Hollywood Hiking

I'm so excited to visit my family in Southern California next week. Summer in the Bay area usually consists of windy days and foggy nights, which I look forward taking a break from. I remember last year for the 4th of July, Z and I were bundled up to watch the fireworks atop the beautiful albeit windy Bernal Hill. I finally developed these pictures from a previous hike that my sister, cousin, and I completed. It's getting harder and harder to find places that will develop my film for a good price. The place I went to also did not do such a great job scanning my photos, so everything is a bit off. I really need to get into developing my own film or finally invest in a nice digital camera. Sigh!

Even though most of my family lives in Southern California, we had never done the Hollywood hike up the winding trail to see the sign itself. To be honest, the thought never appealed to me since it is what all the tourists do when they come to this little city covered in smog. Looking back on the photos, it reminds me that my pasty white legs could use some sunshine and doing touristy things are fun every once in a while. 

Weekend Warrior

If Finnegan could speak, I am fairly certain he would say that Fort Funston is one of his favorite places to visit--besides his food bowl and warm comfortable bed. I've blogged about this place before, but I was able to take more photos this time around because the sun was out and the beach was clear that day instead of being deeply immersed in shroud of fog. There are a few ways to get directly to the beach, but this day we decided to go down what seemed like a thousand wooden planked steps to the sand. Finnegan loved it. He scooted up and down the steps excitedly. He is a peculiar pug in that he appears morbidly obese, but when given the chance to go hiking or run about in the outdoors--he's a maniac with so much energy. He's willing to do almost anything physically, which is the complete opposite of his lounging and napping attitude the rest of the time at home during the weekdays. He truly is a weekend warrior.

During this visit, he was brave enough to run up to the waves creeping up the beach and even got close enough to sniff a crab. (Albeit it was not alive, but shhh! Don't let him know about that! He's still a courageous little pug!) If you're looking for a good place to let your pups roam free, Fort Funston is the place!

Half Moon Bay

When driving down to Fremont to visit Z's parents, we always passed by the off-ramp to Half Moon Bay while taking the San Mateo bridge.  My curiosity continued to grow as I asked Z tons of questions about this bay since his family usually went there for special occasions, such as Mother's Day. I had also heard through the grapevine of people heading down this way to pick up pumpkins for Halloween and then Christmas trees in the later seasons.

One day, Z surprised me and we took a day-cation to the mysterious (at least in my eyes -___- ) Half Moon Bay. Growing up, I have always lived near the beach. My younger days were spent exploring the beaches of the Central coast (my favorites), then off to the warm sandy beaches of Oahu in Hawaii (since my father was in the Air Force), and then finally the crowded beaches of Southern California.  I must say that my beach is more along the lines of the Northern Pacific coast where the beaches only get prettier and less populated. The times I did go to the beach in Southern California were for bonfires, sunbathing, reading, and of course--people watching. Now I mostly like exploring beach caves and climbing on rocks. It's nicest for me when it's a bit overcast even, because if it's too sunny and hot, I can't hike around as much or I get all sweaty and gross.

Located 35 minutes south of San Francisco along the Pacific Ocean, Half Moon Bay is a stunning slice of the Golden State and boasts an unrivaled combination of coastal town friendliness, charm, and natural beauty. After checking out all the cute boutiques that the town had to offer, we decided to check out the tide pools at the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve in Moss Beach. The reserve stretches for 3 miles and is an underwater park designed to help conserve and protect ocean wildlife and marine ecosystems. We arrived during low tide and were able to view sea anemones, mussels, hermit crabs, and other beautiful creatures hiding among the rocks.

After exploring the beach, we stopped at Barbara's Fish Trap for lunch. It is a small seafood restaurant overlooking the water serving delicious Italian dishes, sandwiches, and of course--the essential clam chowder or fish n' chips basket! I forgot to take photos of the food for everything was much too delicious to stop and snap a photo. Half Moon Bay is truly a beautiful place to visit when you want to escape from the busy hustle of the city for a while.