Sometimes you just have to step out. And that is exactly what I did last weekend. Somewhat on a whim, I packed up the car with nothing more than a change of clothes, a bag full of s’more fixins and my oldest daughter Brin – and we went south. Not far but far enough to feel like we were AWAY.

One of the great things about living in San Francisco – you really don’t need to go far to feel like you are smack dab in the middle of nowhere. For this most recent adventure, we chose Route 1 along the coast between Half Moon Bay and Santa Cruz.

First stop, Pigeon Point Lighthouse – a great place to go tide pooling. Unfortunately, we didn’t hit the tide quite right, missing it by about an hour. It is definitely worth a special trip though. If you are thinking of going down, the best tide pools are about 100 yards north of the lighthouse – usually full of all sorts of nutty sea creatures.

With the heavy fog rolling in, Brin and I decided to pack it up at Pigeon Point and head for camp. Camp being Costanoa, a resort and campground just 10 or so miles south of the Pescadero turn-off. Although they have a beautiful lodge there, we usually opt for the canvas tents. It’s kinda like camping, in that you are cooking outside over an open fire and listening to the sounds of the nearby wildlife as you fall asleep. But you also are sleeping in heated queen size beds with down comforters and wearing plush cotton robes when you head over to the sauna in the “comfort station”. Best of both worlds.

Sunday was all about berry picking. We packed up camp and went just another 4 miles south to Swanton Berry Farm’s Coastways Ranch. We started at the strawberry patch – an unbelievably beautiful spot hanging on a bluff overlooking the Pacific. We did lots of picking, ending up with around 8 lbs of fresh berries. We also did our fair share of eating. There really is nothing like a ripe, sun-warmed strawberry.

All told, Brin and I were gone for just about 24 hours. Enough time to take a deep breath, reconnect with each other and do a little exploring while we were at it. Sometimes, all it takes is a quick trip down the coast to push that reset button.

Print for later » Email it »