Morro Rock: Morro Rock at Morro Bay, Calif. has been an iconic ocean landmark since the days when Native Americans lived along the Pacific Ocean coast. Today the rock is a wildlife preserve and is closed to hiking and camping. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Ocean View: A beautiful ocean view is seen from the shores of Eldwayen Ocean Park in Pismo Beach, California. The shore walkway stretches for a few miles along the scenic coastal area within a Pismo Beach neighborhood. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
By GARY WARREN
Photographer
Formerly of Los Alamos
We just returned from a trip where we enjoyed exploring the central California coast and I must admit that this area of California is one of my favorite travel destinations and certainly one of my favorite destinations for photography.
As I browse through hundreds of images from the central coast, I am also trying to organize the images to be published in future Posts From the Road columns. This will be a series of posts due to the various categories of subject matter seen in this beautiful area of California.
There are numerous beaches along the Pacific Coast in central California and miles of spectacular scenery all along the coast. Depending on where one is on the coast just minutes away one could be in mountains with hill sides filled with vineyards, cattle grazing in lush grazing lands, farms and orchards, or forested mountain sides. One area that we visited even featured towering redwood trees growing very close to cliffs along the ocean.
Pismo Beach, Calif. marks the southern end of our coastal trip while Santa Cruz, Calif. was our northern stop during our explorations. This is not a big section of the California coast by any means but it is some of the most spectacular and beautiful coastlines found anywhere.
While Pismo Beach was the southern end of our trip I will admit that our time in the area was brief. We saw much of the area through the windshield as we toured around but we did make time to stop at a couple of coastal parks and enjoy the ocean breezes and watching the waves crash against the rocky shore while birds watched the sites from the air.
We loved walking the coastal walkway around Eldwayen Ocean Park and Margo Dodd Park. Both are located on Ocean Drive which hugs the coast the west and is lined with ocean view homes on the east side of the road. We found the spectacular views even more appealing as we walked along within a housing area which was free from any commercial properties.
After spending time enjoying the sites and smells of the ocean we drove Highway 101 a few miles inland to San Luis Obispo where we exited on Highway 1 to Morro Bay, Calif. which passes through the Los Osos Valley.
The valley is a rural paradise featuring farms and cattle grazing in the green valley floor with green hills scattered about along the way. The rural setting takes one from the ocean to rural mind set while being just minutes from the Pacific Ocean.
Morro Bay, Calif. is slightly larger than Pismo Beach although both are small communities. The town of Morro Bay is sheltered from the Pacific Ocean by Morro Bay. The bay is enclosed by a peninsula which is home to the Morro Bay Wildlife Area and Morro Bay State Park. As the town has grown north it becomes adjacent to the Pacific Ocean as the bay ends near the area of Morro Rock.
An iconic ocean landmark at Morro Bay, Calif. is Morro Rock. Morro Rock is a cone or plug which rises from the ocean to a height of 581 feet high. It has been a landmark for boats and ships for hundreds of years. The Native Americans considered Morro Rock sacred ground. Today the rock is wildlife preserve and is closed to any hiking or camping.
A short drive north of Morro Rock is Morro Strand Beach State Park, where we camped overnight while in the area. The park features a large stretch of beach and dunes, which also give beach goers a nice view of Morro Rock from the north. The shoreline is less rocky, making a stroll along the sandy beach a treat.
As you may gather, this part of the central coast of California is a special area. As mentioned, it is one of our favorite travel destinations. However, this is just the beginning as there will be upcoming Posts From the Road that will feature more sites along this beautiful coastline.
Editor’s note: Longtime Los Alamos photographer Gary Warren and his wife Marilyn are traveling around the country, and he shares his photographs, which appear in the “Posts from the Road” series published in the Sunday edition of the Los Alamos Daily Post.
Relaxing Viewpoint: A viewpoint along the coastal walkway in Pismo Beach invites visitors to sit and enjoy the waves as they crash against the rocky shoreline. Many flowers can also be seen along the walkway. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Calm Waves: This section of the shoreline remains rocky but the waves were more calm than some areas, which created a peaceful stop to enjoy the sites along the coastal walkway near Eldwayen Ocean Park in Pismo Beach. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Looking North: A view from the coastal walkway gives visitors a view of another residential area on a point to the north. In the distance are some of the coastal mountains between Pismo Beach and Morro Bay, California. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Seabird Rock: Seabird Rock is a large flat rock off of the coast near Margo Dodd Park in Pismo Beach. Calif. Hundreds of species of birds call this section of the central California coast home and this rock is a popular gathering spot for many birds. Several areas along the coast are designated as wildlife preserves to protect the bird life in the area. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Gone Fishing: Two fishermen seen at the left side of the photo cast their lines into the water along the coast of the Pacific Ocean on the northern end of Morro Bay, Calif. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Morro Bay: Morro Bay is a bay that protects much of Morro Bay, Calif., from the waters of the Pacific Ocean. The bay allows docking of boats of various sizes in the bay waters. A peninsula encloses much of the bay, which has much calmer waters than the ocean. A part of one of several piers and decks line the waters along Embarcadero Street, which runs along the bay. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Dock of the Bay: Boats are docked along the bay at Morro Bay, Calif. as the ocean landmark Morro Rock soaks up sun rays during the late afternoon sunshine. The rock and the Embarcadero area of Morro Bay are prominent landmarks in Morro Bay, Calif. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
