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Practical Tips for Traveling with Babies, Toddlers & Kids |

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Escape the City – Half Moon Bay, California

Post last updated April 15, 2019

During our first visit to San Francisco with our daughter, we took a break from the busy city and headed south to Half Moon Bay – a laid back and quaint town in between San Fran and Santa Cruz.

Known for it’s boutique hotels, independently owned shops and restaurants and kid friendly activities, we spent an entire day exploring and eating.

Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay Beach

We left San Francisco around 8 AM in the morning and headed to Half Moon Bay’s most famous brunch at Navio – inside the Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay – where we feasted on caviar, duck prosciutto, crab filled soup dumplings, sushi, prime rib, ceviche and of course a ton of dessert.

Ritz Carlton Brunch Buffet Navio Half Moon Bay

We walked down the path from the Ritz Carlton to towards the beach while our daughter napped in her stroller.

Half Moon Bay Ritz Carlton

In the afternoon we spent some time at Fitzgerald Marine Reserve searching for water critters in the tide pools.

Tide Pools Half Moon Bay

We ended our day near the harbor just outside Oceano Hotel and feasted on what else – seafood!

Oceano Hotel Half Moon Bay, California

We found an empty picnic table and ate fish and chips from Barbara’s Fish Trap (hands down, it is the BEST fish and chips we’ve had so far) and a lobster roll with chowder from Sam’s Chowder House.

Barbara's FishTrap Half Moon Bay

 

Sam's Chowder House Half Moon Bay

More meat than bread — my kind of lobster roll!

If you’re looking for a day or two away from the hustle and bustle of San Fran, I’d highly recommend visiting Half Moon Bay.

Half Moon Bay Harbor

Tips for Visiting Half Moon Bay

If you’re planning on having brunch at Navio inside Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay – arrive with an empty stomach. This is a pricey brunch ringing in at over $100 per person and you want to make sure you have room to try at least one of everything!

Be prepared to order takeout at Sam’s Chowder House. We were told the wait for a table was close to 2 hours.

Depending on when you’re visiting, be prepared to be stuck in traffic on your way to Half Moon Bay. We visited on a Saturday and had to make several pit stops for bathroom breaks. An extra large iced coffee before leaving the city was a very bad idea!



About Cheryl - Kids On A Plane

Cheryl daydreams about exploring the world with her family often and will travel for good food, lattes and theme park rides that don't require her to go too high in the sky. She's afraid of heights!

Comments

  1. Muza-chan says

    May 23, 2014 at 2:33 am

    Beautiful place…

  2. budget jan says

    May 23, 2014 at 5:51 am

    The feast plate looked beautiful. Love the boat photo too. And I would love to eat the Lobster.

  3. Corinne says

    May 23, 2014 at 7:11 am

    Wow..Half Moon Bay. Never been. I love that lobster roll photo; it’s making me drool.

  4. Michele {Malaysian Meanders} says

    May 25, 2014 at 12:02 pm

    I’m liking all your tips. Navio sounds/looks delicious, but that’s what I would expect from Ritz-Carlton. I love lobster rolls but rarely have a chance to enjoy one. The little shellfish in the tidepool look exactly like somthing my children would enjoy.

    • Cheryl says

      June 13, 2014 at 10:30 am

      That’s true – the pricing is pretty much on par for what you’d expect from an RC hotel. We just don’t do these types of meals very often which was why there was a bit of sticker shock LOL!

  5. Kirsten says

    May 27, 2014 at 9:17 am

    Looks like a beautiful place to visit! I have never been to California. I guess I have another place to add to my travel bucket list!

  6. eileen @ FamilieGo! says

    May 27, 2014 at 9:43 am

    That part of California is nice, easy with kids. i need to get back there soon! I love a good lobster roll, too!

  7. Tonya {The Traveling Praters} says

    June 5, 2014 at 12:34 am

    I love all the tide pools that you find on the Pacific Coast. I’ve never seen one on any of the beaches I’ve visited on the East Coast. I visited San Diego years ago with friends and we were in awe of the anemones and sea urchins we found nestled between the cracks in the rock where the water pooled. I wish we’d taken the time to visit more beaches on our road trip last fall so my kids could have seen some. Maybe next time around.

    • Cheryl says

      June 13, 2014 at 10:32 am

      I wonder if tide pools are a West Coast thing — this was our first time seeing one actually in North America.

  8. Yuen C says

    June 11, 2014 at 5:44 pm

    Looks like a beautiful place to visit!

  9. Melinda L. says

    June 15, 2014 at 7:35 pm

    What a lovely beach and omg the food looks amazing!!

  10. Darlene Schuller says

    June 17, 2014 at 9:46 am

    What a beautiful place! We are moving to the United States this summer. .. hoping to get to California and spend some time with my brother in law and his wife and our niece.

  11. MrDisco says

    June 19, 2014 at 1:55 am

    the desserts look amazing

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