Accommodation: Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay

Restaurants:

Activities:

Watch sunset and moon rise on the beach
Visit farmer's market at Shoreline station
Walk around downtown of Half Moon Bay
Kayaking
Visit Harley Farms Goat Dairy

Half Moon Bay is definitely one of the places you must visit when you are in California, esp. if you were planning to drive along highway 1 between San Francisco and San Diego. Maybe some of you have heard of Half Moon Bay as a surfing location (with its famous 50 ft Maverick waves), but believe me, this place is definitely more than just for the surfers.

My favorite place to stay in Half Moon Bay has to be the Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay. It is probably one of the most beautifully located hotels I have ever visited. It is right by the ocean and sit a cliff. If I were to use words to describe how amazing the location is, it would probably take me at least thousand words. So let's just do pictures instead (see below). And many of their rooms (including the one we stayed) have the stunning view of the front garden and the ocean (and you can watch the sunset from your room!). The hotel has also serval fantastic restaurants, which they source their products locally (ok, we will talk about the local produce in Half Moon Bay later).

Now, let's talk about where to eat in Half Moon Bay. There are many amazing restaurants in the area, but here are my top threes. But please beware, all these places are very popular. I suggest you make reservation early to avoid the long waiting (on the other hand, long waiting is always a good sign that the place is good, no?)

1. Sam's Chowder House (4210 N. Cabrillo Hwy, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019. Tel: (650) 712-0245): this is one of the best seafood restaurants in California! Period! It is locally right beside the ocean, so you can eat your food with a great view to the ocean. It is about 5 mins from where fishing boats unload their catches, so you can imagine how fresh the seafood and fish are in this place. Not only they have a great seafood menu, but also many gluten-free and vegetarian (vegan) dishes. This is definitely one of the must-try places in the area.

2. Pasta Moon (315 Main St C, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019. Tel: (650) 726-5125): this beautifully decorated Italian restaurant is right in the downtown of Half Moon Bay. They source most of their ingredients from local Half Moon Bay farms, which I know have the best organic produces. Their seasonal dishes have a great mix of colors, textures, and flavors. One of my recommendations would be their spinach salad with nectarine, toast almonds and goat cheese (but you can order without goat cheese if you want it vegan). The nectarine is called Mango nectarine, sourced from the local farm, and tastes just divine!!!

3. The Conservatory ( 1 Miramontes Point Road, Half Moon Bay, California 94019: This cozy and beautiful restaurant is in the Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay. It has a great view of the ocean and the food was absolutely delicious. It has a great selection of dishes for all diet preferences. But make sure you still leave some spaces for their desserts, as they are definitely not to be missed!

And finally what else can one do in addition to eating? I would suggest the following:

Watch sunset and moon rise at the beach. My favorite spots would be Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay and end of Redondo Beach Road.

Walk around downtown of Half Moon Bay: on their main street, they have many beautiful cafes and restaurant, vintage stores as well as art galleries. It is really good fun to browse through the stores and find your gems.

Visit farmer's market at Shoreline station (Sat 9 am - 1 pm): if you are in Half Moon Bay on the weekend, I highly recommend you to visit the farmer's market. It gives a great opportunity to try out the freshest and best organic produces you can find in California. Make sure you try mango nectarine. It will blow your mind!

Kayaking (2 Johnson Pier, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019): great way to check out wild lives along the coastline.

Visit Harley Farms Goat Dairy (205 North St, Pescadero, CA 94060): A cute and beautiful little goat farm, which you can buy fresh and delicious goat cheese, but also pat little cute goat calves. Great activity esp. for family with small children.