This is a 5 day /4 night inn to inn birding/walking vacation. You will stay at coastal lodging each night from Half Moon Bay to Moss Beach, as you walk and bird this amazing and diverse coastline with expert ornithologist, Alvaro Jaramillo, a resident of the area. Walking will be mostly flat and on well marked paths. Your luggage will be moved from inn to inn while you enjoy birding and walking, free from the hassle of buses, vans, or other transportation.
Day One – Sunday – May 1st – Arrive in Half Moon Bay. You will stay at the Half Moon Bay Lodge. An optional self-guided walk along the coast to Cowell Ranch Beach will be available for early arrivals. This is a good place to look for Black Oystercatchers, pelicans and cormorants. A welcome dinner will be held at a nearby restaurant. (D)
Day Two – Monday – May 2nd – You’ll be walking 5 miles today through coastal scrub habitats with excellent views of raptors, sparrows, and warblers, after breakfast at your hotel. A picnic lunch will be served along the route. You’ll arrive in the afternoon at the Half Moon Bay Inn in the historic downtown in time to enjoy many small shops and a variety of birding locations that you can access on foot from your hotel. The group will assemble at 6:00pm for a review of the day and dinner at a local restaurant. Walking today – 5 miles, paved and unpaved paths. (B,L,D)
Day Three – Tuesday – May 3rd – Birding begins after breakfast at a local coffee house. You’ll be walking on riparian trails out to ocean bluff trails with a bit of beach walking. You’ll have lunch along the route. Walk to the Inn at Mavericks in Princeton-by-the-Sea, passing through the Pillar Point Harbor with an abundance of gulls, terns, wading birds, and grebes. The group will assemble at 6:00pm for a review of the day, beer tasting, and dinner at a local brew pub. Birdwatching from your room will be top notch as all rooms at this inn sit directly on the waterfront. Walking today – 5 miles, paved and unpaved paths, with approximately 1/2 mile on the beach. (B,L,D)
Day Four – Wednesday – May 4th – Walk begins after breakfast at a local cafe. You’ll enjoy lunch at a historic beachfront restaurant along the route. Your walk will take you out to the Mavericks surf break and through the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, home to a harbor seal rookery. Walk to the Seal Cove Inn in Moss Beach. We will have a wine tasting and a light and casual dinner at the inn while we review our birding list and wrap up the trip. Walking today – 3.5 miles, paved and unpaved paths, with walks to beaches and tidepools. (B,L,D)
Day Five – Thursday – May 5th – We will have breakfast at the B&B and enjoy excellent birding at several nearby habitats, including the grounds and gardens of the B&B. This is your departure day, so folks will be leaving throughout the day. Walking today – 1 mile, paved and unpaved paths. (B)
COST. The price for this trip is $1,795.00 per person for two people sharing a bed or $1,995.00 per person for two people sharing a room, but in separate beds (one night you will have separate rooms). Solo walkers pay $2,295.00. The trip price includes four nights of lodging, luggage transport each day, breakfast each day, lunches during the walks (3 days), four dinners, one wine tasting, one beer tasting, taxes, tips, and service fees. You’ll enjoy the expert services of Alvaro Jaramillo each day as well as a local hiking guide with expertise in the local foods, wines, history, and culture of the area. In addition, each walker will be provided an extensive trip dossier with maps, narrative directions, historical notes, nature guides, and the most recent Birds of California book written by Alvaro Jaramillo.
RESERVATION
The lodging for this trip is extremely limited. The group cannot exceed 10 persons. You must pay a $500 per person NON-REFUNDABLE DEPOSIT. The balance will be due 60 days prior to your departure date. You will be sent a trip package with maps, instructions, packing list, bird list, historic notes, and luggage tags after your deposit is received.
CANCELLATION POLICY
All trips require a non-refundable $500 deposit per person. Once this is paid and you have been sent your tour packet, the $500 is non-refundable if you cannot come on the trip for any reason. If you notify us 60 days before the start of your trip, we will refund everything you have paid with the exception of the $500.00. If you notify us prior to 30 days before the trip begins, we will refund you 50% of the trip price. If you notify us within 30 days of the trip, we can only refund you 20% of the trip cost as we will have had to pay for your hotel rooms at that time. We recommend you invest in trip insurance to compensate you for these types of losses. You may transfer from one trip to another up to 60 days before departure date without penalty.
Call Margaret at 831-332-7923 or email slowadventure@icloud.com to reserve a spot