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| Walk / Tour | 5.00 Miles |
227 AEG |
| | Walk / Tour | 5.00 Miles | | | |
| 227 ft AEG | | | | |
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| partners | | This is a delayed report since it was in April but nonetheless I wanted to add it to the record. I will start by saying, this area is fabulous and most of all, not too crowded for a California beach area. And considering the bang for the buck, you really can't go wrong as not only is the scenery fabulous, there's animals (otters in particular) and great food with some fun geology mixed in. My parents spent the first couple months of their married life here in Morro Bay. We went to the house they lived in as it's still there. The view they had is now housing but still a beautiful 'hood.
We stayed at the Serena Inn, somewhat centrally located at Morro Bay. The Inn was very nice and within walking distance of all sorts of things. There is a hill involved but it's not very tall. The first evening we walked to dinner at the pier and it was the finest dinner at The Galley Seafood Grill and Bar we all had while there . We were able to eat outside under the heaters, yes, it's nippy at Morro Bay in the late afternoon, early evening. The Blood Orange Crème Brule is the finest Brule I've ever had as all the others who had a bite agreed. Before heading back up to the hotel we walked along the pier, it was a beautiful sunlit evening.
Day One: We started from the Otter Viewing area but the otters were not around. We made our way along the pier where we got to witness the catch of the day being sorted which I filmed for a few minutes. That was very interesting; especially the pretty orange fish (can't remember the name but maybe rockfish). We then watched a couple paddleboarders as one fell in. We later learned it was her first time and she said she stayed upright from there on out. We continued toward Morro Rock. As humungous rocks go  .
There is another little area before you reach the beach area where the otters were hanging out so we stopped there to photograph (and movie in my case) for awhile. The lighting was awful though. We then went over to the Pacific Ocean area and watched the waves and few surfers that were out while we continued to warm up our camera shooting techniques. We walked back and did get to watch two otters for a bit before having lunch with a siesta at the Inn before our evening shoot.
[ youtube video ] and [ youtube video ] includes otter action which I filmed a bit with my phone camera just to test it out. In my opinion, the quality level was not the best for this but mostly because I had zoomed a little while filming. However, the otter action is interesting to watch as is the fish sorting.
Evening shoot would involve a walk from Fig Tree Parking off of Highway 1 between Cayucos Point and Estero Bay, north of Morro Bay. There was little over a third of a mile walk to the rocky beach. It was really windy. Everyone kind of picks their area to set up tripods and shoot away. The first shoot is always a little nerve-wracking as you try to figure out what the best shooting settings are for the conditions. I was mostly shooting toward Constantine Rock as there was lots of bird life. Off to my left there was a Great White Heron getting dinner and that was fun to watch as it seems the area was shallow but with the waves, it was hard to tell. From here you could still make out Morro Rock to the SE in the distance as well. The evening shoot would conclude with a beautiful sunset toward Estero Bay.
[ youtube video ] and [ youtube video ]
Day Two: Sunrise shoot that wasn't too early which I always appreciate. North Point Natural Area involved a walk down wooden steps to the beach. It was windy again and the sun wasn't quite up yet which is why we're there. We shot around the beach area and of course, toward Morro Rock. It was nice to watch the sun light up the white capping waves as they rolled into the beach. There were many sand dollars here too. And as the sun further came up it made the green moss glisten on the exposed rocks near the ocean. [ youtube video ]
We had our late breakfast at the Top Dog restaurant where we would eat several times. It was within walking distance of where we were staying and they had a pretty diverse menu for breakfast and lunch. It was the first time I've had avocado toast and yep, it's pretty good. Next we drove up to Elephant Seal Vista Point north of San Simeon. Hearst Castle was on the original April 2020 itinerary but they are currently closed. I still have the catalog my parents had from their visit there seventy years ago  in 1953. We could see it way up on the hill as we drove by. The Elephant Seal area has a boardwalk for you to walk up and down and observe these very interesting creatures. In one of my videos, I think I caught a little bit of flirting going on out in the water  . [ youtube video ]
After dinner at Taco Temple (California Fusion food), which was excellent, our evening shoot was at Morro Strand Beach. Once again it was really windy. I took the long way around and then got up into the sand dunes and ice plants to shoot Morro Rock.
Day Three: Our sunrise shoot would be at Morro Creek which was on the Pacific Ocean side (north of Morro Rock). I planted myself near the creek outlet where there was a lot of bird action including a heron that decided to check out the creek. The birds would come and go as there was also some people/dog action that made them nervous while the birds were trying to bathe. The sun rose but couldn't bust through the clouds so I was glad for where I shot and it still included Morro Rock and another formation called Pillar Rock. [ youtube video ]
Next stop for the morning would be The Tidelands which was back into the town area along the bay to the south. The pier area is really more along the estuary of Morro Bay. Here we got to watch a heron go for his breakfast so that was great to watch and shoot. There were also lots of beautiful sailboats in the area as we walked the edge of the Park. There was other bird life including singing birds and some beautiful flora. Eventually the sun came out very nicely and exposed the beautiful color of Morro Rock. [ youtube video ]
After late breakfast we would head north out of town to Cayucos Pier where we would shoot surfers, animal life, and the ocean. South of us, Morro Rock was still visible. The highlight of this shoot was the RC surfer controlled by a fellow partially in the ocean. We watched this for several minutes. It was a hoot but a little difficult to film. I'd never seen such a thing; the operator seemed pretty skilled I thot. [ youtube video ]
Once back at Morro Bay at lunch time we went by the Morro Bay T Pier Otter Viewing area and were lucky to watch two otters. One was particularly entertaining so I filmed him wash (2 cycles), rinse (2 cycles) and spin. So I put it to music and made a video which I think turned out pretty good. [ youtube video ] 
After lunch, the workshop assistant drove Ambika and me up to the house my parents rented after they were married at 300 Kings Ave. It was cool to see it in person. The neighborhood is really pretty and obviously filled in since my folks left in 1953 as per the pictures they took, they had an almost direct view to the ocean and Morro Rock.
The evening shoot would be back at Cayucos Pier where once again we would be shooting surfers, the ocean and the sunset. This time the surfers were out and close to the pier and the sun was in the right direction so we were able to get some great pictures finishing off with a fabulous California golden sunset. I saw a lady walking her goat and dog at the beach; that's a first. Quite a bit of film coverage of the surfers, they're so fun to watch. There were several long boarders out too and then when the girlies showed up, that was a kick. [ youtube video ]
Day Four was a sunrise shoot at Bayshore Bluffs Park where we were greeted with a deep fog. As you may guess, for a photography workshop, these are awesome conditions. We had some fun views toward the sailboats and the canoes on shore. Here is a 3 minute video: [ youtube video ]
And since we had time to kill before our flight out of San Luis Obispo, we walked around the town via Gum Alley and a brief stop at the Mission. It was amazing how much warmer it was inland. Oh, I had a Cali Squeeze beer at the airport, it is delish! Tried to get some via Total Wine but they were sold out the last time I checked.
As usual, the workshop, besides helping hone my photography skills, gives you a thorough dousing of the area and is why I like going on these workshops. They plan and help execute the itinerary and we just show up. I think the theme of this for me was "fun to watch"  . Anyway, if you can, try an Arizona Highways Photoscape one of these times. You'll be glad you did. FYI: here is the link to the satellite view of the tracks I made [ Route Editor ] ; you can just click on the track you want to see. |
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Wildflowers Observation Substantial
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For me, sometimes it's just as much about the journey as the destination.
Oh, and once in awhile, don't forget to look back at the trail you've traveled. |
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