Half Moon Bay Stroll

   I wanted to meet up with a friend from the South Bay, so I drove from the city and met them at the parking lot at the end of Venice Blvd. off of Highway 1 (bring cash - it's $10! to park!). Once parked, we headed North (so the ocean is to your left) on the Coastside Trail. This makes it a 5 mile round-trip walk, all flat - and a great 'hike' to catch up with a friend without losing your breath!

I mean...hard to beat! Pic from alltrails.com

   I'd say that this would be a great one to do on a nice day...passing all the nice beaches, having runners/hikers/walkers/bikers/skaters pass you who are also enjoying this day.

   We stopped on the way back at Miramar Beach and Restaurant, overlooking the ocean. It's a piece of history, being built as a former Prohibition speakeasy, but now a good place for lunch or a drink indoors. The patio is lovely, but the food is over-priced for what it is. I'd rather have an app and beverage there but grab some quick seafood at the turn-around point on this hike...which is cheaper, has more of a 'local' vibe, and probably better quality. That point would be Pillar Point Harbor...lined with boats but also a fish market!

   Drive back to SF or stop at the Ritz in Half Moon Bay to sit outside for a glass of wine and enjoy the sunset. This is probably my favorite place...didn't have time that day but will MAKE time soon. I can't get enough of this place!

Rock-N-MoreRocks at Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve

   Who knew we had a 10 million year old volcano just chillin' (literally) on the other side of the bay. Don't expect any crazy lava trails - it's too old for that. But still interesting, an easy 3-mile walk, and some killer views - like this one we found off of Grizzly Peak Road:

View from Grizzly Peak Blvd. This is actually the wrong way (we went right instead of left at first)

To get to the trail - exit Highway 24 and take the Fish Ranch Road exit. Almost a mile afterwards, turn left on Grizzly Peak Blvd (note that all the signs say to go right - ignore them!). This will take you to Skyline Blvd., where you take another left and then park in the entrance right after on the left side. You'll find restrooms and free maps here...as well as the trail head.

 We made it! Well...almost there. Guest hiker Meghan handles the self-we.

From here, go to your right when facing the restrooms - you might want to grab one of those free maps to help you find your way (and teach you a bit about the history of this area). Follow the numbers to learn about the geology of the hills you'll be trekking.

You'll see some basalt rock - which turns red due to oxidation of the iron minerals. There was a lot of rock education in that pamphlet...I'd rather learn about how many people volcano kill every year. Or how many virgins have been sacrificed in them. (Please bubble that up to the Parks department)

Basalt Rock (not bath salts...you can't snort these...that I know of)

One of the area's highest peaks is Round Top - made up of lava and volcanic debris from the ancient volcano. Over the past 10 million years, massive earthquakes uplifted the hills and tilted the volcano on its side. So don't worry - you're safe...when is the last time you've seen a volcano explode sideways?! Go forth and hike away! At the end of the numbered sights from the volcanic rock walk - you're rewarded with some beautiful rolling hill views:

Wear legit hiking shoes if you go after rains - it gets muddy. There are also a few places with park benches, if you also end up packing a snack and some wine. Next time, Sibley. Sober January wouldn't let me have a boozy hike this month.

For more information and maps, please find:
Link to East Bay Parks website

Uvas Canyon County Park: windy with waterfalls

   Waterfalls you say?!? But there's no water in California! Ok, so these are mini waterfalls. Still - it's not often we get to be near rushing water so I'll take it where I can get it (and even hike through it - which is this case with today's hike).

   First off - you have to get there. It is way up in the middle of nowhere - but you can navigate via Google Maps to the park (map link HERE). However, be careful on that last stretch - I had someone who was walking her Pit Bull scream at me (who also looked like a meth addict) to slow down. I was only going 30 mph but down the road saw another sign for 10 mph. Still - that 10mph is most important when you get to the one-lane road that goes through the private Swedish community that you'll be driving through. At the end, you'll have to pay $6 to park (the machine takes card or cash) and can also use the restroom before starting the uphill battle.

   From the parking lot, go up the paved road and veer left towards Waterfall Loop. You'll hit another sign post where Waterfall Loop then goes Right, but we went Left on the Alec Canyon trail. This is a moderate-steep incline, so get ready to get your heart pumping (I just wrote 'pumpkin' instead of 'pumping'...Thanksgiving is on my mind!).

photo credits to Annie, the A of JAG

   Eventually, this trail leads to another fork - we went left to Manzanita Point to take in the views and then circled back to take the other side of the trail.

View from Manzanita Point

photo credits to Annie

   You'll now be on Contour Trail - which goes up, down, around, and is really only wide enough for one person for most of the time. I love the smell of the woods, of the greenery (even though we're in a drought, you have plenty of green here!), and the water. You'll be walking towards that rushing water sound (over the sounds of Annie and I arguing about how skinny she was on her wedding day). We passed a few people, but the trail is in no way crowded. It'll eventually hit Swanson Creek where you can play in the mini waterfall and enjoy the shade. From here, it's just a bit more downhill to get back to the parking lot.

   I'm doing a crazy 6-day cleanse right now so we couldn't eat anything after (I like food after my hikes!). But Annie and I both agreed that this was a beautiful hike and felt very far removed from any kind of city life.