09.17.06

Half Moon Bay Day

Posted in California Life, Vacations and Trips at 6:27 pm by mathagat

Map of West Coast – Half Moon Bay

For the first time in a long while Matt and I both had the day off. We were so excited about our free time that we chose to enjoy the day by shopping and taking a day trip to Half Moon Bay. Our day began with a trip to Union Square in San Francisco. Union square is an amazing part of San Fran that is full of large department stores and shops.

After hitting the Macy’s one-day sale we decided it was time to head to the beach. Half Moon Bay is located one hour south of San Francisco right on the coast and is a very cute little town full of shops and surf. Matt and I enjoyed a drive down the Pacific Coast Highway through the newly opened Devil’s Slide and within one short hour we were at Half Moon Bay. We had packed a picnic lunch and thought we might eat on the beach but it turned out everyone else had the same idea. The parking lots for the beaches were packed. We ended up eating our picnic in the car away from the beach, but thankfully we did get great views of the sand and surf as we were driving by. After we ate we decided to enjoy the shops on Main street. Half Moon Bay’s main street is very similar to Fredericksburg – shops, restaurants, and wine. It was a great time. Matt and I browsed the shops until they started closing.

Taking Rachel Ray’s advice we asked the locals where we should eat for dinner. The owner of the furniture shop directed us to Barbara’s FishTrap – the down dive that guarantees a fresh piece of fish. He wasn’t kidding either! This was the tiniest, no frills restaurant with the best food. Evidently everyone knew about it because there was a bit of a wait so Matt and I passed the time by admiring the HUGE hydrangeas that grew outside the restaurant. These flowers were a big as my head – and I’m not exaggerating! After looking over the menu Matt and I decided to split the cholesterol special! It was a plate of fried fish, calamari, vegetables, fries, and shrimp! Oh my goodness 900000000 calories! And, we can’t forget the Chinese beer special they were running. We can’t remember the name, but it was a tasty lager. It was all delicious and worth every bite.

Behind the FishTrap is a very long pier that goes out into the harbor. Matt and I had some time before the musical so we decided to walk off a few of those calories. It was amazing, as we were walking down the pier we could see live starfish attached to the rocks in the water and tons of little crabs scurrying about. I was in awe! I’ve never seen a live starfish except in captivity at Moody Gardens. It was a great experience.

After dinner Matt and I enjoyed the final presentation of South Pacific at the Coastal Repertory Theater of Half Moon Bay. Of course it was a great experience and inspired us to visit the theater more often. We headed back to Oakland after a great day of fun eager to begin planning on next getaway.

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