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The San Francisco Bay Area is a large region of vibrant colors, flavors, and activities. And when you stay at the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel & Suites San Francisco Airport, you're in the perfect centralized location from which to explore it all. An afternoon or evening excursion into the sweet town of Half Moon Bay is a worthwhile half-hour drive away, a ride that sweeps you away into scenes of mountains, trees, and family farms and nurseries offering fresh produce and flowers. Taste whatever's in seasonal bounty by looking for roadside signs and stopping at inviting places along Highway 92 and Highway 1 such as Andreotti Family Farm, T&E Pastorino, G. Berta's Produce, and Farmer's Daughter.

Explore Main Street for quaint boutiques, shops, and light snacks, a great place to stroll and have a leisurely break. A few moments away is the coast, where you can walk along the sand and enjoy the sights along the Pacific Ocean or Pillar Point Harbor (pictured). World-class waves await in the ocean in the winter, and you'll see surfers of all levels enjoying them. The annual Mavericks Surf Contest nearby brings out the real pros, and the thrills extend out to an audience of thousands, who sometimes have to take extra caution not to get wet or hit by the monster waves. Half Moon Bay is a wonderful destination for lunch or dinner, where many restaurants have a priceless view on or near the water, perfect for watching the sunset. Our suggestion: stop in at the Half Moon Bay Brewing Company for outstanding house beers and seafood selections; the restaurant is also a lively community gathering place during its "Brews and Views" political discussion sessions.

Candice Kraughto is the Director of Public Relations for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Hawaii.

I confess. I am a mochi maniac. Wherever I travel throughout the world, I search for mochi - whether it is plain kinako chi chi dango or ichigo daifuku with a whole strawberry inside. Maybe in five years mainstream Americans will probably discover this delightful Japanese dessert snack made of glutinous rice pounded and molded into a plump, soft ball filled with sweet bean paste. While on a business trip in San Francisco earlier this year, I stared out of my room at the The Palace Hotel. What were those words on the red storefront across from the hotel on Market Street? Did it say "Japanese sweets?" I ran out of The Palace on New Montgomery across Market Street and into Minamoto Kitchoan. Oh joy! Cradling the individually wrapped balls of sakura mochi (cherry blossom flavor) and chestnut mochi, I carefully placed them in my shopping basket. I would enjoy them later in my hotel room with a cup of hot tea. All these years that I have stayed at The Palace and never knew my favorite dessert was waiting for me across the street! Mochi just like in Japan. Maniacs like me only need to trek across the Pacific Ocean to Hawaii where mochi culture thrives. Where mochi stuffed with peanut butter filling or melon, blueberry or chocolate chi chi dango is sold in the local Long's Drugs or Walgreens. An encounter with taro mochi balls on the Saturday night buffet at the Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort & Spa's Kai restaurant was enchanting. If you are feeling decadent, mochi filled with lilikoi cream or chocolate and haupia (coconut pudding) is perfect with a cup of genmaicha.

[image via Minamoto Kitchoan]

If you like cartoons in any form, there's a quirky museum in San Francisco that's guaranteed to put a smile on your face. The Cartoon Art Museum displays everything from Sunday funnies and comic books to graphic novels and political cartoons in its spacious galleries in the Yerba Buena cultural district, with over 6,000 pieces of cartoon and animation art. Its permanent collection boasts works by such cartoon giants as Peanuts creator Charles Schulz, who gave the museum a generous endowment in 1987. A rotating collection of temporary exhibits keeps things fresh, with shows like Drawing the Sword: Samurai in Anime and Manga and Ed Hannigan: Covered, which explores the work that the artist did for Marvel and DC Comics in the 1970's and 1980's. And now through June, Batman: Yesterday and Tomorrow boasts an amazing collection of art related to the caped crusader, from his first appearance in Detective Comics in 1939 to the blockbuster Dark Knight film of 2008. There's even a collection of ultra-rare Japanese Batman manga, which was produced by artist Jiro Kuwata from 1966 to 1967. It just might inspire you to try your hand at this enjoyable art form. The museum is steps from the St. Regis San Francisco.

[image via Cartoon Art Museum]