On this post, our day out on the San Mateo coast visiting Pescadero beach and Audubon trail, -plus a lunch spot, a general store, and a farmstand to stop at. Mother’s Day ideas for you and a great book for those parenting 20 somethings.
Welcome to the Weekend Meander with Elizabeth and Juliet where we share our finds and other cool things.
How has your week been? I’m sort of excited as Kristin got tickets for the family to go to The Devil Wears Prada tonight. I can’t wait. It sure is nice to have a girl in the family (or nearly) now! This would never happen with my sons. I am going to lunch this weekend at my favorite spot, Village Bakery with Jackson and Kristin as they’ll be away next week, so it’s sort of an early Mom’s day. I hope to get to pop into Emily Joubert while I am there and report back on all the beauty they have. Last year I bought the most wonderful rose bush and it’s doing well.
The windswept San Mateo coast
Highway 84 and the historic San Gregorio General Store
A nature walk with lunch afterwards is my perfect kind of day. Add in a spot to grab a cookie afterwards and it’s perfection! Last Friday Max and I took a chance to get to the San Mateo coast and walk the Pescadero Marsh and beach. We got lucky with the weather and had a sunny day with fluffy clouds. We took highway 84 to Highway 1. (A little winding but not too bad.)
As you near the coast, you pass a lot of pretty farms, and come to the historic San Gregorio General Store. The store is a community gathering spot with a hippie vibe. I love all the books, kitchen wear, and kitschy items. There is a full bar, treats, ice cream, baked goods and a sunny patio. Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday they have live music.
We perused the books, and I bought a few of their always radical bumper stickers for our family bulletin board. You can see from the quotes on the exterior, this is a liberal outpost. I saw someone had left a protest sign as decor, and posed with it. This is great little stop if you are driving this part of the pretty empty San Mateo coast. (There is also nearby Blue House Farmstand open Sat/Sun where you can get produce and flowers. As we went on Friday it was closed.)
Pescadero Beach and Audubon Trail
Just a few miles south on Highway One, or 15 miles south of highway 92, is Pescadero State Beach. It’s a lovely two miles windswept part of the coast that is littered with driftwood and has one of the few coastal arches that hasn’t worn away. It makes for incredible photos. It’s peaceful and empty out this way. We saw a total of three people on the beach and the walk.
A wooden staircase on the eastern side of the central Pescadero Beach parking lot takes you to a pedestrian walkway along the Highway 1 Bridge that leads to another staircase down to the beach. Walking under the bridge from the beach leads to the lagoon and Pescadero Marsh Preserve and Sequoia Audubon Trail. Crossing Highway 1 on foot is not recommended. At the beach you walk south and can check out the arches. You head under the overpass (looks almost dystopian over this sand and water), to reach a pond with birds and the start of Sequoia Audubon Trail (There are 4 trails in total. We did this one.)
More than 200 species of birds have been recorded in the marsh, including more than 60 that nest there, among them great blue herons, and great egrets.
It’s an easy walk and you can go as far as you like. We saw a northern harrier, egrets, and many songbirds. I even spotted a pond with frogs. There are some beautiful downed trees that are left that way and used for the ecosystem, and Max couldn’t resist climbing one.The whole trail was just completed in November of last year. It’s less than a mile and you can go farther if you connect to the others.
Afterwards we headed south to Coastanoa, a cute eco-lodge. We had club sandwiches at their Cascade Restaurant. There’s a little store there to grab a snack. We stayed here with our kids when they were small and it’s a good getaway for families and larger groups.
Pie Ranch Non Profit Farmstand
This is such a lovely part of the coast and it is dotted with many beaches and farms as you make your way back towards Santa Cruz like we did. We made a stop at Pie Ranch, a collaborative farmstand with pies and baked goods from a Sant Cruz bakery, along with fresh produce, jams and cute merchandise.
Pie Ranch is a nonprofit dedicated to food education, regenerative agriculture, and community collaborations. They know the inequalities in farming and work to reduce those barriers through education, community partnerships, and inclusive programs, which is pretty cool. They are also a fun place to stop at! We came home with a small pie and a delicious brownie, fresh picked strawberries, and cute artisan bird stickers. Pie Ranch hosts bird watching tours, and barn dances too! More about events here and follow them on Instagram.
Mother’s Day Gift Ideas
I thought it would be fun to pull together a few ideas for Mother’s Day Gifts. I can’t believe it’s in a week!
If you need a gift, (or just for yourself), I collected some of favorite things- like these Serena & Lily linen pjs (on sale), the soft Sezane fragrance, their Canto candle, and the versatile Justine straw tote, Chantecaille’s luxe lipstick (wisteria is gorgeous), and the best sunglasses IMHO that I just bought again. On my own wish list is this pretty hurricane set, the chic and inexpensive freshwater pearl necklace, and the baby blue throw!
Shop them all below, and a few others on my list….
Or pop over to my ShopMy boutique page.
An Inspiring English home..
I fell in love with this home of designer Anna Hewitson! The kitchen color and layout with an eat in table is so good. The whole home is personal and inspiring!
Other Happenings…
I’ve been updating popular posts, and this post about my California room/office has been refreshed with current links and pieces that I used in this room. Many of them are Serena & Lily pieces that are on sale right now.
A book I’ve got on my list to read and I wanted to share is You and Your Adult Child. My friend that I partner with at my library volunteer job has kids in their 20’s as well and shared it with me. This is an exciting, but also challenging time for parent and child. When do you let go and when do you intervene? My friend said this book was hugely helpful and made her feel less anxious. A lot of people of my generation have control issues as parents and are still exerting a lot of it in their adult children’s lives. Parents need to realize when you step back you give them more autonomy- and more self confidence. I look forward to reading this as I’m still trying to figure things out myself as the mom of two twenty something men!
Sezane x Inoui Editions
In Paris last summer my friend Erin and I discovered Inoui Editions, a Parisian brand known for creating beautiful travel oriented prints they use on bags and scarves, and we were obsessed! Think Hermès with more whimsy. I just noticed French brand Sézane is doing a collaboration with them and there are still some pretty pieces left. I love this top and short set, this little travel bag, and this dress. The whole collection here.
One article to read this week- We Are Bombarding America’s Forests With Roundup. While I was in the car this week I caught this story on NPR and it was shocking. Unbeknownst to most of us, our state is spraying Roundup on our forests from Humboldt to Lassen, to Yosemite, throughout Tahoe, the Pacific Crest Trail, and all over our California public lands, in the guise of forest management. Nate Halverson did a year long investigation for this story that I hope you’ll share and read.
It’s been a dark week in politics.
Besides the shocking news that our landmark Voting Rights Act was dismantled this week, you may not know that at least 5 million LESS Americans signed up for healthcare coverage this year, as Congress let the subsidies on Obamacare expire. What?! Republicans said we couldn’t afford that, but we’ve got money for wars and for ballrooms and building the largest arch in the world as tribute to Trump. The new cost for the average person on the ACA was between $500-$1000 more a month- and that’s for people who are already struggling. I urge you to read this from the NYTimes.
If you missed last weekend’s post, I shared an easy walk along San Francisco’s Presidio Coastal Trail to Golden Gate Bridge and a great Italian deli to have lunch at afterwards.
Wishing you a good weekend,
Kim
Please stop by Elizabeth and Juliet’s blogs for more good things…
PINECONES AND ACORNS
MAKE MINE A SPRITZER
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The ballroom is not being paid for with tax dollars.
It’s privately funded. It won’t be finished until tight before Trump leaves office and is to be used for future presidents. It’s telling you noted several instances of darkness, but failed to mention the THIRD assassination attempt on Trump last Saturday. Yes, a very dark week indeed!
Hi Stacy,
This week Senator Lindsay Graham asked congress to approve $400 million to complete the ballroom, that Trump once said would be paid by his donors.
In fact Graham pushed a new bill for it just three days ago:
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5852036-gop-senators-white-house-ballroom-bill/
By the way, these donors have been proven to be people that are paying Trump for favors- for either mergers, or government contracts- none of which is good for America, but great for Trump himself. It’s all corruption out in the open we should be raging against.
More facts we should know about this ‘ballroom money’- of the 24 corporate donors, 14 are facing federal enforcement actions and/or have had federal enforcement actions suspended by the Trump administration. Also two-thirds of the 24 known corporate donors have recent government contracts for projects, totaling $279 billion, many who we may be overpaying as there seems to be no government contract bidding now – just favors to his donors.
https://www.citizen.org/news/corporate-donors-to-trumps-white-house-ballroom-beset-by-conflicts-received-279-billion-in-government-contracts-in-the-past-five-years/
By the way, the gun violence that happened at the WH Correspondence Dinner was a great chance for Trump and the GOP to call for stronger gun laws and change in this nation. They could have called for universal background checks, and for more gun control laws. Not even ONCE was the gun or how it was gotten, or the prevalence of gun violence – which is growing, ever mentioned once by the administration. Clearly, they are willing to live with the highest gun violence in the world, in exchange for the unfettered access to all kind of guns, to the detriment of human lives- and even presidents, over making change. So yes another sad day for us all.
Thank you, Kim, for the education you provide and backing it all up with receipts!
Kim, yes, yes, Yes!
Sadly, you are misinformed . The ballroom is being partially by tax dollars, And overages will also come from taxes.
Kim, this post is full of so many good things! I am going to order your book recommendation—my son is 20 and I think I need a little help. He’s delightful, smart, and very independent, which can be hard as a mom at times. Thanks for that recommendation.
Another rough week in our country, for sure. My Indivisible book club just happened to be meeting this past Wednesday after the SC decision came out. Incidentally, we are reading Joyce Vance’s Giving Up is Unforgivable. I’m glad I was there that evening. Since I live in the South, in a terribly red state, this is truly devastating. I have no words right now.
Your travel writings are always enjoyable. Thank you for that! Hope you a Happy Mother’s Day!
Hi Michelle! Aw thank you. I am in the same boat..adore my sons, but not always sure if I am doing the right things!
I love that Indivisible book club. I need to look for one. I have Joyce’s book. What a good one to discuss on a somber and upsetting day. I love that you were all together that night.
Thank you for being a blue dot out there. It has to be tough. Hang in there. I feel change is coming. I really do.
Wishing you a good Mother’s Day too. xo
Thanks so much for the story about Pescadero. It’s been a favorite spot since I was a teenager. Keep up with all your adventures and observations. I love them all.
Hi Kim,
I so enjoyed seeing Pescadero Beach. It’s wonderful to see you both out together soaking up Mother Nature. The Sequoia Audubon Trail looks like that would be enjoyable too. The beach helps heal anything that may be causing you anxiety or stress. The stores have that CA with it cool vibe. So nice to see CA poppies. When we used to go on lots of hikes, especially in Marin County it was nice running into fields of CA Poppies.
I hear you about the on going saga and the direction that the Felon is taking us and his followers. I’m trying to stay in my own space. The political violence and the gun violence is so out of hand. It’s frightening to me. Guns and our laws are the problem.
I can’t believe it’s Mother’s Day next Sunday. I know you are one of the best out there giving unconditional love to your guys. How are the kitty’s? Have you had to wrap your electrical cords?
Have a lovely week.
Kim! Another incredible Bay Area outing … every time you post one of your adventures I think how lucky we are to live here. And what a treat – and early M-Day outing – to Village Bakery and Emily Joubert. I have a fond memory of visiting there with you, it’s such a lovely spot. It’s been a dark week for our country indeed. The only bright spot being King Charles excellent speeches showcasing what true leadership, statesmanship and diplomacy look like. Sigh. Love your California room style and can picture you in your pretty NorCal Style HQ. Happy weekend. xo
Good evening Kim,
I know that I always say this but I will say it again, I love your California adventures. I get to travel and walk vicariously through you and max as you see parts of california I have never been.
I love the Sezanne collaboration and wanted the dress with the map, unfortunately it said sold out.
So many great Mother’s Day gifts! I might need to get myself something.
Tell me about your job at the library!
Also, this sounds like a great book and even better advice from you.
As for the Roundup, is there anywhere they are not using that stuff? Our seeds, now your forests and who knows where else.
That was one of my favorite Homeworthy houses!
Have a great week Kim. I hope that you enjoyed The Devil Wears Prada!
xo
Kim, your nature walk looks absolutely stunning! And even more compelling when there’s the promise of lunch at the end! Love you, Mother’s Day gift ideas too!
xx
Kim, I enjoy so much about your blog, and I don’t comment in proportion to my enjoyment of it. I appreciate your style, your travel posts, and in these challenging times, your perspective on our country’s political situation. Thanks for being brave enough to speak truth on this last issue!
Aw thank you so much Maggie. Really appreciate it. I know these are hard times and I will keep trying to speak out. xo
Hi Kim,
Loved your latest post. We love the pie shop!! I just got my latest email from Jess Craven ‘chop wood/carry water’ and she is encouraging people to become poll workers in our upcoming elections – not sure if u want to share this with your readers – but since you write about a lot of things that are important to a free and safe world – you might find this of interest – best TBS
powerthepolls.org
Hi Tara!
Thank you so much I will share that! I love Jess.
I will add it to this week’s post. xo