Coastside San Francisco: Nature Near Neighborhoods

If you're torn between a city getaway and one that gets back to nature, consider a visit to the Coastside area just south and west of San Francisco. This rural stretch of oceanfront is so close to, yet distinct from, the city that you can stay in a secluded lighthouse overlooking a cragged unpopulated coastline and still pop into town for dining at one of San Francisco's finest restaurants.

From Pacifica on down through Half Moon Bay to Pescadero, this part of the California coast is a tapestry of small towns, farmland, gorgeous coastal scenery and beaches, all easily accessed from Highway 1. The big attraction here is the ocean, of course, but historic buildings, Mayberry main streets, parks, trails and wildlife preserves make this much more than just a day at the beach.

We never had visited the other side of San Francisco, and as we drove the busy freeways north toward the city we could see we had only a few miles to go, yet we were still near the heart of the city. How could this be? The photos we had seen of our lodgings in Pacifica made it look like we would be enjoying coastal scenery just as breathtaking as the coastal drive between Los Angeles and the Bay area. Then suddenly the freeway took us up over a hill and westward away from the city's congestion. And there it was: the spectacular coastline just like in the brochure.

Storms were in the area this particular day and the sea was tempestuous. We drove the gentle slope down into the Rockaway Beach area where the Best Western Lighthouse Hotel is located. A couple of lodgings are nearby but the Lighthouse is the only one perched at the edge of the small beach where waves on this day seemed as high as Oahu's North Shore. The roar of the ocean made it feel like we had left civilization far behind.

This would be our headquarters as we explored the Coastline area and it was an excellent choice. During our visit, this hotel was going through a major transformation from aging motor inn to a stylish, updated oceanfront hotel. Truckloads of new furniture were arriving to complete the renovation on the bottom floors ? the top floors where we were staying had already been completed. The transformed rooms included an attractive new charcoal and tan color scheme with matching draperies, carpeting and furniture. Tasteful paintings were placed on the walls.