California's Fundamental Coast - Morro Bay In Addition To Avila Beach

While strolling along the commercial angling wharf inwards Morro Bay, nosotros encountered a twain from Federal Republic of Federal Republic of Germany in addition to got to talking.  We talked nigh our honey of Munich in addition to Bavaria in addition to thence asked what they idea of this lilliputian town.

“It is really beautiful,” they replied, “but what is THAT?”

Watch the Video!

They were pointing at the ane matter that keeps this lilliputian seaside town from becoming a existent tourist mecca, the large ability institute that mars the sentiment on the northward terminate of the bay.  They were aghast, by in addition to large because they idea it was a nuclear institute plopped correct into the middle of town.  Not to worry nigh that, I told them, it’s only a conventional institute that’s been in that location for one-half a century…I mean value they were confusing it amongst the Diablo Canyon nuclear generating station, which is located several miles southward of here.

The Power Plant is Hard to Miss

Ignore the institute in addition to you lot take hold a great, scenic, in addition to reasonably priced seaside getaway.  It may only live on because of that institute that the prices hither are equally depression equally they are.

Morro Bay lies due west of Bakersfield on California’s Central Coast.  This is the department of the state’s coastline that extends roughly from Santa Barbara on the southward to only below San Francisco on the northward end.  Many of the state’s gems prevarication along this route: Big Sur, Hearst Castle, Monterey, in addition to Santa Cruz only to refer a few.

We offset off inwards Bakersfield in addition to take hold Highway 46 over the coastal hills.  This is a lonely, scenic route in addition to is historically ane of the area’s to a greater extent than unsafe roads…it was nicknamed “Blood Alley” for the large issue of head-on collisions.  About halfway over the hills, inwards a pretty lilliputian valley is the intersection amongst highway 41, is the topographic point where the most memorable of these crashes occurred.

Here on September 30, 1955, purpose musician James Dean…on his means to race his Porsche Spyder at Laguna Seca Raceway inwards Monterey…crashed head-on into a truck that crossed into his lane.  He died a curt fourth dimension later on when he was taken to the War Memorial Hospital inwards Paso Robles.

Just upward the route is a modest diner where a memorial to Dean sits inwards the parking lot.  Walk to a greater extent than or less the back…signs warn you lot to lookout adult man for rattlesnakes…and you’ll consider a job of trees.  That is the topographic point where the San Andreas Fault cleaves the terra firma inwards two.

Driving carefully over the residue of the route, nosotros brand it at Highway 1 only northward of Harmony in addition to plow south.  Somewhere inwards the hills to the left, some other dark twenty-four threescore minutes menstruation inwards the terra firma happened when fired airline employee, David Burke, flare-up into the cockpit of PSA flying 1771 in addition to shot the pilots dead.  The bird pigeon into the Earth at total speed, killing all 44 aboard including the supervisor who fired him.

After this tour of gruesome California history, nosotros consider our goal shrouded inwards fog upward ahead amongst Morro Rock poking through the low-hanging cloud.

Our hotel for this trip is the Best Western San Marcos Inn, only ii blocks from the waterfront.   Barrier-free rooms amongst ii queen beds are available in addition to the hotel serves a costless calorie-free continental breakfast along amongst a vino in addition to cheese mixer every even out inwards the lobby.  There is no puddle but instead a large hot tub amongst views of the bay.  Just nigh everything inwards town is inside walking distance.

After checking inwards in addition to taking inwards the sentiment from our room, nosotros caput downward to the H2O to take hold a expect around.  Weaving inwards in addition to out to a greater extent than or less the buildings on the wharf is a walkway where everyone tin can walk along in addition to drinkable inwards the gorgeous bounding main views.  The town has gone ane stride farther in addition to made this entire walkway wheelchair accessible.  It’s non a direct line, but you lot tin can stroll along the entire waterfront from the huge Morro Rock inwards the northward  to the marina at the southward terminate of the bay.  It is a really mutual site to consider sea lions in addition to otters frolicking inwards the H2O along the way. 

And the rock?  It’s the town’s signature feature.  H5N1 morro is a volcanic plug where the surrounding mount has worn downward exposing the stone underneat.  There are ix of these ancient domes inwards the area, Morro Rock beingness the most famous, spectacularly sitting betwixt the town in addition to the waves.

Dinner this night volition live on at the Hofbrau where you lot tin can instruct a delicious beef dip sandwich, custom carved correct inwards forepart of you.  There are a few High German beers available, along amongst the common suspects on tap.  We instruct some of these delicious sandwiches in addition to sit down adjacent to the windows overlooking the water.  It’s a really inexpensive, practiced eating seat amongst a view.  That’s pretty rare.

The adjacent morning time nosotros take hold a delicious breakfast of omelets in addition to pancakes at Dorn’s, a squeamish eating seat sitting atop a modest loma overlooking the waterfront.  After eating, nosotros caput out to the rock. 

An unpaved, but fairly smoothen path allows wheelchair to instruct a lilliputian ways to a greater extent than or less the stone toward the ocean.  Soon, however, the path volition instruct equally good rocky to allow access all the means to the water.  For birders, looking upward volition discover hundreds of nooks, crannies, in addition to lilliputian caves where gulls in addition to peregrine falcons nest.  We came upon a modest grouping of watchers amongst telescopes laid on tripods who allowed upward to expect at a woman nurture falcon guarding her brood.

A drive across town leads us to Morro Bay State Park where some other morro, White’s Point, sits adjacent to the visitor’s center.  H5N1 path leads to a greater extent than or less the stone but the final hundred feet or thence to the exceed is equally good steep to brand wheelchair accessible.  Back at the visitor’s center, several spectacular views of the bay are barrier free.  The middle is also undergoing a makeover to brand it to a greater extent than accessible to wheelers.

Back inwards town, nosotros take hold a bay cruise on a boat amongst windows nether the water.  It’s non wheelchair accessible but Letty in addition to I take hold a quick ride to instruct pictures for Tim.  Another cruise operator at the northward terminate of the wharf, Chablis Cruises, offers accessible tours on a to a greater extent than traditional boat.

After the cruise, nosotros stroll to a greater extent than or less looking at the shops.  H5N1 garden middle across the street has quite an array of custom fountains.  I come upward unopen to buying ane for the yard, but create upward one's take heed non to when I mean value of how I volition instruct it home.

Today is the Morro Bay Music Festival in addition to several bands are rotating through the primary phase laid inwards a parking lot across from the wharf.  Up on the loma inwards the downtown section, there’s a slap-up farmer’s marketplace position amongst to a greater extent than alive bands…seemingly playing inwards every bar in addition to corner.  It’s a really musical twenty-four threescore minutes menstruation hither inwards Morro Bay. 

I purchase some fruit in addition to cheese for a dejeuner snack equally nosotros sit down dorsum in addition to listen.  An orchid greenhouse nearby provides a placidity getaway from all the activity on the streets.

Dinner this night volition live on at Tognazzini’s, an out-of-the-way eating seat nestled inwards amongst the commercial angling fleet at the northward terminate of town, based upon a recommendation from the skipper of the tour boat.  We are non disappointed amongst the fish in addition to pasta dinner that nosotros have.  

Afterward, nosotros stroll along the angling fleet equally nosotros take hold our final sunset views of the town.

Checking out inwards the morning, nosotros caput southward to the town of Avila Beach.  Formerly a run-down, funky bounding main side enclave of hippies, fishermen, in addition to surfers…the town is undergoing a renaissance thank you lot to a huge village in addition to remediation given to them yesteryear the Union Oil Company whose petroleum facility leaked hazardous waste materials nether the town for decades.  The petroleum companionship demolished a huge business office of the town, removed the tainted sand, in addition to rebuilt from the Earth up.  Still funky but no longer run down, the waterfront is a sparkling gem sitting on a beautiful beach.

We take hold breakfast at my favorite omelet identify inwards the world, The Custom House.  The previous incarnation hither had a patio out dorsum flood amongst plants in addition to exotic birds inwards cages.  With the novel building, the birds are gone in addition to the novel patio, spell soundless beautiful, seems a lilliputian sterile without the birds.  The nutrient is soundless great, however.

Nearby is the Harford Pier, built inwards 1873, where some other local restaurant…Fatcats…sits on the hillside.  Many people, including my parents, swear yesteryear this lilliputian diner.  It is really good, but the linguica omelet at the Custom House e'er beckons me.

Being ane of the really few piers inwards California that genuinely allow you lot drive on it, nosotros caput out to the terminate where nosotros notice a handicapped topographic point in addition to unload.  H5N1 squeamish but pricey dinner house, The Olde Port Inn, sits atop a bustling lilliputian fish monger shop.  At the terminate is a large platform where people laid to fish, no license required.

When I was a kid, nosotros had a household unit of measurement reunion type political party hither in addition to the several of us angling caught 250 cherry snapper in addition to netted dozens of crabs for the boilers nosotros laid on the military camp fire.  I don’t mean value there’s that much to pick out handle of anymore, but it’s soundless a squeamish identify to drib a line.

Down below on the boat dock platform, a dozen sea lions lounge on the wood.  Off of the pier, several to a greater extent than of the illiterate animals sit down on a platform amongst a sign begging users to unopen the gate to operate on the sea lions off.

Refreshed in addition to relaxed, nosotros climb dorsum into the van in addition to caput southward along the bounding main on Highway 101 dorsum into L.A. in addition to home.  It only dawned on me that I haven’t idea nigh that damn ability institute at all since nosotros talked to that friendly twain from Germany…just soak upward Morro Bay in addition to you’ll pose it out of your take heed too.

The Far Side of Morro Rock

Darryl

Copyright 2010 – Darryl Musick
All Rights Reserved