Chilling on the California Coast
If the landowner had never blocked access to Martins Beach, we probably never would have heard of this controversial stretch of sand south of Half Moon Bay, much less visited. So, what’s so special about Martins? We decided to crash the gate and find out. Continue reading “What’s so Special About Martins Beach? We Crash the Gate and Sashay Past a Cop to Find Out”
Summer isn’t quite here, but fair season has begun. The San Mateo County Fair arrives preternaturally early – June 10-18 for 2017. So, M-Man and the Geek popped over the hill under bright sunshine and blue skies last weekend to enjoy the smarm and charm of our county’s annual ode to summer. Continue reading “8 Reasons Why County Fairs Rock; Butterfly Kisses and Funnel Cakes in San Mateo”
How do you impress your British friends on their first visit to California’s wine country? Take them out for cheesy grits at the Fremont Diner and pair it with a helping of Los Lonely Boys a la Uptown Theatre. Duh. Continue reading “The Slackers Pair Lunch at the Fremont Diner with Rock ‘n’ Roll at Napa’s Uptown Theatre”
Sunshine and crowds go together like Sex Wax and surf boards on the California Coast. (Go ahead. Click on the link.) But sometimes the locals get lucky.
The U2 Joshua Tree Tour’s recent stop at Levi’s Stadium was not on our slacker “to do” list. When it comes to concerts, A-list prices and world class traffic are big turn-offs. But a week out, on a whim, M-Man took a peek at ticket prices on StubHub and found a pair of nose-bleeders for less than face value. Initially rebuffed by The Geek, he appealed to her inner “fog head” by campaigning on behalf of the opening act – Mumford & Sons. The Geek caved. A deal was struck. We were going to thread the fabulously gnarly Silicon Valley rush hour to see Mumford & Sons!! U2 would be playing, too. Continue reading “Seduced by the Siren Song of U2; Our Silicon Valley Rock and Roll Odyssey Falls Flat”
If you enjoy Coastside sand and surf but a water temperature of 55 degrees is not on your “to do” list, then consider visiting the beaches, bluffs and tide pools of the James V. Fitzgerald Marine Reserve in Moss Beach. Continue reading “Cold Day Coastside? Break out the Flannel and Chill at the Moss Beach Bluffs, Beach and Tide Pools”
What’s your “dream machine?”
For half a century, MontaraManDan has dreamed of owning a 1967 Mercury Cougar in British racing green. The one with the hideaway headlamps. So awesome! GeekSlacker, for a time, yearned to escape from the rigors of her jet-setting tech world on a Harley. She escaped by retiring instead.
Continue reading “The Automobile as Art at Dream Machines, Half Moon Bay’s Annual Chrome-a-palooza”
We lived in an inland valley outside of Los Angeles for more than 20 years and never really embraced the beach. The thought of hugging a stretch of sand on Earth Day didn’t even cross our minds.
In fact, our most vivid sand and surf memory from those years was that time we drove to Zuma Beach with folding chairs and a thermos of coffee to watch the sun set into the waves, only to learn an important geography lesson – beaches above Santa Monica for 150 miles mostly face south. Don’t judge. We were new.
Continue reading “Poo Bags, Pot and Platform Shoes Litter the Beach on Earth Day; “Underpants!?””
Perhaps you’ve heard we’re having an extreme rainy season Coastside. In addition to easing California’s drought, the ongoing string of winter storms has activated scores of dormant and seasonal waterfalls throughout the state. Continue reading “Winter Rains Activate 200-foot Coastside Cascade – Bring your Binoculars”
![Gray Whale Cove [photo: Dawn Page]](https://i0.wp.com/coastsideslacking.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/img_3976.jpg?fit=740%2C493&ssl=1)
The mountainside trail between Gray Whale Cove and Montara state beaches is a middling means to two rather spectacular ends. It’s about the beaches, not the journey. Featuring a moderate descent to and ascent from the beach into McNee Ranch State Park on each end, the bulk of the winding Gray Whale Cove Trail is carved into the side of Montara Mountain and roughly parallels Highway 1, whose sights and sounds detract from some otherwise spectacular views of the ocean meeting the shore. Continue reading “Trail with a View Joins Two Spectacular Coastside Beaches”
![Ano Nuevo elephant seals [photo: Dawn Page]](https://i0.wp.com/coastsideslacking.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/img_6784.jpg?fit=740%2C493&ssl=1)
Dawn and I slipped down the coast on a misty, windswept afternoon last week to check out breeding season and the resulting offspring at Año Nuevo State Park. The coastal park is home base to as many as 10,000 elephant seals who return twice a year to alternately breed and molt between sea voyages of up to 12,000 miles. Continue reading “Birth, Death and Debauchery on the Beach – Must be Elephant Seal Breeding Season at Año Nuevo”
In honor of the 90th anniversary of the invention of PEZ candy, we made the trek from the Coastside over the mountain this week to check out the Burlingame Museum of PEZ Memorabilia, home of the World’s Largest PEZ Dispenser. Any roadside attraction that requires no fewer than four hyperlinks in the opening sentence of a blog post must be worth the $3 to get inside. And it doesn’t disappoint! Continue reading “PEZ Memorabilia Museum Dispenses Sweet Fun PLUS Nostalgic Exhibits of Classic and Banned Toys”
Not much time? Have a toddler or infant in tow? Try the family-friendly stroll along Old Pedro Mountain Road from Montara to Martini Creek through Rancho Corral de Tierra, the newest addition to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Once the primary route between Montara and Pacifica, the aging pavement remains stroller and bicycle friendly, the grade is minimal and the walk will give you a taste of numerous Coastside charms.
Continue reading “Sample the joys of the Coastside with a Family-Friendly Stroll on the Old Road”
A rare Arctic gull caught slacking this weekend in a Coastside Brussels sprout field met an untimely demise in a brief aerial battle initiated by a pair of Peregrine Falcons more interested in a big lunch than a Big Year Continue reading “Falcons cut short endangered Arctic gull’s rare California vacation”
