When out of town guests come to visit, they all want to do the same thing. Go to wine country. Go to wine country. Go to wine country. I can't tell you how boring it gets after awhile. There are some weekends when I would rather run naked through K-Mart than have to go to Napa again. Yeah, it's so much fun driving your drunken guests around from one wine-tasting room to the next as you sip on iced water.

So instead I decided to head south. South to Pescadero and San Gregorio. Pescadero is a sweet little town that seems to have been winnowed out between San Francisco and San Jose. Everyday, thousands of poor commuting souls zone out on 280, completely ignorant of the lovely ocean beaches that are just minutes away.

And it's a pity for them, but a treat for the few that do know about Pescadero and San Gregorio.

Pescadero is simply perfect. It has all the makings of a great weekend getaway. A couple of cozy B & B's, a nice breakfast place, a market that carries a nice array of picnic goodies, and Duarte's.

Duarte's is one of the brilliant seafood restaurants that has the old-style seafood shanty feel, but gourmet melt-in-your-mouth food. All I will say is that you must, YOU MUST have the artichoke soup or the green chile soup or better yet, half of each in the same bowl. It could turn the soup nazi into a free-loving hippie in one sip.

I stayed at the Pescadero Creekside Barn and I cannot recommend it highly enough. Atop a barn with nice slanty roof, we walked into a spacious room, with a big four-poster bed with a goose-down comforter, a kitchenette, stereo already on playing soothing music. You can even bring your own video and watch it on the huge TV across from the bed for those of you who need TV droning in the background to put you to sleep. But the true piece de resistance is the big claw-footed tub in the middle of the room. Perfect for couples.

Just up the road is San Gregorio-a town that makes Pescadero look like a thriving Metropolis. But what San Gregorio lacks in size it makes up for in charm and one helluva gorgeous beach.

San Gregorio's main street doesn't offer that much. In fact, it offers a country store-but what a store. The San Gregorio Country Store is one of the few places where you can buy the latest best-selling book from The New York Times, an excellent iron frying pan, and a well made Bloody Mary sipped through an old fashion paper straw, all enjoyed while listening to a pretty fine Blues band. What is there not to love about that.

You can then take your newly purchased book to the San Gregorio public beach, just up the street about a mile or two. This great expanse of a beach is littered with beautiful surfwood that has been piled up to create some surreal-looking forms. And if the tide is out, check out the caves.

Directions: Take 280 to 35, heading towards Half Moon Bay. Head South on Rte. 1. Check for signs to Pescadero. Duarte's: (650) 879-0464. Pescadero Creekside Barn: (650) 879-0868.

Leslie Dotson

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