Peninsular Coastline

With steep, chiseled cliffs and frequently enormous waves that are popular with surfers and whales, the peninsular coastline is one of the great road trip destinations on the West Coast. Highway 1 winds up, down, and around tight curves and stunning viewpoints from Santa Cruz’s beaches to the small bedroom communities of Half Moon Bay and Pacifica. Half Moon Bay is an artsy town, best known for its pumpkin festival and Halloween decorations and spirit. Pacifica is more of a surfing-centric town and home to many commuters making the short trek north to San Francisco on weekdays. The region is infamous for its near constant chilly temperatures (they rarely leave the 50s) and frequent fog, even in the summertime. These might be beaches, but nobody is going to linger for hours suntanning in a swimsuit on them.