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Half Moon Bay things to do

1flyingyogi

Well Known Member
Hey guys. I'll be up north for a few days and wanted to land at HAF (never been there before). I have about half a day to spend there. Anything to do/ see that's within walking distance of the airport? Or maybe I can use Uber if there's some place further away worth seeing? Thanks.
 
Park at the south end of the airport, walk along a short trail thru the trees and you'll be at the boat harbor. Several nice places to eat, menu may depend on what they caught that day! Continue walking south and you'll be on a very nice beach (but the water is much colder than SoCal!). If you head north along the road a mile or two, there are some very nice tidepools to check out (if the tide is out). If you come on just the right day, bring binoculars, the famous Mavericks very large wave surfing contest is held off-shore from the airport, once a year.
Have an alternate in mind, HAF gets frequent low costal overcast, it can be IFR when 10 miles inland it's vfr. It does have a good GPS approach if you and the plane are rated/equipped.
 
Princeton Seafood

Walk over to Princeton Seafood and get whatever is fresh to bring home with you.

Stop at the Half Moon Bay Brewing Company get some lunch, and a growler to take home with you.

You'll be arriving at the start of pumpkin season, so leave some room in the baggage compartment for a pumpkin or two. Check your weight and balance closely, they get really heavy.

Walk into the historic downtown to grab a pastry from the cafe or just walk the strip. EDIT: Sorry, realized just now that the one-way distance from HAF to Main street is over 5 miles. Maybe catch a Lyft for that one.

Double check the weather, HAF often gets fogged in. You can use SQL as an alternate, it will be clear when HAF isn't. But then if you have to drive up and over 92 you're going to regret it. The traffic is horrible.
 
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May be worth a trip to the Moss Beach Distillery. Great restaurant on the coast with an entertaining ghost story.
 
All above advice is good. Man, I miss Half Moon Bay. Visited by car in 2016; haven't flown over in decades. Love that place.
 
Barbara's Fish Shack

Barbara's Fish Shack, a short walk South from the tie downs in Princeton by the Sea, has fantastic tempura scallops!

Bob Cowan, RV 7A
 
Being a HMB local (and RV-7 builder) all of the above are great suggestions. Park at the south ramp; you have easy access to some great food (Mezza Luna italian, Old Princeton Landing (bar/burgers), Half Moon Bay Brewing Co, Barbaras fish trap (best fish and chips around) ... lots of others, too!) It's an easy walk to the bluffs by the airport and to the ocean. It is pumpkin season and HMB is the a self-proclaimed Pumpkin Capital, so bring a few home. There's a farm/pumpkin stand right across from the terminal building. Downtown HMB is quite charming, but it's about 4 miles south, so it would be a bit hard to get to. Watch the WX; we enjoy the famous SF fog, so it may be able to get close but not all the way in w/o an IFR ticket, however, as fall encroaches, the fog leaves and the WX is generally good for VFR.

Feel free to PM me with any questions; I'll be happy to help you enjoy our coastal town.
 
Thanks for all the great advice guys! Too bad there is no FBO/ crew car. I see that there's some hiking trails with amazing views, but too far from the airport.

I want to fly north and see the Bay Area/ Golden Gate Bridge also. On the Sectional, there's a box that says, "CAUTION 124.3 AT OR BLO 2000' BAY AREA", is that the air-to-air frequency for traffic advisories in the area?

Also, at about what time does the fog usually start to roll back in? I was planning on taking off before 6pm.
 
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