Great non-profit hostel. The grounds are so beautiful, and the scenery is sublime. The staff was…read morehelpful, and love the kitchen (bring your own food) and common areas with games. A few small complaints - the bathroom sink required holding the lever down (annoying - had to turn on the shower to wash my face), and no USB port or power outlet near each bed like some other hostels, although they do have a power outlet in the room, and wifi. While you're in the area, check out Fitzgerald Marine Reserve during low tide to see the sea critters, and walk the Devil's Slide Trail. If you're new to hostels, google "tips for staying in a hostel". It's not a hotel.

I was going to chalk my experience up to just a grumpy old lady but after chatting with another…read moregroup who went in after us I'm going to change that to grumpy old racist lady I proposed to my girlfriend down the street from here and we came here to take some pictures with the lighthouse, upon passing the gate we were almost immediately approached by this grumpy old lady. Huffing and puffing yelling at us that this is a private property. I (VERY NICELY) told her that we were under the impression that there was an easement to the beach (which is true), she then goes to say that we didn't sign the digital waiver at the door, ok fair enough, I immediately tell her that we will go right away back up to the gate and sign the waiver. She then proceeds to yell at us about how we are not allowed to do professional photoshoots, okay lady I get that maybe I do look like a model (especially compared to her) but some friends with a camera isn't a professional photoshoot. I once again, nicely explain to her that I just proposed and we're just trying to get a few pics of the location and we will go sign the waiver right away. She proceeds once again to repeat herself about the waivers which I don't understand because I already said we would go sign it right away and her talking is actually what is preventing from us from going to sign the waivers. She then ironically says "it's unfortunate that this is what you will remember from your engagement day" like what?! LADY if you know you're ruining our day why are you doing this? but fear not it did not ruin our day because I will not let some old hag ruin my day so I once again tell her we will go sign the waivers, she then has the balls to tell me that "this is a non-profit, there is a donation box at the door" ok PAUSE I would be MORE than happy to donate $50, even $100 to your location but not after the way you just treated us. We end up walking back up to the gate to sign the waivers and run into another couple making their way down the hill. I jokingly told them to make sure they signed the waiver or they would get yelled at to which they told me they didn't and proceeded down the hill. We ended up running into them at the parking lot again and they told us that they lady gave them no trouble even though they didn't sign the waiver. I jokingly said to them it's probably because of race (we are asian, they were Caucasian) to which they replied that they really may have been the case because they had no trouble at all. It's unfortunate such a beautiful location is run by such an old grumpy lady. I 100% own it that we should have signed the waiver upon entry but if rules exist they should apply to everyone regardless or age/race/gender/etc.. and on top of that once I already told her we would go sign the waivers she could have easily sent us about our way but I can't imagine why she felt the need to continuously lecture and yell at us.

Such a unique experience. I've lived in Pacifica for years and always wondered the history of this…read morecastle and what was inside. Now I know! Definitely worth a visit for anyone who likes unique history, movie buffs, and grand decor. Plus, delicious lemonade.

Who knew there was a castle in Pacifica? A nice visit if you're into history, architecture and want…read moreto see some views. Built in 1908 by the San Francisco rail magnate Henry Harrison McCloskey by the sea as a safe haven after his San Francisco home was severely damaged in the 1906 earthquake. It was later sold by his wife after her husband's death in 1914 Up until 1959, it had a reputation as a speakeasy, an illegal abortion clinic, a brothel and Coast Guard barracks during World War II. The castle was purchased and restored in 1959 by the late Sam Mazza, commercial painter and real estate magnate filled it with items from old theaters (fixtures, props) and items he purchased at garage sales...so a lot of kitschy items can be found. Place was never used as a residence but hosting parties and used as an event space. The place isn't as grand as I had imagined but definitely back in the day when Pacifica wasn't quite developed. A bit worn on the outside with no greenery and can see it providing a creepy backdrop at night. The docents (dressed as Mr and Mrs McCloskey) and Jeanette Cool, Executive Director of the Sam Mazza Foundation provided rich history that made it interesting and fun. The tour is 1.5 hours with a 10min video from 2000 of Sam Mazza at age 94...energetic and a bit quirky, eccentric with unique taste. All his real estate holdings, including the castle, and his art was left to his foundation after he passed in 2002. So now the castle provides tours, afternoon tea, holiday events and even a Halloween event with a medium...yeah friend bought tickets for that! An enjoyable visit with light refreshments after so grab a bite to eat before or after your tour

Return visit but to learn about the burials of the famous in Colma. By all means, drop by to…read morereceive a printout of all the famous dead in Colma. The docent on duty was so helpful and a gold mine for information. Also, they have binders filled with photos of interurbans and trains from the area's past. Other binders covering other subjects were available but I wanted to see more of the famous graves.

What a hidden gem! Only open on Saturdays from 12-3, so plan accordingly. Staffed by knowledgeable…read moredocents. This free museum is like discovering an attic full of forgotten treasures. Recommended.

OK, first of all let me say this the first time I've been there. Nice little place. Great service…read moreambience was pretty good. We ate outside in the patio, which was really nice. Food selection was really good. I'll have pictures up of what we had. Drinks were nice overall value was great these people here do it right if you're in the area check this place out you won't be disappointed

My son and family live here in Half Moon Bay. When they moved here a few years ago I was…read moredelighted. I have loved this quirky and beautiful little beach town since I was a young man. Spanish town is one of our favorite restaurants in the old downtown. If you think the town is quirky, wait in till you see this little gem. It just feels comfortable being inside. The covered patio in the back is where our favorite table is. I always order the goat. It is spicy and slow simmered and fabulous. All of the other dishes are equally made authentically, and like your momma made it. The service is friendly, professional and fast. They have a off street parking in the back. The margaritas are the best in town.

"Wow!!" "This is so cool!" "I love this!" - me the entire time I was walking through Coyote Hills…read moreVisitor Center After completing the hilly loop at Coyote Hills, we stopped by the Visitor Center in search of a restroom before heading to our car. Talk about a hidden gem! I've been to Coyote Hills so many times but always assumed this was just a building of offices for the park rangers. I didn't know it was a whole interactive museum! Granted, it's a small museum but still. There's tons of educational exhibits that are both visually interesting and super informational. I love how much the exhibits really honor the land and the tribes that were here before. They also have displays and dioramas of the wildlife and what the land might've looked like before we had all of the buildings and technology, etc around. The staff was super helpful and did a great job helping us and all of the very curious kids there. She even brought out their snake for us to pet (you know, just me standing in a line behind all the kids because I was stoked to get close up with a snake lol). They also have a garden that is the perfect place for someone looking to just sit and enjoy the nature in a quiet space. It was a bit of a rainy morning when we stopped by so the garden was wet but I bet it's really beautiful in the spring. There's lots of picnic tables outside so this could be a fun, free adventure for families or friends/couples. So cool that they have so many planned activities too. If you're ever at Coyote Hills, def consider stopping by and donate to support!

Great Visitor's Center, just keep going past the first parking lot and it will be on your left in…read morethe back area with more interesting hill trails and closer access marsh trails. They have an outdoor garden called the "Nectar Garden" that has a small butterfly aviary but a much larger selection of indigenous and foreign plants. Throughout the garden are small fountains and different frog and animal statues which are fun for the kids to find. The plants are labelled and we enjoyed the large white lilies next to the the trumpet tree which has a similar pink bloom like cherry blossoms but are much larger. Inside are some dedicated exhibitions to the indigenous Ohlone, Bay Miwok, and Delta Youkes people which are very well done and informative. There is a 1:1 Tule Reed Boat, videos on keeping Ohlone crafts alive, and an impressive scale model diorama of a village. Drawers can be pulled out and more details can be discovered about tools and crafts from this area's earliest people. Before we came in, my oldest asked us what kind of animals lived in the marsh and all the answers were in the visitor's center. They have models of all the native plants and animals and there are even replicas of the gross but necessary sand worms and their egg sacs.

We randomly decided to spend the day in Pacifica and a quick google search recommended a visit to…read moreSanchez Adobe. We came upon the small museum/Interpretive Center and were greeted by two lovely ladies. One lady showed us around the center and gave us a nice overview of the exhibits and the history of the area. Then the other lady led us outside to visit the Adobe house. The second floor is being fixed so we only toured the first floor. We returned to the museum building and we watched a couple short educational videos on the tv. Then we took about 15 minutes to get a closer look at the exhibits and to buy some postcards. The visit was totally free. They mentioned that a lot of kids come here for a field trip and they have cute hands on activities for them. I left with a greater appreciation for the Indigenous Peoples and early California history.

Sanchez Adobe House (est 1842) is a historical landmark and a mission outpost of Don Francisco…read moreSanchez. It seats on a five-acre parcel adjacent to Linda Mar Blvd. It's a good spot to take event photography such as wedding. Free parking available. Overall, it's an interesting house.

Saw this place one day out of the corner of my eye while lost on Kings Mountain Road when I saw the…read moresign... returned another day only to find it closed. Went today (open Saturday Noon till 4pm). Interesting place, a flashback to simpler but rougher times in the "old West". A little slow if you go on a day without the pre-mentioned & reviewed activities and/or events, but still nice to see how it was to live through memorabilia of that long-gone era. At one point I commented out loud that an item hanging from the ceiling looked to be a bedpan, and the attendant sitting bored behind the counter corrected me saying it was a popcorn popper, and the bedpan was 3-1/2 feet to the left, over the door. Interesting but boring unless you use your imagination. PHOTOGRAPHICALLY SPEAKING: Lots of bygone era items to photograph but very dark. If you're into history this is nice to visit, but bring an external flash so you don't kill your camera battery using your built-in flash extensively. The exterior of these old structures is very photographically excellent... hint, hint. http://www.historysmc.org/woodside.html NO parking anywhere except for the unpaved dirt parking lot - if the parking lot is closed, then the "store" is also. Hours Tuesday/Thursday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Saturday/Sunday 12 p.m. - 4 p.m. Admission Free (donations accepted within)

So during our little trip to Woodside, we decided to continue driving and drove past this huge old…read morewooden building, this place looked all old and such. Anyways, we decided to see what this place was and it turned out to be a museum of some sort. Simply put, back in the day this was the only rest stop between SF and SJ and most of the time people would stop here and take a break or so and then continue on their journey. Its a General Store/Post office/Dentists office/Shingle Making place. The owner of this place? Dr. Tripp. Him and this other guy who i forget the name of came from the East Coast and decided to go into the shingle business. And since they were surrounded by all these redwoods it was a pretty good idea. Anyways they opend up this general store for people passing by and etc. Dr. Tripp was also a dentist so he would also do dental check-ups for people too. Overall this place isnt very big, its got a lot of old stuff to look it. You can see some old food cans and wine bottles. Some real old piggy banks that do pretty neat coin tricks. Old shoes and stoves and a toaster which looks like a cheese grater. In the other rooms they have a bunch of huge saws and other gizmos and gadgets. There is also the old dentist chair and notary area/post office in the smaller room. So if your in the area take a quick look, our tour guide was Bill, or Bob dang I forgot but yea he or someone else will give you a tour and explain the story behind the place. And there is no fee and if you feel like donating money there is a barrel with the tag donation labeled on it. Also on every first sunday of May they have this little get together where they take you on a wagon ride and have little activites like making rope and ice cream etc, a pie eating contest, shingle making etc.. So bring some kids along, it might be a lot of fun. I mean seriously, when was the last time you actually went on a wagon ride?

Keep an eye out for the special events held at this museum as I always have a good time! This year…read moreI have been to the annual yard sale on the grounds and an annual holiday tea in the museum, both of which were very well run. The holiday tea was my first experience inside the full museum. Upstairs was a display of items made and invented in Sunnyvale, which was really interesting! Downstairs, there are historical exhibits about the Murphy family, showing off many of their wares. There are additional exhibits that feature history of the Ohlone tribe as well as information about agriculture and innovation in Sunnyvale. The teas throughout the year are held by the Sunnyvale Historical Society and Museum Association and are run by volunteers as fundraisers, and we had a lovely time. I would highly recommend attending! Lots of easy parking is available in front of the museum. There is a museum store that, in addition to museum merchandise, sells vintage jewelry and other fun treasures.

We enjoyed checking this place out over the weekend. An outdoor courtyard in front of the museum,…read moreas well as two levels of exhibits inside, showcased the history of Sunnyvale and the surrounding area, staged rooms (bedroom, kitchen, living area) presenting plenty of interesting pieces in the Murphy home, old photos of Libby's water tower (the giant fruit can that still stands today), antique instruments such as an 1895 graphophone along with several different pianos, vintage toys and technology with an impressive timeline display that brought a feeling of nostalgia, and of course the temporary Baylug Gingerbread Village Lego exhibit, charming in the details including a model railroad, planes, trains, and boats (with the option of a scavenger hunt too). The staff and volunteers here were helpful and cordial during our visit, and we appreciated getting to explore the various rooms at our own pace. We picked up a few items from the gift shop before leaving, some cool lego glasses and sunglasses for kids, the timing during the holidays working in our favor as they had some quite unique stuff. We also walked around the Orchard Heritage Park and Interpretive Exhibit, adjacent to the museum. We viewed the informational boards on site, about the community who cared for the land as well as apricots! Sure there were plenty of bare trees in winter, but the scenery was still so lovely. It was a great way to end our time here. Days/hours of operation are limited during the week, just Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays (for 2024, closed xmas eve and new years eve, but open an extra day Saturday 12/28). Free parking and free admission.