Central Coast

The central coast of California is lovely any time of the year, but when it is 110 degrees in the central valley just two and a half hours away, the central coast is AMAZING! It is almost always very cool and very clear for most of the day. Although it can be quite foggy in the summer, a little fog is like a few hours of winter right smack dab in the middle of a 110+ degree summer--a special vacation all its own.

Just the drive from the Central Valley to the coast also provides some excellent scenery. We have two favorite ways to get there from the Valley heat to the Coastal cool. One is Highway 41, which leaves Atascadero and winds through a beautiful area of trees and creekbeds, boardered by rocky (falling rock) walls on one side and steep drop-offs on the other. This road goes through some of the best avacado groves in the West and drops into Morro bay just a few thousand feet from the Rock in full view of the smokestacks--fog permitting.

The second is Highway 46, which takes the traveler from Paso Robles to just south of Cambria. This is a wide road that provides awe-inspiring views of wineries (open for touring and tasting), wild life (deer, mountain lions, possums, skunks, and birds galore), rolling green hills, and a "bird's eye" view of the coast from the time you reach the summit. Highway 46 is a much better choice if hauling a trailer is involved, as the ascent is more gradual and the curves less tight.

Just a few miles north of Highway 46 lies Cambria. On the north end of Cambria lies Moonstone beach. The beach stretches along for a little over 2 miles. Visitors can walk along a lovely beach, splash in the waves or practice surfing. The waves here are just mild enough, generally, to be perfect for the beginning surfer. There is a lovely walkway that has been built between the road and the beach to give the visitor a wonderful, unobstructed view of the beach, pelicans, seals, and other wildlife. It has handicapped access and viewing points.

The road north to San Simeon follows the coastline for most of the way.  In addition to the beautiul scenery that can be seen along the way, the sightseer also gets views of Hearst Castle.  If luck is with the traveler, zebras and elk remaining from William Randolph Hearts' exotic animals can be seen grazing near the roadway. 

While California's pacific coast is known for its surfing, a really good surfing experience really does require that the surf be--well... UP!   With kiteboarding the surfer doesn't have to wait to "catch a wave" or listen to the forecast for when the surf will be up. "Kiteboarding is a fusion of wind and board sports that opens a world of possibilities. All you need is wind, a kite, and a board – any board." (http://kiteboardingevolution.com).

After watching his group of nine kiteboarders power around in the choppy water with out surf-quality waves, we all agreed that there was a lot to be said for it (whether you call it parasurfing or kiteboarding) in the excitement field. And it is an exciting spectator sport!

Most days, elephant seals can be seen at Piedras Blancas.  According to the Friends of the Elephant Seal web site "The Piedras Blancas rookery, on Highway 1 seven miles north of San Simeon on the California Central Coast, is home to about 15,000 animals."  The day that we stopped here, they were not all at home!  However, we were fortunate to find a FES Docent that was there.  She gave us a great deal of interesting information abou these fascinating animals.They migrate about 9000 miles a year and can dive to depths of 5000 feet. WOW!

There are often volunteers from FES there, especially on the weekends.  But even if they are not, the bulls are often glad to put on a show! 

Where or not this becomes a day trip for you as it was for us, the end of the day can be even mor spectacular than were all the beautiful sites during the day. So from your RV, tent, hotel room or car, be sure not to miss the spectacular Pacific Coast sunset!