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South Bay Accent - June/July 2017

66 South Bay Accent This economical hotel—under $150 per night—is equally family friendly. The in-room microwaves and refrigerators are essential to keeping the kids supplied with bottles of cold milk or stashes of restaurant leftovers. Wi-Fi and continental breakfast round out the perks. Location is a key bonus, for you are approximately a 10-minute walk from the water and the country’s most scenic Taco Bell (for the kids, of course). STEP OUT Visit Mori Point, jewel of Pacifica, newest member of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and sanctuary for the rare red-legged frog. This 32-acre, flowering wetland park abounds with life at every turn. Consider the grassy zigzag cliffs that shelter the tiny brush rabbit and the windblown foliage that provides insect meals for the spotted towhee sparrow. Mori Point bluff juts out over the Pacific Ocean, providing astounding panoramas. Embark on a half-mile boardwalk stroll or descend on a steep 1.5- mile hike to witness sunsets, sea stacks and locals treading the pier. Wrested out of the hands of developers, the park will be preserved for generations to come. Further inland, explore San Pedro Valley County Park, brimming with Blue Gum eucalyptus, rugged granite rocks and the Montara manzanita that only grows here. Trails on the 1,052 acres of lush forest rise to give a full view (on fogless days) of the Farallon Islands and the tiered Brooks Falls as it drops 175 feet. Sign up with Silicon Segway, and the Pacifica Beaches and Bluffs Tour ($85 per person) will deliver sublime vistas of the Pacific Ocean, wildflowers and historical sites. Another option is to explore several beaches that line the city. Paddleboard at FROM TOP: CINDY LOUGHRIDGE; JODY HOLMAN WEBSTER DAY 1 / PACIFICA Kick off your getaway just a half hour south of San Francisco. According to 20-year-resident John Flinn, fog-loving Pacifica, a quiet coastal community spanning just over 12 square miles, is “in the Bay Area, but it’s not of the Bay Area,” despite its proximity to bustling San Francisco. It feels more like a transplanted Midwestern town that just happens to be bordered on three sides by mountains and on the fourth by the Pacific Ocean. That singular topography, along with the town’s endemic quirkiness, has earned it a spin in the spotlight. Remember the closing scene in the ’70s film “Harold and Maude” where Harold drives off a cliff? That cliff was Mori Point, the most scenic spot in Pacifica. Home to the world’s only beachfront Taco Bell, Pacifica also hosts a surfing contest for senior citizens, many in their 70s and 80s, called the Kahuna Kapuna. To step out of the ordinary, spend the night and explore its charming eccentricities. STAY An indoor swimming pool behind glass walls is an irresistible attraction at Pacifica Beach Hotel perched off Highway 1. Take a break poolside for guaranteed chill-free vistas of ocean surfers. Each of its 52 rooms features an indoor whirlpool, and romantic touches, like rose petals on the bed, are the hotel’s way of amping up the amorous ambiance. IF THIS IS A GIRLS ’ GETAWAY, SNAG A TABLE AT LOVEY’S TEA SHOPPE FOR FINGER SANDWICHES AND TEAS ON MISMATCHED CHINA. Yonder Shop + Studio, Pacifica Grape in the Fog, Pacifica


South Bay Accent - June/July 2017
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