A Visit to Morro Bay

Recently, The Hubby, Lovely Daughter #2 and I spent a long weekend in Morro Bay, a beautiful spot on the California coast. The coastal town is north of Santa Barbara and south of Monterey and Carmel.

It's a very small town (population about 10,000), with a very big rock:

The rock, just offshore and connected to the town by a spit of land, is a volcanic plug 581 feet tall. It  dominates the scene:

 

Morro Rock is off-limits to climbers because it is sacred to Native American groups, and because it is home to a pair of nesting Peregrine Falcons, an endangered species.

But the jetty is open to rock-hoppers and visitors, and the views are beautiful:

The town has lots of appealing shops--book stores, coffee shops, second-hand clothing shops, and places that sell handmade things:

The harbor is home base for a small but thriving fishing industry:

 And the beautiful beach attracts many different types of people:

Of course, I can't go anywhere without being attracted to all things blue:

Next: I'll introduce you to my favorite shop: