New year, new road trip! I went down to Half Moon Bay (HMB) to grab some pumpkins, eat seafood and have a drink at the Ritz-Carlton while enjoying the sunset. This blog is specifically about happy hour at the Ritz to enjoy the bagpipes. It was a wonderful experience, but pricey – just to park is $40. We ordered a tea, Shirley Temple and a margarita for $35. You are paying for the ambiance and the bagpipes. If you haven’t been to HMB before, it’s such an easy trip down from the East Bay, and I can’t recommend it highly enough.
Obviously, the view is wonderful, but there are also a lot of parks and bars and restaurants to see. There are distilleries, breweries, wineries and of course, golf. Half Moon Bay is also known for its pumpkin festival; we went down a couple of weekends before the big event – fewer crowds.
This was a little “treat yourself” day trip for me and a couple of friends, as we wound down the day with views of the golf course and a cold drink by the outdoor fireplace. Bagpipes serenaded the crowd from the golf course as an incredible sunset descended over the beach. It was just what the soul needed!
Whether you’re doing a day trip like I did, or going to HMB to enjoy the beaches and restaurant scene for a few days, make sure to fully appreciate how great this little slice of California’s central coast is!
