California Central Coast (Part 1) Los Angeles to Cambria

It wasn’t until recent years, when I moved down to Los Angeles, that I discovered the California Central Coast, which stretches pretty much between San Francisco and LA. You miss most of it if you take the fastest route between the two cities, but if you have some time (and a car) it is some of the most spectacular scenery and amazing marine-mammal viewing spots I’ve encountered. I’ve now made multiple trips, some just for a weekend to nearby spots, and a whole week camping in Big Sur, but it has been a while and I am pining to go back. Starting from South to North, here are some of my favorite spots (mostly food and animals!).

Santa Barbara- barely out of LA (or hours away, depending on traffic), Santa Barbara has pretty much everything- beautiful beaches, shopping and nightlife, vineyards, and great food. My favorite place to eat is LosAgaves, an interesting and super delicious Mexican restaurant on Milpas Street. Next door is La Super-Rica Taqueria, another unique Mexican place that does small plates. Be warned though, the line here can be hours long (no, really) and it is cash only.

We were so hungry after waiting in line at La Super-Rica we ordered pretty much everything.

Lake Cachuma- This recreation area has camping and yurts you can stay in. The water is lovely but is a drinking reservoir so you can’t swim in it. You can fish or rent kayaks which is fun. Just be careful of the wind! It gets pretty strong and you might get a more strenuous workout than you anticipated.

Lake Cachuma

Solvang- A little Danish town that is just a short hop from Lake Cachuma or Santa Barbara. It is an interesting, touristy place that has tons of places to eat and wineries nearby. Highlights are the windmills, Danish bakery, and Succulent Café.

Windmill in Solvang

Pismo Beach- As you drive along Highway 1 back towards the coast, you reach Pismo Beach. If you happen to visit between November-February you can stop at the Monarch Butterfly Grove, where the butterflies roost in eucalyptus trees. Visiting and parking are free, and there are often naturalists there to answer questions and show you the butterflies through binoculars or scopes. The beach here is also lovely, and there is a campground and a ton of hotel options. We went to a fancy-ish restaurant on the water, Ventana Grill, which does happy hour during the week where you don’t have to spend a lot to get the amazing views.

Pismo Beach

San Louis Obispo- just north of Pismo is the city of SLO- home to CalPoly and the best clam chowder in a bread bowl at Splash Café. It is also a good place to stock up and the major grocery stores if you are planning to do some camping along the coast.

Narwhal with clam chowder at Splash Cafe 

Montaña de Oro- a State Park on the cliffs above a beautiful beach. We’ve been camping here a few times and it is gorgeous and relaxing. It has a well kept campground and a few Environmental sites you hike into that have more privacy.

Montana de Oro

Morro Bay- one of the best places to see sea otters! They hang out in the bay between Morro Rock and the power plant. There is free parking and a boardwalk along the bay- also a great place for bird watching. At dusk you can see the otters start to raft together and twist themselves into kelp for the night and hold hands. Adorable.

Sunset at Morro Beach

Sea otters in Morro Bay

Just down the highway is Taco Temple, an AWESOME local spot for their seafood specialties. Crab cake tacos are probably the best. You can order to-go and sit at the picnic tables outside- a quicker option when there is a long wait for a table.

Cambria- an adorable sleepy little town right on the coast. Elephant Seal Beach at Piedras Blancas is just north of here and is amazing. You can see these beasts year-round. November-February is when the big males stake out territory and fight for breeding access to the females. Most pups are born the last two weeks of January, and stay with their mom for about a month. The adults leave February/March and the “weaners” stick around on the

Elephant seals at Piedras Blancas

A weaner elephant seal

beach for another 8-10 weeks. From mid-March through September there will be animals that come back to the beach to molt, or shed their fur and grow a new coat. There are viewing platforms on the bluffs and it is always entertaining to see the giant elephant seals!

Cambria also has Moonstone Beach and a lot of boardwalks along the bluffs over the ocean. You can almost always spot harbor seals, and often times sea otters and whales as they migrate along the coast. The town is famous for their Ollaliberry pie, and Hearst Castle is nearby. You can see zebras roaming the hills north of town, a herd that was brought in by Mr. Hearst for his grounds.