Central Coast Camping

Andrew and I had a really great, relaxing mini-vacation on the central coast. We left work early Friday and started our journey down to the Cerro Alto Campground, where we would be staying for the weekend. The drive down was easy since we left early and beat most of the traffic. We got settled in our campsite, then made dinner and relaxed by the fire. A perfect start to the weekend. 

Saturday morning, we woke up and made breakfast before heading into Morro Bay. The campground is really close to both Morro Bay and Cayucos, so it's perfect for outings during the day. We started at the beach so Andrew could check the surf, and found a spot where all the locals seemed to be! So we planned to head back later in the afternoon so that Andrew could surf. We spent some time wandering around downtown Morro Bay, going into the shops and people watching. Then we headed up to Cayucos for lunch. My parents had recommended we try the smoked fish tacos (pork for Andrew) at Ruddell's Smoke House. It was obvious that it's a popular place, people were lined up outside waiting for their tacos. After about 15 minutes we were served and luckily a seat opened up out front. The tacos were really good, I ordered the smoked salmon. I had never tried a smoked fish taco, it was so unique, I definitely want to create my own version at home. Next stop was the Brown Butter Cookie Co. Man-oh-man, they were amazing! I wanted one of each! We got a little sample bag to enjoy over the weekend. Andrew loved the snicker-doodle, while the brown butter and sea salt were my favorite. The lemon was a close runner up. You must go there if you're in the area. After Cayucos, we headed back towards Morro Bay so Andrew could surf. I took some photos and got some reading in while he braved the cold water. The foggy skies and cold water didn't look appealing to me at all, but he had a great time! Once back at camp, we made dinner and spent the evening chatting by the fire. It was a really, really great day!

Sunday, we woke up to sunny skies. It was perfect for the hike we had planned that morning. Just a few feet from our campsite was the trail head for the highest point in San Luis Obisbo County. It was a six mile hike, that was pretty much straight up and down! It was such a nice day, and the breeze was appreciated once we reached the top. That elevation gain was no joke, we were tired once we reached the top, especially Louis! But the views were more than worth the effort. Since it was such a nice day, after our hike we decided to go back into town for a drink and dinner. We walked along the beach for a while collecting sand dollars and watching the kite boarders (PS, that looks so fun, Andrew and I really want to try it)! 

We were up early Monday morning so we could get started on the drive home. We wanted to take Highway 1 up the coast, which is a much longer drive, but also really beautiful. Our plan was just to get started and stop wherever we got the urge along the way. Our first stop was back in Cayucos. It was another beautiful day, so we got coffee and bagels and watched the surfers for an hour or so before starting our drive home. It was a beautiful drive, and we were lucky to have a clear day to appreciate the views. We were even greeted by a heard of Zebra when we passed the Hearst Castle turn off near San Semeon! Hopefully we'll make it back for a tour of Hearst Castle soon. My mom heard they're not going to keep the pool anymore because of the expense, hopefully that doesn't happen. We also stopped to see the elephant seals, sand dollar beach, and scoped out a future camping spot in Big Sur. The scenic drive was a great way to end our trip! 

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Morro Bay

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Cerro Alto Trail & Campground

We were in site #18, which was great and spacious!
We want to go back with a group of friends and take over both #18 and #19

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Cayucos

Smoked fish (salmon) tacos - my parents recommendation. 

Best.Cookies.Ever!

~ Highway 1 Drive ~

Zebras!! Hopefully we'll make it to Hearst Castle soon, I love that place!

I had to include this candid picture I got when setting up the self timer...hilarious!! 

I hope you all had a nice weekend as well!