What to Do in Pescadero
By Aidin Vaziri
Since moving to San Francisco from Southern California many years ago, my tolerance for sitting in a car has steadily diminished. So when it comes to planning a weekend getaway, the zoom-out lever on my Google Maps screen barely inches past the halfway mark. Fortunately, on a recent day trip along the least snaky portion of Highway 1, between San Francisco and Santa Cruz, I discovered Pescadero — a charming little town tucked in the rolling green hills off what is probably the most beautiful stretch of road in the country. With its working farms, sweeping coastal views, and world-renowned artichoke bread, it’s a far-out place that doesn’t require you to travel too far out of the city.
There are a lot of great things happening around Pie Ranch, a sustainable working farm that happens to be shaped like a slice of pie. There are monthly barn dances, outdoor dinner parties, and educational programs for high school students from around the Bay Area (including Mission High). For casual visitors, though, the biggest lure is the farm stand that offers not only a variety of fresh produce but seasonal pies as well. Outdoor picnic tables are provided for anyone who wants to sit down and devour a piece of pie along with a cup of freshly brewed coffee.
It would be easy to spend a whole day at Harley Farms just watching the goats in the back. The American Alpine milking goats provide the source material for the delectable goods inside the small farm shop, including tasty chèvre logs, rounds covered with edible flowers from the garden, and a variety of goat-milk based bath and body products (which you probably shouldn’t eat). Make sure to peek inside the stunning hayloft, where they serve seasonal dinners and host private parties. I’m fairly certain it’s where I want to celebrate my next significant birthday.
The 115-foot Pigeon Point Lighthouse — one of the tallest in the country — is, sad to say, in a state of disrepair. But that’s okay because you can still gaze up at it after a dip in the oceanside hot tub at the surprisingly affordable hostel. Perched on a cliff, the tidy but basic accommodations offer a great place to settle in for an overnight stay. Downtown Pescadero is just a five-minute drive away; there are great beaches in either direction, and it’s a quick hike to the tide pools teeming with all kinds of sea creatures.
From the outside, Arcangeli Grocery Company/Norm’s Market is just a small grocery store with a confusing name. But people in the know line up for the fresh-out-of-the-oven artichoke garlic herb bread that rarely survives the walk from the cash register to your parking spot.
Duarte’s Tavern is both a tourist trap and an institution. In a two-block town distinctly lacking sit-down restaurants, this old-school family joint with its wood-paneled walls and adjacent dive bar has served as Pescadero’s social hub since 1894, despite the high menu prices and indifferent service. If you must go — and you must — stick with the artichoke soup and a stiff drink.
There are plenty of wonderful beaches and hiking spots dotting Highway 1, but what sets Año Nuevo State Park apart is the constant bark of northern elephant seals, who use the sand dunes here to rest and mate. If you book a guided walk down the windswept rocks, you can actually get close enough to watch the gargantuan mammals in action, or more typically, inaction.
Apart from the hostel, there are a handful of rustic and romantic places around Pescadero to spend the weekend — such as the Pescadero Bed and Biscuit or the Pescadero Creekside Barn. Then there is Costanoa, which is basically a campsite for people who don’t like camping. There is a somewhat cramped area set aside for tents and RVs, but most visitors opt for the well-appointed Douglas Fir cabins or the tent bungalows (both with daily maid service). There is a convenience store on-site for any last-minute essentials, like wine and potato chips, and a full-service bar and grill. Two warnings: (1) During the summer months the place is overrun with families. (2) It’s not completely devoid of wildlife. If you need to run to the shared bathrooms in the middle of the night, you will likely have to first make it past one of the resident skunks.
You wouldn’t want to drive all the way down to Pescadero without going a little farther south to visit Swanton Berry Farm. You can pick your own organic berries in the field or pop into the farm stand — a big, lively room full of board games and books where their signature jams are offered at wholesale prices, along with seasonal treats such as olallieberry cheesecake slices and chocolate-dipped strawberries.
On the front lawn, the Slowcoast Airstream Store offers locally sourced, socially conscious gifts to bring back home as well as give to yourself. After driving so far, it’s the least you deserve.
These are just some of our favorite places in and around Pescadero. Please share some of yours in the comments section.
Photography by Carol Vaziri. Designed by Elizabeth Brown.
