Going Coastal

The past two months traveling in Arizona have been great. However, it’s time to move West to the mid coast of California. We mapped out a leisurely pace and planned on checking out some new places.

Our first stop was the Needles CA KOA on old Route 66. Not every stop is scenic. Remember, it’s not the destination but the journey that’s important.

After a night in Needles we moved on to Tehachapi CA and a small private RV Park next to the Mountain View Airport. The Skylark North glider school is located there and provided us with morning entertainment as we drank our coffee.

Tehachapi is a small mountain town without many attractions. After a bit of digging Pat found out about the Tehachapi Loop, one of the civil engineering wonders of the world. Completed in 1876, the Loop is a .73 mile spiral through the Tehachapi Pass. Any train of sufficient length will pass over the end of itself as it emerges from a tunnel 75 feet below the upper tracks of the Loop.

After a scenic drive through the San Joaquin Valley and over the mountains on CA 166 we arrived in Pismo Beach, a place we last visited in 1978.

We set up camp in Pismo Beach State Park. There are many Eucalyptus Trees in bloom throughout the campground providing a wonderful aroma as well as home to nesting Black-Crowned Night-Herons. A short walk over the dunes takes you to the Pacific Ocean.

The sand on the beach is firm enough for bike riding which we took advantage of.

Ice Plants

Pismo Beach Pier

A mornings haul of Sand Dollars

About 40 minutes up the coast from Pismo Beach is Montana de Oro State Park. This park features a dramatic bluff trail, tide pools and a Eucalyptus grove.

Tide Pools

Anemone

We encountered a wide variety of wildlife.

Turkey Vulture

Western Alligator Lizard

Great Blue Heron

Marmot

After four days on Pismo Beach it’s time to move a short distance north to San Luis Obispo to explore another section of California’s Central Coast.

15 thoughts on “Going Coastal”

  1. I love Pismo Beach! And San Luis Obispo is a sweet place to see fishermen/women? Enjoy the California weather which is much better than home right now!!!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  6. Isn’t that campground in Tehachapi a good find? We’ve stopped there many times in our cross-country journeys. The only drawback is that sometimes it’s really windy (makes sense, since it’s a glider port!)
    We’ll put the Pismo Beach CG on our list. Biking on the beach looks delightful! And your photos of Montana de Oro are beautiful. Another of our favorite spots.

    Like

    Reply

  7. Did you get far enough north to see the sea lions on the beach just north of San Simeon? It must be just about mating season for them — quite a spectacle!

    Like

    Reply

  8. We loved Santa Barbara (prettiest city center) and Pismo-loved the older beach town vibe. San Luis really surprised. I had to look up a doctor and realized how reasonable traffic was and how complete the services shops and restaurants were. Really SLO and Pismo were some of the few places I could call home in California. Great wineries along this whole stretch.

    Our last stop was Morro Strand before bee lining it to Sa Jose to fly home. Went to Hurst mansion. Great views. Be sure to see the sea lions 1 1/2 miles north of the San Simeon.

    Nice photos. Happy trails

    Like

    Reply

    1. Pat agrees with you regarding the livability of California’s Central Coast. We are heading over to Paso Robles for a few days then up into the mountains.

      Hopefully we’ll see you both on down the road.

      Like

      Reply

    2. Pat agrees that California’s Central Coast has a high livability quotient. We liked Morrow Bay and the convinces of SLO. We’re headed over to Paso Robles for a few days then into the Sierras.

      Like

      Reply
  9. Pingback: Raven & Chickadee | Spectacular Hiking, Friends & Holiday Tamales: Phoenix & Tucson

Leave a comment