The Treasures of Half Moon Bay
By Diane York
Published in Times of the Islands Magazine, Nov/Dec issue 2023.
The East Coast has the wild Atlantic, the calm Gulf Coast has its incredible pink and gold skies, and then there is the West Coast or Gold Coast. The West Coast features the churning Pacific constantly carving fantastic cliffs backed by rolling lush green fields and a profusion of flowers bathed in golden sunlight. It’s spectacular.
In addition to miles of views of the blue Pacific on California Route One, there are wonderful old towns, farms, and ranches from the time of the Spanish explorers. One-of-a-kind restaurants, shops and galleries in small villages dot the coastline. You can spend the night at a charming bungalow, bed and breakfast or classy hotel right on the ocean.
I took a day trip down this road with my son, traveling from San Mateo to Pescadero. Only seventy miles but rich with amazing views and interesting stops.
We needed fuel for our journey. You would never know it to look at the tiny Pilot House Restaurant located at the equally tiny Half Moon Bay Airport, but this place is run by a Michelin-starred couple (former owners of the San Mateo restaurant Allspice.) The breakfast and lunch fare are top-notch. My son had the mouth-watering house specialty, the Dutch baby pancake, a fluffy, buttery baked pancake with fruit compote, whipped cream, fruit, and maple syrup. I had the huevos rancheros, a concoction of over-easy eggs with beans, a healthy serving of fresh avocado, salsa, cheddar cheese, sour cream, shredded lettuce, and corn tortilla crisps
Down the road a bit, is a crescent-shaped bay and the town of Half Moon Bay. Originally a Spanish mission, Half Moon Bay is a charming town with frame buildings from the 1800s and unique shops and restaurants, some in business for a century or more. On the outskirts of town is a famous nursery with multiple huge greenhouses, each one with its own vast collection of plants. There is a lavender greenhouse, a carnivorous plant greenhouse, one for native California plants, others for orchids, roses, etc. The town is surrounded by green pastures and farmlands with sheep and goats. It seems that everything grows like crazy here. The atmosphere is gentle and you feel like you have stepped back into another time when life was just easier.
Portuguese fishermen helped shape the town’s character. The Cunha family grocery and mercantile store, established in 1930, is a treasure trove of local produce, meats, breads and bakery items. Another stop you must make is the Half Moon Bay Feed and Fuel Co. It has far more than its name implies. An eclectic and fascinating warehouse with horse saddles, bridles, western wear, yard décor, garden supplies, birdhouses, and gorgeous leather work including saddles, bridles, women’s leather purses and belts. In the spring, you can buy chicks, baby turkeys and game birds here. The town is famous for its pumpkin festival. Both pumpkins and sunflowers fill the fields around Half Moon Bay with gold and orange in the Fall.
If you want to go hiking, there is a Half Moon Bay Coastal Trail (seven and a half miles) that begins in town, heads out to the coast, and connects with the California Coastal Trail, (CCT.) The CCT runs from Oregon to the Mexican border, a 1,320-mile trail with ocean views most of the way.
Continuing South, you can stop at multiple beach accesses where you can pull over, walk in the sand, wade in the ice-cold water and look for ocean life. Pause at San Gregorio Beach, to see its dramatic cliffs and piles of twisted grey driftwood. Near here is the Blue House Organic Farm. A pleasure to visit just to be surrounded by 70 acres of organic vegetables, fruits, and flowers. If you go in season, you can pick many varieties of berries including the olallieberries this area is famous for. (Olallieberries are a type of blackberry with a tart intense flavor.)
Further down the coast road is the old Spanish/Portuguese town of Pescadero. It is a small village and you have to know where to look to find its special attractions.
Its famous restaurant, Duarte’s, which started as a tavern in 1894, earned the James Beard Award for Best American Classic Restaurant in 2003. Its rustic atmosphere and hearty food attract local cowboys and farmers as well as tourists and California celebrities. I tried the very delicious cream of artichoke soup, their most famous dish, my son enjoyed the lamb stew. In season, the restaurant features olallieberry pie.
Stop in at the Arcangeli grocery store so you can bring home some local yummies like its renowned garlic artichoke bread. And the Luna Sea art gallery nearby is filled with local art and gifts and is worth a visit.
Outside of town, we visited the Harley Goat Farm and were just in time to see the hundred or more newborn baby goats. The Harley Farm store was established in 1910. Its construction with giant oak plank floors and beams shows the size of the trees that must have existed in this area in the past. It’s chock full of farm-processed jams, meats, and herbed oils but is most famous for its goat cheese and milk products. We bought cheese and crackers to snack on.
We returned to the coast to visit Bean Hollow Beach and then stopped at Pigeon Point Lighthouse. While the interior of this 150-year-old lighthouse is closed for repairs, you can walk all around the exterior. Locals say it’s a good spot to watch for whales or study the stars on a clear night. There is a hostel on the grounds and you can stay overnight.
Below Pigeon Point, on State Route One, you can access one of the world’s most ancient forests. Despite a major forest fire in 2020, the Big Basin Redwood State Park still has redwood trees that are fifty feet in diameter and 300 feet tall. Some are more than 1,000 years old.
We had reached our limit. It was time to go home. Retracing our drive, back to Half Moon Bay, we stopped at Barbara’s Fishtrap. A local’s favorite, it’s located in an old, wood-frame building that shakes and trembles as the wind threatens to sweep it into the ocean. It has great water views. Throwing nutrition out the window, we savored hot flaky fried fish and crispy fries with a side of hot chocolate. Then we scanned the water for wildlife. Northern California has seals, sea lions, whales, and some of the world’s largest great white sharks hanging out along the coast. We were thrilled to see one whale, far out, but visible because of his plume of water or spout. Binoculars are good to have in this area.
This small strip of coast is just a taste of what the whole California coast offers. South of here lie Santa Cruz, Monterey and Carmel by the Sea. Can’t wait to go back and see more.
Barbara’s Fishtrap, Half Moon Bay, CA, Address: 281 Capistrano Rd, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019 Ph: (650) 728-7049, www.barbarasfishtrap.com/
Buena Yerba Native Plants, 94019The Greenhouses at Half Moon Bay 12511 San Mateo Road, Half Moon Bay, CA ph: 650 851-1668, www.yerbabuenanursery.com/
Cunha’s Country Store, 448 Main St, Half Moon Bay, CA, 94019 Ph; (650) 726 4071, https://cunhacountrystore.com/
The Half Moon Bay Feed and Fuel Co, 331 Main St, Half Moon Bay, 94019 Ph: (650) 726 4814, http://hmbfeedandfuel.com/
Half Moon Bay Inn, 401 Main St, Half Moon Bay, 94019 (650) 726-1177, https://halfmoonbayinn.com/
San Gregorio Beach, Half Moon Bay, CA, www.parks.ca.gov
Pigeon Point Lighthouse, https://www.coastsidestateparks.org/pigeon_point
Blue House Farm, 950 La Honda Rd, San Gregorio, CA 94074, info@bluehousefarm.com
Duartes Tavern and Restaurant, 202 Stage Rd, Pescadero, CA 94060 Ph: (650) 879 0464, www,duartestavern.com
Harley Goat Farm, 205 North Street, PO Box 173, Pescadero, CA 94060, harleyfarms.com
Arcangeli Grocery Store, 287 Stage Road, Pescadero, CA, 94060, Ph: 650.879.0147, www.normsmarket.com/shop-online
Pie Ranch, Pescadero, CA, 2080 CA-1, Pescadero, CA 94060, Ph: (650) 683 5216, www.pieranch.org
Big Basin Redwood State Park, Pescadero, CA, www.parks.ca.gov
Luna Sea Art Gallery, 290 Stage Rd. Pescadero, CA 94060 Ph: (650) 879 1207, www.lunaseagallery.net