Gorilla Barbecue

Gorilla Barbecue Pacifica California
Originally uploaded by modernwife

You can't miss Gorilla Barbecue if you're driving up Highway 1 through Pacifica. It's the bright orange trailer with the sign, "If it's smokin', we're open."

Just recently it was featured on Food Network's Diners, Drive-ins and Dives and soon after that, you could see long lines of people waiting their turn for barbecue take out.

We just had to give it a try. We went at around 3:30 pm to avoid the lunch/dinner rush. We got the ribs and chicken, with corn on the cob, corn bread and zucchini on the side.

They have picnic tables up the hill and I imagine it is a treat to enjoy a meal there on warm sunny days, but we decided instead to take it home. In our family, running water is a prerequisite to handling ribs.

I say, meh. It wasn't bad, but it didn't come up to the hype.

The guys are friendly, and the place is a lot of fun. They have gorilla toys everywhere, and they adopted a male silverback gorilla through the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International. Now, isn't that sweet?

Pacifica Pier

Pacifica Pier
Originally uploaded by modernwife

There is a small fishing community that hangs out at the end of the Pacifica Pier. Men, women and children gather with fishing poles poised into the ocean, ice coolers at their feet, tackle boxes and bait.

And of course, where there's fishing, there's pigeons and seagulls.

We had fun taking our four-year-old to the Pacifica Pier. Bundle up really warm no matter how sunny it is. It gets a lot cooler out there than at shore. No dogs allowed on the pier. Watch out for bird poop. But you already knew that.

Dog Food in Pacifica

Dog Food in Pacifica
Originally uploaded by modernwife

Save-More Meat Market at Manor Drive advertises Gluten Free Dog Food for $1.89 per pound. It is frozen all ground meat for dogs. Just thaw and serve. Inexpensive, fresher than kibble, my dog loves it.

Pedro Point Ghost House

Exploring Pedro Point brought me to the very top of the hill, where a "No Parking" sign was up on a look-out vista point with a white wooden fence.



Upon closer look, I found a house down the cliff which looked abandoned. How they got down there to build it in the first place is beyond me. I also wonder about large crashing waves... perhaps the large craggy rocks behind it offer protection from the waves. How else would this house still be standing to this day?



It also looks like there is an electrical post bringing electricity down there. I wonder if the house is abandoned at all.

Frontierland Playground

Frontierland Playground
Originally uploaded by modernwife

Last night a friend met my family for the first time, and upon seeing my very active almost-4-year-old child and very active rat terrier, suggested we go to Frontierland Park, where there is ample open lawn for walking the dog (on leash only), an awesome playground structure that is exciting for the kids yet easily maneuverable for the grown-ups watching them, picnic tables and barbecue pits for anything between a small family or a happening party, and restroom facilities. Frontierland Park is definitely a gem hidden in the Pacifica hills.

Dead Seal on the Beach

Dead Seal on the Beach
Originally uploaded by modernwife

It happened so fast. One moment, I was enjoying my walk on the beach, I turned around to retrace my footprints on the sand, and there lay on top of my prints a dead seal washed up by the strong Pacific waves. It was small, as seals go, a baby? It was so beautiful, its eyes gently closed, whiskers still, belly unmoving. My heart reached out to its absent mother, somewhere out there grieving for its lost young. Rest in peace, seal on the beach...

Emu

Emu
Originally uploaded by modernwife

At the bottom of the hill on Pedro Point, there is a wide open lot I have noticed people and their dogs walking on. I thought at first it was a public park. One morning I brought the little one and the dog along for a nice stroll. When we got closer to the entry on San Pedro, a sign warned against trespassing in private property. I know I should have turned around and gotten back in the car, but all the effort of getting child and dog ready for something as simple as a morning stroll brought out the stubborn side of me.

We walked in, keeping an eye out for dog poop bombs left behind by previous trespassers. At the far end of the property, we found a fenced in area, with two emu curiously checking us out. I am not familiar with the temperament of large birds, so we kept our distance, but approached close enough for me to take this photo.