Half Moon Bay

The ocean in San Francisco is freezing cold all year round. Even in the summer, the water feels like ice. Luckily, the weather here is moderate-mild all year long. So really, it's beach season all year round - beach season if you don't mind shivering in super cold water (which, incidentally, our children really don't mind doing).

Half Moon Bay is a short 45 minute drive from our house. Just over the bridge and through a mountain pass. Since Ken and the boys were busy with a service project in the morning, we decided to go for a short trip in the afternoon. 

Half Moon Bay rocks. The waves are highest this time of year. Just the day before, they had a surfing contest here. The kids loved watching the waves crash onto the shore. Sure, we couldn't go deep in the water because of the waves, but really, with water temperatures this cold, who'd want to jump all the way in the ocean?

The weather was 70 degrees (in January people - JANUARY!) and the sand was warm and the sun was shining and the beach wasn't too crowded. Just all around perfect, really.

 These silly kids could not wait to get in the water.

 Ken, Cora and me.

 Cora's been to the beach before, but that was before she could crawl. And she slept the entire time. She did not like the sand at first.

 The kids playing in the water.

 Otho was constantly finding cool shells and rocks.

 More playing in the water.

 Ellie found a cool shell too.

Abe's footprints in the sand.

 

 Riley oscillates between playing in the water, then freezing, then playing in the sand, then warming up, then going back in the water. The day ends when she becomes too cold, and then, with purple lips, we take her home.

 Cora quickly took to loving the sand. She had fun crawling around and eating as much as she could sneak into her mouth.

 Ken's Go-Pro camera takes the coolest wave shots.

See, this girl LOVES to eat sand. I love this perfect little girl and her great big giant smile. She smiles all the time these days because she is happy and well, as I just said, perfect.

 

This is what happens when you eat sand. Dad squirts you in the face with water. Don't worry, she didn't even cry.


It was the end of the afternoon, and the sun was setting. The kids played in the water one last time. The tide was coming in, and the swells grew higher and stronger. They crashed with a guttural growl that was soothing and frightening all at the same time.

So we packed up and went home to a warm shower and hot chocolate - the perfect end to a perfect afternoon.