Happy Tuesday! I wanted to share with you Part 2 of my Central Coast trip featuring Morro Bay and Pismo Beach. If you didn’t get a chance to check out Part 1 of my trip scroll down so you can see some beautiful photos from Cayucos and some adorable Elephant Seals!
So the morning of December 28th, we all woke up and made breakfast at our Airbnb in Cayucos. We then drove for about 10 minutes to Morro Bay. The three things I noticed right away were;
Morro Rock…
…the power plant
and seagulls!!
This one was not even afraid of me and as you can see an amazing model!
Morro Bay is a waterfront city in San Luis Obispo County. One of the things they are known for is Morro Rock, a 576 foot high volcanic plug which stands at the entrance to the harbor. There’s a nice beach located to the right of the rock.
Make sure you bring your camera because besides the rock, the Dynegy Power Plant or as the locals call it “three fingers” is definitely an Insta worthy picture. The power plant closed back in 2014 due to financial struggles. It is still undecided whether to get rid of the 3 stacks. I say keep it. So many locals have on their license plates “Morro Bay – Rock & three fingers”, it has become a staple to their city and I feel tearing them down would take away some of Morro Bay’s history. 
We probably spent a good 45 minutes walking around and taking pictures. There’s a beach to the right of the rock where you can swim, surf, and sunbathe.
Here are some photos:
If you’re a fan of Salt Water Taffy, you need to stop by CRILLS SALT WATER TAFFY http://www.crills.qpg.com/
Besides taffy they have a variety of deserts (chocolate, ice cream, cookies, coffee, gifts, etc).
If you are looking for fun activities like, oceanside golf, kayaking or maybe relaxing with a glass of wine while watching the view, click this link http://www.morrobay.org/things-to-do
Morrobay.org is a great informative website with everything you need to know and do while your in town.
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Next stop: El Moro Elfin Forest
The El Moro Elfin Forest trail is located in Los Osos which is a 15 minute drive from Morro Bay. Click here for directions:
http://elfin-forest.org/visiting/Getting%20to%20Morro%20Bay.htm
What’s so cool about this forest is that you can see 8 different environment types in this one preserve.
- Coastal Dune Scrub
- Maritime Chaparral
- Coastal Live Oak Woodland
- Oak/Manzanita Complex
- Riparian Woodland
- Brackish Water Marsh
- Coastal Salt Marsh
- And if the tide is in Estuary Waters and if it’s out Estuary Mud
Take a look at some pictures;
If you are a Lord of the Rings fan, like me, you will love this place. My favorites were the Lichens and Moss on the trees. The entirety of the Elfin Forest pathway is less than 1 mile making it a non-strenuous outdoor experience. Make sure you take time to read the signs along the way, it’ll give you an understanding to the inspiration of the Elfin Forest.
**Dogs are permitted on the trail
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Butterfly Grove – Pismo Beach
From the Elfin Forest it took us 30 minutes to get to Pismo Beach. My first time ever going to Pismo, it reminded me a lot of Venice Beach. Very crowded, young college people, with not a lot of parking. We ended up just driving through because we were all getting tired but we wanted to make one last stop to see the Monarch butterflies.
This was one of the coolest things I’ve seen. You will have to zoom in with the next couple of pictures to notice the clump of thousands of butterflies. Monarch Butterflies are always looking for places with ideal microclimates for their winter habitat and found a home at the Pismo State Beach Grove. The tall eucalyptus and Monterey cypress trees provide the shelter and canopy for thermal stability.
I suggest making a trip to Pismo to experience it for yourself, so you can actually see the butterflies because it is breathtaking.
If you look to the left of the tree to the right of this photo, you can notice the butterflies in a clump. It looks like leaves but they had telescopes for us and wow was it crazy awesome. 
Here’s a picture I found on the internet so you can see what I saw.
Here’s their website for more information: http://www.monarchbutterfly.org/
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On our way back to Cayucos, we decided to stop by TOLOSA WINERY
This was my first time ever going to a winery and wine tasting. It was super fun and the best part was they are dog friendly too!!
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After a long fun-filled day of sightseeing we head back to our home away from home.
I can’t wait to share with you my adventures in Cambria & Harmony. Let’s just say one of those cities has a population of 18!
My next post will conclude my Central Coast Trip so make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss out!
Hope you all have a wonderful week!
♥
P.S. If you are looking for vacation rentals or things to do in Morro Bay, check out my friends at https://www.alltherooms.com/vacation-rentals-morro-bay
“This seaside fishing village with a picturesque waterfront is a heaven for travelers who love exploring in the great outdoors. Located along coastal Highway 1 in San Luis Obispo County, Morro Bay offers year-round activities in an unspoiled slice of California. Since finding the right place to stay can be difficult, our highly-skilled data team has put together a complete guide “Morro Bay Vacation Rentals” where travelers can explore things to do, affordable accommodation, availability, and weather in Morro Bay.”
