After finishing a three-day art show at the Morro Bay Art in the Park, I took four unexpected days to relax and take in the beauty around me.
Last Labor Day weekend, I took a five-hour trip to show my art in Morro Bay which I scheduled just to be able to be in the beautiful Morro Bay area again. After the show was over, I saw it was forecasted to be about a week longer of incredibly unusual stormy weather with high temperatures in Southern California, so I thought, why not stay longer in Morro Bay and just drive around and hang out?
Here's some of my Morro Bay adventures that had very little actual adventure, some somewhat exciting wildlife experiences, and mainly a lot of driving around and stopping at beautiful places.
Driving North of Morro Bay all the Way to the Elephant Seals at Piedras Blancas Point
Day one after the art show, I decided to just take off and drive north and enjoy a beautiful drive. From Morro Bay to Piedras Blancas Point is a 38-minute drive that is beautiful ocean the whole drive there. The elephant seals are fun to see all stretched out on the beach but there wasn't much wild activity happening when I was there.
On my way back to Morro Bay, I drove 15 minutes south to Moonstone Beach where you can find colorful polished pebbles on the beach and then headed into Cambria. I went to Cambria a couple times during my trip, it's such a peaceful nice town to wander around and through shops or get a coffee or something to eat. One shop I always stop in has a unique garden you can walk through in the back. Cambria is usually very peaceful but one day a fire engine rushed past me heading toward a billow of smoke. The wildfire appeared to be close by, but it turned out to be a good distance away.
Just 10 minutes south of Cambria is Harmony, which as the sign says has a population of just 18. It's a quick stop where you can wander around the old Creamery location that has an ice cream truck, a few shops, an old post office, and even a wedding chapel. On a visit here the previous year with my mom, she told me that my dad had his first art workshop location in one of the buildings. My family lived in Los Osos next to Morro Bay until I was five, and this was a really exciting time for my dad when he just started selling his art and discovered he could make a living as an artist. A challenging pursuit too when he already had a family of six kids. Being here is a sweet spot for me where I wonder and think about my dad being here so many years ago. So, I always make a stop in Harmony.
Morro Rock and Morro Bay Estuary
From Harmony, it's about 15 minutes drive south to Morro Bay. I sometimes drive through the cute beach town of Cayucos or stop at a beach along the way to take photos or look for sand dollars. And when back in Morro Bay driving around, there are so many places to stop that always seem to be a beautiful photo opportunity.
Last Day at the Beach in Montana de Oro
About 20 minutes south of Morro Bay is one of my favorite beaches in Montana De Oro State Park. It was a hot day that day so there were a lot of people out enjoying the beach. I sat back in a shady spot and heard noise close by to my right and suddenly two deer came out of the high grasses and paused and looked at me, then crossed the water and hurried up the hillside. I have never seen deer at the beach in my life, and so close to me, so it was so surprising. A fun day, especially too this being a beach I have such strong memories of being at as a kid and while growing up visiting here often.
Montaña de Oro State Park
And Time to Go, but I'll Return Again to Morro Bay
I haven't come close to showing you how enjoyable this area of Central California is and just gave you a glimpse into the Morro Bay area and some of the places you could see yourself while there. There is plenty more to do and see, and adventures to be had. And wildlife to be seen, especially the adorable sea otters you can see at Morro Rock.
Next trip I might be more adventurous and go kayaking, or hiking or jump down the sand dunes like I did when I was a kid but for this trip resting and relaxing and seeing beautiful places was good and fun for me. To look further into the areas I shared, click on the links below my photos to learn more and maybe see if you'd like a getaway too sometime to Morro Bay.
Please share your comments, it'd be fun to hear any thoughts you have about Morro Bay or places you've enjoyed while visiting there too.