San Mateo County Review

Overall 5.00 of 5 (by 1 user)

Jennifer
Pacific Palisades, CA

Small-town friendliness and gorgeous beaches

interested in beauty in all forms, love local culture and products, love to travel, an avid and frequent traveler, family traveler, love nature, a travel & lifestyles writer, mom of 2

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Pros

mellow vacation, great for children, ocean and bay beaches, family-owned shops and restaurants

Cons

not exciting, not a luxury destination

SEP

2007

San Mateo County —

Travel south of San Francisco, and you'll find out how enjoyable a mellow vacation can be. San Mateo County, in between San Francisco and Palo Alto, makes for a slower-paced, relaxing stay. Kids have a great time playing on the beaches, and the many independently owned inns and family restaurants are a welcome break from the ubiquitous McDonalds and Holiday Inns in North America. In fact, the region is itself the welcome break; the friendly, small town attitude of its residents seems like a throwback to a more innocent age.

There isn't much in terms of excitement or thrill rides in San Mateo County. The activities we did there are enjoyable on a much smaller scale than many travelers may have come to expect.

Recommended Activities:

The San Mateo County History Museum - This museum, and its docents, proudly showcase exhibits spanning the major historical eras of the San Francisco Peninsula. From the gold rush and whaling ships, to modern technology and internet businesses (like Electronic Arts) in Palo Alto, the exhibits are interesting and well done.

The Burlingame Museum of Pez Memorabilia - It's exactly what it sounds like; a whole museum dedicated to the joys of Pez. It's funny to see this, and with over 500 Pez dispensers on top of Pez toys and books, kids end up surprisingly fascinated. Not all children enjoy museums, of course, but they sure seem to get a kick out of this one!

The Hiller Aviation Museum - This museum is great of fans of the history of air travel, with many models of early planes hanging from the ceiling like mobiles. THe interactive displays are especially popular, but my favorite part of this large warehouse-style museum is the displays of man's earliest attempts at flight.

The Filoli Estate - Filoli stands for "fight, love, live," and this grand mansion and gardens estate was built with lofty ideals in mind. It's a Georgian Revival house, sitting on over 650 acres of well-loved and manicured gardens. Fans of the nighttime soap "Dynasty" in the 1980's will recognize this estate instantly, as it was used for most exterior shots.

La Nebbia Winery - This winery in Half Moon Bay has several yearly "bottle and cork your own wine" events. If you're lucky to vacation in Half Moon Bay (in my opinion, the loveliest part of San Mateo County) during one of these events, don't miss it! It's fun to bottle your own wine, and designing the label is quite an experience as well.

Main Street at Half Moon Bay - Main Street, with its mix of small independently owned stores, bed and breakfasts, and art galleries, is beyond charming. The people that work here are happy to talk with visitors and describe their wares. Main Street isn't very big; you can almost miss it if you're not careful.

Pigeon Point Lighthouse - This is one of the tallest lighthouses in North America. At 115 feet, it makes for a great "photo opportunity" as well. Right now, the interior is closed to the public (it's considered hazardous), but the grounds are just gorgeous, with sea lions lazing around on offshore rocks, the waves crashing, and views of the surrounding area's mountains, beaches, and ocean.

Not every vacation is a luxury trip to Paris or New York City, of course. Sometimes, a mellow, peaceful stay in a part of the country with an old-fashioned small town feel can be just right. San Mateo County has physical beauty, beaches and parks, as well as the slower-paced friendliness of a mainly agrarian culture, to fit the bill perfectly.