Vipassana, or mindfulness meditation, was first taught by the Buddha 2,500 years ago. In this style of meditation, widespread today in Southeast Asia and increasingly popular in the West, one learns to watch what arises without judgment or reaction.

In so doing, the mind can become clear and steady, and we begin to see things as they really are, without the distortion of our hopes, fears, and confusion. Some apply mindfulness to reduce stress and control pain, and many find the practice a help with daily life, but the Buddha's purpose was clear: this way of seeing leads to freedom from suffering.

Coastside Vipassana meets at the Point Montara Lighthouse Hostel on Wednesday evenings, for meditation and a dhamma talk from a visiting teacher. Everyone is welcome--the merely curious, the earnest beginner, or the dedicated practitioner.

Blue Blanket Improv presents a laugh-out-loud, high-energy, fun-for-the-whole-family comedy theater experience unparalleled on the coast! Bring a friend or several and enjoy a night of laughs.

Performing in outdoor venues around the Bay Area -- from beaches to parks to anywhere they can hang their eponymous blanket -- Blue Blanket Improv is committed to inspiring laughter in others, bringing theater to those who might not attend otherwise, and giving back to the community.

Cetrella Bistro and Cafe has been named to the San Francisco Chronicle's Top 100 Bay Area Restaurants list for the past four years running.

If the Bistro menu is beyond your budget, try dropping into the bar for a drink and live jazz music, presented every Friday and Saturday night. A bar menu featuring small plates, wood oven pizzas, and a few entrees is also available.

Neighboring the Pillar Point Harbor, Sam's Chowder House is one of Half Moon Bay's most picturesque bars and seafood restaurants. This beachside restaurant boasts beautiful ocean views, from both the dining room and spacious outdoor patios.

The restaurant's menu prices are honestly a bit steep, but for the cost of a beer or cocktail at the open-air "South Beach Bar," you can stop in on a Friday night and take in some live local jazz and guitar music. Grab some fresh shellfish appetizers to share at the chilled seafood bar adjacent, and lounge in Adirondack chairs while soaking up the seaside sunset.

Open 365 days a year, the Old Princeton Landing is Princeton-by-the-Sea's nightspot for live music, dancing, and pool. Artists of all stripes -- from rock-a-billy bands to hip-hop artists -- take to the stage on Friday and Saturday nights, often with a minimal cover change.

Every Sunday night, the Stan Erhart Band leads a cover fee-free, professional-level Blues Open Jam session with musicians from all over the Bay Area.

So, if you're feeling down, scrape up enough change for a bottle of beer and head down to the Old Princeton Landing to chase your blues away.

Every third Saturday between April and December, several art galleries in Half Moon Bay stay open until 8pm to invite visitors to experience the coastal arts scene.

The participating galleries offer artist receptions, demonstrations, music, and light refreshments during the walk. Most galleries are gathered on Main Street, making for an easy stroll through Half Moon Bay's picturesque downtown.

Download a map at http://www.socogallery.com/artwalk01.html.

The Coastside Farmers Market offers an abundance of locally grown and/or produced vegetables, fruits, organic products, gourmet cheese, herbs, seafood, organic coffee, desserts, and wines, available right from the people who produce them.

This is the perfect spot to sample the coastside's agricultural bounty, grab fixings for a picnic, or stock up on groceries for your hostel stay.

The Coastside Farmers Market offers an abundance of locally grown and/or produced vegetables, fruits, organic products, gourmet cheese, herbs, seafood, organic coffee, desserts, and wines, available right from the people who produce them.

This is the perfect spot to sample the coastside's agricultural bounty, grab fixings for a picnic, or stock up on groceries for your hostel stay.

The Farmers Market is held on Saturdays in Half Moon Bay, and on Wednesdays in Pacifica.

The James Johnston House, a.k.a. The White House of Half Moon Bay, sits overlooking the Pacific Ocean, its silhouette a striking sight against the surrounding hillsides. This classic New England salt-box (two stories in front, one in back) was built by 49er pioneer James Johnston between 1853 and 1855, for his Californian bride, Petra Maria de Jara. In 1971, the Johnston House Foundation was established to protect, preserve, restore, and refurbish the house, and to promote the history of the Coastside and California.

The Johnston House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is open to visitors on the third Saturday of the month, January - September, with docent-led tours available. A special "Holiday House" event is held the first two weekends in November.

Learn about Ano Nuevo State Reserve's most popular residents -- the northern elephant seal -- at a facinating lecture at the Point Montara Lighthouse Hostel. Join Ano Nuevo docent Bob Fox as he shares digital presentations and actual artifacts from the seal colony, and find out what makes these marine mammals so unique.

Hunted to the brink of extinction at the turn of the 20th century, the northern elephant seal has made a strong comeback in the past 100 years, thanks in part to both government restrictions on hunting and their own secluded, deep-sea lifestyle.

The seals only come ashore for a few months each year to compete, mate, and give birth, and Ano Nuevo State Reserve is the site of this powerful ecological pagent from mid-December to April. Luckily, the reserve offers guided walks and observation stations during the breeding season, where visitors can get a peek at these imposing animals in action.

Bob Fox has been a Docent Naturalist for Ano Nuevo State Reserve for the past three years. He is part of a group of more than 300 trained volunteers that act as guides during the elephant seal season. For the rest of the year he works at the reserve with other docents, teaching visitors about the wildlife in the park and the history of Ano Nuevo.

Neighboring the Pillar Point Harbor, Sam's Chowder House is one of Half Moon Bay's most picturesque bars and seafood restaurants. This beachside restaurant boasts beautiful ocean views, from both the dining room and spacious outdoor patios.

Aside from serving food, Sam's presents live local music three nights a week. Come check out Bay Area jazz, blues, rock, and more on Fridays from 7-10 p.m. in the restuarant's indoor bar, or Saturdays and Sundays at the outdoor "South Beach Bar" from 4-8 p.m.

The regular menu prices will considerably lighten your wallet, but for the cost of a beer or cocktail you can stop in to hear the sounds and soak up the surroundings. Grab some fresh shellfish appetizers to share at the chilled seafood bar on the patio, and lounge in Adirondack chairs while admiring the seaside sunset.

Neighboring the Pillar Point Harbor, Sam's Chowder House is one of Half Moon Bay's most picturesque bars and seafood restaurants. This beachside restaurant boasts beautiful ocean views, from both the dining room and spacious outdoor patios.

Aside from serving food, Sam's presents live local music three nights a week. Come check out Bay Area jazz, blues, rock, and more on Fridays from 7-10 p.m. in the restuarant's indoor bar, or Saturdays and Sundays at the outdoor "South Beach Bar" from 4-8 p.m.

The regular menu prices will considerably lighten your wallet, but for the cost of a beer or cocktail you can stop in to hear the sounds and soak up the surroundings. Grab some fresh shellfish appetizers to share at the chilled seafood bar on the patio, and lounge in Adirondack chairs while admiring the seaside sunset.

Lock up your Dostoefsky, hide the fine Steinbeck, shutter up the Seuss, and ixnay the Irving, 'cause Blue Blanket Improv is hitting the books hard on Friday night!

Bring a friend or several and enjoy a free night of laughs at the Half Moon Bay Public Library, courtesy of the Coastside's improvisational impresarios, Blue Blanket Improv.

Performing in outdoor venues around the Bay Area -- from beaches to parks to anywhere they can hang their eponymous blanket -- Blue Blanket Improv is committed to inspiring laughter in others, bringing theater to those who might not attend otherwise, and giving back to the community.