Fall is my favorite season! I love spring and summer too but fall just feels cozy and comfortable and the foliage colors are beautiful.
Pumpkins, pansies, football and sitting by a fire just makes me happy and I finally get the urge to "bake" something! I actually "celebrate fall" with warm cinnamon rolls, a cup of hot chocolate or spiced teas. This time of year I love to make homemade soups and chowders.
On our recent trip to California we discovered that the little coastal town of Half Moon Bay also celebrates fall in a big way! The climate is perfect for growing gigantic pumpkins
-some over 1,000 pounds!
They have an annual Art & Pumpkin Festival complete with parade and the largest pumpkin contest. The 41st festival is next weekend and what a great family venue it will be! We were there a little too early for the festival but the little town was all a buzz getting ready for the big event! Everyone told us about it and made sure we got a personal invitation.
What a great small town to live in!
We have decided to plan another trip keeping this is mind. We discovered this charming little historic area of Main Street which parallels Coastal Scenic Highway 1 and had fun shopping and dining along the picturesque street.
I took some fun photographs along
downtown Main Street. A picture of the corner grocery...
A great outdoor cafe filled with art and pumpkins!
Tile mosaic of Half Moon and a
signature pumpkin.
Hand painted and decorated pumpkins. I especially like this couple..her hair is made from spray foam insulation and he is wearing the cap from the spray can. How fun is that?!
The City Jail with the Haunted House in the background...can jails be cute?? This one is!
A purple garden cottage shed in the front
yard of an artist's studio.
Mexican heather in full bloom.
Beautiful old church from the 1800's.
A great indoor courtyard with beautiful hand painted murals. We noticed how many wonderful artists display their work indoor and out in this beautiful area of inspiration!
An old spooky butler greeted us at the door of this gift shoppe.
Another great mural...this one depicts all the landmarks around Half Moon.
Fabulous flower filled boxes in front of Pasta Moon-
a great Italian restaurant!
Side yard of a Victorian home on Main Street covered in bougainvillea..love the fuchsia pink!
Harvested pumpkin patch on the outskirts of town.
Big brussel sprouts in the next field
ready for harvest.
We had a lovely stay at the Ritz-Carlton at Half Moon Bay -really a dream spot on the California coast! Bag pipes played at sunset as we sat with blankets next to the firepit listening to the ocean waves crash....
I love fall!
