Years ago when I was working at Bay Networks here in the Bay Area, I was Program Manager for a few of their marketing and sales tools, and as part of the project team I hired a company called Medior to do multimedia animation and programming for my products. Medior’s offices were at Pelican Point in Half Moon Bay, California. They had converted an old abandoned fishing warehouse on the docks into an open plan office space for all their programmers, art designers, and office personnel.  It had a view of the Pacific Ocean and the pier, and the building was basically glass from top to bottom. It was a beautiful warehouse. I wish the iPhone was invented back then in 2001, I would have taken a few pictures of that gorgeous office building. I still have the image etched in my mind.  This is how I discovered the quaint town of Half Moon Bay, California, my all time favorite seaside village.

Every couple of months I would drive to Medior to do beta testing on my marketing and sales tools and to check on the programming of my product. I always looked forward to this meeting.  Back then, the rolling hills and pastures off Hwy 92, the road I took to get to Medior, were filled with colourful flowers. The cut-flower market farmers used to grow their flowers here because of the cool mild temperatures in this little valley.  But I noticed them slowly disappearing over the years. I found out that a lot of them moved to the Central Coast of California where land is plenty and more affordable.

For many years those hills turned from beautiful colorful hills with flowers in abundance to just green hills. It stayed this way for over a decade. And then I noticed a change recently, I saw color on those hills and pastures again. From the looks of it, at least a hand full of flower farmers are back and growing flowers for the florist market again in Half Moon Bay.

There are so many wonderful things about Half Moon Bay, and I am sure some of you are already familiar with them.

Historic Main St. and Downtown Half Moon Bay

First, there is the charming downtown area known as Historic Main Street.  This strip has gone through some major redevelopment in the last few years.  I see loads of cute little boutiques, cafes, and restaurants now.  I’ve even noticed that Main St. has become somewhat of an artist colony with a few art galleries on this strip.  This is a fun street to walk around in and explore the local shops.

The last time I was on Main St. I discovered the most darling little garden boutique. A tiny place with garden accessories and little potted plants.  It was so charming that I imagined myself living there and transforming it into my greenhouse.

Annual Pumpkin Festival

Half Moon Bay is well known for their annual pumpkin festival. The town hosts their pumpkin festival every year in October around Halloween time. At the fair they have an annual pumpkin weigh off, where farmers from far and wide compete to see who has grown the largest pumpkin that year. There is a pumpkin parade, lots of pumpkin eating, and the town is even decked with pumpkin decor. This year, Cindy Tobeck, an elementary school teacher from Washington State won the 2016 Pumpkin Weigh-Off. Her pumpkin weighed-in at over one thousand pounds, actually it weighed 1,901 lbs! Unreal!

At nearby Lemos Farm off Hwy 92, the entire month of October is dedicated to pumpkins and fall themed events. There are hayrides, pony rides, pumpkin displays, and all sorts of fall and pumpkin related programs to participate in at this farm.

Gorgeous Beaches

Of course there are gorgeous beaches that line Hwy 1 in Half Moon Bay.  There are so many beaches that you can go to here, and most of them are not crowded.

Mavericks Surfer Competition

Half Moon Bay also hosts the famous surfer competition Mavericks every year in the winter timeframe. This is a fun event to go to. All you do is stop by the beach where the surfers are competing and watch the action. Check the local news and social media for when the event will take place as they base it on the weather and the waves, and the decision to compete happens almost over night.Mavericks Competition

Hwy 92 Nurseries

Hwy 92 heading towards Half Moon Bay is lined with lots of nurseries selling everything from trees and bushes to flowering perennials and annuals; some are specialty nurseries that have huge selections of rare and hard to find plants, orchids, roses, and succulents. Half Moon Bay has wineries that one can do wine tasting at, coastal hiking trails, farmer’s markets, and art and wine festivals as well. You just have to see what days these events take place in the city of Half Moon Bay.

Hiking Trails and Gorgeous Scenery

Perfect Beach Town for a Relaxing Day

What I love about Half Moon Bay is that it is a town that has everything one needs to spend a relaxing day. Cafes and restaurants to quench your appetite, a fun shopping strip for those wanting to take a leisurely stroll, and spectacular beaches to enjoy the waves. Half Moon Bay is a wonderful seaside village that we enjoy visiting at all times of the year.

For more information on Half Moon Bay and the sights in and around the area, take a look at these web sites  Half Moon Bay, CA     Experience Half Moon Bay   Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival    Lemos Farm, Half Moon Bay. Halloween on the Farm    2016 Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Weigh-off Results