Getaway, beaches, surf - and pumpkins.
Written: May 31 '07 (Updated May 31 '07)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Own airport. Mavericks. Pumpkins. Convenient Bay Area access.
Cons: Difficult access on busy days, and sometimes cold, heavy fog.
The Bottom Line: Fun place, depending on what you are looking for.
|
|
|
| sevry's Full Review: Half Moon Bay |
Overview
Half Moon Bay is in San Mateo County on the San Francisco Peninsula. It consists of different towns, and now subdivisions. But they so blend together, at this point, that it's easy to just think of all development there as - Half Moon Bay. Best time to go is - any. I had to pick one, here, because of epinions procedures. But any time, any group or by yourself. All of that.
Access
The area is accessible by freeway, along the Coast on Hwy 1, from the mid-San Mateo area on Hwy 92, the most popular route, and a little bit further south from the Woodside area, as Woodside Rd becomes a winding climbing 'back road' through the forest, taking one past Alice's Restaurant, and a number of homes and encampments. The coast road is sometimes blocked at a place called Devil's Slide. The road seems to always give way about there. The 92 route is very quick and easy though a gap in the coastal hills. By the time one realizes they are climbing, they are already on the other side heading down. The Woodside Rd to the highway, 84 I believe is the designation, is the long route, definitely a scenic route, in case the others were blocked or out. One exits the highway right at San Gregorio Beach. But Half Moon Bay is only a few miles north on the coast highway from there.
Apart from the road being out along the coast, the popular Hwy 92 enters Half Moon Bay along a slightly winding two lane road. And busy times, popular events, this can really back up. Your quick time over the hill is taken back by a delay of maybe half an hour, easily more.
Food and Shopping
There are two large shopping centers, with gas stations, Safeway, Albertson's, etc, right as 92 comes into the town. The one is to the right. The other larger mall is just over the highway to the west. Together, there's a lot there. A lot of franchises. Perhaps some restaurants.
South about a mile or so is a Joe's Restaurant, not to be confused with Westlake Joe's and their fabulous grill. But it has the same sort of Joe's sign, and one can order fresh roasted turkey slabs on a SF sourdough roll, good pasta, and cakes, what have you. Nice little place.
In addition, Half Moon Bay has some nice, and very large, nurseries. You should be able to find what you need. Along 92 you'll also see artist's colonies selling chain-saw cut statuary, firewood, a host of things.
Seafood places are pretty easy to find, too. I believe there's at least one winery, too, maybe more.
Airport
Have not been, myself. But Half Moon Bay has its own airport, a couple of miles north of the Hwy 92 exit.
Town boulevard
I can't speak to this. Along the main road, at an angle going south from Hwy 92 out to the coast Hwy 1 are a number of upscale merchants, knick-knacks, other businesses, block after block. Just a commercial street. But I have never paid much attention to the shops there, otherwise.
Trees
There are a number of farms growing small Christmas trees. You seem some of these just coming into town on Hwy 92.
Pumpkins
But starting late September and ending about the week of Halloween, Half Moon Bay is known for pumpkins (and assorted, Indian corn, squashes, etc). Early in October, I believe, they hold the weigh in for the largest pumpkin, which farmers just water and water and water until it gets to be of massive size. They hold this, I believe, in the first shopping mall you see, with the Safeway, when one comes off Hwy 92 into town.
Later they have a multi-day Pumpkin Festival, and notably on the weekend. That's when access can really be a problem out Hwy 92, or even on the coast, unless one gets to town very early in the morning - pre-9AM, let's say. Along Hwy 92 just as one comes into town, there are play areas for the kids, with pumpkins spread around. Petting zoo. Etc. Some places haul in pumpkins and lay them out as if they grew there.
If one takes the Hwy 1 south, they will also find a couple of miles on the left some other pumpkin playgrounds. And even further south is at least one large hillside where pumpkins are actually grown, but generally are then put more closely together as the weeks move along, and more are purchased. This and various other lots will also have the Indian multi-colored corn, watermelon, all sorts of squashes, white pumpkins, and the little gourds that can find at supermarket, too.
In fact, come October, you might find pumpkins cheaper at the local market, particular in that last week when they need to dump them. But there is a pleasure in taking the kids out to pick pumpkins from the 'patch' all by themselves. This one large hillside lot, that is so far south, also will include 'static displays' of old tractors, 'soft sculptures' and 'scarecrows', their own little petting zoo, and so on.
You might think all these places would keep it going until Thanksgiving, which also has a pumpkin theme, at least pies. But the lots generally are all done even before Halloween day. So to see it, you have get there in time. It's a fairly narrow window of less than a month.
Mavericks
Other than pumpkins, a large wave like they often have in Hawaii has become news. It broke, as they say, after coverage in a surfing magazine, and about the time of an unfortunate accident to an experienced and famous Hawaiian surfer by the name of, Mark Foo. The details of this are covered in two documentaries, the NBC coverage of Mavericks 2006 contest available as the 2006 contest DVD, and the documentary film, Riding Giants, a third of which features Jeff Clark and his discovery and promotion of the Mavericks wave.
As mentioned above, Half Moon Bay has a number of small towns, that all sort of blend together. Mavericks is at the upper point of Half Point Bay, where the land juts out and is called, Pillar Point. This point has a tall bluff, atop which sits an Air Force radar station, with numerous buildings. And a very small town to the east is called, Princeton by the Sea. This is where Jeff Clark has his surf shop. Others have theirs. And the town is a mix of business, boating, storage, private homes, etc, with a mall out near the highway.
The wave itself is not far off the point, less than half a mile. There is a beach below and to the north of the point. There is the wide beach down to the south. Inbetween is a muddy/sandy reef, with sharp jagged rocks right on the north edge, right where the foam and whitewater wind up from the big waves; right where surf boards get caught, or surfers get caught and banged about.
The wave is caused, as with comparable waves by a sudden rise in the sea floor, 70 feet I believe in a short space. With a strong swell, and even winds to assist, the rippling swell lifts or 'jacks' up on good days to twenty feet, easily, and thirty feet would not be uncommon. A forty foot face on a wave might be more uncommon, as would larger waves. But larger waves create even more danger because the wave breaks so close to the rocks. And larger waves have been seen. There is a story of one 'set' that came through that could have exceeded 80 feet, which no one tried to surf into those rocks.
The Contest
Finally, then, Mavericks has become known for the contest staged by Jeff Clark, and others that he works with. In 2007, it like "The Eddie" in Hawaii, had to be cancelled because the surf was just not sufficient. The last contest was held on 7 FEB 2006. Surfers are notified and assembled early in the year. And with the convenience of the local airport, they are given 24 or 48 hours notice when conditions seem right for the contest, assuming they aren't already there. It really was a beautiful sunny day in Half Moon Bay. And the large crowds caused some in local government, and those managing the reef, as noted above, to voice some complaints. I believe some suggested blocking access to the cliffs and bluff for the next contest. Some estimated 60,000 through the course of the day. It have been more like 25,000. But 25,000 with no parking, or parking all along the highway about a mile or two miles from bluff, is more than enough. I'm sure it was good for the local cafeterias and restaurants, however.
A camera, presumably from NBC, was stationed up top, as well. And a big screen was provided out by the stage, well behind the bluff, by then sponsor Verizon so that people could watch live coverage. Between the beach and that big screen was the stage. On the stage, warming up in the afternoon, were the band - The Mermen - who played for the party afterward. Behind them one could see the current standings. And the winner took his prize on the same stage.
The best view of the surfing is, of course, on the water. There was a literal flotilla for the 2006 contest. Maybe too many. One could purchase a ride out on one of the local fishing boats, as worked out with the organizers. I believe it still runs about $250 for a 'seat' standing along the rail, and that's only for either the morning eliminations, or for the semi-final and final, but not both (as far as I know). A long lens and a protected camera, and one is ready for that classic into the barrel photo, with the lip seeming about to smother the surfer. It can be spectacular.
And btw, a South African surfer was one of five voted into the contest by magazine poll, I think. His name was Grant Baker. And he won the 2006 contest.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Families
Best Time to Travel Here: Sep - Nov
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
sevry
|
|
Reviews written: 23
Trusted by: 0 members
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.