Captivated Me

I recently had the privilege of visiting Half Moon Bay, a charming agricultural town on the coast between San Francisco and Santa Cruz.  The area is known for a great pumpkin festival celebrated around Halloween time, but I thankfully missed the crowds by a week or two and was able to bask in the relaxing, cozy atmosphere that blanketed the town like the clouds over the hills.  The day was filled with window shopping at various boutiques in the historic downtown (my favorite, of course, being one inspired entirely by Parisian life), an espresso from the adorable Blue Sky Farms, feathered friends who tried (successfully) to steal my cranberry-orange scone, conversations with the few beach-goers besides myself who strolled the coast (including a couple with an adorable dog and two young men riding horseback), and rhythmic waves on the shore to serve as an accompaniment to the Half Moon Bay experience.  What a beautiful, serene day it was, the likes of which can be described neither with words nor photos.  But here is my vain attempt:

Anyone who knows me well knows that I have an odd fascination with the idea of visiting Monterey.  (I have the movie Sahara to thank for this.)  So when I was planning an itinerary for the weekend of my parents’ CA visit, you can imagine the locale that I wanted to explore with them!  The weekend was literally picture-perfect, including:

• a short morning visit to a wharf at Monterey Bay,
• an excursion through the trails and coves of stunning Point Lobos State Reserve (where we spotted harbor seals and adorable sea otters!),
• lunch at the Mediterranean-inspired Cafe Stravaganza (best chicken pesto sandwich on the planet),
• a chai frappe from the quaint Carmel Valley Coffee Roasting Co.,
• a painted sunset in Carmel, followed by window shopping and then dinner at Cantinetta Luca (best margherita pizza, tiramisu, and coffee on the planet),
• breathtaking views of the ocean along the route to Big Sur (and when I say “breathtaking”, I mean it in the truest sense of the word),
• a relaxing afternoon with the locals at a remote beach south of the Carmel Highlands (where I added learning to surf and scuba dive during my time in CA to my bucket list).

But despite all the beauty of the weekend – the climactic perfection, the “dream come true” of visiting the Monterey area, the colorful, powerful, unfathomable views that leave you questioning if what you are seeing is real – the most beautiful thing of all was having my parents there to experience it all with me.

Here is the weekend in pictures…

A sailboat ready to be launched on the Bay.

Our weekend destination.

The simply stunning Carmel River State Beach.

Sea Lion Cove at Point Lobos State Reserve.

Cliffs and coves – Point Lobos State Reserve.

Orange color on the trees is from carotene, a pigment involved in the photosynthetic process of green algae.

Another captivating view at Point Lobos State Reserve.

A colorful Carmel sunset.

Coffee, tiramisu, and chocolate torte with hazelnut ice cream – our dessert from Cantinetta Luca!

Rocky archways dot the shores of Pfeiffer Beach.

Purple sand, from manganese garnet particles, washes down to the ocean from the hillside.

A gorgeous day at Pfeiffer Beach.

Colorful shells blanket some rocky surfaces along the shore.

Sunshine, seagulls, and surfers were our Sunday entertainment.

The clear waters of Pfeiffer Beach.

Hello, San Francisco.  Oh, we finally got a chance to meet…

I sit right now at the Big Basin Cafe in Saratoga, sipping cinnamon chai, delighting in the cool, sunny Sunday morning, and trying to forget the aching in my feet and legs from yesterday’s 6-hour hike around San Francisco.  I headed to the City by the Bay Saturday morning with camera in hand and a half-plan in mind, essentially certain of nothing but the direction that I should head to get there: North.

While there is something to be said for the tranquil ambiance that settles over the hills of Los Gatos each day, I’ve got to say I miss the hustling and bustling that so characterizes city life.  The stop lights, the crosswalks, the bus stops, the buildings, the coffee shops, the diversity, the endless assortment of things to do and people to meet.  The feeling of being blissfully lost in such a densely populated and massive expanse.  The triumph of managing to find that place that you’re looking for after an embarrassing number of wrong turns.  Four years in Minneapolis exposed me to these same things, but San Francisco takes it to a whole new wonderful level.

My day was filled with warm sand and sunshine, cool breezes, a long walk along the northern end of the southern bay area, breathtaking views of America’s favorite bridge,  the sound of coastal waters lapping rhythmically on the shore, a street-side art showcase, and over 1,000 pictures taken to document my first trip to San Francisco:

Each morning, new mercies.

Each day, an adventure.

Each second, a blessing.

Each sunset a treasure.

—–

Each flower, a promise.

Each dream, inspiration.

Each friend, an oasis.

Each laugh, a vacation.

—–

I’m surrounded by such beautiful chaos.

But all the while I see

That with every breath that I take,

Through every joy, every trial,

For every moment You’re here with me,

I have a lifetime of reasons to smile.

—–

Each star, a bright beacon.

Each hug, a warm peace.

Each misstep, a lesson.

Each tear, a release.

—–

Each heartache, a jewel.

Each hurt, a new song.

Each healing, a miracle.

You’re there all along.

—–

I’m surrounded by such hope for the future.

And all around I see

That with every breath that I take,

Through every joy, every trial,

For every moment You’re here with me

I have a lifetime of reasons to smile.