Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ous. Feast on crab cioppino and a half-and-half split of the cream of artichoke and green
chili soups, and bring it home with a wedge of olallieberry pie.
Except for the unfortunate lull of Prohibition, the wood-paneled bar has been hosting
the locals and their honored guests since 1894. Reservations recommended.
Getting There & Away
By car, the town is 3 miles east from Hwy 1 on Pescadero Creek Rd, south of San
day to/from Half Moon Bay.
Año Nuevo State Reserve
More raucous than a full-moon beach rave, thousands of boisterous elephant seals party
down year-round on the dunes of Año Nuevo point, their squeals and barks reaching fever
pitch during the winter pupping season. The beach is 5 miles south of Pigeon Point and 27
miles north of Santa Cruz.
Elephant seals were just as fearless two centuries ago as they are today, but unfortu-
nately, club-toting seal trappers were not in the same seal-friendly category as camera-tot-
ing tourists. Between 1800 and 1850, the elephant seal was driven to the edge of extinc-
tion. Only a handful survived around the Guadalupe Islands off the Mexican state of Baja
California. With the availability of substitutes for seal oil and the conservationist attitudes
of more recent times, the elephant seal has made a comeback, reappearing on the Southern
California coast from around 1920. In 1955 they returned to Año Nuevo Beach.
In the midwinter peak season, during the mating and birthing time from December 15 to
the end of March, you must plan well ahead if you want to visit the reserve, because visit-
ors are only permitted access through heavily booked guided tours. For the busiest period,
mid-January to mid-February, it's recommended you book eight weeks ahead. If you
haven't booked, bad weather can sometimes lead to last-minute cancellations.
The rest of the year, advance reservations aren't necessary, but visitor permits from the
entrance station are required; arrive before 3pm from September through November and
by 3:30pm from April through August.
Although the
park office
( 650-879-2025, recorded information 650-879-0227;
www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=523
)
can answer general questions, high-season tour bookings
