Half Moon Bay, California, May 2006

(Old post from 2006)

We did a cycle trip to Half Moon Bay leaving the 13th May 2006 as far as I can work out. 

This blurb is a copy paste from a writeup I did for the place we stayed at.

Zaballa House

Hotels, Bed & Breakfast

324 Main St
Half Moon Bay, CA 94019
United States

16/5/2006

• First to Review
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Neat, well maintained, $110 per night includes nice breakfast of bagels, quiche, cereal, and fruit.

Zaballa House was the first hotel we saw cruising up main street, and it looked too good to pass. The hotel serves wine, cheese and crackers on Saturday night starting at 5. Our hostess Sheila was very pleasant to deal with, and courteously entertained us drunks, while thrashing out the pros and cons of the US and Australian education systems.

We decided to go for a bike ride to Montara, then got lost and arrived at Half Moon Bay instead. I think we saw much more, and the views were just beautiful, a real surprise.

We managed to piss off lots of people on the way; for being on the road, for being on the footpath, for being off the path, for going too fast etc. Is anyone available to advise me on how to ride around here?

As per usual, road signs are just confusing. One said "cyclists must use 35" with no explanation on where the 35 is (if we were paying attention, we'd have known we were on it already). Ended up on a quiet, sealed cycleway/walkway next to San Andreas lake and Lower Crystal springs reservoir, both perfect.

There's one climb on the 92 going to the coast. In the traffic, managed to overtake a new red Camaro 3 times.

So, on Saturday night we started having the complimentary wine and cheese. The wine hit us quickly after the ride, and we all thrashed out the education system with Sheila our host. Feeling the glow, I lost my camera at this point, the only valuable thing that I own. My old bike was nicked here, and the one I'm riding now I got for free.

We walked about 100 yards to the saloon, and met Carlos the local Azteca. He told us about a concert with 5 bands, and one was supposed to be Mexican. So we turn up, and there's one band, and everyone's Mexican. We stuck out like dogs balls, but didn't mind as we were toasted already. The old ladies watching us giggled at our attempts at dancing banda.

Stumbling out the front, we got given a Corona, which I thought was generous, and then asked for cash. Well I've only got a twenty, and he promised to give me some change. One good samaritan gives us $3 to put in, and warns us to ask for the 20 back. Feeling at one with the people, I tell him not to worry, and we did get 12 back in change, and couple of more beers, so it was all good. I don't know when my girlfriend lost her wallet, but the temporary panic turned into relief since it was handed in already, bless them, minus the cash, curse them! Zig zag back to the saloon for one more, and wake up with a headache, and without sunglasses; god knows where they went.

Ever had that panic where you wake up and think "where's my mobile phone / camera / wallet"? I really didn't have my camera, and had no real clue where I left it. Got out at 8am, probably still stinking like a brewery, and Sheila had put it behind the desk.

We hoover down half the table at breakfast anticipating a big days ride. Heading up highway 1, we hope to get through Devils slide somehow. Its a construction zone, and definitely not passable. A kind jogger passing by shows us a side road, which starts about a half mile off the freeway in bushland. We'd have never found it otherwise.

The track winds up over the hills right next to the sea and has truly spectacular views. Some sections are bitumen, but has been washed away totally in parts.

Got back home at last, after having food thrown at us on the highway(didn't get hit), and trying to share the roads with cars and walkers. I wish we could just shut Golden Gate park off to cars altogether.

Half moon bay gets 5 stars.

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