Half Moon Bay

Today Robbie and I celebrate our fourth wedding anniversary. It has been a wonder four years full of laughter, growth, and love. He was my best friend on the day we were married and he has grown to be so much more than that today. In celebration of our time together, we decided to spend the weekend in Half Moon Bay. Neither of us had ever been to Half Moon Bay (HMB), so we were excited to experience a new adventure. One of my co-workers, Elaina, has family that owns a restaurant right in the middle of downtown, so I knew that she would be the one to talk to. She recommended that we stay at the Half Moon Bay Inn, and it couldn’t have been a better choice. Robbie and I love unique local hotels that offer more than a chain can provide. This hotel was just that. Our room was titled the “Renaissance Queen” and it was beautifully decorated with romantic touches of a Renaissance era. We had the corner room, so two of our four walls were lined with windows and plantation shutters. The hotel’s character was found in even the simplest forms, such as our toilet paper rolled into a rose.

The point of our weekend was to relax. We spent a lot of time in the town, walking around browsing shops, and just enjoying the atmosphere. My parents had gotten Robbie and I a gift certificate for a great Italian restaurant named, it’s Italia! We could not be more pleased with the service and food we received. We sat at this amazing table in the corner of the back patio, right next to a fireplace; the fireplace was perfect because Half Moon Bay can get chilly at night. To kick off the evening, we started with a caprese appetizer. I had forgotten how delicious that plate is! Taking my first bite flooded my mind with memories of Italy and the amazing food adventures we experienced last summer. Next I moved on the prawns, linguine, and tomato cream sauce that was so tasty that I could not restrain myself. After dinner I was not compelled to by pass dessert, so I ordered the tiramisu and a hot chocolate. Needless to say, I was stuffed but elated.

We were able to spend the Fourth of July in HMB and watch the local parade. It was pretty full of cheese, but it was really fun to see the locals so involved. We also drove to Pacifica to see the fog, but were disappointed to find out that we drove there on one of the two days a year it’s not foggy. The California coastline was incredible; the ocean was bluer than I have ever seen it. After our drive we came back to the hotel and took naps. It was wonderful! I can’t remember the last time I had a nap, let alone not holding feelings guilt for it. Later that night we stumbled upon The Cocktail Monkeys at the local bar and grill. They put on quite a show and the crowd of cougars were loving it. I even impressed Robbie with the amount of lyrics I could recite from AC/DC’s, “You Shook Me All Night Long”.

Overall, the weekend was fabulous. I could not have asked for a better time with a better person. Robbie and I are at a time in our careers where we have opposing work schedules, so being able to spend so much time together is irreplaceable. He is a man that has challenged me to think outside the box and become a better person; he has made me want to pull my hair out with his crazy ideas; and he has taught me to love deeper than I could have ever imagined before. Half Moon Bay will forever hold a special place in my heart.