Hello and welcome! Today we will be reviewing Bay Area Backroads Trip #41, "Pescadero: A Quiet Secret on the Central Coast." Pescadero is about a 75-90 minute drive from San Francisco.
Main Claims Made Within Said Recommendation:
1. The town of Pescadero is "in a surprisingly undisturbed pocket of the Bay Area."
2. "The town's history and traditions are still alive."
3. "Bird watching at Pescadero Marsh is always good."
4. "Nearby Pigeon Point Light Station features the tallest operating lighthouse on the West Coast."
Overall Assessment of Accuracy: Very good.
Worthiness of day trip: Worthy, with additions as suggested below.
Now, I shall respond to the claims made by the deck of travel cards we know as Bay Area Backroads.
1. Undisturbed pocket claim: accurate. Pescadero is a one horse burgh, for sure, but unlike other 2 street towns (Stinson Beach, Bolinas, you know who you are) is not overrun with the likes of us. It is cute, but not unduly so, and, though it is difficult to tell percentage of locals to out-of-towners, the ratio of useful stores to useless, and the general friendliness of everyone we encountered, suggested the meaningful presence of Pescaderans in daily Pescadero life. San Franciscans in their ironic sunglasses and skinny jeans have not yet tried to lay claim to Pescadero. In part, one suspects this is due to the fact that the town is slightly inland -- you cannot just roll out of bed in your Pescadero B&B and roll into the Pacific. A rather long walk or a short drive is necessary. However, in my estimation, it would be worth this to avoid the crowds at better-situated and overrun locations.
2. The "living history" claim. This statement is so vague as to be almost meaningless and I would disregard it, but Bay Area Backroads provides by way of evidence the continuing presence of Duarte's Restaurant (in same family since 1890s, pictured above) and the Pescadero Community Church. I completely forgot to look for the church, so I cannot verify its existence or charm; however, Duarte's (pron: duh-wahrt's)) is still there, and looks to be unchanged, if somewhat expensive. The thing to get at Duarte's, I am told, is a bowl of half-and-half soup -- half artichoke soup and half green chili (there's a big artichoke theme in Pescadero). My group decided Duarte's was too rich for our blood, and instead went with fresh-from-the-oven artichoke heart and garlic bread from Arcangeli's Bakery and Market (above), along with various yummy spreads. The spreads were a tad overpriced, but the bread was fantastic. We sat outside (the market has thoughtfully provided picnic tables round back -- photo above) and ate like queens. It was delicious. There was a band playing nearby, the sun was shining.... It was good.
3. The "good bird watching" claim. I do not like bird watching, and I'll be damned if I'll support your weird bird-watching habit either. Thus, we shall pass over the marsh -- by the way, really a swamp -- in dignified silence.
4. We did drive past Pigeon Point, and it is quite tall. I have not measured all California lighthouses, and I have no intention to do so, so for now we must believe Mr. Backroads when he tells us it is the tallest. It is quite pretty and looks to be a good place to hike, look at the ocean, and contemplate whatever one contemplates in these situations.
Summary and suggested additions to agenda:
This was a very good trip! The weather was lovely, the drive gorgeous, the company excellent, though that tip is no use to you, since you cannot have my friends, they are mine, hands off. However: Pescadero itself is not really enough to sustain a day trip. We made two additional stops, somewhat further south, that really made for a fantastic day: a short hike around Año Nuevo Reserve to see the enormous elephant seals (I had lost my camera at this point, so currently no photos of this), and a stop at Swanton Berry Farm's Farm Stand, where they sell olalliberry jam and fantastic mini-pies, which we quickly decimated. The farm stand, and the grotesque remains of the pie, are documented above. Yum.
(You might say, but Sarah, isn't watching elephant seals on the beach similar to bird watching? I don't have to answer you, it's my blog, but if I was going to answer you I would probably just say if you can't tell the difference between a 5000 pound animal that, should it develop opposable thumbs, would be fully capable of taking over California, and a hummingbird... I shake my head in disgust. Plus: swamp, or beach? Really? You have to think about that?)
