I HRT HMB

Loyal blog readers (hi, Mom!) know that I am an early bird, especially when my internal clock is cheerfully but non-negotiably on Central Time and my body is physically on Pacific Time.  I woke up early on Monday morning, and with 12 hours left in California, I wanted to start exploring.  

As most of you know, I love to do this on foot.  I put on my running shoes and got pulled back toward the beach.  I discovered a trail that ran parallel basically to Highway 1 but even closer to the water, alternating between a paved path and a dirt/horse trail.  Along the way, I saw campers waking up, locals walking their dogs, and surfers hitting the rough waves early. The weather matched the night before--foggy and cool--but somehow it didn't strike me as gloomy at all.  Also, the air smelled good.

I was drawn to the beach houses and the quirky character displayed by the locals.  They have a lot of pride in Half Moon Bay, and I don’t blame them a bit.  It’s a great community.  I even saw an "I HRT HMB" license plate in one of the yards. I assume it means "I heart Half Moon Bay" and not "I hurt Half Moon Bay."  That would be less appealing, obviously.

Here’s a sign marking one family farm, on a barn’s roof:

 And this is a colorful barn mural set against the foggy hills:

I made a deal with myself that I could take as many pictures on the leisurely way out as I wanted if I could hustle back during the run's second half.  And take photographs I did!  I loved looking at the plants and the hills, and I loved hearing the waves crashing against the shore even when they weren’t in my sight.

When I got back to the beach we had visited the previous day, I saw the morning surfer crowd making their way into the waves, which were a lot choppier than the night before.

Then I arrived back on the street by our hotel and was greeted by the following three items: the heart, the bemused sun, and the flowers. 

 

Again!  I ask: Could anyone be an angry person if he or she walked by the Love fence daily?

Half Moon Bay (also known as paradise)

Wait, I’m realizing now that Josh wasn’t well-represented in my photos and wedding weekend recap so far!  I promise he was there.  It was also special that he got to spend more time with Ellie and Emily and Michael and Nathalia, but I appreciated that he knew that Wedding Weekend was about gallivanting around town with my dear pals.  On Sunday morning, we had brunch with everyone and then headed north, first to check out Stanford’s campus in Palo Alto and then jetting to the west to Half Moon Bay and our hotel reservation.

Right away, I knew this place was right up our alley.  It reminded us of Orcas Island in the San Juans but livelier.  It didn’t hurt that we stumbled on a beautiful sandwich shop a stone’s throw from our hotel door, 15 minutes after pulling into town.

Seriously, these words are some sort of magic lure to me:

Also adjacent to our hotel was a café with some enticing signs.  I was in love. Regular, garlic, or curly fries?!  I choose all three.

You fail as a Miles and Laurel reader if you don't know why I love this one:

Hint: it involves d-o-g-s.

Josh was also happy, especially with the avocado and cheddar sandwich (and fresh bread):

Here’s the view from our door:

Our hotel was about a mile away from one of several Half Moon Bay beaches, so we took a much-needed nap and then went over to check it out.  It was Sunday of Labor Day weekend, so even despite cloudy skies and temperatures drifting down into the mid-50s, there were a lot of people camping nearby and playing in the surf.  We pulled up a patch of sand and people-watched and wave-watched.

 

Here’s the view:

And here’s the view of us:

For dinner, we heeded Nathalia and Michael's recommendation and drove up Highway 1 a few miles to Sam's Chowderhouse.  The only reservation we could nab was at 8:15, which was regrettably just after the sun set over the ocean, but it was a laid-back, delightful spot with nice seafood.  I had peppermint tea, crabcakes and artichokes, in honor of California producing 100 percent of the country's commerically grown artichokes.  (Did you know??)  I wish every Sunday could end like that.

Truth be told: I love St. Paul, but I want to go back for a longer visit, pronto. I have a big old crush on Half Moon Bay. 

The lead-up

Let Sept. 6-10 be known as the California Wedding Weekend Trip Recap Week across Miles and Laurel! 

This moniker is cumbersome and not very catchy but describes this week’s posting schedule, which I planned out carefully on the generous plane ride back to St. Paul.  Get ready for a wild ride and lots and lots of photos!

On Friday morning, Josh and I flew out to San Francisco and cruised down 101 to get to San Jose in time for mani-pedis with the bridal party.  (He was pumped.)  It was the first of many moments when I felt overwhelmed with happiness to see some of my dearest friends in one place, let alone camped out next to each other at manicure stations.  (It was also my first manicure and I made it last all of 48 hours, which I would describe as a crowning personal achievement.)  After the nails, Josh went to the hotel and Nat, Emily, Ellie and I walked a few blocks over to one of San Jose’s farmers markets for lunch. 

I’ve established before on this blog that Calfornia has a fabulous array of produce, and this market represented it well.  I left with strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries--but no tomatoes, despite the appeal of this sign.

 We were all drawn to the Indian food stand and ate naan wraps (mine was chicken tikka masala) after pulling up seats on a nice piece of curb.  Before long, it was time to head over to Nathalia’s grandmother’s house for the rehearsal.  It was hot at 4 p.m. in the sun on Friday, and luckily Wedding Day would not feel as hot.  In between run-throughs, we had time to start the weekend-long photography session.  Ellie and Emily have this great knack for standing around and looking like models, which is contrasted by an equally full capacity for goofy faces. Examples A and B:

At the rehearsal dinner, I got flustered and struggled with my nametag, first identifying Nathalia and Michael as college friends before someone said it made me look like I was referring to myself in the plural.  I forgot “bridesmaid” entirely initially, too.

After rehearsal dinner, we went out on the town and met up with other guests.  The bridesmaids changed back into our weekend t-shirts that Ellie had coordinated.  We had the wedding slogan and a pair of rings printed on the front and our nicknames on the back. 

It was such a fun start to the weekend to see friends from all over the country and world trickle in one by one.  Nathalia and Michael were thrilled, too.  I love this picture of them, from that bar:

It sets the tone for the weekend perfectly.