City Review: Morro Bay, CA

This Coastal Town is More Than a Big Rock 

Revised 4/2021

Dear Polite Traveler,

Road trip!!  For our visit to Universal Studios Hollywood, we decided to make it a road trip, traveling south from Davis, CA to stay in San Luis Obispo before landing in Hollywood and then Morro Bay on our homeward bound jaunt.  Since our stay in San Luis Obispo was only one night, I don’t have anything to report.  This isn’t the case for the lovely and approachable Morro Bay.

Note: Follow CDC and county guidelines when visiting.  Always wear your face mask when in public.   Also, during the pandemic, some amenities may not be available.  Please remember, this is only temporary.  

Before staying here, I only knew the town as one overshadowed by a very large rock. Within a few hours of visiting, I found it is much, much more.  It’s a place dedicated to memorializing the fisherman who have lost their lives to the sea and others who spent their lives serving this fine town.  

It’s a place of friendly people who greet others freely.  It’s also a place of celebration.  It seems that there’s some sort of festival most every month.  We caught a tiny slice of the “Harbor Festival,” which seemed to be more of an open house, welcoming all to the businesses on the coast.  Personally, I loved meeting some of the locals.

 

The town is walkable with the Morro Rock as the main attraction.  In fact, one may walk or drive around the mountain to the Morro Bay State Park to camp, fish, sail or birdwatch.  One can simply hike it and call it a perfect day. 

Morro Rock is actually one of the nine sisters—a volcanic plug mountain range.  In a discussion with one of the local artists, we found out that this mountain was once much, much larger, which was chipped away to create a breakwater to make the bay safer.  

Since Morro Bay is right on the ocean, it can be windy and chilly.  So, it’s best to pack a variety of clothing even in warmer weather.   During our short stay, it was mid-seventies but felt much cooler due to the chilly breeze. 

Morro Bay is like a place set in another time.  It’s a slower pace, friendly and kind.  It’s the sort of place that will live in my dreams forever.

Please share your experiences!

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