Ocean Photos from the California Central Coast

Coast from Leffingwell Landing, Cambria,
 © B. Radisavljevic

One can approach the ocean from Paso Robles in many ways. Probably the closest beaches to Paso Robles are Cambria, San Simeon State Beach, and Cayucos. Continue south on Highway 1 or take 101 to Highway 41 to reach Morro Bay. Just a bit farther south and you will be at Avila Beach and Pismo Beach. Each beach and coastal city has its own unique character, and most locals have a preferred beach where they like to access the ocean. My personal favorite is Moonstone Beach, and next would be Avila Beach. The photo essays I just linked to will show you an extensive look at each beach in photos and videos as I experienced them. I will introduce some different and more recent photos here. I'm glad the ocean is only a short distance from Paso Robles, and I can get to any of my favorite beaches quickly. 

One of my favorite places to access the ocean in Cambria is Leffingwell Landing. Below are some of the reasons why.

Leffingwell Landing is one place where I can go with Hubby, who has difficulty walking very far, where he can sit and watch the ocean while I walk the boardwalk and we are both happy.  There are also restrooms easily accessible. I think the sun is in his eyes in this photo.

Hubby Watching Ocean from Leffingwell Landing, Cambria, © B. Radisavljevic

Leffingwell Landing is a place where children can be active while getting their own personal taste of nature. I remember how my own children loved to climb on the rocks when we went to a beach that had them. They would  have loved the Cambria coastline.

Children Climbing Rocks at Leffingwell Landing, Cambria, © B. Radisavljevic

Here's one more  shot of the ocean from Cambria before we move on. I love the way the sun reflects on the ocean.

Sun Reflecting on Ocean at Leffingwell Landing, Cambria, © B. Radisavljevic

Before we leave the North Coast, here's one shot taken at San Simeon State Beach.

Cove at San Simeon State Beach, © B. Radisavljevic

If you watch my video, you can  hear the ocean at San Simeon, as well as see it.

Now we will move south to Cayucos. When I think of Cayucos I think of not only the ocean and the beach, but also the seaweed and the patterns formed by the waves on the sand.

Wave-formed Patterns on the Sand at Cayucos, © B. Radisavljevic

Shadow of Pier on Kelp in Water Beside Cayucos Pier, © B. Radisavljevic

We can't leave Cayucos without a shot of a sea gull, since the gulls own the place.

Gull on Shore at Cayucos Beach, © B. Radisavljevic

Time to move south to Morro Bay now.  Morro Bay's most famous landmarks are its smokestacks and Morro Rock. Since I'm focused on the ocean, I'll show you the rock. Since Morro Bay is a fishing village, it is usually surrounded by boats.

Morro Rock and Fishing Boats, © B. Radisavljevic

The gulls own Morro Bay as they do every other Central Coast beach or pier I've been to. This one just  took off from the pier.

Morro Bay Sea Gull in Flight, © B. Radisavljevic

It's time to move on to Avila Beach, which actually is two beaches. There's the one near town with a more typical sandy beach, and there is also Port San Luis. These photos were taken at Port San Luis because there is more wildlife to look at. Below is a gull on the rocks deciding whether to go fishing.

Port San Luis in Avila Beach Sea Gull on Rock, © B. Radisavljevic

Below are more sights and sounds from Avila Beach, Port San Luis.

As usual, the sea gulls have staked their claim on the Harford Pier.

Port San Luis,  Avila Beach Sea Gulls on Pier, © B. Radisavljevic

Our last stop will be Pismo Beach. It's a popular beach with people and seagulls. Don't leave your picnic food unattended. It will soon be surrounded. This is what happened to one ice chest left by itself on the beach. It's like an airport restaurant for seagulls.

Here's a glimpse of people enjoying Pismo Beach near the pier.

People Enjoying Pismo Beach Near Pier, © B. Radisavljevic

Below is the view many people visualize when they think of Pismo Beach.

 Pismo Beach, California, © B. Radisavljevic

Here are some of my more popular Zazzle products made from photos taken at Pismo Beach, in case you missed picking up a souvenir last time you were there.

 Woman Walking Dog Along Pismo Beach, CA Puzzle Cliffs Along Pismo Beach Shoreline Poster Cliffs Along Pismo Beach Shoreline Puzzle Pismo Beach Shoreline Postcard Pier at Pismo Beach, Postcard

& 

If you enjoyed this post, please share it. The sharing buttons are just above the comment box at the end of this post. The photo below is especially designed for pinning.

This is my fifteenth post for the 2016 AtoZchallenge, a Blogging Challenge for the month of April, 2016. My theme is Things You Can See or Experience in North San Luis Obispo County. Here are links to the other posts if you missed them.

A is for Acorn
B is for Barney Schwartz Park
C is for Cattle in Wine Country
D is for Dark Star Cellars
E is for Electric Wires
F is for Family Farms
G is for Graveyard Vineyards
H is for Horses
Insects in My Neighborhood in April
J's Burgers in Paso Robles: A Review
Kosta is God's Gift to Me from Across the Ocean
Laguna Lake is Full Again
Mission San Miguel Photos

Niner Estates Decorated Heart Hill with Vineyards

Related articles

• This is a Great Day to Take Your Family to Leffingwell Landing
• M is for Moonstone Beach
• Clamming at Pismo Beach after 40 years

Palms in a Golden Sunset

Last night as the sun set I was out taking pictures every few minutes to catch the deepening colors in the sky. Usually I focus on the oak tree in the foreground, but last night the palms in a golden sunset stole the show. 

Palm trees are very common on the California Central Coast and south down to the Mexican border. Most people expect to see the palm trees in postcards of California beach towns and near the beach itself. They are also used in home landscaping and to line residential city streets in cities like Long Beach. 

As you can see in these photos, we also have some in my Paso Robles neighborhood. I feel pretty lucky to get to choose between focusing on the oak tree and the palms in my photos at sundown. Last night I captured a bit of both of them. Do you prefer the palms or the oak trees in your landscapes?

I was amazed to see so many products on amazon related to palm trees. I discovered not only books on the different varieties and how to grow palms, but also palm party favors, inflatable palms for parties, artificial palm trees in pots for interior decorating, and much more -- all on the page you each if you follow that link.

Zazzle also has designers that feature palm trees on their products. You can find more palm tree designs here. 

 Palm Trees of Los Angeles Padfolio cute iPhone case Tropical Palm Trees on the beach Wood Poster

& 

Related articles

• Palm Tree Blossoms: Flower of the Day Mar 22, 2016

Side Trip to Harmony, California

Harmony: A Small Art Colony on the Central Coast of California

 I had lived on the Central Coast for over twenty years before I finally got around to investigating the tiny town of Harmony. It was started by Swiss Dairy Farmers in 1869, but it is no longer a dairy town. It's now more like a colony of people who make art objects. The only open businesses I saw the day I was there were the glass blower and the pottery shop. If you click the photo to enlarge it, you should be able to read the history. The Harmony Cellars Winery was at the top of the hill, but since I was there late in the afternoon, I didn't bother going up to see it. I'll do it on another day.

The Pottery Shop and the Well

The only shop I entered during my visit to Harmony was the Pottery Shop. The proprietor didn't want me to take pictures inside, so I didn't. I did think the outside was lovely. It appears that the raised beds and and other elements of the decor were made from materials recycled from previous structures.

Here is a closer look at that exterior wall of the pottery shop. I especially like the weeping willow tree.

Here is the well  at Harmony. It adds to the mood of the small town and may have historical value. It did not appear to be in use anymore and may be purely decorative. I can't find out much about it.

Frame Yourself in a Photo in Harmony!

Want to prove you've been to Harmony? Use the picture window to get your picture taken. Then go to Zazzle and make yourself some postcards to send to friends. Just follow the link and upload a photo you've edited to 1120 x 850 pixels with a resolution of 200 ppi and follow the simple instructions. A larger resolution is even better. You can actually play with the size on the Zazzle page to show your photo  to best advantage.

Of course, if you don't want to put yourself in the way of the scenery, you could just  shoot through the window yourself as I did here.

I also saw a number of interesting succulent plants in Harmony. You can see those succulent gardens here. 

Harmony is on the way to making a comeback and developers have plans. We will have to see if these plans will actually make Harmony a busy and thriving community again. Part of me hopes it stays a quiet oasis.