Chilling on the California Coast
Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary was escape-proof back in the day. Now ceded to tourists, it’s impossible to get into the maximum security relic without a reservation. May we recommend nearby Angel Island instead? Continue reading “Alcatraz booked? Try San Francisco Bay’s Angel Island Alternative”
Yosemite National Park shows best in the spring. Winter storms yield to warm sunshine. Streams and waterfalls run full. Flowers begin to bloom. Pterodactyls prowl the trails and overlooks. Continue reading “The Pterodactyl that Ate Yosemite: A Preschool Pterosaur Adventure”
The @GoldenGateNPS Twitter feed promised “inspiring” wildflowers at Dias Ridge, but nearly six miles and 106 FitBit flights later we were drawing most of our inspiration from the pub at the end of the trail. Continue reading “A Wildflower Hike Becomes a Pub Crawl on Marin County’s Dias Ridge Trail”
Not content with our backyard blossoms in Montara, we made a quick trip to Big Sur last week to experience Calla Lily Valley. The day was sunny. The valley was lovely. But the 110-mile drive took four hours. Oof. Was it worth it? You be the judge. Continue reading “Rugged Big Sur Coast Cradles a Floral Fairyland Called Calla Lily Valley”
We’ve never had much interest in birding beyond gawking at pelican squadrons and solitary raptors common to The Coastside. Too fussy. But our recent visit to Pescadero Marsh Natural Preserve may have changed our minds. Continue reading “Pescadero Marsh Shelters a Coastside Birder Paradise; Bring Your Binoculars”
We live near the base of Montara Mountain. The 1,900-foot peak impacts our weather, our sunrise and our TV reception. It protects us from the urban sprawl of the San Francisco Peninsula. We decided to climb it. Continue reading “Looking for the Best Panoramic View of the Bay Area? Climb Montara Mountain”
A stroll through the overcrowded Muir Woods National Monument now requires a reservation. Good grief. Fortunately, spontaneous redwood lovers have plenty of Bay Area alternatives, including the Coastside’s Purisima Creek Redwoods Preserve. Continue reading “Redwoods Without a Reservation at the Coastside Alternative to Muir Woods”
Since every picture tells a story, we thought we’d kick off a new year of Coastside Slacking with some of The Geek’s favorite shots of 2017, highlighting our local beaches, bluffs and biodiversity. Many of these images are appearing in the blog for the first time. Enjoy! Continue reading “The Coastside in Pictures 2017: Beaches, Bluffs & Biodiversity”
What’s your favorite holiday tradition? There are plenty to choose from on The Coastside. The Night of Lights parade in Half Moon Bay, quiet walks on tourist-free beaches, shopping local in a community overflowing with boutiques and paddle-boarding Santas are just a few. Continue reading “10 Reasons Why Holiday Lights at Pillar Point Harbor Brighten our Christmas”
Gravenstein season ended months ago. “U-pick” opportunities are over. But the Bay Area apple harvest doesn’t end officially until Nov. 30, and fresh late-season varieties are available. So go ahead, schmoosh some apple butter! Recipe included. Continue reading “As Bay Area Harvest Ends, Apple Butter Season Begins; Time to Schmoosh!”
If the flapping wings of a single butterfly can alter the weather, imagine the impact of thousands of monarchs fluttering around a small eucalyptus grove. Or visit Santa Cruz and see for your yourself. Continue reading “Butterfly Effect at Monarch Preserve in Santa Cruz Whips Up Big Smiles, Stiff Necks”
We met in the Midwest, where October means crisp leaves, warm apple cider and that first cold snap. It was classic. For 20 years in suburban L.A., fall meant hot winds, choking dust and fires. It was miserable. Now here we are Coastside enjoying a whole new fall tradition. And it’s amazing!
Continue reading “A Letter to The Coastside: Thanks for a Spooktacular October! We Needed That”
Recognizable as the nimble HMS Interceptor in the 2003 Disney movie blockbuster “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl,” the replica tall ship Lady Washington sailed into Pillar Point Harbor this week for a two-week stay. We clambered aboard for a visit. Continue reading “Lady Washington Ties Up at Pillar Point Harbor; Tall Ship Sailed in ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’”
Love it. Hate it. Hide from it. Everyone living Coastside has an opinion about the annual Half Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin Festival. Our opinion? Embrace the madness. And here are a few tips for enjoying next year’s gourd gala. Continue reading “How We Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival”
Why walk a labyrinth? Actor Jeff Bridges, who portrayed the ultimate slacker in “The Big Lebowski,” offers this:
“With a labyrinth, you make a choice to go in – and once you’ve chosen, around and around you go. But you always find your way to the center.”
Nice centering metaphor. That is until someone completely lacking in inner peace pitches the labyrinth’s border stones into the ocean. Bummer. Continue reading “Quest for a Coastside Labyrinth Travels from a Quarry to Lands End and Back Again”
The beer was cold and the music hot, but the best action at the 2017 Half Moon Bay Fish & Fleet Festival involved flashing filet knives, bickering gulls and sea-faring comedians cracking wise topside at the docks. And who doesn’t like a salmon raffle? Continue reading “We Party with the Fishing Fleet at Half Moon Bay; Who won the Salmon Raffle?”
Discarded headlamps. Unused castors. Spare sheet metal. Stray tools. The medium is culled from dark barns and dusty flea markets. The whimsy and talent to transform junk into art resides in Sebastopol, CA. Florence Avenue is the gallery.
Continue reading “Whimsy Transforms Junk into Fantastical Sculptures on Florence Avenue Art Walk”
Feeding frenzy? Aquatic ballet? Sea-faring mosh pit? Whatever you call it, the rhythmic but raucous performances staged by anchovy-hungry seabirds, whales and trawlers in Half Moon Bay over the past two weeks have been big fun to watch. Continue reading “Sharknado? Nope. But a Frenzied ‘Birdphoon’ Swirls and Splashes into Half Moon Bay”
It’s not easy being a Chicago Cubs fan in San Francisco. Or in St. Louis, Los Angeles or Cincinnati, for that matter. But after nearly 40 years of rooting for the away team, MontaraManDan has become something of an Emily Post for ballpark road warriors. Continue reading “A Coastside Cubs fan at San Francisco’s AT&T Park? Do This, Not That”
You would think the Coastside Farmers’ Market would provide a guilt-free hour of virtuous, pretentious healthiness for gathering ingredients for a Tomato Pesto Crostata recipe. Oh no, not for the Slackers!