AAA Inspectors Select 14 Favorite Places for Enchanting Valentine Escapes
Mill Rose Inn, Half Moon Bay, Calif., AAA Four Diamond Bed and Breakfast Just the drive to get here along Highway 1, a scenic coastal drive, is romantic. It's located within walking distance to the Old Town district and a nice hike to the beach. The beautiful rose garden is perfect for a wedding, according to the local inspector. Each guestroom has different décor with distinctive wallpaper, antique furniture, claw foot tubs and a fireplace to complete the picture.
Double Gold Again
Barterra Winery has a lot to brag about after bringing home its second double gold medal for its Barterra 2009 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon at the San Francisco International Wine Competition. Wine lovers throughout the US will get to try this award wining wine as Barterra Winery represents Half Moon Bay as they take part in a nationwide tasting tour. No need to follow them on tour, as Bay Area wine lovers can visit Barterra Winery on Main Street and experience this delectable wine right at home. 643 Main Street, (650) 712-1635, www.barterrawines.com.
Whale Watching
The annual migration of the gray whale is currently underway, and Half Moon Bay is the perfect spot for witnessing the journey of these spectacular creatures. Beginning in early December through the end of March, approximately 15,000 gray whales swim south from the icy waters of the Arctic to mate and nurse their young in the warm, shallow lagoons along Magdalena Bay in Baja, California. The full round-trip migration from the Bering Sea to the Baja calving lagoons is approximately 10,000 miles, the longest known migration for any mammal. Gray whales move at a steady speed of about five miles per hour, and most can be spotted in an area that extends from the kelp beds (about 3/4 miles from the shoreline) out to the horizon. For those who like to plan ahead, March through early April is a great time to spot humpback whales as they begin moving closer to shore.
Several local companies offer whale watching excursions:
Bait & Switch Sportfishing, (650) 726-7133
Half Moon Bay Sportfishing & Tackle, (650) 728-3377
Huli Cat Sportfishing, (650) 726-2926
Riptide Sportfishing, (888) 747-8433
Devil's Slide Tunnel Opening
The highly anticipated Devil's Slide Tunnel will open in early 2013. The City of Half Moon Bay is excited to celebrate the completion of this project of over five years in the making. This new tunnel will serve to make an unstable and problematic stretch of Highway 1 between Pacifica and Montara, known as Devil's Slide, a safer and more efficient place to drive on an otherwise beautiful and leisurely drive up the scenic California coast. For more information on the Devil's Slide Tunnel project, visit www.dot.ca.gov/dist4/dslide/.
Elephant Seal Mating Season
One of the most spectacular animal attractions on the entire California Coast is the Northern Elephant Seal breeding grounds at Año Nuevo State Park, located 55 miles south of San Francisco off Highway 1 along the southern San Mateo County Coast.You can spot massive elephant seals sunning themselves on the beaches here year-round, but from December through March, people reserve tickets weeks in advance for a chance to witness a fearsome clash between the 4000-pound bulls over mating privileges among the ladies (talk about tough love). And if you’re really lucky you’ll get to witness pregnant seals coming ashore to have their pups, which begins in mid-December and peaks by late January.
The docent-led tours consist of a 3-mile walk over rolling sand dunes, last about 2-1/2 hours, and take place daily from early morning to mid-afternoon. Reservations are required for the $7 tours, which are held rain or shine December 15 through March 31. Thousands of people visit each year, so you’ll want to make reservations as far in advance as possible by calling 800/444-4445 or logging onto anonuevo.reserveamerica.com. Parking is $10 per vehicle. You’ll want to dress warm and bring binoculars and a camera with a long lens. No pets are allowed.
Even if it’s not mating season, you can still see the elephant seals lolling around the shore almost year-round, particularly between April and August when they come ashore to molt.
For more info about Año Nuevo State Park’s guided elephant seal walks, log onto www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=523. (TIP: From this webpage you can also click on the “Elephant Seal Camera” link on the right side and watch a live video stream of the seals.)
2013 OPENING CELEBRATION — DAFFODIL DAYDREAMS
Friday, February 22 through Sunday, February 24
Join us as we begin our 37th year as a historic property of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and celebrate the spectacular flowering of Filoli.
Admission to all Daffodil Daydreams activities is FREE for members or with paid admission to Filoli for non–members.
Daffodils, camellias, magnolias, flowering plums and daphne are just of a few of the spectacular blooms that lead the way at Filoli each spring. Whether planted in a flower bed, naturalized in a field or grown in a display pot, Daffodils signify the rebirth of the garden. Join us as we celebrate the spectacular flowering of Filoli’s Garden through three days of talks, tours, demonstrations and hands-on activities.
Filoli is an American Daffodil Society (ADS) Display Garden and grows a wide variety of daffodil cultivars with the purpose of preserving original cultivars and educating visitors about daffodils and how they can be used effectively in the landscape. With more than 100 varieties, many historic and so unique that you will not find them anywhere else, Filoli is the largest ADS Display Garden in the West.
Don’t miss this year’s extraordinary daffodil display! Space is limited for some of the programs; reservations are not necessary.
http://www.filoli.org/special-events-and-exhibits/opening-event.html
The Douglas Beach House
SUNDAY at 4:30PM: John Daversa Small Band | Los Angeles, California based trumpeter, John Daversa is a versatile and internationally respected performer (Trumpet/EVI), composer, arranger, producer, bandleader, educator, and BFM Jazz recording artist. He has performed on Today Show, Late Nite with David Letterman, Oprah Winfery Show, and music festivals worldwide. He added his distinctive musical perspective working with artists such as Fiona Apple, Michael Bublé, Dori Caymmi, Sheryl Crow, Bob Mintzer Big Band, and The Yellowjackets. http://artsearth.com/events/the-bach-20130303/