Born as a farming town and more recently protected from over-develop­ment by rustically-inclined refugees from suburbia staking out their own plot of Californian coastal heaven, Half Moon Bay is known throughout the state for its Halloween pumpkins, grown in local fields and celebrated with a Pumpkin Festival every October. Rich-in-character Victorian buildings house the gift-shops, cafes and bak­eries that line Half Moon Bay’s streets, and peaceful swaths of beach lie on either side of the town.

Detour – CuriOdyssey

Travelling inland from Half Moon Bay along Hwy-92 to San Mateo not only carries you across a large rift caused by the San Andreas Fault, but leaves you within easy reach of Coyote Point. Here, the computers, dioramas and films of the CuriOdyssey (http://curiodyssey.org) provide an exceptionally informative account of the natural life of San Francisco Bay.