Half Moon Bay

"The cure for anything is salt water- sweat, tears, or the sea."- Isak Dinesen 

As my time in California winds to a close, I decided to visit one of my favorite places in the Bay.  My mother and I took a day trip to the gorgeous coastal town of Half Moon Bay .

Growing up in the Bay Area prepares you for the dense fog and grey weather of the San Francisco area. Perhaps that's why I adjusted so quickly to the dreary days in Scotland... Regardless, you know you're getting close to Half Moon Bay when you look out your window and see thick clouds gathering over the mountains.

Driving into the Bay 

There are a number of great ways to spend a day in the seaside town, but we decided to start our day with a coastal walk.

Relaxing by the Ocean

The Coast Line of Half Moon Bay

Along the coast is a Half Moon Bay culinary institution. Sam's Chowder House is an exceptionally wonderful restaurant featuring some of the best fresh seafood in the area. Sam's has won a ton of awards, but you would never know it from the laid-back look and vibe of the place. I make an effort to come eat here every time I'm home since it never disappoints.

The unobtrusive but completely delicious Sam's

I always try to sit out back whenever I eat here because the views are great. Even on dreary fog soaked days the patio is warm and inviting.

The view from the patio

I highly recommend making a visit to Sam's if you're even remotely in the area.

The back patio of Sam's

 My mom and I always order the world famous Sam's Lobster Rolls. These lobster rolls have been ranked as one of the top 5 lobster rolls in the USA and they're the only ones worth having on the west coast.

Momma

The lobster is cooked perfectly and is so fresh. The sandwich is lightly buttered with a bit of celery mixed in with the overflowing lobster. It is heaven. It's the perfect amount of food and is always top notch.

I already want another

The only difficult part is figuring out how to eat it. I subscribe to the "I'm going to shove the entire thing in my mouth and see what happens" approach. 

Featured Fashion: Earrings, Watch

 After gorging ourselves at Sam's, we headed down to one of my favorite spots in the Bay, the Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay resort. Fun fact: the wedding in American Pie was filmed here. The hotel itself is gorgeous, but I just love the location. I love just sitting by the fire pits on the cliffs.

The Ritz in the distance

Cliffs

Windy Day on the links 

The gorgeous patio of the resort

Half Moon Bay

 I loved walking the cliffs in the fog and wind. There is something so invigorating about sea side towns.  I am going to miss being able to drive out to Half Moon Bay once I permanently move to the East Coast in just over a week. I can't believe it's almost time to leave...

Saying Goodbye to Half Moon Bay 

Cheers! 

The Adventure Capital of Europe

“The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience."- Eleanor Roosevelt 

Our next stop was Interlaken, Switzerland also known as the Adventure Capital of Europe. In a fashion befitting adventures, we took an overnight train from Berlin to Zurich that was a bit disastrous. We were supposed to be in a sleeping car with seats that reclined almost horizontally. However, there was an issue with that car so we were instead in seats that didn't recline.  12 hours! On a train ride through the night... it was hell.  Furthermore, the only open room on the train was with a man who may or may not have been a serial killer. I slept a grand total of one hour.

Couldn't wait to get to Interlaken

Despite our struggles getting to Interlaken once we were there it was a dream come true. It was raining quite heavily when we got there, and yet that only added to its charm. Interlaken is a small town in the Alps that honestly seems like it is straight out of a fairytale. I would have stayed there forever if it was possible.

Roses in the Rain 

Backpacking in the rain

Misty Mountains  

We arrived at the fabulous Balmers Herbage hostel (which took us forever to find in the rain). We settled into our room and took a much needed nap. We decided to explore the hostel a little bit and upon finding a door marked 'hangover recovery' our interest was piqued. Inside there were tens of colorful hammocks in a wooded slatted room. We ended up in the Metro bar on the property and made a couple of friends over a couple drinks.

Hammocks everywhere!

The next morning we awoke to a gorgeous day. By far the best weather we had seen since arriving in Europe. Interlaken was even more beautiful than the day before.

View from our window. 

My dreamland

Since Interlaken is the adventure capital of Europe we decided to go rafting and canyoning with the greatest company, Outdoor Interlaken. We had a great time risking our lives in class 4/5 rapids and in huge gorges in the alps.

Before Rafting 

While Canyoning 

We also were lucky enough to be in Interlaken over Canada Day. The Hostel threw a huge party at their tent village. We ended up riding on the handle bars of some of the Outdoor Interlaken guides bikes back to the bar to continue celebrating Canada.

Interalken surpassed my expectations be leaps and bounds and I would recommend it to anyone that likes a thrill or beautiful scenery. 

The Alps

Wild Roses

Cheers!