Restaurants/Parks hidden in the West San Mateo Hills

 

5

51

Nelson R.

San Mateo, CA

10/2/2008

This Review can also be found in the Talk Reviews section.  I'm including it here so that folks can be aware of these places and start planning to include them in their future jaunts through the local San Mateo Hills!!
Okay, if you have to do so to get there, drive the Skyline Drive/Boulevard Highway (Route 35), from the top-of-the-hill where Route 92 goes over the hill toward Half Moon Bay, going South toward the Intersection with Woodside Road/Route 84.
Don't know if there are Reviews on this site for some of the interesting, good food/view, restaurants along this road: the Bella Vista Restaurant (looking out over the entire Bay Area, from the elevation of an aircraft!) about half-way between Route 92 and Route 84 (the Bella Vista IS reviewed here on Yelp!); at the Intersection of Skyline/Woodside (Rte35/Rte84), is Alice's Restaurant, usually thought to be the "Alice's Restaurant", the famous song by Arlo Guthrie, but it is not!  Incidentally, if you want to see an exotic sight, spend a weekend day/afternoon at this Intersection!  It will not be Live Music you will see, but just as good!  Just imagine about a thousand HARLEY's, in one place, all parked in the various parking spots around this Intersection, where all Harley Owners meet on weekends!
Also see the Review for Pioneer Saloon, Woodside!
If you continue South on Skyline, past Woodside Road, you will have wonderful views of the Bay Area and can even catch glimpses of the Pacific Ocean.  Along the way, look for the Page Mill Road/Alpine Road Intersection.  As a side-trip some weekend, turn off Skyline going West on Alpine Road.  From Skyline, Alpine wanders downhill through some wonderful Northern California Hills ("The Rolling, Golden Hills of California", by the famous Northern California Folksinger, Kate Wolf... See the Review on this Site for the "Northern California Woodstock Festival"; I'm also reminded of "Take Me Home, Country Roads", by John Denver), gradually settling into the Coastside Redwood Trees of the Northern California Coastline.  Staying on Alpine Road, you will eventually come to a right-turn main roadway that eventually intersects with Pescadero Road.  However, a few miles just before this Intersection is a wonderful little County Park, of deep Redwoods and a small stream, and a Trail to follow for a bit, in order to just enjoy the ambiance of the place!  Continuing on to the Pescadero Road Intersection, turning left will take you to San Mateo's Sam McDonald County Park (a wonderful entire-day Park!) and on to the little town of Pescadero, on San Mateo's Coast (wonderful old-time General Store!) and the Coast Highway, Route 1.  Turning Right at the Pescadero Road Intersection, instead takes you to the little town of La Honda and Route 84 (either to the Coast or back to Woodside).  Incidentally, to get the flavor of deep-Redwood living, just before you get to Route 84, turn right up a small town road and slowly cruise through the La Honda residential area, looking for Redwood Road. Along here are some 'sights' to see, including elegant little woodsy 'cabins' that are 'buried' in the redwoods surrounding them!
However, getting back to the Intersection of Alpine Road and Skyline Boulevard, continuing South, the next major Intersection will be Route 9 coming from Saratoga and the South Bay.  If you continue South a few miles more on Skyline, you will come to Castle Rock State Park, another excellent Hiking Trails Park, that could be an all-day adventure!  Returning to our Route 9 Intersection, turning West on Route 9 and following it down into the Redwoods, along the way you will pass the Entrance Road to the Big Basin Redwoods Park, another wonderful place to explore!  Continuing on Route 9, eventually you come to the San Lorenzo Valley (in Santa Cruz County now), and the Towns of Boulder Creek, Brookdale and Felton.  The Brookdale Lodge (look for it on the Web!) has a wonderful little mountain-stream-side Restaurant/Dining Room, where the entire hillside is covered over in glass panels (ala a Bavarian Chateau!) and you sit at a table alongside the mountain-stream that flows right through the Dining Room!  Stop her for lunch, definitely!
A bit further down Route 9, before Felton, a road turns off to Ben Lomand, where there is a genuine fresh-mountain-stream Rainbow Trout Farm, and a Restaurant that serves up fresh-raised Rainbow Trout several different ways!
Arriving at Felton, go to the Entrance to Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park (another wonderful place to spend a few hours walking thru!) and park in their Parking Lot.  At the very Entrance to the Park, instead walk across the Southern Pacific Railroad Track (only one!) and you will have arrived at the Roaring Camp & Big Trees Old-Time Steam-Train Ride!  (Spend a whole day here!)  See the Review here for "Summertime Fun on the Steamtrain Rides"!
At the end of the day, from Felton you can go to Route 17 and over-the-hill back to San Jose, or you can go to Santa Cru

• Add owner comment
• Bookmark
• Send to a Friend
• Link to This Review