Bluffside Ride

Blow out the winter cobwebs with a beachfront picnic on a quiet cove. Take the easygoing bike ride along Half Moon Bay's five-mile Coastside Trail, dotted with beach primrose, bush lupine, and the occasional jackrabbit. The trail cruises by beaches between Pillar Point Harbor and Poplar Avenue; choose one that catches your fancy, and make your own Beach Blanket Babylon. Rent a bike from Bike Rec—they’ll deliver a beach cruiser to you anywhere on the trail. Or, pack a picnic and chow down at the deck-side tables at the Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society on Miramar Beach, where Sunday afternoon jazz has been a tradition since the sixties. (Buffet food is sold there if you don’t want to bring your own.) On April 1, Delfeayo Marsalis will be on trombone; on April 15, pianist Hiromi plays with her trio. Jazz on the beach? Sounds like California living at its finest.

For Coastside Trail, park at Pillar Point Harbor on Mirada Rd. off Highway 1 in Miramar; Half Moon Bay State Beach.

Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society, Douglas Beach House, 311 Mirada Rd., Half Moon Bay;650-726-4143.

Bike rentals: BikeRec.com. Half day rentals are $20; full day rentals are $30.