Rockaway Your Cares

Staying as Close to the Beach as You Can Do without Getting Sand in your Shoes

By Patricia Kutza

As much as I love the San Francisco Bay Area, there are times when I long for the  not too distant past when its downtown area still retained some of the architectural scale of its neighborhoods, with only a smattering of skyscrapers invading the space.  Now skyscrapers are becoming the rule, and  Bay Area communities feel similar tugs to their  silhouettes as their open space is filled with housing developments and strip malls.

That’s why my recent visit to Pacifica, an oceanfront community less than a 30 minutes drive from San Francisco, felt especially rewarding.  I am sure its local folk must also decry encroaching growth in this town.  But for someone like myself, who is usually driving through this town on my way to more southern haunts, Pacifica still retains a small town ambiance.

Wanting to stay as close to the ocean as possible, I booked a beachfront junior suite at the Best Western Lighthouse Hotel, located smack on the beach at Rockaway Beach.    In what may be more of a nod to architecture than symbolism, the Hotel’s starfish-like configuration creates unconventional room sizes.  In my suite, the bed area was indented in one corner, set back from the desk and sitting space, a nice private touch for what is essentially a very large room.  Its ocean views alone are worth the price of admission.

It took maximum discipline to wrest myself from staring at those mesmerizing waves, eventually convincing myself to stick to my schedule of ‘people to see and things to do.’ Fortunately I didn’t have to stray too far as my host’s agenda included showing me Rockaway Beach Plaza, a mixed-use cluster of shops, restaurants and local businesses within shouting distance of the Hotel.  The Plaza’s attractive indoor/outdoor design is complimentary to the surroundings and had I been in the market for Christmas decorations (Christmas by the Cove), a hair cut (Paul Strom for Your Hair and Body), a segway-piloted tour ( Segway of San Francisco) or  my fortune divined (Madame Roslnka Psychic), I would surely be in the right place.

But the ‘right place’ in Pacifica for locals and visitors alike is often the beach, since Pacifica boasts a number of world famous surfing spots.  Thanks to the advent of cellphones, the sudden emergence of big surf can draw massive crowds within hours to its beaches.  At nearby Pacifica State Beach, a crescent shaped beauty in southern  Pacifica, I watched as bleachers were being assembled for a major surfing competition scheduled for the following day. In the water I could barely make out the bobbling figures of surfers waiting for the next wave.  With its mix of surfers, cyclists, dog walkers and sunset worshippers, this Beach is a great place to kick back between appointments.

Pacifica is not bereft of strip malls and there seem to be enough variety to suit just about anyone’s preference.  I met friends for dinner at Rainbow Island Restaurant located in the Manor Plaza, a small, secluded area not far from Highway One.  While Asian restaurants are an integral part of Northern California cuisine, I have never encountered such an eclectic menu.  The restaurant’s name reflects its emphasis on dishes from Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and China.  We ate too much, laughed too long, and made a promise to return that we will likely honor sooner than later.

I returned to the Best Western in the soupy fog that is a frequent Pacifica visitor.  I read my email at the Hotel’s business center and thought about putting some miles on a bike in its exercise room.  Instead I cracked open my hotel room’s windows, letting in the relentless sounds of the ocean and contently pulled the sheets over my head, settling down for what would be a very relaxing sleep.

When you go: 

Best Western Lighthouse Hotel
105 Rockaway Beach Avenue
Pacifica, CA 94044
(800) 832-4777
(650) 355-6300
http://www.bestwesternlighthouse.com/
(Approximately 30 minutes drive from San Francisco International Airport)

Rainbow Island Restaurant
55 Aura Vista Dr.
Pacifica, CA  94044
(650) 738-0168