On the ground in SF

Upon landing at San Francisco’s airport, we took possession of our rental car and headed further west over the hill to Half Moon Bay. There, we checked into our motel room before stopping to see the Terry’s sister and her husband and find out what the plans were for the next few days. We learned she would be shuttling people from the airport at all hours and that we were pretty much on our own until the rehearsal dinner on Friday evening.

That sounded fine to us. We borrowed a bird book (Sibley’s Guide to Birds of Western North America) and headed south on US 1 along the coast. Terry and I had been here before but for Jessica, this was a new experience. Every few miles along the coast, there are state beaches where the brave and fool hardy can swim or surf. (Brave and fool hardy because there are no life guards, the undertow in some areas can be treacherous, and it is much, much colder than on the Atlantic. The currents here come down from Alaska while those on the Atlantic are coming up from the Caribbean.) The areas are well maintained, being cleaned every day and having the water tested quite frequently. Most have a parking lot (for which there is a fee) and on a hot and bright sunny day like this one was, they are well used.

We had learned that there were no elephant seals at Ano Nuevo. They were still all out at sea somewhere feeding. Some would return in July to molt but most would not be back until late November when the breeding season begins. As a result, we proposed to stop at the Pigeon Point Light Station to see if any seals were on the rocks there and to see what birds might be around.




This light house is one of the tallest on either coast. It has been in private hands as they attempt to restore it to its former glory, but has recently been taken over by the state as a historic sight. There is a hostel in the old light keepers’ quarters adjacent to the facility where travelers can find an inexpensive place to stay as they make their way along the coast. (Another similar hostel/lighthouse can be found way up the coast nearer the Golden Gate.)

While the lighthouse may be in need of some repair, the gardens and grounds about it are superb. Vast numbers of flowers and succulent plants are well tended and a joy to explore. The rocks off the coast are attachments for several types of seaweeds and kelps.








Called “Prisoner’s Rock,” this formation is accessible during low tide by a land bridge but quickly becomes isolated when the tide flows back trapping the unwary fisherman.



Base for kelp and resting place for seals during the fall, winter and spring (not so much in summer!).



During the fall and spring, whales frequently can be seen from Pigeon Point as they migrate south and north. During the summer, the whales are near Alaska, during the winter, they are in the warm waters off Mexico and/or in the Gulf of Mexico giving birth to new calves. This makes Pigeon Point THE place to gather for whale watching from shore.

After an afternoon of visiting the lighthouse, we returned to Half Moon Bay and enjoyed dinner at Barbara’s Fish Trap near the wharf/marina. Excellent seafood!