I love the desert but am drawn to the ocean several times yearly. Winter is usually Hawaii or Florida, and summer is a vacation on the central California coast. I grew up visiting the beaches and towns outside of Paso Robles. For the last twenty years, we have stayed in Cambria. I love visiting new places, but sometimes it is nice to see the familiar. We visit the same beaches, the same shops and the same restaurants.
Edel said, “I fits momma, I go!” Sorry, not this time. I promised to take her on a “C.A.R.” trip when I got home.
Usually, I find some new historical sites to visit; we visited many locations on our beach trip in 2022. This year we took it easy and mostly relaxed at the beach. We still visited some of our favorite sites, and I took my little one to Hearst Castle.
Cambria
The rental house we had the last few years was sold, so my mom scrambled for an alternative. She knocked it out of the park this year; the house was gorgeous and updated, we were a block from the park and beach access, and we were across the street from the ocean and could hear the waves crashing.
At the house, my mom and I cooked in a gorgeous kitchen. I loved the Thermadore cookstove. The fridge and microwave would drive me crazy; you could barely put anything in the refrigerator and had to wait for the microwave drawer to slide in and out.
My mom and little one played games and did craft projects for the church’s craft fair. I didn’t play Scrabble; my mom’s mom and sisters traumatized me; they are cutthroat!
This year’s craft project was bead garlands for decoration and gifting wine bottles or jars.
Harmony
The town of 18 is one of our favorite places to stop and shop.
Harmony was founded in 1869 as a creamery for the region’s dairies. Harmony Valley Creamery Association was a leader in the region for fifty years. The tiny town was also a popular stop for visitors to Hearst Castle. Following the creamery’s closure, the town declined. Today, the signs are famous for “Population 18.” We love visiting Harmony Glass Works and Harmony Pottery Shop.
Sadly the food truck was closed, so we started lunch with ice cream and returned to the house for lunch. Hey, it is vacation! Harmony Creamery has the best ice cream anywhere.
Elephant Seals
No trip is complete without stopping to see the giant seals. Friends of ours are docents but weren’t working that day. I’ll admit, I’m a snitch. Some guy was flying a drone in the no-fly zone, pestering wildlife, a big no-no with the FAA. The staff made him land the drone.
Cayucos
The Cayucos Historical Society opened a museum upstairs in one of our favorite stores, the Cayucos Surf Company. I wandered the museum and my little one stocked up on sweatshirts.
After lunch, we headed to the beach. We always end our trip a the Brown Butter Sugar Cookie Company, yum, yum yum!
Hearst Castle
I visited the California landmark several times and took my son a few years ago, but my daughter didn’t go. I’m working on a separate post, but it is amazing as always. Do you know how Hearst Castle is related to the Comstock Lode?
Sunsets!
My daughter has shown an interest in photography. Our evening ritual was photographing the sunset from the beach, a bluff, or the deck. At the end of the trip, she said that was her favorite part of the vacation. That is pretty special coming from a 16-year-old!
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