The Rock at Morro Bay and California's Central Coast

Morro Bay and it's surrounding communities are what makes California's Central Coast so remarkable. Strolling along the boardwalk area on the bay Embarcadero watching seagulls flock around Morro Bay Rock with kayakers and sea otters on the bay is very relaxing.

A saltwater marsh in the bay serves as home to the Morro Bay Bird Sanctuary.

You can stop in at any of the local small shops or eateries for a sandwich or clam chowder. Fresh seafood is plentiful.

Though not a large area, it is very charming offering outdoor activities such as hiking, bicycling, kayaking, and picnicing.

Approximately 10 minutes from downtown is the Sea Pines Golf Course in the neighboring Los Osos and a public golf course is right in Morro Bay.

Approximately 30 minutes north on the coast is the world-famous William Randolph Hearst Castle. This is truly a sight to see for its grand opulence.

Quick Tips:

While this is not a high volume touristy area, it does have it's fair share of additional lookey-loos on the weekends. Parking is along the bayfront street and not overly abundant. Go early.

A ride out to Morro Bay Rock offers you a look back at the mainland and down the California coast south toward Montano de Oro State Park. It's gorgeous.

For a special occasion, Baywood Inn Bed and Breakfast offers uniquely styled rooms right on the back bay in town. They also have two large single family homes, Olga's and Alex's Bayfront Homes, that sit on the water for rent. Pricey, but great for a special event.

Plan ahead since these places book up early, especially during busy college weekends at Cal Poly University located in nearby San Luis Obispo. Check their website at: www.baywoodinn.com

Best Way To Get Around:

Cars are about the only way to get to Morro Bay. Once there, bicycles, feet, and kayaks abound. The drive along the coast is good for the soul and the sunsets magnificent.

We sort of fell into this place to stay since there were no hotels available in San Luis Obispo during the weekend we wished to visit the area. This resort was not listed in the AAA guide book, which we use religiously, so we were fortunate to locate this small golf resort located in the small coastal town of Los Osos, about 15 minutes west of San Luis Obispo. their advertising brochure lists it as "the best kept secret on the central coast" and we think it is. As you enter the driveway of the property there are several wooden carved statues of bears, some holding golf clubs. The town name of Los Osos means Valley of the Bears. Statues and signs of bears can be seen everywhere in the town. There are several small buildings making up the 45 room lodge. They each contain hotel rooms and 2 suites located at the ends of the buildings. We were fortunate to book one of the suites each time we have stayed there. The one bedroom suite is very large. The entry room is a large living room with an instant-on gas fireplace, queen sofa that makes into a bed, small refrigerator, bar sink, closet, and tables, 2 chairs and ottoman. It's beautifully decorated in a very traditional style with quality furniture and linens. The bedroom, with door separating the two rooms, is also very large with a lengthy mirrored sliding door closet, a double sink vanity area that is over 10 feet long and cabinetry built in for clothing and TV. The separate doored bathroom is also unusually large with tiled floors, toilet, and bathtub/shower. Sliding glass doors go out onto a small patio sitting area. It is very quiet and peaceful. The entire place is impeccably clean. The lodge is located on a small but very challenging 9 hole golf course with views of Morro Bay Rock across the water. A homey country Clubhouse with Sportsbar and Grill are on-site that serves ample breakfasts and lunches and can be signed to your room for easy payment in total at the end of your stay. Their Pro Shop sponsors weekend golf tournaments and packages. It's within a mile of the entrance to Montano de Oro State Park and within 5 minutes of Morro Bay. The price is very good for the area and the amenities provided. The staff are very helpful and friendly and make you feel like family. It is one of our favorite places to stay while in the central coast area. Their website is: www.seapinesgolfresort.com if you wish more information.

We visited this restaurant on Easter Sunday for their brunch billed as "the best Sunda Brunch on the Central Coast". The setting is exactly as it's name implies. It is upstairs in the Embarcadero area of Morro Bay with floor to ceiling, wall to wall windows overlooking the bay. We arrived less than 5 minutes before our scheduled reservation time and found the restuarant doors locked. Once we followed the lead of another group and entered through an alternate door we sat down in a waiting area until 10 minutes after our reservation time. We were then escorted to our table a corner table with ample space between it and other tables. The restuarant was very classy in its style with white linen tablecloths and beautiful wooden decorations. We were anxious for a superb dining experience. Service was slow and we had to ask twice to get water. The bread rolls were not fresh or warm. The orange juice that was served was sour and the waiter didn't seem to feel this was out of the ordinary when we had to ask him to remove it and bring another glass, which never arrived. The selection for brunch was limited and though high-end classy in style, left little for more basic eaters to select from. Out of five people at our table 4 different entrees were ordered. While it was a delightful setting, the meal left much to be desired. None of us came away feeling overly satisfied from the taste or amounts of food. This was a very costly brunch especially considering the disappointing quality and service. No adjustments were made on the bill for the undrinkable juice. We will try some other beach locations next visit to Morro Bay.

For a taste of rich and famous lifestyles in the 1930s, a visit to "The Enchanted Hill" home of newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst will leave you in awe. It is more a museum than a home.

Hearst Castle is a 90,000-square-foot estate containing artwork and furnishings from Hearst's "Grand Tour" abroad at a young age. Many of the impressive things he saw in Europe were included in this home, built over 28 years.

The castle is accessible by tour only. All the tours include the main house, Casa Grande, and both the outdoor Neptune pool and indoor Roman pool. For something unusual, we reserved an evening Living History tour of the castle.

The visitor center is located 26 miles north of Morro Bay on Highway 1. Allow time to view the museum displays and movie of the castle's construction.

A tour bus takes visitors up a long, narrow, private road to the top of the hill. Since this was an evening tour, viewing the surrounding scenery was not possible, but it sure was dark.

We were treated to a rare glimpse of the fog rolling in from the coast. It had a definite flair, but also made viewing more difficult. The evening tour emcompasses more rooms than any single day tour. The outdoor pool is lighted up at night and rather eerie with the fog. The uniqueness of the evening tour comes from the presence of period-costumed docent "guests" enjoying Hearst's hospitality throughout the castle. While in the kitchen, you can talk to the "chef." The "staff" and "guests" are always in character.

Reservations are highly recommended (via telephone or Internet), especially for the evening tour. Evening tours occur Fridays and Saturdays in spring and fall only. Day tours run all year long. Tickets for the evening tour are $24 for adults and $12 for ages 6 to 17. Allow about 3 to 4 hours, 2 1/4 hours for the house tour and the balance at the visitor center. Day tours are 1 3/4 hours. Day tours range from $12 to $18 for adults and $7 to $9 for children. There is a special tour designed with no steps for those with accessibility issues.

Because of the nature of the exhibit and the multitude of steps, the evening tour is not designed for small children or those unable to navigate the stairways on foot. Babies will need to be carried the entire time since strollers are not possible. Hand-holding of children is required at all times to assure they stay within the roped-off areas. Hearst Castle does not even list a price or mention children under 6 for the evening tour, since it is not really suitable for them.

For more information, you can check the informative website at www.hearstcastle.com or call 1/800/444-4445.

Since there is no flash photography allowed inside, take along high-speed film or a camera that does not require a flash.

On a recent trip along the beautiful California Central Coast on our way to Hearst Castle, we decided to make Cambria our way-station to fill our empty stomachs. As we pulled off Highway 1, Pacific Coast Highway, onto Cambria's Main Street, we knew we had arrived in a very special place.

The terms "quaint" and "charming" must have been invented to describe Cambria. It is halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, sort of isolated, rural, and restful. On one side of Highway 1 is the Pacific Ocean and Moonstone Beach, as lovely as its name implies, while the other side is the small seaside village of Cambria, with towering pines backing up to hills, about 6 miles south of Hearst Castle and 20 miles north of Morro Bay.

It's a great place to "get away" for a quiet, romantic weekend. If you are a painter or a photographer, there are many fine scenic sites and great sunsets over the ocean. There is a variety of styles and types of accommodations, from hotels to bed-and-breakfasts.

Also in the area are unique restaurants, such as Linn's Bakery Cafe, Sea Chest and Oyster Bar, and Sow's Ear. Art galleries and antiques shops abound. Hand-painted, -made, and -styled arts and crafts can be found at the many boutique shops on Main Street.

South of the village are about 20 wineries and beautiful rolling vineyards where you can visit and taste their harvest. Several stores in town offer local wines and cheeses for tasting. A farmers’ market is held every Friday at 2:30pm at Vet's Hall parking lot on Main Street.

Other activities in the area include live theater performances at the historical Pewter Plough Playhouse, searching for shells at the beach, and an eclectic house made of "found material" called Nit Wit Ridge.

Between the charm of a small town with pine-covered hills and the Pacific Ocean surf, Cambria has it all for a great place to escape.