UpTake on LaHonda Art Fair

Each week I have been writing about my home and its surroundings because I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to live on the coast in Northern California.

This week my post takes us inland up route 84 and over the Santa Cruz Mountains between the San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. This is one of my favorite drives in the bay area. It twists and turns and climbs way up into the redwood forests. The road is very curvy and a very popular route for cyclists and Harley-riders alike. It is amazing, not even 10 minutes into the the drive you feel like you are nowhere near San Francisco or Silicon Valley. In fact, forget your mobile phones, because there is no coverage between Woodside and San Gregorio. Just marvel at the sun beaming through the redwood canopy or the blanket of fog gently hugging the verdant hillsides.

This route starts from the 280 freeway and takes you west through the wee town of Woodside. Now Woodside may be wee, but it is one of the wealthiest communities in the world. Stop into Robert’s Market for a snack and you may run into Michelle Pfeiffer, Neil Young, Larry Ellison (CEO of Oracle) or Steve Jobs (CEO of Apple). Really.

Continue through Woodside and route 84 will twist and turn up, up and up, until you come to Alice’s Restaurant. Not the Arlo Guthrie tune, but the most legit place for brunch or a burger. During the weekend the parking lot is full of Harley’s and fancy Italian bicycles, therefore filling the place with a crowd clad in leather vests and chaps or skin tight lycra jerseys and shorts.  What is being devoured by the patrons are massive omelets with home fries or burgers (I love the burgers!) named after motor cycles. There is a large patio that wraps around the restaurant if you like to sit outside in the sunlight and watch the ducks waddling across the lawn to the pond. This is also a very dog-friendly restaurant. Your pooch is welcome! I should know, Lupe and Paolo (my chihuahuas) have dined many times at Alice’s.

AppleJacks

After Alice’s continue on the 84 due west to a tiny, tiny town called La Honda. Now, not many people in the Bay Area even know about this place hidden in the mountains. There really is not too much there but a general store, Sullivan’s and AppleJack’s Bar. Now why do I love La Honda so much? The cultural history here is fascinating for anyone who has an interest in the Beat Generation of the 1950′s and the hippies of the 1960′s. Ken Kesey, author of  One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, lived in La Honda where his home was the base for the antics of the The Merry Pranksters (including Neal Cassady) which were documented in Tom Wolfe’s The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test. Need I say more? This house is still in La Honda and has been restored, you can drive by and imagine the busload of naked, painted hippies expanding their minds.

When I am in La Honda, I must stop by AppleJack’s. When you see it on the side of the road you honestly think you have entered a time warp. Back in1897 it was a blacksmith shop and really the place has not changed that much since. Well, there is a full bar, pool table and Ms. Pac Man, but the floor is slanted and creeks and the regular patrons are permanent fixtures that look like that are from the late 1800′s! Well, not that dated. But, my point is these locals were in La Honda during the time of the Merry Pranksters and have many stories to tell. If you can catch my drift. You cannot find a bar like this anywhere in the Bay Area. It is truly unique.

If you happen to be in La Honda the second weekend of June, you can experience the La Honda Fair. This is a weekend long event with art and music. The bands are amazing and some are know to have been sources of inspiration for the one and only Jerry Garcia. If you don’t have tie-dye to wear, no worries! There is plenty to purchase.

Outside of the main drag in La Honda, which is about a quarter mile along route 84, there is the La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve, a permit only preserve that offers you the chance to enjoy the solitude of the forest all to yourself! Walk amongst old growth redwoods, fields of wildflowers, enjoy expansive views of the bay and also of the ocean.

If you continue west on the 84, you will hit San Gregorio Beach and depending on the time of day you can have a picnic or watch the sunset!

Photos courtesy of: AmandaJ