Travel: Morro Bay and Highway 1
The South Bay Beach Cities have a lot to offer, beachwise, with miles and miles of sand and waves. We even have jettys and rocks to explore.
But we don’t have those big huge ones that you find on the central coast. Like the 576 foot high one that dominates the skyline of Morro Bay.
On the #PhotowalksTV series, available on YouTube, we’ve been exploring the epic Highway 1 route, from Pismo Beach to Carmel/Monterey and this week, we stop in Morro Bay, the little town with that huge rock.
Morro Bay is a little seaside town known for the rock and as a fishing village that attracts thousands of birds of all types as they make their yearly migrations.
On the episode, I explore Morro Bay with my friend Bailey Christenson, who shows us the best photo spots from the vantage point of an electric boat, cruising through the Bay.
The big rock in the tiny town of Morro Bay, California, by Jefferson Graham for the PhotowalksTV series
If you go, Morro Bay is about a three and half-hour drive north, depending upon traffic, about 20 minutes from San Luis Obispo, long considered the half-way point between Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Photo highlights of Morro: Water life, tidepools, rocks and amazing scenery from all vistas, as well as a whole lot of sea lions, otters and so many birds.
Best time to visit. Fall is when the fog rolls away, while winter is considered prime time for the bird visits.
The Photowalk Morro Bay map:
—Tidelands Park. Start here, on the edge of town, and walk north past the shops and cafes en route to the rock.
—Embarcadero. You’ll be walking up the Embarcadero, where you’ll have many invites to buy Morro Bay T-shirts, sea shells, taffy, muffins and a whole lot of fish. Giovanni’s has fresh crab and lobster, and the Dockside has an indoor restaurant and outside deck that also serves as a fish store.
—Pier T. This is your otter sighting, to the left of the Pier. The little creatures are usually laying on their backs in the water. Don’t miss it!
—The Rock. Continue down the pedestrian walkway about a mile, and you’ll end up the star of the show, Morro Rock. However, know that it’s best to photograph her from back in town. The rock is so huge, you can’t capture it with your lens up close. Nor can you climb it.
But you can certainly enjoy every minute of it!
Our next stop on Highway #1 will be the western styled beach town of Cayucos. Look for it next week.
ICYMI:
The otters of Morro Bay, as seen on PhotowalksTV, by Jefferson Graham