MORNING MIDDAY

Driving down from the Bay Area, make a pit stop at 3-Zero Cafe in Half Moon Bay Airport’s terminal building. Breakfast plates are stacked with pancakes, spread with eggs Benedict or piled high with fruit-garnished French toast (brioche dipped in vanilla-cinnamon-Kahlua batter). Eggy dishes include a Pilot’s Plate with artichoke hearts (the area is renowned for artichokes, Brussels sprouts and pumpkins). No need to go through security to sit at one of the outdoor tables alongside the runway. Service is swift, prices are reasonable and children, or Little Co-Pilots, have their own $6.85 menu. If you want crab at the pinnacle of freshness, go to Pillar Point Harbor where posted signs indicate which boats are selling today’s catch. As we waited for two 2-pound crabs to be weighed and priced (total $25), the crabber also explained how to transport the live crabs home, how to cook them (boiling water, 18 minutes) and the best way to eat them (melted butter, pure and simple). At Mavericks Surf Shop rent boards, get wetsuited up, check ocean conditions and learn which beach is best for your level of proficiency. Beginners are generally directed to Surfer’s Beach near “the jetty.” Francis Beach and campground is at the western end of Kelly Avenue, perfect for picnickers, fishermen, windsurfers and surfers with the right stuff. Nearby, Ocean View Driving Range is funky and relaxed; borrow a club and get 100 balls for $10 at the cash-only fairway. Lunchtime, dig into cod tacos and bourbon-barbecued brisket sandwiches with local craft beers on tap at San Benito House’s rowdy saloon. Its hotel, dating from 1908, is said to have a resident ghost in one of the rooms. Believe it or not, our bartender said that’s exactly where he slept like a drunken sailor. Across the street, Sushi Main Street’s bento box (miso soup, salad, California rolls, grilled salmon or whitefish, green tea ice cream) is a $10.75 lunch special.