Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Morro Bay | SLO Weekend Part 1

Morro Rock | San Louis Obispo

I keep looking for the button to slow life down, but I just don't seem to be able to find it.  When they handed me that squirming 9.5 lbs of boy baby some seventeen years ago I felt as though I had eons until the words "college tour" would become a regular part of my vocabulary.  Well... those eons have passed all too quickly, and last weekend became a real SLO weekend.  San Luis Obispo, that is for a college tour of CalPoly.



Having camped at the Morro Bay Campground, our love of Morro Bay goes back many years.  A quaint, sleepy town on the edge of the water, SLO is an ideal location for a weekend getaway and leisurely walks by the bay.


Morro Rock | San Louis Obispo

Morro Rock, with its 23 million year volcanic history, remains one of my favorite San Luis Obispo sites.  At 576 feet, Morro Rock is the smallest of the chain of Nine Sisters (a chain of volcanic peaks and hills between Morro Bay and San Louis Obispo) and in February of 1968 was declared a California Historical Landmark.


Morro Rock | San Louis Obispo

Considered a sacred site to the Salian and Chumash and dating as far back as 6500 BC, Morro Rock was first charted in 1542 by Portuguese explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo who dubbed the rock "El Morro" due to its resemblance to the Moor's head-wraps.  Today, the Chumash remain the only people legally allowed to climb Morro Rock for their annual solstice ceremony.


Morro Rock | San Louis Obispo

Popular with tourists and locals alike, Morro Rock also serves as a sanctuary to the endangered peregrine falcons who are joined by 3 species of cormorants and 2 species of gulls who nest in the rock's crevices.  Sea lions and otter regularly swim in the waters surrounding the rock and seals also breed in the nearby lagoons.


Morro Bay | San Louis Obispo

Whether camping at the Morro Bay Campground, staying on the water's edge in Morro Bay or downtown San Luis Obispo to visit Cal Poly (we were very happy with our stay at the La Cuesta Inn - but don't eat at the Apple Farm Restaurant across the street.  Big Sky Cafe was a much better choice!), Morro Bay brings stunning vistas and becomes a lovely, peaceful stop while visiting this Central California area.


Seagull - Morro Bay | San Louis Obispo

6 comments:

  1. Looks like you had a great time, sooo jealous!

    Happy Blogging!
    Happy Valley Chow

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  2. Morro Bay is our favorite spot for a getaway! Cal Poly is amazing. Hope your son liked it.

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  3. Looks beautiful and Glad you had fun.

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  4. I LOVE Morro Bay, Kim! I'm so glad you and your family do, too! I'm heading up there in September to visit with one of my retired high school teachers. How was CalPoly? I enjoy its campus very much, even though I never went there. My friend who did gave me a tour ages ago. There's great hiking in San Luis Obispo, too. Ah, I can't wait to read more about this Central Coast weekend :-)

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  5. It is a great town and an excellent school. I'm sure what ever one you guys decide on your son will do well. I think time accelerates or something once they hit high school. Can't believe it's the start of another school year. Happy Hump Day.
    -Gina-

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  6. I've never even heard of Morro Bay and I've got to go there one day-wow! So incredible, Kim. Love the photos.Summer flew by and it's back to school-miss the slower days:)

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