A Three-Day Perfect Stay in Pacifica

Last weekend, “the sun shined on Pacifica all weekend long,” said Courtney Conlon, CEO for the Pacifica Chamber of Commerce. “What an opportunity we had to market Pacifica and show we’re a real destination here.”

Conlon is talking about Pacifica’s first ever Media Familiarization Trip, where 13 travel writers and editors — from the Examiner, Chronicle and LA Times to Men’s Fitness and Diablo Magazine — descended upon the city last weekend to experience what Pacifica has to offer first-hand as a travel destination.

It’s press trips and media relations like this that will help build long-term continuity among media professionals and community leaders in Pacifica, said Conlon.

It also helps the local economy.

“$10 million was brought into Pacifica through tourism just last year,” said Conlon.

On last weekend’s media tour, the weather couldn’t have cooperated any better. With sunny skies and temperatures in the 70s, Pacifica was at its best, said Conlon.

“We focused the itinerary on activities we know people want to do here like surfing, hiking, fishing, and mountain biking,” said Conlon, who challenged the trip attendees to give her a three-day perfect stay in Pacifica article after the weekend tour.

The itinerary was certainly outlined as just that: a three-day perfect stay in Pacifica with fabulous things to do and places to eat and drink all weekend long.

On Friday, the attendees checked into their hotel rooms at the Best Western, Holiday Inn or Pacifica Beach Hotel. The group then met at Oceania Art Gallery and then headed to Sam’s Castle for a bit of history, cocktails and appetizers, and information on recreational activities in Pacifica from local experts on hiking, biking, surfing, fishing, arts, and more.

The panel included SF Chronicle travel editor and Pacifica resident John Flinn on hiking, Kevin Rhodes on surfing, Jim Sullivan on mountain biking, Mark Glisson on fishing, John Flinn on hiking, Kathleen Manning and Shirlee Gibbs on history, and Morning Nichols on performing arts.

On Saturday, breakfast was at Nick’s, lunch was at Surf Spot, and dinner was at Moonraker with wine later at Grape in the Fog and VIP tables at Nick’s for dancing and entertainment and dessert.

In between meals, the group was invited to hang glide, visit the Terra Nova Car Show, hike Mori Point, take a surf lesson with Kevin Rhodes, Segway along the coastal bluffs at Rockaway Beach, and tour the Sanchez Adobe Museum.

Then on Sunday, crabbing at the Pacifica Pier, a hike along Sweeney Ridge led by naturalist and historian John Flinn with David Bridgeman, mountain biking with Jim Sullivan, and lunch at Puerto 27 wrapped up the action-packed weekend.

“We started the Sweeney Ridge hike at the Fassler Avenue trailhead and hiked to the top and down to Shelldance Nursery,” said Conlon. “It was the perfect way to spend part of the last day to our marathon weekend that really showcased Pacifica as the travel destination it really is.”