Point Montara Lighthouse
Nik and I took our first adventure out of the city this weekend, and it was extremely nice!! We booked our Zipcar on Wednesday, a private room at the Point Montara Lighthouse on Thursday and packed our bags on Friday. Montara is only 25 miles south of our apartment in San Francisco which means that we could take our time Saturday morning and still have plenty of time to settle in for the night.
Our first stop on Highway 1
Fishing line cast in search of Dungeness Crab
Watching his lines
Gear for the dayÂ
Having time meant that we could stop whenever we wanted to take it all in, and that is just what we did. We pulled into a few little viewpoints before hitting the jackpot at the Pacifica Pier where at least 30 fishermen had cast lines in search for Dungeness Crab. I made the mistake of wearing a skirt, and as soon as I climbed out of the car it was blowing in the bitter cold wind. While I tried to maintain my decency, I chatted with the fisherman. A few were having good days, one guy was competing with a sea lion for his catch and a couple guys were packing up disappointed in the day. They explained how their lures worked by catching the crabs claws in lasso-like plastic rings when they went for the bait, and one man mentioned that a “good day” was 10 large crabs. Everyone was nice and didn’t seem to mind answering my questions at all. Then when we got back in the car Nik told me that he was certain they were more interested in seeing my skirt fly around than they were with my questions. I didn’t believe him, but I did change into jeans!
Surfer at Pacifica State Beach
Pacifica State Beach had more surfers than I had ever seen in my entire life AND there is a Taco Bell. Perhaps the best Taco Bell location in the world.
An artichoke farm along Highway 1
Purple Iris
Wildflowers at Pigeon Point Lighthouse
Pigeon Point Lighthouse
We bypassed Point Montara to go through Half Moon Bay and to visit another lighthouse within spitting distance of San Francisco: Pigeon Point. This one also has an International Youth Hostel on its grounds, but they were booked for the weekend. Pigeon Point Lighthouse is more impressive than Point Montara, but the hostel wasn’t nearly as quaint and the staff wasn’t as friendly. We were happy to wander around, but were also happy to get in the car to begin our backtrack.
Moo Cows
Baaaa Sheep
Nay Horse
Rather than take the costal highway, we drove inland through the farmland on the way back. The vistas were amazing on the twisty, turny roads, and we were one of very few 4-wheeled vehicles.
Cyclists relaxing on the straightaway
Banana Slug
Mystic Redwood Forest
Private Room
We slowly made our way back towards the coast and checked into our room. I honestly cannot say enough good things about the Point Montara Lighthouse Hostel. The guy who checked us in was extremely nice and patient. The room was spotless. The view from the room was breathtaking. The shared kitchens and living rooms were comfortable. They have their own private beach with rocks and tide pools on one side and sand on the other!! Honestly, it was heaven!!
Exploring Tide Pools
Barnacles
When we made it over to the sandy side, I started collecting little things.
Beach Collection
Meanwhile, Nik made a lasso out of seaweed.
Nik's Lasso
The beach cowboy in action
The running capture
Then the lasso was turned into a compass!
Beach Circles
After playing on the beach, we went out for an early dinner at Sam’s Chowder House in Half Moon Bay. The chowder was delicious, the bowl was huge and our view of the harbor was perfect! We left with full stomachs but stopped to pick up dessert for later. Once we got back to the room, we never left. We opened the window to let the sound of the ocean fill the room and relaxed reading until we were lulled to sleep.
This morning we woke up early to rain pounding on the windows. It was not what we had hoped for, but we made do. We drove back to the city without any detours and had a heavy breakfast at Louis Cafe overlooking the Sutro Baths. Again, we had a meal with a view that left us completely stuffed. The food this time wasn’t as good, but the view and experience was worth it.
Since we had the Zipcar for two full days, we took Val out on a quick night time ride to Treasure Island Friday evening. Fortunately, the evening skies were crystal clear and our view of the city was beautiful.
San Francisco Skyline
Night time explorers
