Hot Chocolate Warm-Up at the Ritz!

Having been a little cooped up this past week, we relished our quick jaunt to the coast to check out the shore at Half Moon Bay. I wanted to see if the tsunami waves had washed up anything interesting... I think the most interesting part was that there were NO shells, and NO sea glass.  Usually we scoop up all kinds of flotsam and jetsam, this past Saturday the beach was wiped clean.

The tide was still pretty dangerous and more than a little ferocious. We still thought we might be able to get around one of our favorite points at Half Moon Bay. (where I usually find all kinds of purple sea urchins and periwinkle shells) Yeah....probably shouldn't have tried that, as we got a little bit soaked trying to out-run the sets of waves back to safer ground!

Still so much beauty. Sometimes it's just a matter of actually seeing it.  Look how these prehistoric-looking barnacles and dark blue mussels have clung to a crevice in a basalt beach rock just waiting for the tide to surge in.

Coastal flowers are beginning their annual show of color; dark fuchsia pinks, butter yellows....

Thank goodness the Ritz Carlton at Half Moon Bay welcomes wet sandy beach combers to their outdoor patio! It's one of our favorite places to relax on a weekend (or weekday escape!) afternoon.   The patio at the Ritz faces the Pacific Ocean looking Northwest - perfect for watching crashing waves, swooping sea birds, and pink sunsets.

Awaiting guests on the patio, big round brick gas fire pits are lit with cozy fires, and surrounded by generous comfortable, Adirondack chairs.  We always meet interesting people gathered around from all parts of the world, simply enjoying the afternoon in the sea air. (The picture is from a previous trip)

The best part?  At 4:30 the Chocolate Bar is open on the patio!  Three choices of hot chocolate can be had - milk, dark or white.  Too many choices!  They even sell entire kits for roasting your very own S'mores over the fire, roasting sticks included. Yummy, ooey-gooey chocolate chunk cookies are always on the menu too.

Their  gourmet hot chocolate can be ordered with, or without your choice of liqueur, and then topped off with whipped cream, crushed coffee beans, white chocolate stir sticks, crushed cookies. Of course my particular favorite is always available- mini marshmallows!  I had a little Baileys and a little Frangelico, Tom opted for Gran Marnier.

Yes, life is good.


Shared on Savvy Southern Style - "Wow Us Wednesdays"


http://savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com/2011/03/wow-us-wednesdays-8-and-sisters-home.html

Earth Day at Caron's Beach House - Part 2

I have good news to report!  My big project of going to the beach at  Half Moon Bay to scoop up plastic and debris from the sand netted very little to pick up, only some tiny pieces, a knife handle, one rusty tin can bottom, and a magnetic plastic blue letter "R".   Here's my dad, my mom and Tom leading the way down the shore in front of the Ritz Carlton (isn't it beautiful??!!!) -

Fabulous sunny day for a beach walk and to look for tiny washed worn pieces of sea glass and pocketfuls of tiny periwinkle shells and delicate olive shells.

My mom and dad have been down visiting all this week, and staying at an RV resort right next to the Ritz. There is a great path that wanders down to the beach through the golf course, cement walkway and cement stairs down to the sand.  BTW, I am not a golfer, but could definitely learn how to be one on this incredible course that meanders all along the cliff and in front of the hotel. (or better yet, Tom could golf, and I could drink beer and drive the golf cart?)  You do not need to be a guest of the hotel, or a guest at the RV park to enjoy the beach, there is a free public parking lot at the top of the path for anyone to use.

If you go at low tide, or near low tide, there are tidepools galore to explore! Full of starfish, sea anemones, hermit crabs, live periwinkles, mussels and shells.

Big Green Anenome - they are all covered in gritty sand, it was hard to find one that was not!

Tons of Periwinkles (Black Turban Shells)!  These shells make great little houses for hermit crabs too!

 We managed to find some pretty (empty) shells lying in the tide line that did not have any live animals inside, and slipped them into our pockets.... 

Big orange starfish crunched into a crevice in the rocks - he's (she's?) probably feasting 

on anemones, mussels or the periwinkles.

Such a glorious dark shade of purple on this leather starfish.... we had such a great time scrambling all over the rocks to scout out the best pictures!

A sample of my stash! 

I think this describes perfectly our day on the beach!  I found this 18" diameter flat bamboo bowl at Ikea last week, it is a perfect display piece on my new dining room table for my favorite beach treasures......

Enjoy your Sunday - we are off on another adventure to take a walk in the sun 

on the Great Highway near the Cliff House in San Francisco! 

(PS  I found the "Happiness" rock in a cute boutique in Half Moon Bay... more on that later!)