No matter how wonderful San Francisco is, and how much there is to do, sometimes we just need to get out of the city for a bit. With work constraints, driving hours and hours is out of the question. Luckily, a quick drive south on Highway One offers a ton of options for easy day trips!
We hit the road with a few friends and made the lazy drive down to Pescadero, with plenty of stops along the way.
It’s hard to leave San Francisco without a stop at Pacifica, a pretty little beach town that boast great surfing and laid back vibes. The weather was perfect for digging our toes in the sand, but the water never really gets warm enough to enjoy without a wetsuit! That has never deterred Maddie though.
Watching Maddie play fetch is hard work, and we found ourselves famished. Our next stop was Sam’s Chowder House on the coast of Half Moon Bay. They are famous for their authentic New England clam chowder and their lobster roll sandwich. Apparently it was named one of the five best sandwiches in America by the Today Show. The place is huge and runs at a frenetic pace. It’s amazingly well-orchestrated – they turn tables over with blinding speed. The food was great – huge portions and super tasty.
A few minutes drive from Sam’s Chowder House is the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve. We walked along the shore and gazed into the tide pools. Tide pool views are best at low tide so make sure you check the tide chart before you go!
Pescadero is a charming one-street town just off of highway one. It’s this magical little place between San Francisco and Silicon Valley. It’s the perfect place to hit the pause button and spend a lazy afternoon.
There are a few not to miss things in Pescadero. The most famous is the artichoke bread from Arcangeli Grocery Co. I want to eat it all day, every day.
For a long time, Pescadero didn’t have a coffee shop, but that very important void has been filled by Downtown Local coffee shop.
Make sure you set aside some time to browse for treasures at Topia Antiques. It’s filled to the brim with all sorts of things, from garden supplies to old hats.
Another recognizable feature of Pescadero is the…palm tree within a tree? I don’t even know what to call it, but there it is, towering over this tiny town.
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Go there:
Pacifica State Beach
1416 9th St, California 95814
650.738.7381
Sam’s Chowder House
4210 Cabrillo Highway N
Half Moon Bay, CA 94019
650.712.0245
http://www.samschowderhouse.com
Topia Antiques
320 Stage Road
Pescadero, CA 94060
650.879.9288
Norm’s Market
Arcangeli Grocery Co.
287 Stage Road
Pescadero, CA 94060
650.879.0147
http://normsmarket.com
Downtown Local Coffee Shop
213 Stage Road
Pescadero, CA 94060
650.879.9155
Fitzgerald Marine Reserve
200 Nevada Ave
Moss Beach, CA 94038
(650) 728-3584
http://www.fitzgeraldreserve.org/
P.S. – Looking for more on fun things to do outside of San Francisco? You might like these posts:
Carmel Valley Wine Country
Big Sur Travel Guide
Eatwell Farm Tomato Sauce Canning Party
Napa’s Fiesta del Sole
A 24-Hour Escape to Wine Country
Looks like such fun! 🙂
It was!
Wow! It looks like you guys had a fun day trip and managed to cram a lot in. Love the pictures of Maddie. . .she’s a cutie. And the gif is a fun way to showcase the lightheartedness of the day.
http://www.theroadtohoney.com
It was a great day! I have to say, despite all we did it felt very relaxed! It’s nice that everything is really close together!
Thank goodness for the selfie stick!
I have been meaning to visit Sam’s for some chowder! This has definitely bumped that trip up on my priority list 🙂
xx Katie
lovely letters
Ahaha, right? Don’t leave home without one!
I love that Maddie enjoys the water! I took Alfie on a surfboard and in a lake once, and all he did was stand still like a statue with a stern face waiting for orders from me. I think he was terrified of it lol.
Maddie knows no bounds when it comes to water! Fact – when she swims in cold water she sometimes gets “cold water tail” which is a temporary paralysis of the tail nerves. It takes her a few days before she can wag her tail again. It’s so sad, but so funny at the same time. ;( I think I remember seeing those photos of Alfie!
This looks like so much fun! I love Pescadero! I love going to Duartes 🙂
Ginger Side of Life
I am definitely going to check them out next time – and add Duartes to this guide since both you and Bobbie recommended it!
FUN! Love this guide! I feel like I need to make another trip down that way soon…
Yay! Thanks so much!
Another thoroughly fun & informative wknd write up! You did the planning for us! Now to make the time to return. I haven’t been to Pescadero in years! Like Chelsea, I’ve been to Duarte’s for sure & had their artichoke soup – classic stuff! That animation walking under the tree is the best!!!
Awesome! I will definitely check them out next time we go since I have two votes! 🙂
I am all about day trips and exploring nearby towns (though I do need to prioritize exploring SF)! It didn’t occur to me that I’ve been to Half Moon Bay until you mentioned the tide pools which I went to on a fourth grade field trip (which means I’m due for a trip). I also didn’t realize Pescadero was between SF and SJ, so you’ve tickled my curiosity. Thanks for sharing… that artichoke bread itself looks worth the trek.
Catherine
Something Catchy
Awww, I’m so jealous that you got to do things like go to tide pools! We always went to the local mining museum! 🙂 The artichoke bread is THE BEST!
Can you do us a favor, and remove the photo of your husband and your dog walking in the area of Fitzgerald Marine Reserve where dogs are not allowed? https://parks.smcgov.org/fitzgerald-marine-reserve-regulations. A dog killed a harbor seal in the reserve a few weeks ago – we’re doing our best to communicate the rules around where they are allowed and not, and this image isn’t helpful.
Our dog is an ADA-compliant registered service animal but I understand the confusion so am happy to take the photo down. Thanks for stopping by!