Three Central Coast Destinations: Pismo Beach, Morro Bay, and San Luis Obispo
Overnight in Oxnard
Stretching our Tesla “legs” we planned a three-night trip to three Central Coast Destinations. Before finalizing our trip, we learned that a cousin was having a 21st birthday party in Oxnard Harbor which was close to our route, so we added that as a stop with an extra night in Oxnard. We took the I-5 through Los Angeles, connecting with the US101 that would take us along the coast all the way to Pismo Beach. The first 120 miles or so took us through Orange County and then Los Angeles and finally to Oxnard where we went to the party and spent the night at the Hilton Garden Hotel.
On to Pismo Beach
In the morning we stopped at a Supercharger not far from the hotel to top off the battery. and then continued on our way through Ventura north to Santa Barbara. Highway 101 hugs the coastal cliffs and offers breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean. This route passes by some of the most iconic surf breaks in California, including Rincon Point. Surf enthusiasts will know that Rincon Surf Classic, a renowned surfing competition, takes place here every year.
We passed through Santa Barbara, making a rest stop in Solvang, which is kind of a Danish village that really caters to the tourists traveling along the coast highway. Located in California’s Santa Ynez Valley, Solvang is a charming and picturesque Danish village that is a must-visit destination for tourists. The town is known for its unique architecture that reflects traditional Danish style, complete with windmills and half-timbered houses.
Visitors can stroll through the streets and admire the quaint storefronts selling Danish pastries, chocolates, and other traditional Danish treats. The town also boasts a number of excellent restaurants that serve up delicious Danish cuisine. With its charming ambiance, delightful food, and rich history, Solvang is a perfect destination for a day trip or a weekend getaway.
Returning to the highway we arrived at our hotel in Pismo Beach in the afternoon. We had three nights at the Spyglass Inn, a hotel that was recommended to us by a friend. There is an unrelated Spyglass Restaurant next-door that we found very convenient, especially for breakfast. The hotel is located on a seaside cliff with a trail leading down to some tide pools with beautiful sea anemones and other marine life.
Pismo Beach has a lot of wonderful attractions that makes for a pleasant visit. Researching for the trip we found there were plenty of things to do in Pismo Beach several places that we wanted to see, and we discovered others that made for a great visit:
Oceano Dunes
The beach at Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Areas unique because it’s one of the few beaches in California where you can drive your vehicle out onto the sand and go for a couple of miles down the beach. Checking out the beach I could see that most of the vehicles were trucks, four-wheel-drive vehicles, or beach buggies so I was a bit apprehensive about going out on the sand with our Tesla Y. When we stopped at the entrance to the beach, I sheepishly inquired with the park warden to find out whether I should proceed. He said, “Oh yeah, I’ve seen Tesla’s on this beach before”. My Limited Use California Parks Pass came in handy so we didn’t have to pay an entrance fee to go onto the beach. There were several warning and disclaimer signs that weren’t very encouraging, but we were soon cruising down the beach, trying to stay on areas that seem to have other car tracks that gave us some comfort. There were areas where the vehicle tracks sometimes led to pits and mounds of sand where people had gotten stuck and had been dug out of the sand. After a mile or so, the sand seemed not to be so forgiving, so I stopped and backed up to a point where I could make a U-turn on the very wide beach.
We visited the Monarch Butterfly Grove twice, once in the evening just before dark and early the next morning to see the butterflies with more sun exposure. The protected eucalyptus grove is surprisingly small and very accessible just off South Dolliver Street. As a biologist I’ve always been intrigued by the life cycle of the Monarch butterfly. These monarchs are part of a population that is on the west side of the Rocky Mountains, and they overwinter from November to February at coastal California sites. What is very amazing is that the adult monarchs you see fluttering through your backyard when the weather’s warm typically live only about 4 or 5 weeks, just long enough to mate and produce the next group. It takes four generations of monarchs to complete their annual migration journey before ending up at the grove in Pismo Beach.
Just five miles north of our Pismo Beach hotel, Avila Beach has the feel of a small fishing village and is even more laid back than Pismo Beach. The focus of boating and fishing life in Avila Beach is the boat yard, launch facilities, and Hartford Pier where we had a great lunch at Mersea’s Seafood. Fishermen who were successful in the morning clean their catch at a facility on the pier and there seemed to be continuous activity on the pier and adjacent boat yard. We had a long visit with one fisherman who was cleaning his catch of rockfish and learned a lot about his fishing experiences along the coast. Afterwards we had a long walk on the main part of Avila Beach.
Morro Bay Whale Watching!
Morro Bay is about 23 miles north of Pismo Beach on Highway CA-1 and we set aside most of a day to visit Moro Bay and go on a 4-hour whale watching trip. It was a beautiful sunny day, and very calm, but it was just a bit early in the whale migration season, so we were disappointed in not seeing any whales. But the coastline and ocean were lovely, and we were able to see sea otters and sea lions as we passed by Morro Rock. Returning to the harbor we had lunch on the wharf area which has several restaurants and stores all within walking distance of the whale watching dock. There are so many things to do in Morro Bay so this is a must do stop when traveling up the coast on CA-1.
San Luis Obispo (“SLO”), a University Town.
Returning from Moro Bay CA-1 takes you right into one of our third Central Coast Destinations, SLO. We stopped to walk along the downtown area of SLO with its seemingly unending choices of restaurants and trendy boutique stores. If you are lucky enough to be there on a Thursday evening, they close down five blocks on Higuera Street where they have a farmers’ market with over 100 vendors. Young, university age, people are everywhere in SLO as the city is best known for California Polytechnic State University (“Cal Poly”) that specializes in engineering and agricultural programs and is ranked in the top 5% of all schools in the nation.
Homeward Bound
We had a great time at the three Central Coast Destinations. The trip home we charged up the Tesla at a Supercharger in Pismo Beach and topped off in Buellton at a Supercharger with a nearby McDonald’s where we had a quick lunch. We travelled over 600 miles, but our Tesla Y is an EV and we can actually feel that Tesla Good Karma.
Please Contact Us and let us know if there is a destination that you think we should visit and we’ll try to make plans.
