Half Moon Bay & Sam's Chowder House



I will make this a short one, because we are going to attempt a one-day ski trip to Boreal Mountain Resort at Truckee tomorrow.

A trip we planned to do last Saturday but got postponed.

Why? Because I couldn't sleep well the night before, due to somebody's thunderous snoring. Was found curled up on the sofa, cold and bleary-eyed, at 5am in the morning. That guilty somebody then promised we would try again the coming Monday. Yaaaaay.

Anyway, it may be a good thing we didn't make the trip because the weather was really gloomy. Grey skies that threatened to break anytime with rainfall.

Not a good time to drive up the mountains. 

Still, we didn't want to waste the Saturday, so we took a 45-min drive to Half Moon Bay. We have heard of Sam's Chowder House but haven't had the chance to try it. We figured it would be less crowded by the time we reached.





Wind and waves along Cabrillo Highway



Little houses against fog-covered hilltops. Mysteriously pretty.

Arriving at Sam's Chowder House. We got lucky and found parking shortly.

An in-house gift shop for those waiting in line 

The lunch crowd was just beginning to clear when we got there around 2.30pm. We opted for whichever table comes first and thought we would be seated inside. After 30 minutes' wait, however, we were surprised with a table at the patio.

What a refreshing beach view!



The ocean air was chilly but the view was worth it!



A rather casual and relaxed atmosphere



Hoot! Hoot! Chase the birds away!

Care to sit back, relax, and enjoy the view?

The hamson husband

Since we weren't very hungry, we ordered spicy popcorn shrimp, fish and chips, and a bowl of New England Clam Chowder to share. All 'basic stuff', which tasted pretty good. 

What blew us away, however, was the portion of the chowder.

It was HUGE!!!  

 

The bill came up to around $45. A deal considering the amazing view, the ample portions, and the above average quality of food. We couldn't finish everything, so we boxed the rest for dinner.

 After lunch, we took a stroll along the seaside.

The flight of stairs leading down to the beach

Furry friends having fun on the sand



A couple were also walking, ahem, their goats. Can you spot them?

Sailboats

I used to think there's nothing much to do or see at Half Moon Bay, other than major events like the Pumpkin Festival. It's just a pretty name for a boring place.

But I think I've officially changed my opinion.

Would love to come back and try the little cafes. Experience the quaintness of this seaside town. Enjoy the crisp sea breeze on the quiet beach. 

It could possibly be a hangout place on weekends, or the next time we missed a road trip.