Day 10-12 Cambria and Morro Bay, CA

Day 10-12 June 19-21^st

Cambria, CA
Temp: A frigid 54 degrees on the water.  Got up to 79 at Hearst Castle
Mileage: 500

We had no other plans for this first week so we went to Cambria, CA.

Fiscanali Ranch Reserve

 

 

 

The first stop was to the Fiscanali Ranch Reserve.  A mile long sandy path on the cliffs edge.  One little slip and whoosh, straight down on to the rocky Pacific shore line.  Before going further let me remind you it was freezing!  My van read 54 degrees.  Of course Sullivan loved it, and of course Seth hated it.  He changed into jeans, long shirt and hoodie.  The wind was ferocious.  At times this first day we could hardly walk forward – we were getting blown backwards!  Along the walk I saw tons of local succulents that were blooming and gorgeous. 

 Elephant Seals

 After checking in and getting a bite to eat we checked out a long pier just under the Castle.  Then we found the elephant seals!  The loud, huge, funny looking creatures that come to this shore line all through the year to give birth, hang out and molt.  This day was sooooo windy we couldn’t even hold the cameras steady to get good pics.  It was amazing to see them move to effortlessly across the sand into the water when they can weigh more than 1000 lbs.

Hearst Castle

  







Huge. Ginormas. Gothic. I think the house in The Great Gatzby movie was modeled after this house.  My pictures aren’t going to do it justice. (Just as I assume I’ll be saying when we see the Grand Canyon in a few weeks).  Whenever we go on these tours I want to read more on the people and the time and place.  I wish I had more time in the day to do that.  I think on this adventure the person who stuck out most to me was Marian Davies – WR Hearst girlfriend.  Google her, she sounds pretty amazing minus the whole dating a married man thing.

Glass bottom boat tour

Morrow bay, CA Just what you think this would be.  Awesome!  Seeing fish get fed under water AND steering the boat!

Whale Watching Tour!

Wahoo – Sullivan found a brochure for this when at breakfast the day before.  So we extended our stay to Morrow Bay, CA so we could go on a 3-hour tour (sing the song if you wish, I did).  We took some Dramamine this AM – Seth and I took pill form,  Sullivan had to have one crushed and dissolved in water.  Remember it is 54 on land…we packed for that.  We didn’t pack for being on the water.  Off to the gift shops we go!  Three layers, sun screen on the boys (oops, forgot about MY face) and cameras at the ready we head out to sea with 15 other excited people.  Three hours later we return... without seeing a whale.  We saw many sea otters and sea lions but not even one spout!  The swells were about 10ft which I think were huge.  We sat in the front and boys said it felt like a roller coaster – thank God for the Dramamine.  Seth got a little green ½ way through so he and I moved to the back of the catamaran.  Sullivan stayed in front, with no adult chaperon to catch him if he decides to fall over board.  My own personal Sophies Choice – stay with the one who might puke or the one who has no fear and is likely yelling “I’m king of the world!!” in his head while standing up, holding on to the railing and laughing, no,  taunting the huge waves.  I stuck with the potential puker.  His stomach settled down; Sullivan didn’t fall in.  All was well.    I was very sad we didn’t see whales and was dwelling on it for many hours after.  I want this trip to be perfect and to have nothing go wrong…hahahahha   I can’t control an 80 ft water animal.  I was able to walk myself through the sadness and remember that this is but one thing.  We didn’t see a whale, but we did get to experience the open waters of the pacific and have water sprayed on us as passed over waves.  That was pretty neat.  Cold, but neat.