an hour away. Half-Moon Bay is a small city about half an hour south of San Francisco, making it an easy place to visit if you’re living near or visiting SF. Try to get there around eleven in the morning; that’s when most of the shops open up, the weather is quite cool, and there are few tourists around. Grab a chai and bagel at the adorable Cafe Society on Main Street, then wander around downtown for an hour or two to look at all the adorable shops and art galleries--like Unleashed Art Gallery, where my mom and I fell in love with a local artist's resin paintings. Once you’ve had your fill of shops and tea, head on over to the beach! I lived in far northern California for two years, within twenty minutes of the beach at all times, and I got used to visiting the ocean during all sorts of weather--from storms to rare days of sunshine to the chilly middle of the night--so I'm perfectly happy visiting the ocean during winter when the water is too cold to swim in. Even though I didn't feel up to entering the frigid water, it was still wonderful to gaze out on the water. There are dozens of beaches to pick from, and I hopped around quite a few of them, but my absolute favorite was Bean Hollow State Beach, half an hour south of Half-Moon Bay. It’s free to park (and if you’ve spent any time in the Bay Area, you know how wonderful that is to find) and has porta-potties, but the real reason I so highly recommend this beach is because it’s so darn beautiful. I visited in early September, when the plants growing around this beautiful, secluded cove were bursting in an array of greens, reds and oranges--perfect for ringing in the start of Autumn. The beach wasn’t particularly crowded, and featured cliffs and hills you could climb on to watch the waves from above. I followed a path near the south end of the beach up the rocks, and found a wonderland of tide pools and strange erosion, with a gorgeous, secluded view of the ocean. I spent at least an hour climbing around and soaking in the beautiful cerulean waves. After, my mom and I decided to drive back to Half-Moon Bay for lunch. We stopped at Monsoon Himalayan Cuisine, a little restaurant which I cannot recommend enough. It serves Nepalese and Indian food, and had some incredible vegetarian dishes--something I often struggle to find when I eat out. My mom and I split the Vegetarian Combo Meal and Vegetable Momo, which was more than enough to share. The only reason we finished it all was because the food was way too good to go to waste! I also had Nepalese-style chai for the first time (yes, chai twice in one day, I’m obsessed), and seriously considered never drinking anything else ever again. The service was friendly and fairly quick, the decor was lovely, the price was reasonable, and of course the food was amazing. If you’re interested in eating Nepalese food, this is definitely the place to go. After lunch, we debated going into the city or back to the beach, and ended up settling on the beach. Although we visited several others which were closer to Half-Moon Bay, the only cove that really stood out was Bean Hollow. It’s a little far away, but it’s honestly the perfect place to explore or just relax. Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Pastorino Farms. We stopped by their lovely flower shop, Pastorino’s Flowers, on our way home and found ourselves in a little room absolutely filled to the rim with cut flowers--so many that some of the aisles were almost impossible to walk down! The price couldn’t be beat, and there were numerous other nurseries to visit right next door, too--ranging from succulents to a greenhouse full of carnivorous plants. We stopped by the truly delightful Half Moon Bay Lavender, which was a little pricey, but if you love lavender and friendly service, it’s hard to pass up. Do you have a favorite beach to visit near Half-Moon Bay? A restaurant you’re dying to visit again? Please feel free to share your comments down below! Like this post? Why not share it?If you enjoyed this article, please leave me a comment telling me what you think! Or, if you found it useful, share it with your friends! You'll be helping me turn my passion for travel into a business, and more importantly, you'll be helping your friends out with any travel questions they might have, too. See more adventures!If you liked this post, you may also like:
4 Comments
Kris Rose
7/10/2019 10:00:58 pm
Hi Aaron,
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Kris
12/2/2019 11:41:47 am
Hi Amanda,
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Hi, there! Call me Kris. I’m a world traveler, author and artist working to showcase the world's beauty and inspire you to find your confidence to see the world!
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