One of the things I love most about California is that as you drive along the coast, you never know what hidden beautiful enclaves you’ll come across. I was scoping the depths of Instagram when I came across the beachside town of Davenport. It makes a great Bay Area day trip. Let’s talk about what a day itinerary would look like. This is definitely a summer destination.
Getting to Davenport
- From San Francisco – 1.5 hours going south on highway 1
- From San Jose – 1 hour via highway 17 South
- From Santa Cruz – 20 minutes going north on highway 1
Start with breakfast at Davenport Roadhouse Restaurant & Inn
There aren’t a whole lot of places to eat in Davenport, but I was pleasantly surprised by how well-priced and great of a menu selection Davenport Roadhouse Restaurant & Inn had. Start with breakfast at the roadhouse (greatly sandwiched between both activities for the rest of the day).
Some of our favorites:
- Cinnamon French Toast
- Coffee Drinks
- Potato Latkes
Head to Shark Fin Cove
Shark Fin Cove got the name due to the big rock that looks like a shark fin from afar. Unlike most “hidden locals only” beaches, this one is actually easy to get to. It’s a short ~10 minute hike down to the beach.
- Parking – there is dirt parking right before the opening to walk down to the cove. As we left around 1 PM parking was filled. So get there early if you want a more calm beach experience.
- Shoes – While it’s a do-able walk in flip flops, I’d highly recommend bringing a pair of sneakers just in case.
Pick Berries at the Swanton Berry Farm
Have you ever heard of getting to pick berries right along the water? Usually when I imagine those quintessential American seasonal activities, they’re way inland. I loved that you could be at the beach and pick berries a couple of minutes away. Swanton Berry Farm has 2 locations –
- Swanton Berry Farm – The main location where the photo above was taken is where you can pick up already picked berries, jam, and take cute Instagrammable photos.
- Swanton U-Pick Berries – If you drive north about 10 miles from the first farm, you’ll find the u-pick farm. You’ll need to do a little off-roading to get there, but it’s so worth it! Make sure to bring a tupperware or jar to store your berries once you’ve paid for them.
Pro tip: If you want to “do it for the ‘gram” like us, pick your berries, then head back to the first farm to take some photos! Also – there are picnic tables. So if you want to bring your own picnic, and snack on some berries, it’s a great way to end the day before heading back home.
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