San Simeon Day Trip, Again

The day trip on 02Feb included reflections and remembrances of my Father, William Edgar, who was born on Ground Hog Day. "Always an easy birthday to remember" my sister remarked first thing that morning. Father loved birding and passed along the gene. I stopped frequently at state-maintained turnouts north of Cayucos to sit and watch.

On the next stop, I went into quaint and popular Cambria parking directly in front of The Vault, an established and well-curated gallery. An exhibit by Roy Dunn was a coincidence and an echo of my last hour. The exhibit literature reports, "Roy has taken somewhere north of a half a million hummingbird images over the past 19 years. He says he is really only happy with about 6 to 11 images so he keeps on trying."

The area near the San Simeon pier includes a chapel that obviously served the needs of those attending to the Hearst Castle back in the day. The trail to the tip of the San Simeon peninsula follows the beach for a short distance and then elevates into a eucalyptus grove which is stunning and peaceful.

The elephant seals are wintering on the beaches between San Simeon and Piedras Blancas.

A stop in the town of Harmony (population 18) is usually part of the travels along this section of the Coast. The town curators recently moved this old Dodge out from behind the Glassworks shop.

The return home included more backroads. The ranches and farms between Morro Bay and San Luis Obispo are impressive anytime of the year, but the winter growing season is the most colorful.