California Road Trip Day 7 Part 1 - San Francisco (Half Moon Bay and Muir Woods)

           

To read more about the planning of our California Road trip go here.  To read about previous stops on our trip, click on the following links:

Day 1(San Diego)

Day 2 (LA)

Day 3 Part 1 (LA)

Day 3 Part 2 (Yosemite)

Day 4 (Yosemite)

Day 5 (Napa)

Day 6 Part 1 (Napa Hot Air Baloon Ride)

Day 6 Part 2 (Pacific Coast Highway Beaches)

Day 6 Part 3 (Glamping)

California Road Trip Day Seven Itinerary

In preparation for day seven, I had the following in a folder: an itinerary for the day, printed driving directions, and copies of reservations for our restaurant and hotel.

7:30  a.m. - wake up, get ready and check out of glamp site

9:00. a.m. - breakfast in Half Moon Bay at 3-Zero Cafe

11:00 a.m. - see the California coastal redwoods of Muir Woods
1:00 pm. - walk the Golden Gate Bridge

3:00 p.m. - drive the down the infamous, steep curves of Lombard Street

4:oo p.m - check into the Hilton, rest and clean up for dinner

7:00 p.m. - sushi for dinner at Ozumo
8:00 p.m. - walk to Ghiradelli Square for dessert
9:00 p.m. - walk back to hotel
11:00 p.m. - get a good night's sleep

          On day seven of our trip, we checked out of our glamp site, said good bye to Pescadero, CA and headed north on CA Hwy1 towards San Francisco.  Just before getting off CA Hwy1, we stopped in Half Moon Bay for breakfast.  Let me just quickly tell you a little bit about Half Moon Bay.  It’s a small, quaint, picturesque town on the Pacific Coast Highway, thirty minutes south of SF.  The scenic views alone make it a great place to visit, but in addition, the town has cute shops and small businesses that surround an all-American town square.  All of this is in walking distance to the beach, making it an ideal place to escape the hustle and bustle of the nearby city. 
        My mother-in-law worked in SF for a short time and told me that we had to go to Half Moon Bay if we were in the bay area on our trip.  Knowing that we would be driving right through Half Moon Bay to get to our glamp site, I planned on visiting the coastal town as a part of our Pacific Coast Highway drive on day six, as well as eating breakfast there on day seven before heading back to SF.  I did not, however, take into consideration that day six of our trip was the Fourth of July, and Half Moon Bay would be PACKED….as in barely a place to walk, let alone park.  We decided to pass by the town on day six and continue our journey of the Pacific Coast Highway without paying Half Moon Bay a visit.  We still stopped to eat breakfast there on day seven though, but it was too early for any of the shops to be open.  In the end, I can tell my mother-in-law that we did visit Half Moon Bay, just not the way I had planned to visit it.

           

            Even though we didn’t visit Half Moon Bay as planned, what little time we spent there was great.  When researching a place to eat breakfast in Half Moon Bay, all signs pointed me to 3-Zero Cafe .  The signs might as well have been pointing us to the heavens, because the food was DELISH!  Oh my, who would have ever thought that a little ol’ airport could dish out such great food!  Yep, that’s right, I said airport.  3-Zero Cafe is actually a functioning airport for small, local planes.  Unlike most airports, it’s also a fabulous little diner.  The place looks like a whole in the wall, with simple table cloths draped over old tables and aircraft memorabilia covering every inch of the walls.  The atmosphere of the place was very casual. Being a Gilmore Girls fan, the best way that I could describe it would be Luke’s Diner…..if you’re a fan too, then you’ll know what I’m talking about.    As people started pouring in for breakfast, everyone seemed to know each other.  This was definitely a place that the locals dined.  I was told that on the weekends, there is a line out the door to get a table.  After tasting the food, I could see why there would be a line.  The portions were big, the prices were small, and food was freshly prepared and delicious!  I could only eat half of my meal before I was stuffed!  Fortunately for me, I married a human garbage disposal, and he consumed every bit of his meal and the rest of mine;)  Bottom line - I highly recommend 3-Zero Cafe if you're ever in the bay area. 

            After stuffing ourselves with a scrumptious breakfast, we journeyed north of SF and stopped at Muir Woods to visit the California coastal redwoods.  Admission is affordable, but parking was unpleasant to say the least.  Unlike the rustic, dusty paths of Mariposa Grove in Yosemite, home of the giant sequoias, Muir Wood’s paths were very well laid out for visitors, making the groves easy to navigate.  The paths were made of wooden planks, making it easily accessible to just about anyone. Like Mariposa Grove, I was taken away with the vastness of the giant trees.  Pictures can not do justice to the size and scale of these beauties.  The last grove on the trail is Cathedral Grove, home of some of the tallest trees in park.  Before entering, visitors are asked to remain quiet while walking through it.  By doing so, it really gives visitors a sense of awe as they pass through the grove.  If ever in the bay area, visiting the coastal redwoods is a must.  Muir Woods is just thirty minutes north of the city, and is definitely worth the stop.

A few pics of our day…..