We went straight to Francis Beach from Wright’s Beach which means we crossed the Golden Gate Bridge. Scary as it is, you then drive down 19th Street through the middle of San Francisco! Insanity! On top of the rig pulling TG down narrow crowded streets, you can add in construction. And that was in the middle lane so in stop and go traffic, we had to change lanes. I’m sure I aged a bit during this move of campgrounds! Luckily we were on the coast so you can’t stay stressed.
Our weather was a bit cool and windy at times. But no rain or even strong mists so it was fine. Sweatshirt weather. We only got a couple of sunsets because the marine layer came in each evening. But when you did get sunset it was amazing!
We hiked Purisima Creek trails – primarily the North Ridge trail. A fair amount of elevation change but a pretty nice trail. No banana slugs 🐌 this time. But it was clear and warm. We saw Cottontail, quail, and lots of other tweety birds. We could see the coast near Pillar Point also. On the way home we stopped by Pie Ranch for a blackberry lemon buttermilk pie.
The third day we hiked at Pillar Point. Far fewer people than last time we were here so that was pleasant. We also knew our way around better so picked our way back over the Pacifica viewpoint without getting lost. I enjoy this hike a lot.
The last true hike we did was along the Coastal Trail toward the nature preserve. This trail can be busy but the farther you go from the campground the fewer people you encounter. We enjoy identifying the various birds we come across, especially the raptors. This trail is flat and very easy to walk. I like it a lot. After that we walked into town and found a new favorite bakery- Moonshine. They sell Coastside Bakery sourdough…so yummy!
Overall this was a relaxing week at the beach. The campground is a bit louder and more crowded than Wright’s Beach but has easier hiking trails. And we found we could walk to the fabulous HMB farmer’s market and Main Street pretty easily. It was about 1.2 miles.