Day 20 - Morro Bay, California

California or Bust…

Day 20 – Morro Bay, California

Thursday, November 10^th, 2011

Brigit and Riley had an appointment for a bath and trim at the dog groomers recommended by the owners of Cabernet and Rousanne at Eberle.  They wanted to smell and look good for the wedding.  Drew dropped them off and then went to the grocery store for milk, fresh veggies and fruit.  I went to a Zumba class at Kennedy Club Fitness taught by Sarah Cardinali… she was great!  The class was loud, high energy, fun with about 40 women, many who introduced themselves to me… I must have looked new!  One of the ladies was 75 but you would not have guessed… she was movin’ and groovin”.

We picked up the dogs around 11am and decided to have an early lunch at Los Robles on Spring & 14th, an authentic Mexican restaurant that had been recommended to us… even suggestions of what to order.   We had tacos el pastor, a supreme asada burrito and a cheese enchilada… it was awesome!  After lunch, we drove South on 101 and then West on Hwy 41 over a beautiful mountain for about 30 miles before we dropped into the town of Morro Bay.  Both Anna, our wedding photographer and Paul, our acoustic guitar player are from Morro Bay and had suggested a few places we should see.

As you enter Morro Bay, which has about the same population as Marathon, you can’t help but see Morro Rock… I forgot how big it is.  Morro Rock was named in 1542 by a Portuguese navigator Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, who explored the Pacific Coast for Spain.  He called the rock El Moro because it resembled the head of a Moor, the people from North Africa know for the turbans they wore.  However, the Spanish word “morro” (pebble) is also consistent with the shape of the rock.  The town of Morro Bay was founded by Franklin Riley in 1870 as a port for the export of dairy and ranch products.  He was instrumental in the building of a wharf which has now become the Embarcadero.  We drove over to Morro Bay Beach where there were quite a few surfers riding 3-4 foot waves and then along the embarcadero to check out the shops and marinas.

Morro Rock & Beach

One end of the Marina



 Moored Sailboats



Fishing Buddies

We continued South through the town of Morro Bay following the winding road along the bay to the town of Los Osos ("the bears") and discovered Montana de Oro State Park… another place that Paul suggested we visit.  We drove through hills of eucalyptus trees which are not native to this area but were planted for commercial use.  Being naturally oily, the builders thought they would resist rotting but instead they warped too much to be used.  This Park was gorgeous and had a few campgrounds and both horse and biking trails along the coastal marshes and hillside.  There was a nice beach at Spooner’s Cove on Point Buchon with interesting rock formations and a cave.  Drew found a few more pretty and unusual rocks for his collection. 

Brutal Coast



Mountain of Gold



Eucalyptus Trees



Spooner's Cove




Cool Rock Formations



Check out geology behind us!

State Park House on the Bluff

It was late afternoon and we wanted to drive back over the mountain pass before dark.  We went back to the RV Resort, made dinner, relaxed and were looking forward to the next day… November 11, 2011!!!!