Last weekend I headed down to Monterey with my girlfriend to check out The Secret Lives of Seahorses exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium (a must-see, but more on that later). The beautiful drive along Highway 1 got me thinking about all the wonderful things there are to see and do along the Northern California coast, particularly in the late summer when the fog tends to stay offshore and the weather is sunny and warm. So this week’s theme covers some of my favorite adventures by the sea, most of which are an easy day trip from the Bay Area.

THE MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM, Monterey
If you’ve never been to the Monterey Bay Aquarium you simply must go. Ranked one of the nation’s top family attractions, it’s the Disneyland of aquariums, housing one of finest collections of sea creatures on the planet. It’s like strolling through an aquatic dream where more than 350,000 marine animals and plants coexist in a magical setting. I went there last week to see The Secret Lives of Seahorses exhibit and it blew my mind (you HAVE to see this surreal creature called a “Leafy Sea Dragon,” which looks like a piece of kelp with eyes). It’s one of the nation’s largest collections of seahorses, artfully arranged in four dreamlike galleries. Tip: Be sure to bring a camera (the seahorse photos make great screen-savers) and book your tickets in advance either online or by phone (800/756-3737; montereybayaquarium.org/seahorses).

DRAKE’S BAY OYSTER FARM, Point Reyes National Seashore
If you love oysters, keep reading. Deep within Point Reyes National Seashore on the banks of Drakes Estero (a pristine and nutrient-rich saltwater lagoon) is Drake’s Bay Oyster Farm. Okay, so it doesn’t look like much—just a cluster of wooden shacks and oyster tanks surrounded by piles of oyster shells—but it produces some of the finest oysters in the world that you can purchase by the sack-full at a fraction of what the restaurants charge. The staff is very friendly and doles out all the information you’ll ever want to know about the bivalves, including a lesson on how to properly shuck them. They even provide oyster sauce and picnic tables for instant gratification, but I prefer to drive down to the Point Reyes Beach parking lot, crack open a cold one, and feast in front of the crashing waves (www.drakesbayfamilyfarms.com; 415/669-1149).

DIGGING FOR CLAMS, Bodega Bay
One of my favorite things to do with my dad when I was a kid was digging for clams at Bodega Bay. We’d arrive at night, sleep in his VW camper, rise early, gather our buckets and clamming shovels, and start searching the beach for the tell-tale squirting holes that gave away the clam’s hiding place. Once you find them it’s easy to dig or rake the clams out, but you have to do it at low tide. Clamming is a fun, messy outdoor activity that the whole family can enjoy. For more information, call California Department of Fish and Game’s Bodega Bay Field Office at 707/875-4260.

CAP’N GIDEON’ ELKHORN SLOUGH SAFARI, Moss Landing
I’ve actually received letters from readers about how much fun they had on this trip. Just north of Monterey on Highway 1 is Moss Landing, home of Captain Yohn Gideon’s Elkhorn Slough Safari. Friendly Cap’n Gideon loads guests onto his 27-foot pontoon boat, then embarks on a 2-hour journey of the Elkhorn Slough Wildlife Reserve. It’s not uncommon to see a raft of up to 50 otters sunning themselves, as well as harbor seals and hundreds of species of waterfowl and migratory shorebirds. An onboard naturalist answers questions, while Cap’n Gideon educates on the surroundings and hands out binoculars (www.elkhornslough.com; 831/633-5555).

A HIKE TO ALAMERE FALLS, Point Reyes National Seashore
Some of Point Reyes National Seashore’s best and least crowded highlights are accessible only on foot, such as Alamere Falls, a freshwater stream that cascades down a 40-foot bluff onto Wildcat Beach. Load up your day pack with sandwiches and drinks, bring your camera, park at the Palomarin Trailhead, and get ready for one of the finest hikes on the California coast. The 7.5-mile out-and-back day trip will take you past lakes, through towering groves of eucalyptus, and breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean. Enjoying a well-earned picnic lunch at the falls is one of the most satisfying ways to spend a sunny day in the Bay Area (www.nps.gov/pore; 415-464-5100).

FULL MOON KAYAKING TRIP, Tomales Bay
One of my favorite things to do in Point Reyes is paddle through placid Tomales Bay, a haven for migrating birds and marine mammals. But doing it under a full moon? Now that’s cool. A local company called Blue Waters Kayaking offers daytime outings for locals of all ages and levels, but it’s their 3-hour moonlit tours that are truly special. As you glide across the placid bay, the moon lights the water with an almost mystical glow while night herons and osprey silently glide past you like airborne apparitions (www.bwkayak.com; 415/669-2600).

TIDE POOL ADVENTURES AT FITZGERALD MARINE RESERVE, Moss Beach
Get back in touch with your inner child and spend the day plonking through one of the best tide pools in the Bay Area, looking and touching all those weird and slimy things living or growing on the rocks. Located about 7 miles north of Half Moon Bay on Highway 1, the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve is one of the most diverse tidal basins on the West Coast, as well as one of the safest, thanks to a wave-buffering rock terrace 150 feet from the beach. Call before coming to find out when it’s low tide (all the sea creatures are hidden at high tide) and to get information on the docent-led tour schedules (usually offered on Saturday). It’s a great way to spend the day with the family (www.fitzgeraldreserve.org; 650/728-3584).

This entry was posted on Sunday, August 23rd, 2009 at 8:35 am by Getaway Guru and is filed under Beaches & The Coast. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.