ANO NUEVO STATE RESERVE - The site of the annual return of the elephant seals.The best time to observe the herd and pups is December through April, although a large colony of seals remains throughout the year.
New Year’s Creek Road, Pescadero (off Highway One, 27 miles south of Half Moon Bay).
For information, call (650) 879-0227

COASTAL ELEGANCE TOURS - Experience nature along the Half Moon Bay Pacific coast with Coastal Cycling, Tide Pool Aventures, Beach Picnics, or Custom Group Limo Eco-Tours. The tours include historic landmarks, local folk lore, ecology, wildlife and intertidal wilderness. Your hosts are nature photographers Mary and Phil Hill. For information call (650) 712-8456.
www.coastalelegancetours.com

HALF MOON BAY KAYAK - Kayak among seals, birds, and marine life in protected Pillar Point Harbor of the wild waters of the open Pacific.
Pillar Point Harbor, Half Moon Bay.
Phone: (650) 773-6101.
www.hmbkayak.com

LIGHTHOUSES - Pigeon Point Lighthouse built in 1872 in Pescadero is one of the tallest lighthouses in the U.S.
Call (650) 879-0633 for tour hours.
Point Montara Lighthouse in Montara was built in 1875.
Call (650) 728-7177

ACRES OF ORCHIDS (Rod McLellan Co.) - the largest and most successful Orchid hybridizing laboratory/nursery in the world. Open to the public.
914 South Claremont St., San Mateo, CA 94402.
Phone - 650-373-3920

BAYLANDS NATURE PRESERVE - the Palo Alto Baylands is a unique 1,700 acre nature preserve which is mostly salt marsh where more than 150 bird species can be observed.It has a number of trails and levees that are open for public enjoyment including a boardwalk built over the marsh.The Nature Interpretive Center offers exhibits and programswhich illustrate the area's unique natural history.
2775 Embarcadero Road (east end of Embarcadero Road), Palo Alto, CA 94303.
Phone: 650-329-2506

BEACHES AND PARKS - San Mateo County beaches provide a great day for exploring cliffs and bluffs, watching tide pools, fishing, strolling, horseback riding, and sunbathing.Butano State Park and the 8,020-acre complex which includes Memorial, Pescadero Creek, Sam McDonald and Heritage Grove county parks offer recreational activities galore, including hiking, camping, picnicking, or simple enjoyment of nature.
Call the San Mateo County Parks and Recreation Dept. at (650) 363-4021 for more details

JAMES FITZGERALD MARINE RESERVE – Site offers one of the most diverse tide pool systems in the state - a variety of seaweed, crabs, sponges, sea anemones, mollusks, starfish and fish.
Located off Coast Highway 1 in Moss Beach.
For more information, call (650) 728-3584

JAPANESE TEA GARDEN (San Mateo Central Park) - the garden, designed by a former landscape architect at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, features a tea house, waterfalls, a pagoda, and pathways through harmoniously arranged trees and rocks.The garden is made especially lovely in spring
by the cherry blossoms and in fall by the autumn foliage.
East 5th Avenue and El Camino Real, San Mateo, CA.
Phone:650-377-4640

MARINE SCIENCE INSTITUTE - The institute offers ecosystem education by prior arrangement for both children and adults by conducting teaching/research expeditions on board its 85-foot research vessel, shoreside programs (on-site explorations of aquatic animals and their environment) and tidepooling.
500 Discovery Parkway, Redwood City, CA 94063.
Phone:650-364-2760

NURSERIES - The coastside is the location for a huge number of fresh flowers/plants nurseries, Christmas tree farms and pumpkin fields. For more information on the various nurseries in the area, call the San Mateo County Farm Bureau at (650) 726-4485. The Shelldance Nursery in Pacifica features an outstanding collection of over 500 species of Bromeliads and Orchids.
Tours by appointment - (650) 355-4845

PESCADERO MARSH NATURAL RESERVE - One of the largest and most important marshes in California, this wildlife sanctuary is a favorite of birdwatchers and other animal lovers.The 500-acres of marshlands contain a wide variety of birds, mammals, amphibians, and plants.
Highway 1 at Pescadero Road.
For information, call the Half Moon Bay Coastside Chamber of Commerce: 650-726-5202

PULGAS WATER TEMPLE - Built in 1938, the temple commemorates the completion of the Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct which brings water to Crystal Springs Reservoir from the Sierras 150 miles away.This is one of only three such temples in the U.S., modeled after those erected near canals and waterways by the ancient Greeks.Just off Canada Road by the Crystal Springs Reservoir.

SUNSET MAGAZINE - the publishing headquarters are surrounded by 15 acres of gardens, entertainment areas and patios. Self-guided tours of the gardens are offered during the week.
80 Willow Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025.
Phone:(650) 321-3600

WHALE WATCHING - The California whales continue their migration off shore from December through April.In many places they are visible from the shore, but the best way to view them is from a boat.Boats leaving from Princeton Harbor offer whale-watching tours, fishing charters, and trips to the Farallon Islands to study birds and sea mammals. Huli Cat Sport Fishing Charter - (650) 726-2926 and Huck Finn Sportfishing - (650) 726-7133 http://HalfMoonBayWhaleWatch.com.