Marvelous Morro Bay Midway Between Los Angeles And San Francisco Lies A Small Town, Home To Endless Outdoor Activities

California’s Morro Bay is only a few hours by car from Los Angeles or San Francisco, but its small-town flavor makes it seem light-years away.

You won’t find loud, exciting nightlife. You won’t find multiplex movie theaters.

But you will find opportunities for romantic strolls on the beach and quiet walks along the waterfront. You’ll see working fishing boats, rugged scenery and a variety of wildlife.

The bay is home to numerous species of birds, including the endangered peregrine falcon. In addition, whale-watching tours offer the chance to see migrating gray whales as they cruise offshore waters from the end of December through mid-March.

Sea lions and sea otters are also sighted frequently in Morro Bay. Although sea lions are usually loud and pushy, sea otters are charming animals with unusual table manners. When hunting for delicacies such as abalone, crab, mussels, and sea urchins, otters dive to the ocean floor and bring up a flat rock along with their tasty treat. Floating on its back, an otter breaks the shell on the rock and quickly gobbles its contents. The hungry animals dive again and again, devouring huge quantities of food.

While enjoying the bay, be sure to keep an eye on the top of Morro Rock. As I sat watching a couple of old male sea otters (old males often have white faces), I heard a scream from a peregrine falcon zooming into the area. A volunteer falcon watcher told me that the male was delivering food to his mate who was sitting in a cave near the top of the rock, incubating a pair of dummy eggs. In the past, eggs often failed to hatch because residues from the nowbanned pesticide, DDT, made the shells too thin. Now, members of the Santa Cruz Predatory Research Group remove the eggs for artificial incubation, replace them with dummy eggs, and then transport two hatched chicks back up to the aerie at the appropriate time. The system has worked well and the research group hatches approximately 75 nestlings each year.

Most visitors marvel at the peregrines’ penthouse - Morro Rock - and we were no different. An ancient landmark rising 576 feet above the doorway to the bay, domeshaped Morro Rock is the last in a string of extinct volcanoes known as the Seven Sisters. Actually, there are nine “sisters” in all, but the eighth is submerged more than two miles offshore, and the ninth lies in San Luis Obispo, out of alignment with other rocks.

Named by Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo during his voyage of discovery up the California coast in 1542, Morro Rock was once surrounded by water. The rock itself provided stones for the breakwater that leads to it. In the late 1800s, quarry workers earned $2.50 to $2.75 a day (working 10-hour days) as they crumbled the giant rock.

Between 1880 and 1963, conservationists and politicians called for an end to the destruction of Morro Rock; today it is a stateregistered landmark. Morro Rock is but a stone’s throw from the Embacadero, or waterfront, a popular spot with numerous shops and restaurants. A multitude of stores provide everything from saltwater taffy and squid to rare shells. Stroll along the waterfront and you’ll see fisherman working on their tattered boats, men and women rowing longboats, and sailboats and kayaks heading out to sea. You might even spot a brown pelican perched on a piling, or a sea lion or sea otter cruising the harbor.

Although chess usually isn’t considered an outdoor sport, it is in Morro Bay - at least, that is, if you want to play at the Giant Chess Board located at the Embarcadero and Morro Bay Boulevard. The board measures 16 square feet, and the redwood chess pieces weigh 18 to 20 pounds each. Contact the Recreation and Parks Department on weekdays to reserve a game time (805-772-6278).

Outdoor activities are nearly limitless in Morro Bay. Biking, tennis, surfing, sailboarding, kayaking, rowing, and sightseeing - by foot or boat - are popular pursuits. A variety of annual outdoor events take place in this region, too: the Family Fourth of July celebration; the Morro Bay Triathlon, held the last Saturday in September; and the Morro Bay Harbor festival, presented the first weekend in October.

Golfers aren’t forgotten either, as a lovely 18-hole golf course is located just outside of town in Morro Bay State Park. In addition to full camping facilities, the park campground offers Frisbee golf and a museum of natural history, which is free to campground users. Those who are staying elsewhere must pay a small admission fee.

The Museum of Natural History is located at White Point, which offers a sweeping view of the area. You’ll see a good number of the more than 250 bird species recorded in the area, including great blue herons, black brant, grebes, coots, pelicans, marbled godwits, greater yellowlegs, black-crowned night herons, egrets, gulls and swallows.

Just northeast of the museum, a grove of eucalyptus trees supports one of California’s largest great blue heron rookeries. Along with these gangly birds, great egrets and black-crowned night herons can also be seen. Cormorants use the rookery as well. The best time for viewing nesting birds is between February and June.

The Black Hill area near Morro Bay offers a chance for hikers to enjoy lovely views. One can also drive close to the top of the 665-foot peak and enjoy a magnificent 360-degree view of the entire area.

Although one can also see Montana de Oro State Park from the summit, it’s well worth a visit in its own right. Located 10 miles south of town, Montana de Oro - or Mountain of Gold - was named for the lovely wildflowers that often turn its hills to shades of gold.

Color of another sort can be seen along the California coast from early October through March, when Monarch butterflies gather in this region. The beautiful orange and black insects form dense clusters on trees, each creature hanging with its wings down. Their form resembles shingles on a roof, and it provides them with some shelter from the rain and serves to keep them warm.

Before leaving the 8,000-acre park, you may want to hike to the top of Valencia Peak. From its 1,347-foot summit one can see north to Piedras Blancas and south to Point Sal, a stretch of nearly 100 miles. Hike in the early morning or late in the day, and deer may escort you to the top of the peak. Three does ushered me partway to the summit.

A trek north of Morro Bay is also rewarding. The small town of Cayucos (population 2,400) sports a lovely beach and pier, and a variety of shops line Main Street. Morro Strand State Beach is located just before reaching Cayucos. A ridge of small sand dunes at the park provides shelter from the brisk on-shore winds that usually blow during the afternoons.

North of Cayucos, you’ll find an even smaller town. Harmony boasts 18 residents and includes a pasta shop, a post office, and a variety of tiny shops, where you’ll find pottery and usual glass sculptures, the likes of which adorn the homes of President George Bush, singer Crystal Gayle and actor Burt Reynolds.

Still farther north, past rolling hills dotted with cattle wildflowers in the spring, you’ll pass Cambria. Be sure to take U.S. 1 through the town, which is divided into two sections, East and West Cambria. A wide variety of shops and restaurants line the streets.

Since you’ve come this far, you might as well continue on up to Hearst Castle, located in San Simeon, approximately 30 miles north of Morro Bay. Built by millionaire businessman William Randolph Hearst, Hearst Castle houses one of the most extensive private art collection in the world. Visitors are offered four organized tours; reservations are suggested. To request a free brochure describing the various tours, to make reservations, or to reserve a state park campsite, call MISTIX at (800) 444-7275.

Although California’s magnificent coastline stretches north to Big Sur, Monterey, and lovely points south, trips to those locales should probably be made at another time. If you’re like us, you’ll want to hurry back to marvelous Morro Bay.

MEMO: For more information about attractions in Morro Bay and the vicinity, contact the Morro Bay Chamber of Commerce, 895 Napa Avenue, Suite A-1, Morro Bay, CA 93442; (800) 231-0592.