Morro Bay

We left Madera and climbed over the mountains to the coast, Morro Bay. We went down Route 99 which runs through the center of the state and onto route 41. An interesting sign at the beginning of 41 said trucks RVs vehicles with trailers are not to use this road for the next 25 miles. We switched over to Route 46 which went through some mountains, then route 101 South to 41 and then 41 over the last of the mountains to the coast. My California map shows mountains north and south of Morro Bay but let me tell you, they're here too!

As we came into Morro Bay, we passed a large gumdrop shaped rock (mountain?). There is another just outside our campsite. The biggest one is in the Bay. I found out there are nine of these cores of old volcanoes in a line across this county. The 10th is north of Morro rock hidden under the ocean. Until 1969, Morro rock was quarried for its granite. Now there's a causeway at the north end of town where you can drive out to the rock. We walked around the rock to watch the ocean waves splashing against its base on the West side. A native told us how high the winter waves reach against the rock. Most impressive. The town is small, about 10, 000, and most of the houses are east of Route 1, climbing the hill side, each with a view of the bay.

We went north along the coast yesterday. Our goal was to see Hearst Castle at San Simeon. I really don't know what to say about that. It was too large for me to grasp. In fact, I didn't take any pictures and neither did my photographer. You couldn't use flash in any of the buildings and the outside was too large to frame. But let me tell you a little about what I saw. It seems bigger than life. And yet, this is how one man lived. He actually moved in to each of the guest houses as it was completed. He started using this compound while it was still building around him. In fact, he rebuilt the swimming pool three times while he lived there. Remember, he was very conscious of the California earthquakes, so he built all the structures using reinforced concrete. When he changed his mind, the reinforced concrete had to be removed before anything new could be built there. We went up 150 steps from the tour bus site. Incidentally, we rode the tour bus 5 miles across the Hearst Corporation ranch to get to the house. Anyway, the hundred and 50 steps were broken up into several flights of stairs, most of them curving from one landing to the next. On one of the landings was the largest pool I think I've ever seen, surrounded by classical columns and pediments. Then one flight up further to the Plaza (?) outside the front door. This was some entrance. The door was at least two stories high and wide enough for an elephant, had a fountain big enough to swim in with marble benches in a graceful curve around the outside. Probably seating for a hundred. Inside, we went through a few of the main rooms. The first was the great room used for cocktails before dinner. It was probably 25 x 50 feet and I would estimate 30 feet high. The outside walls were wainscoted in several hundred-year-old church seats. When I think of the Gothic churches of Europe or Westminster Abby that I've seen on TV, between the congregation and the high altar along the sides are stalls with high wooden backs and seats with little arms all carved out of wood. These were used as wainscoting in this room. The ceiling was one found in a Mediterranean Castle and brought over whole. It wasn't large enough for the room, so skilled craftsmen added to it in such a way that you cannot tell where the old ends of the new begins. This seemed to be his attitude toward all the antiques he bought in Europe. Use them. We went through some bedrooms in one of the guest houses. Each room was filled with antiques and each was used by whatever guest was assigned there for the weekend. He average 50 to 80 guests each weekend. The views from the terraces were fantastic. He looked out across a rolling brown hills to San Simeon Bay. All in all, I think I need to return to San Simeon. I just haven't grasped it.

We went further north along the coast and saw a couple of beaches and filled with elephant seals. These were juveniles who were there awaiting the arrival of the adults who winter here. There was a docent from the group protecting these seals. He was helpful in explaining what we were seeing. Even further north, we came to a place called Ragged Point. Peggy took some wonderful photographs. Suddenly at this point, the coast changed from beaches and some low cliffs to rugged mountain sides flush against the surf. I'm not sure that I ever saw this in real life before. I kept asking Peggy to take more photos both north and south.

Today, we went to San Luis Obispo. The mission there is still a functioning church. The walls are very thick and have signs saying not an earthquake proofed building. At one time, the church had been refurbished to look like a New England church. It has now been returned to as close to its original decoration and format as possible. The Stations of the Cross were primitive paintings as were many of the decorations which were done in very bright colors. The church itself was L-shaped and the altar was set at an angle facing neither section of the L. Outside, the church was whitewashed or the Adobe was painted white. There was a beautiful plaza in front of the church with a pergola which I photographed for my daughter-in-law.

All in all, I really enjoyed our week here in Morro Bay. I had read about the mountains along the shore in California but seeing it is much more impressive.