SFBA residents have all probably heard of the HMB pumpkin festival. It's just a thing to get tourists to spend money. The HMB pumpkin weigh-off is separate. It's a fun thing almost only locals go to. It's happening today. About to head over the hill to have a look at this year's megapumpkins. Probably just going to see the tail end of it, 'cause farmers are early risers.
Saw some bigass pumpkins, as expected. Also the HMB HS band played, and they sound pretty good.
Only took film pics, so you guys have to wait a bit to see them :)
Afterwards we (my son & I) went down to Pescadero and paddled around the marsh with folding kayaks (Tucktec).
You're allowed to do that, but only seasonally, and the season is the chillier times of year. So basically it's late fall or early spring, unless you're a real die-hard and don't mind boating in cold weather.
They also make no particular effort to make it *easy* to get a boat into the water. There's an official "boat launch" area but it's overgrown, with poison oak no less. So if you want to do it, you pretty much have to lug a boat about half a mile along a highway. These folding boats have shoulder straps and are made for this sort of situation, so it works out.
A neighbor (well, originally I thought of her as "my neighbor's kid" but she's in her 20's now) had a job at a summer camp in the area so we chatted about what's in Pescadero.
It's a small place so if you mention "the store" or "the coffee shop" it's unambiguous.
Anyway she mentioned that they have good tacos at "the gas station" and I can attest now that they do.
There's also a place on the way out of town (heading up towards Memorial Park) that has tri-tip tacos, according to signs, but they're only open Fri-Sun and I haven't made it yet.
Oct 13, 2026, 1:27 AM@14mission Is that the station at Gazos Creek? I haven't stopped in years and it may be time. Or is there one in Pescadero proper?
@aarbrk Pescadero proper. Right on the corner :)
Aside from a taqueria it's a grocery, maybe a bit more thorough than a regular convenience store.
The main store in town, Arcangeli Grocery, is nice but a bit upscale, and maybe the gas station also doubles or triples as the place to get basic staples in town.
@14mission I love Pescadero. And good to hear that the gas station tacos are still good. (fish tacos, right? that's my recollection)
@constantorbit It would make sense, given the name of the town... but I got a chile relleno.
@14mission ooh, that sounds good. I need to find a time to go down and visit my friends in Santa Cruz so I can stop for lunch in Pescadero
@constantorbit Once I was in a silly ice-breaker game where you had to secretly answer questions and see if people could guess what answer set went was whose. One question was "What's a place that's special to you?" and my answer was "Pescadero". And my kid easily ID'd me from that.
@constantorbit There are some nice back roads to bike around there. If you want some hills just start in San Gregorio and ride over Stage Road. Or if you just want to tootle around in the country on roads with almost no cars, head south. We'll be back in a few weeks for that (and have to finally get those tri-tip tacos).
@constantorbit If anyone here would actually like to move to #Pescadero (or work there, and commute from HMB) the local coffee shop "Downtown Local" had a sign out saying: "We're hiring. Are you interesting?"
I think "take a look at my posts on Mastodon" ought to get you hired on the spot, right? :)
I gave it some serious consideration.
@14mission Ah, I've never gotten the gas station tacos. Maybe the next time I make the drive from HMB to Pescadero.
@14mission Yeah, as a HMB resident I've started going to the weigh-off even though I avoid the Pumpkin Festival itself.