A crab in a tide pool

Tide Pool at Bean Hollow State Beach

   Tafoni rock formation found at Bean Hollow State Beaach.Tide pooling is a fun activity. On low tide you’ll be able to see some ocean residents in little pools. One place to do this is at Bean Hollow State Beach near Pescadero. Bean Hollow stands out because of the interesting rock formations. Tafoni rock, or swiss-cheese-rock, makes you feel like you landed in a different universe! Starfish in a tide pool

The tide pools don’t continue the swiss theme, but you’ll be greeted by tiny crabs. It took us a while to spot a starfish, and in my photo on the right you might be able to see it. It is not presenting its iconic formation, but instead clinging to the walls. Whenever we went tide pooling there was always lots of sea-life in these shallow pools. As you move closer to the ocean, there is more and more algae; the ground becomes slippier and slippier.  So be careful. Please watch your steps and the ocean. 

Orange pepper in a tide poolMy most colorful discovery turned out to be an orange pepper. Probably left over from a picnic?

Like I said, tide pooling is a lot of discovering. Check out the tide chart (https://www.tideschart.com/United-States/California/San-Mateo-County/Bean-Hollow-State-Beach/) before you go. You are not allowed to take anything except pictures. 

Where do you go tide pooling?

Taste of the award-winning goat cheese at Hartley Farm, Pescadero.

Taste some Goat Cheese

Goat shop sign at Hartley Farm in Pescadero.

At Hartley Farm in Pescadero there is not only a shop for goat cheese and their accompaniments, like habanero jelly, you can also look at the goats that give their milk for this deliciousness. This award-winning cheese converted my husband, who’s goal for 2018 was not to eat any goat cheese, to agree to buy a tub to take home with us. 

We came here to see some farm life, inspired by the movie documentary: Our biggest little farm.

Mother goat with her three recently born baby goats.

Currently there are 106 baby goats. I’m not sure if the count is correct, because we saw three baby goats in the pen with the pregnant goats, and the mom licking them clean. So, I guess we missed the birth by mere minutes.

Two week old baby goats at Hartley Farms, Pescadero.

It was a delight to see the two week old goats play in their playpen. Not all 106 of them, just about ten in each of the two pens. 

You can also peek into the milking station and the place where they make the yummy goat cheese. 

Are you a goat cheese lover?

If you like farms maybe consider Ardenwood a historic farm in Fremont.

Dahlias

Pick some flower power

Last weekend we went to Pescadero, a quaint little town near the ocean.

While we were having lunch a band was playing outside. All in all it was a very relaxing Sunday.

After lunch we strolled down one of their art rows, little showrooms for local artists, and at the end there is a place to pick dahlias.

 

U-pick your own flower field in PescaderoThe Pescadero Flowery’s U-Pick is open from June till October. Their dahlias come in two different price categories, $2 for small, $4 for the large. You’ll get a bucket, a pair of scissors and some quick instructions and off you go!

These flowers are truly natural art! You wander in the field and pick the most beautiful creations to take home. My 11 year old enjoyed choosing and picking the flowers and I believe we got a ravishing flower arrangement.

 

What do you think of our bouquet?Dahlia bouquet
Do you have a  favorite place to pick flowers?