Thanksgiving on the Beach, at Half Moon Bay
Half Moon Bay, California is located about 30 minutes south of San Francisco along California's winding Highway 1. A small town of less than 13,000 people, Half Moon Bay is best known for the semi-regular Mavericks Surf Contest, when surfing's elite decend on Half Moon Bay to brave 20-foot waves and jagged rocks. 
We weren't seeking big water this Thanksgiving Weekend, but we were looking forward to some mild, 60-degree NorCal weather on one of its finest beaches.
A view across Half Moon Bay from Francis Beach, where the state campground is located, to Pillar Point, where the Mavericks Surf Contest takes place. In late November there are miles of white sandy beach that is largely deserted. The steady wind attracts kite fliers, and the cold November water can't keep the surfers away, but there are no crowds here.
The campground at the State Beach is just a short walk from the beach. In fact, the tent camping area is right on the edge of the beach itself. The RV area is a bit crowded, by state campground standards, but there is still more room than any private campground. As is typical of most state campgrounds, there are no hookups.
There's lots to do in Half Moon Bay, including trendy shopping, gourmet resturants, fishing, surfing, horseback riding along the beach - but if you have kids, it all pales in comparison to miles and miles of...sand!
One thing you won't forget, when the sun starts going down, is that this is still NorCal in late November. The temperature drops rapidly this time of year, and the wind whipping off the Pacific can be particularly chilly. The best campsites place your RV between you and the ocean, effectively blocking the chilly wind. There are few of these "north/south" sites, so choose carefully!
