Staycations California

Continue reading “Part Two, Davenport, Pigeon Point Lighthouse, Santa Cruz”

Half Moon Bay, Part One

There is a moment when you realize you are no longer in Coastal Southern California and have now crossed the imaginary line into the central part.    It isn’t the road signs that give it away, it is a feeling.

That moment when the traffic has subsided, your jaw relaxes, you are no longer chewing on the side of your mouth, and your body feels less stressed.

Don’t get me wrong there is traffic in the larger cities of the coastal north too.  It is just that there are so many small, quaint, and mellow towns in the central or northern part that make you feel like you are in a whole different world.

Our destination this time was Half Moon Bay.  It is a town I had passed by a few times on my way up north but have never visited.

So with four and a half days off from work, it was time to take the trek north and spend more time in this town, and as it turned out, many others..

We took Interstate 5 to get there and were guided by GPS through a series of other freeways that eventually dropped us off in Half Moon Bay.  It was a long trip that was not helped by the persistent Los Angeles traffic.

We made a plan once we arrived in Half Moon Bay that we would investigate north one day and south the other.  On the third day we would slowly move our way south and visit among other places Monterey and Ventura.  We would spend the night in Santa Maria leaving us only three hours to get home on our last day.

It was a great plan and we never felt rushed.   Now all we had to do was try to avoid the rain that was predicted during our stay.

Part One starts at Half Moon Bay, then Pacifica, and eventually takes us over the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco to Sausalito.

Part One
The rain held off at least on our first day as we began exploration around Half Moon Bay. First stop was to hit the sand for some beach combing and sea glass hunting.

The bluffs were common place along the beaches in this area, making it very picturesque.  The towering and rugged cliffs contrasted against the pristine sand, while giant breakers came crashing on to the shore.

It looks like the water is going to hit JoJo, but there is about a three foot tall hill right in front of her.

I was overwhelmed on how large the waves were as they formed huge peaks and then exploded on the beach.   There would be no way I would swim in that ocean or even to wade knee high!   It appeared as if the outgoing waves could pull you off your feet and send you spiraling out to sea only to be tumbled back to shore by another huge roller.     I am not sure if this is how it always is or if the waves were just big this day.

Regardless, it is an awesome beach so we took a leisurely walk for about an hour while alternating between enjoying the coastline or looking down at the sand for sea glass.  The Pacific Ocean was beautiful this day but there was no sea glass to be found. Continue reading “Half Moon Bay”

Harmony, California

We were listening to a Dean Koontz book on tape that was getting spookier by the minute.  The author spoke of a small tranquil town on the central coast of California called Harmony Center.  However, it wasn’t as peaceful as it seemed as you discover while listening to the book.

Evidently an alien “being” was taking control of the minds of people in the town and getting them to do all sorts of weird stuff.  In some cases he took over the thoughts of people just passing through, but they were able to leave, the few residents couldn’t.

In the authors description of the town he depicts it as a short jaunt off of Highway 1 and just a few miles from the coast.   This small area had a gas station, a café, cottages, and one evil entity that was making residents slit their own faces or commit murder.

As the narrator was reciting the words from the final chapter of this book, we were driving on the central coast of California on Highway 1 near Cambria.  Just ahead was a sign for the upcoming city that read …Harmony, Population 18. Whaaaaaat?

So we just had to pull over and investigate this little town.

I have to admit when I got out of the car, the hairs on my neck stood up.   I was thinking of the alien that takes over your mind in the book that we were reading just minutes before.

Where we were, could have easily been that place.   This quaint little town was as charming as they get.  Most of it was just as  he described in his scary book. 

Except this town had the feel of art and creativity!   I did a quick mind check and thankfully no alien was taking over my thoughts so off I went to explore more.

Along with a café, there was a pottery shop and a glass blowing store which gave this town that artisan ambiance.  At times they give glass blowing demonstrations but we weren’t’ there long enough to see this for ourselves.

There was also a welcome center complete with information and fresh coffee for the weary traveler as well as conversation or sitting areas scattered about.

It was a perfect place for a wedding as there was a cute little chapel and nearby there was plenty of space for the reception.   Lights were hung to enjoy the celebration through the night and quirky art statues added to the eclectic scene.

I would have really liked to stay longer and stroll around the shops but we had to leave. We were on a mission to get to our destination.

There is talk of restoring this town to be a must stop for travelers.  For right now, it is a hidden gem with lots of personality and I am glad we decided to stop and visit.

Five minutes later we were back in the car and listening to the last five minutes of that peculiar story.   I won’t tell you how it ends but I will tell you when in the central California area, check out the small stopover of Harmony, you will be glad you did.

Story and Photos: Debbie Colwell

Moonstone Beach, Cambria

Moonstone Beach, is just north of Cambria on the Central California coast.

Running parallel to Highway 1, the appropriately named Moonstone Beach Drive runs right along the picturesque bluffs of Moonstone Beach.    Since this is a popular area, hotels line the street where most of them feature a sitting area right out front for guests to enjoy the spectacular view.

I know from experience that the hotels are way more costly in the summer months, as I tried to get a reservation during this time without much success.   They were booked pretty solidly through the warm months.

Across from the hotels you will find various entrances that lead down to the beach.  I say down, because you start on a bluff and descend from different spots.   Where we parked, it wasn’t that far to get to the sand,  while other areas had longer stairways.

Wooden planked trails travel the distance of the bluffs so you can still enjoy the beach without actually stepping on the sand.   This is what I liked about the central coast, they always provide plenty of walking trails to enjoy the beautiful scenery.

The beach itself is full of drift wood and one of the reasons that makes it so spectacular.  From small pieces to large tree stumps, this beach had it all.   You don’t see a lot of drift wood in Southern California.

Continue reading “Moonstone Beach, Cambria”

Los Osos and Spooners Cove

We traveled to Los Oso only because we heard of Spooners Cove which we were told was a great beachcombing place with plenty of rocks and sea glass!

However, while in the area, we also decided to drive around and see what this mostly residential town was all about.

Before we visited the actual town, our first stop was Spooners Cove which is a part of the Montana de Oro State Park.

From Morro Bay it is only about 12 miles, and the drive is especially scenic. From various vista points you can see estuaries, Eucalyptus groves, golf courses, and the lengthy sand spit which is a natural protection for the bay.

When we arrived at the cove, there was a sizable parking lot with plenty of spaces open.  It was 10:00 am and there were only about 15 people at this long stretch of sand and rocks.

The Rocks!
The texture to this beach was so different than what I have ever seen; it was filled with every size stone imaginable.  Where the waves hit the shore there were tiny pebbles no larger than a jellybean, while further up on the beach sat these amazing flat rocks.  It was nothing like I had seen in Southern California.

The larger and flatter stones had beautiful patterns, and some had artistic lines traveling from side to side, while others were just plain.  They ranged in size with the largest being the size of a normal sized pickle, but flat.

The cove is surrounded by a sea cave and a long bluff jetting out on the south side.  Another example why I love Central California as this was yet another picturesque beach.

When we arrived, we heard live music coming from one of the caves. It was a drum plus a guitar performing in what were natural and perfect acoustics.   I can see why they chose this place to play or practice.

One of the caves

Continue reading “Los Osos and Spooners Cove”