An Otterly Delightful Day

Sea otters resting at the Embarcadero in Morro Bay

 Today was pretty chill. We stayed close to the hotel and took a relaxed pace. Before we left the motel, I watched the first episode of Starfleet Academy for free on YouTube. I probably won't watch the rest of it, even though I liked it, because I don't want to give Paramount/Skydance/Ellison any of my money for reasons of politics and morality,  and I don't believe in pirating. 

We started our adventures at the Embarcadero where we chatted at length with a local and then with a visiting elderly woman and her son from San Diego. We saw a few birds and about 15-20 sea otters. One of them had a pup. You gotta watch this cuteness. 

Next we made our way to Windy Cove at the State Park to look through the telescope. I got some Least Sandpipers and three kinds of grebes. Twenty species confidently identified in 23 minutes. 

We then headed over to El Moro Elfin Forest Preserve, which I had been looking forward to all week. I finally was able to view the estuary, which I had been struggling to find access to a few days ago. Remember the mud and muck? Yeah, this was better. A lovely dry boardwalk meanders through the preserve, affording views of the estuary and the scrub. Educational signs are placed throughout the path, with information on the plants and animals in residence and the Indigenous Chumash people who historically made this land their home and how they used the natural resources there. There are also several benches and viewpoints along the boardwalk and Jerry and I sat and pondered on some of them. 

The Elfin Forest Preserve is a curious place where coastal live oaks, which normally grow to a height of up to 50 feet, are stunted by environmental conditions. The trees are measure in at between 4 and 20 feet tall! There are a few tall trees in one small grove, but for the most part nothing was taller than me. Check out their website to learn about the 6 distinct habitat types and who lives there. 

The view of the estuary from the Elfin Forest

The Elfin Forest Boardwalk Trail

Fuchsia-flowered gooseberry was in bloom all over the preserve

Mudflats from the Bush Lupine Viewpoint

We then had lunch in our motel room and then walked to Absolution Cellars where I did a wine tasting. Another woman from San Francisco came at the same time and we ended up chatting and tasting together. I sampled 6 wines in all, and heard about where the grapes were grown (all in central CA)  and the stories behind the labels on each one. I purchased some wine and we walked it back to the motel, since it was heavy. 

or should it say Wine Not?

Then we walked all the way back to a dog friendly restaurant on the water so I could view our last sunset unobstructed. There were a lot of people arriving for the Morro Bay Bird Festival this weekend. I noticed  a lot of no vacancy signs at motels we walked past. I attended that festival many years ago with Doug. It's a well-run birding event and I can imagine it's a great off-season boon to the local businesses. 

Our last Morro Rock sunset

The rest of today's photos here. 

This whole week Jerry was the bestest boy ever. He was the perfect traveling companion, hiking buddy, and nighttime snuggler. He got to meet a lot of people and animals and behaved kindly to all. He is truly the most well-behaved dog I have ever had. I thank him every day for choosing me. 

My best buddy

He's also my favorite subject to photograph

Jerry watching some elephant seals

On the trail up to Black Hill

This alpaca was just one of many domestic animals that Jerry met

At the Monarch Grove, undoubtedly grateful to be out of car and stretching his legs

At the beginning of our journey. He was great in the car! He used to get so nervous and vomit in the car, but now he's a well-seasoned traveler. 

Out of Service

What a long (and at times frustrating) day! 

We got an early start driving up to Cambria to visit the Fiscalini Ranch Preserve. At some point along Highway 1 my Maps app declared I had arrived. Huh? There was no road, no sign, no evidence of a preserve entrance. So I turned around and took the first street I saw. Slight problem: I had no cell service. My phone was Satellite-Only most of the day, but I couldn't connect to a satellite. I couldn't google the preserve's website, or search for anything in Maps. I tried to find any entry into the preserve, but the roads in the neighborhood I was in were not exactly laid out in a grid and I struggled to even keep going towards the sea. After a half hour of being lost in this maze of a residential area in the forest, I finally found my way back to the highway. From there I headed to the little main drag of Cambria where I spied a coffee shop. You know what coffee shops have? WiFi!! 

I got a delicious vanilla latte and pastry and the WiFi password. I was able to catch up on some texts and update my location to my friend who was in charge of knowing where I was in case of emergency. I also got directions to an entrance to the preserve, which I wrote in my Notes app. It seems there is no actual entrance or parking lot. You just park in a neighborhood on either the north or south end of the preserve and look for a sign at the end of a dead-end street. I'd have never found it! 

The map of Fiscalini Ranch Trails 

Once inside the preserve we took the accessible trails first. They were basically a looooong boardwalk for wheelchair accessibility. The boardwalk meandered through some grassland and scrub and along the coastal cliffs below which I spotted some harbor seals.  At one point there was a cat. A black and white domestic shorthair cat to be precise. This cat was following a woman and rubbing up against her legs when she stopped. I thought it absurd that someone was walking her cat through a nature preserve.  Then the woman proceeded and the cat did not. Ahhh, so it isn't her cat.  As we approached the cat came to greet us, too. The cat and Jerry sniffed each other, the cat rubbed against my legs, and I pet it.  I checked the tag on its collar. His address was on the street I parked on and it also said "I play at Fiscalini Ranch."  I hope that cat isn't eating the birds on the preserve. Just sayin'.

The preserve had a lot of unique benches made from downed branches and such. We took pics and sat on several of them. It was unseasonably warm and we did not bring enough water. No worries, we will just catch that trail to the Monterey Pine forest at the other side and then leave. Great plan, except we got kinda lost. 

I grabbed a trail map when we entered, but there were a lot of side trails that were not on the map. There were also bridges that were not on the map. And none of the trails had signs or markers, so I struggled to figure out just which criss-crossed line on the map I was on. The map also gave no indication of elevation gain and we ended up climbing a lot (we are feeling it tonight!) At one point I noticed on the map that if we kept left we would cross a bridge then go straight taking the left fork and arrive at another entrance with bathrooms and a so-called dog park. Once we crossed a bridge I thought it wouldn't be long until we had access to water at that bathroom. WRONG. We walked forever until we came to yet another entrance sign and some cars parked along the highway. I asked someone who just came out ahead of me where to go. The bridge I crossed wasn't even on the map, and the bridge I wanted was across the highway, but we couldn't see where to find it and I wasn't willing to cross the highway and walk for who knows how much longer. Plus, we were far from the car. So we turned back and somehow it was even more uphill. We found the right turn the good samaritan told us to take after much huffing and puffing. Once out of the forest we could see the grasslands trails below us and found our way back to the car where we had more water. 

Once we were rehydrated I found my way back to the highway and we drove up to San Simeon to observe the elephant seal colony. We paid a visit to the Friends of the Elephant Seal headquarters where I bought myself some souvenir socks. Then it was a few more miles north to the viewing area.  We spent quite a while there, mainly watching the females and their nursing pups. Further up the beach we could see the males hauled out and every once in a while a little scuffle would break out, sometimes with one male chasing another into the sea. You can find out more about the fascinating life history of the Northern Elephant Seals here. 

Informational sign at the Elephant Seal Viewing Area

Northern Elephant Seal moms and pups at Piedras Blancas

We continued north on Hwy 1 for about 30 miles to Gorda, just to stickybeak, as Doug would have said. The views were stunning, but the drive was tedious. At Gorda, there is little gas station and convenience store where I used the bathroom and bought some overpriced snacks and a drink, I tried for 10 minutes to connect to satellite, but it wasn't happening. On the way back I saw a bobcat walking on the shoulder! By the time I could grab my phone and open the camera app, the cat dipped under the guardrail and disappeared.  Very cool!

A few miles before Piedras Blancas I spied a bunch of large light colored animals in the distance. I thought they were probably Tule Elk, but I couldn't pull over because there were signs at regular intervals that said NO STOPPING ANY TIME.  So when I had the chance to turn around I did and pulled over just before the first no stopping sign and verified that there were, indeed, about 70 Tule Elk. I took pics but they were very away. 

Those light colored specs out there are Tule Elk

I continued back to Piedra Blancas, and pulled off just after the lighthouse. This parking area was also part of the Elephant Seal Vita Point, but hardly anyone goes to that side, as there are less seals. I saw some pelicans, cormorants, Royal Terns, and Black-bellied Plovers, too. 

Brown Pelicans 

The view to the north from Piedras Blancas

Jerry was super tired, and honestly, so was I.  The hike at Fiscalini would have been enough for one day, but there were pinnipeds to see!  I told Jerry we should be back in about 40 minutes. But that was a lie because just south of Hearst Castle I noticed some cars pulled over on the east side of the road and people looking into the fields beyone the barbed wire fence. THERE WERE ZEBRAS mixed in with the cattle! I was reminded that the zebras were descendants of animals that were part of a zoo that William Randolph Hearst imported at the beginning of the 1900s. They are considered wild and not managed by anyone, including the state wildlife agencies.  They are just living their best life out among the cattle of the central coast. There was even one foal in the herd. I counted about 25 zebras, but was told there were many more around the area. 

Zebras and Cattle on the Central Coast

We finally got back to our hotel after dark.  I was too tired to go look for food, and the restaurant I had in mind closed at 4 anyway. I ordered some delivery and showered then set to work on uploading photos to eBird and catching up from being AFK and Out of Service all day. 

HERE are today's PHOTOS

We Got High

We had a slow start this morning. I had some business to take care of for home so we didn't head out until 10:30. When I walked Jerry early it was cold and kinda windy, so I layered up. I regretted that choice. The trails were all unshaded and HOT. We started by hiking to the top of Black Hill at Morro Bay State Park. The view at the top was stunning.

Check out this short video of the view. 

The hike up to the top was short. I didn't realize that I drove to far up and missed the lower part of the trail.  Since it was so hot, I didn't care. Once at the top we sat on a huge granite boulder and just took in the views. There was a controlled burn to the east, and we could smell the smoke. At one point some turkey vultures were riding the thermals below us and it felt magical to be higher that the birds. There weren't many birds on the hike, but I did hear both Bewick's Wren and California Thrasher singing, and got some pics of an Anna's Hummingbird that captured his bright neon magenta gorget beautifully. 

Does that bird come with batteries??

They glide so effortlessly.

Watch them soar here

A survey marker at the very tippy top of Black Hill.

Morro Rock as seen from the top of Black Hill.

Looking south over the estuary and mudflats

The view to the east.

Soaking up some sun on a rock at the top of Black Hill

We chatted with some other hikers and found out about another nearby trail that seemed appealing. So we drove down to the campground and took walked the "Fitness Trail," which was an easy trail through the coastal shrub. We saw some California Quail, and got nice views of a California Thrasher. 

California Thrasher was a bit of a poser. 

A survey marker at the very tippy top of Black Hill.

I kept wondering what was on those mudflats and how to get up close to the estuary. I could see there were hundreds, if not thousands, of birds out there, but at that distance they were mere specks. So we went exploring. We drove across the bridge to the little town across the creeks called Los Osos. We eventually came upon a place where we could get close. Pasadena Park Beach.  Calling that place a beach is laughable, but there were other dogwalkers about and a bench to sit on and try to sort shorebirds.  It was low tide and there was a lot of exposed mud and gunk. We walked down the "beach" for a bit and Jerry ended up sinking to his knees in black goo. My shoes didn't fare so well either. And that black gunk stunk!

We went back to the motel (glad to be in a rental car-haha) and went straight to the dog wash station. Yes! This motel is so dog friendly that they have a dog wash sink and towels. (they also gave us dog treats and a poop bag holder with a flashlight on it) More on that later...  After cleaning my pup and my shoes we went up to our room where I cobbled together a lunch from my mini frig and then we had a nap.  Day 3 Done. 

Here are the rest of the day's photos. 

About the dog-friendly motel:  I used Bring Fido to plan this trip.  I highly recommend it. At that website you can find dog-friendly accommodations, restaurants, and activities. Just plug in the place you want to go and, voila! You can even book your room right through their site. I used it last month for an overnight in Palm Springs, too. I have found cool dog-friendly restaurants and some even have dog menus so that Jerry can eat a fresh meal with me. You can also find out what shops and trails and other activities allow dogs. That is how I planned our hikes! I am not an affiliate or anything like that. Just passing on a good resource for my readers who want to travel with their pooches. 

Jerry Made a Lot of Friends Today. (Some of them were people)

Jerry and I had a spectacular day. This trip was a fantastic idea! We visited 5 places and got a nice little bird list. 

Jerry doing a good job of "sit" and "wait" so i could take this photo, even though his attention was focused on the nearby goats. 

We started our day at Avila Valley Barn  in San Luis Obispo. They have a lovely shop with fresh produce, specialty food items, and various gift/decor/souvenir items.  I bought myself some goodies: artichoke tomato bruschetta, pickled green beans, tomato jerky (I ate all of those things combined with Trader  Joes items I packed for dinner), olallieberry syrup and apple cider syrup to bring home for my waffles. I also got an Olallieberry turnover. Such a delicious treat!

Then we visited the animals! Jerry met goats, sheep, donkeys, an emu, a cow, chickens, and the resident farm dog, Otis. We spent about an hour there and then moved on to the Bob Jones Trail. 

Avila Barn Pics Here

The Bob Jones Trail is named for a local activist and conservationist. It follows the San Luis Obispo Creek. It's also known as the City to the Sea Trail. It is a very popular trail! The entire 3 miles is paved and flat, making it perfect for cyclists, runners, and dog walkers. We took a long time to go 1 mile and back because it was birdy! There was an abundance of Chestnut-backed Chickadees and Dark-eyed Juncos. I got Townsend's Warblers, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, White-throated Sparrows, a Hutton's Vireo and a Hermit Thrush. I ticked 24 species, which wasn't bad considering how many people and dogs were marching by.  I met a nice woman about my age who was also birding and we chatted and spotted birds together. Despite the trail being heavily used, it didn't feel crowded. Jerry made more friends..this time mostly dogs. 

Bob Jones Trail Pics Here

From there, we made our way to Morro Bay State Park. The first thing I did there was pull over at Windy Cove to set up my scope and practice shorebirds. I rarely bird
on the coast so I kinda suck at shorebirds and gulls. I need to fix that. A few minutes after I started, a man who was parked near me got out and struck up a conversation. He photographs and paints birds. We chatted about condors and how he came to live there, our spouses (mine just died and his is dying) and I may or may not have put on my civil/womens/abortion/immigrant rights proselytizing hat for a bit. It's my goal to show people that some things (most things) are not black and white! I didn't practice much on my shorebird ID but I had a lovely visit with an old man named Bill. 

Next we moved up the road a bit and pulled over at the Marina where there is a boardwalk trail. I decided I should probably eat, as I hadn't yet and it was well past lunchtime. I grabbed my salad with edamame from the cooler and we headed for the lookout bench. The view was cool, and so was the air! The bench was in the shade and the breeze was coming off the water and I was chilly.  It was low tide and the birds were pretty far away, so I counted the closer ones that I could be sure of and left the thousands of others uncounted. After I ate some of the salad we moved on down the boardwalk. We found another bench in the sun and it was comfortably warm.  We sat for some time and a White-crowned Sparrow popped up on a nearby bush and was singing his little heart out. Little dude was ready for a mate, but it's only January and they need to migrate north first! I made a video of his beautiful singing. 

Boardwalk Trail pics here

We next went into the town of Morro Bay and visited Top Dog Coffee Bar where I had a delicious Maple Spice Chai Latte and Jerry had some treats and bowl of water. We sat out on the sidewalk at a table and everyone that walked by stopped to meet Jerry. He got a lot of pets. 

Our final stop was at Morro Rock. The shady side of the Rock was sooo chilly, but luckily the sunny side (the bay side) was where the otters and good birds were! I got a Common Murre and a some Common Loons, and about 10 sea otters. They are bigger than I remembered! We walked all around the Rock (as much as is accessible). We didn't get many birds, but we got the good ones. 

Morro Rock Pics here

At 5 p.m. we checked into our motel, the Harbor House Inn. Jerry immediately passed out on the bed, without even eating his supper. He is one tired pup! He does seem to be having happy dreams though, as you can see here.  Our room is on the second floor, but we have a balcony. 

And we can kinda, sorta, see Morro Rock and the Sunset from here. 

I'm On a Mental Health Trip

 I'm gonna catch you up as quickly as possible since it's been a minute (ok YEARS) since I've posted here.

*My eldest now has 3 beautiful children. They call me Gigi. They live about an hour from me. 

*My youngest graduated from Gallaudet University last spring. He is now called Atlas and is a top notch ASL interpreter in Washington DC and lives with his partner Micah, their dog, 2 cats, and a roommate. 

*After being caregiver to my husband for the past few years, and also working as a medical assistant at Planned Parenthood, I am now widowed.  He was in hospice for over a year, and I took leave from work in early November to care for him full time. He died in December. I am now on personal leave, ordered by my doctor, and in counseling, provided free to me from the hospice. 

*My 3 year old dog, Jerry, is a great comfort and companion. One day I might blog about how he chose me. 

You're caught up enough. Now for our current adventure. 

Jerry and I left early this morning and drove 286 miles to Pismo Beach. We stopped at a "vista point" in San Marcos Pass and stretched our legs. The view wasn't great, because the vegetation evidently has grown taller since the signage was placed. Somewhere down the highway an adult Bald Eagle circled overhead at low altitude. That was a nice find. 

We arrived in Pismo around 1 p.m. and visited the Monarch Butterfly Grove and walked a lovely trail adjacent to the campground to the beach. There weren't a whole lot of butterflies, but we got 20 bird species. The first bird we got was Chestnut-backed Chickadee, which made me happy because we don't have them where I live. 

I got some fairly decent phone photos of a Townsend's Warbler, Great Blue Heron, and Dark-eyed Junco, but not the chickadees. 

I was feeling kinda icky and realized that not only had I not eaten lunch, but I only had coffee for breakfast. I decided to have an early dinner at 3:30. Because I had researched dog-friendly accommodations, restaurants, and activities while planning our trip I knew just where to go. Zorro's was a short 10 minute drive away. We sat on their dog-friendly patio, where Jerry was given a bowl of fresh water. They had a dog menu and an extensive Mexican menu for humans.  I ordered una cerveza y fajitas. Jerry got the chicken, broccoli, and egg scramble.  The portions were huge. I'm planning on fajitas for breakfast. Jerry ate around the broccoli (they should have chopped it small imo) but had enough eggs and chicken for a German Shepherd! His dinner cost only $8. 

We checked into our dog-friendly motel, the Ocean Palms. Jerry and his full tummy had a nap and I studied up on shorebirds and gulls. Tomorrow I we will check out the Avila Valley Barn (I need some Ollaliberry pie), and the Olde Port Beach in SLO, then we will head to Morro Bay State Park for a hike before checking into our next motel where we shall stay for 4 nights. 

MORE PICS HERE