Coastside Trail at the Ritz-Carlton in Half Moon Bay

Today was my last full day of getting to be with my daughter before returning to work from my maternity leave. To make the most of the day, we fulfilled an item on my bucket list: to get dessert at the Ritz-Carlton in Half Moon Bay. Before getting dessert, we walked along the public-access coastside trail, which can be accessed for free from the hotel.

We ended up walking north on the trail, but I think that if I return that I will actually head south instead. The trail is a paved trail, but the pavement petered out outside the boundaries of the hotel. I suspect that the trail is better maintained to the south because it follows along the golf course more closely.

It is part of the California Coastal Trail, an on-going state-wide project to build a continuous trail from north to south through the state similar to the Pacific Crest Trail. There is about a 6.5-mile stretch of completed trail that begins at Princeton-by-the-Sea to the North (see here) and then ends about a mile south of the Ritz-Carlton.

This is a lovely hike, and I loved getting some fancy panna cotta at the Conservatory after our traipse along the gorgeous coast of Miramontes Point.