Pictured clockwise top left: Alfresco dining at Quattro, Four Seasons Hotel - East Palo Alto; afternoon swim at Sofitel Hotel in Redwood City; San Mateo County hotel catering, room at Sofitel Hotel; private patio overlooking Pacific Ocean at The Beach House, Half Moon Bay.

San Mateo County Vacation - Continued Page 3  pg 1 / pg 2

Among San Mateo County's coastal gems, you'll strike it rich dining on local foods, beers and wines. From a wild and crazy British Pub (Cameron's Restaurant & Inn) with a double decker red bus, to die-for Mediterranean-inspired cuisine at Cetrella Bistro & Cafe or outrageously fresh seafood and signature Mavericks beer at Half Moon Bay Brewing Company, your tummy will begin to bulge like a pirate's well-fed midriff if you don't exercise during your Half Moon Bay vacation. The ultimate workout is Mavericks (invitation only) Big Wave contest that includes 25 of the world's finest surfers. Held each winter when the wave conditions are just right, over 40,000 people gather to watch these brave men risk life and limb to surf monstrous waves reaching up to 60 feet! Aaaahr!

Oceanside dining veers toward hearty and tasty meals while upscale hotels on the other side of the peninsula facing the bay at Burlingame, East Palo Alto and Redwood City offer Continental flair. Artfully prepared presentations by chefs who've studied abroad and traveled the globe in search of the latest, greatest recipes range from Italian at the newest Four Seasons Hotel restaurant, Quattro, in East Palo Alto to French/American fusion at the outstanding Bay 223 located at Sofitel San Francisco Bay hotel in Redwood City. In addition to world class restaurants, both hotels offer luxury accommodations, quite popular with nearby Oracle Corp., Google and Yahoo.

Great hotels abound in San Mateo County, making it the perfect spot to spend the night. From AAA Four and Five Diamond luxury resorts, to affordable business class and budget vacation hotels, there's nearly every hotel chain you can imagine, plus small privately-owned properties. Our favorite beach hotel is Beach House Half Moon Bay, a sister property to The Beach House in Hermosa Beach. Tasteful decor, quality, firm bedding, a work desk facing the beach, free wireless Internet, free Continental breakfast, in-room fireplace, granite top sink, microwave, refrigerator and step down living room with a sofa, easy chairs and sliding door to a private patio deck are a few amenities offered in the boutique hotel's view suites. You'll be hard pressed to beat the quality furnishings, views and amenities offered at The Beach House at Half Moon Bay. Also noteworthy is an excellent staff willing to take extra steps to help guests. The hotel features a private access gate to Surfers Beach, while Pillar Point Harbor is visible to the north.

For inland stays near the San Francisco Airport, free shuttle service is a perk offered by most hotels. Bay Landing Hotel features free high speed Internet access, refrigerators and microwaves, plus a great location next to Elephant Bar, El Torrito and Benihana. Outside the hotel door is a paved walk/jog path travelers enjoy.  A five-minute walk down that path to Marriott Hotel, you'll find a Starbucks Coffee kiosk where fresh lattes, cappuccinos and blended mochas are made.

The Four Diamond Hyatt Regency Hotel is a self-contained world of luxury. The centerpiece atrium is filled with dining, shops, a cocktail lounge and meeting space. Inside your private hotel room, luxury bedding that's not too soft assures those with back problems will sleep well.  Many rooms face the courtyard where you can watch the people stroll and shop.  Starbucks coffee kiosk is one of the atrium's many offerings.  A good night's sleep and strong cup of coffee are important while traveling—and Hyatt Regency delivers.

Unlike the pirates of the California coast, you know about the gold and you know where to kick off your shoes and sleep. Getting to San Mateo County by car or plane is a breeze because major freeways pass through the county, which is home to the largest airport in Northern California, San Francisco International Airport.

Getting there:  Burlingame reminds me of China, said one woman in broken English, who sat on a cement bench overlooking the bay and San Francisco International Airport (SFO) runways where planes land, one after another.  Eating fresh blueberries, she comes each day on her lunch break to the public shore near SFO to watch planes touch down at the landing strip next to the water.

At an airport that sees approximately 240,000 take-offs and landings each year, there's certainly a lot of watching to do. Sightseeing is extremely popular in the city by the bay, San Francisco, where large numbers of the 16.5 million people who exit planes at SFO, scurry off. What they don't know is the treasure every bit as interesting as Treasure Island, is right under their feet. The hidden gem in "plane" view, San Mateo County, is home to spectacular beaches, monstrous waves, exquisite dining, breweries, wineries, sun-kissed hills, mansions & museums ranging from helicopters to Pez candy dispenser collections, and great entertainment such as the latest pirate flick with heart throb Johnny Depp.

San Mateo's bounty, finer than all the gold, is just a hop, skip and jet trip away. With its close proximity to Silicon Valley, many hotels offer lower rates on weekends when the business crowd goes home, making it the perfect place for a weekend getaway!  It only takes a day or two to explore this hidden gem and if you time it right, events that celebrate seasons such as Burlingame Art & Jazz Festival in August or Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival held in the Pumpkin Capital of the World in October, offer unique specialty foods, shopping opportunities, games, live music and sometimes a pirate or two dressed in authentic costumes. Chart your course and head for the hidden gem in "plane" view, San Mateo County.

About San Mateo County

San Mateo County, California
County of San Mateo, California
Formed 1856
County seat Redwood City

San Mateo County is a county located in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. It covers most of the San Francisco Peninsula just south of San Francisco and north of Santa Clara County. San Francisco International Airport is located at the northern end of the county, and Silicon Valley begins at the southern end. As of 2000 the population was 707,161. The county seat is Redwood City.
San Mateo County was formed from parts of San Francisco County and Santa Cruz County in 1856.

The county bears the Spanish name for Saint Matthew. As a place name, St. Matthew appears as early as 1776, and the arroyo, the point and the settlement at the unofficial San Mateo Mission are all so designated on the early maps. Until about 1850, the name appeared as San Matheo.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,919 km² (741 mi²). 1,163 km² (449 mi²) of it is land and 756 km² (292 mi²) of it (39.40%) is water.

Interstate 280 (Junipero Serra Freeway)
Interstate 380
U.S. Route 101 (Bayshore Freeway)
California State Route 1
California State Highway 92 (J. Arthur Younger Freeway, San Mateo Bridge)
California State Highway 84 (Woodside Road, Dumbarton Bridge)
Adjacent Counties
San Francisco County, California north
Alameda County, California east
Santa Clara County, California southeast
Santa Cruz County, California south

San Mateo County encompasses a variety of habitats including estuarine, marine, oak woodland, redwood forest, coastal scrub and oak savannah. There are numerous species of wildlife present, especially along the San Francisco Bay estuarine shoreline, San Bruno Mountain, Fitzgerald Marine Reserve and the forests on the Montara Mountain block.

The county is home to several endangered species including the San Francisco garter snake and the San Bruno elfin butterfly, both of which are endemic to San Mateo County. The endangered California clapper rail is also found on the shores of San Francisco Bay, in the cities of Belmont and San Mateo. the endangered wildflower Hickman's potentilla is found near the Pacific Ocean on the lower slopes of Montara Mountain.

Cities and towns
Atherton
Belmont
Brisbane
Broadmoor
Burlingame
Colma
Daly City
East Palo Alto
El Granada
Foster City
Half Moon Bay
Highlands-Baywood Park
Hillsborough
La Honda
Loma Mar
Menlo Park
Millbrae
Montara
Moss Beach
North Fair Oaks
Pacifica
Pescadero
Portola Valley
Redwood City
Emerald Lake Hills
San Bruno
San Carlos
San Gregorio
San Mateo
South San Francisco
West Menlo Park
Woodside

Parks
Año Nuevo State Park
Butano State Park
Coyote Point
Coyote Point Marina
Crystal Springs
Edgewood Park
Fitzgerald Marine Reserve
Flood Park
Heritage Grove
Huddart Park
Junipero Serra County Park
San Mateo County Memorial Park
Pescadero Creek
Portola Redwoods State Park
Quarry Park
Sam MacDonald Park
San Bruno Mountain
San Bruno Mountain State Park
San Mateo Fishing Pier
San Pedro Valley Park
Sanchez Adobe
Sawyer Camp Trail
Woodside Store

Beaches
Half Moon Bay State Beach
Montara State Beach
Pacifica State Beach
Pescadero State Beach
San Gregorio State Beach