Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Cambria... Is it Cam-bree'ya or Came-bree'ya?

We needed a few days out of the heat of Arizona and took off with our Aussie, Wyatt on a drive up the coast of California to Cambria. We settled on a delightful ocean-side spot called The Fireside Inn on Moonlight Beach (http://www.pacificahotels.com/firesideinn.) Lovely bedrooms with a few patios facing the ocean and majestic sunsets (grab one of these if you can) and a light continental breakfast served each morning - very clean! Seriously... a very special spot to relax and listen to the crash of the surf day and night. I had forgotten what a treat it is to sleep with the windows open... aaahhh.




There's a lovely boardwalk (walk on boards!) along the coast of Moonlight Beach. You can jog or walk your leashed dog along the coast here for about a 3-mile round trip jaunt. The temps during August were in the low 80's with a drip of seaside humidity in the air. Didn't matter to us - it was so COOL!

The town of Cambria is just a mile or two away from The Fireside Inn and there are darling shops, cafes, pubs, and restaurants. A couple of our favorites were Robin's, which had the most darling dog-friendly patio and their food was delish! Check them out at www.robinsrestaurant.com. We also had some great Mexican food while visiting - Try La Terraza Mexican Grill and Las Cambritas. Both had dog-friendly patios and some mighty tasty Mexican food. We scored with veggie burritos at La Terraza and a spicy jambalaya at Las Cambritas. Yum.

We also stopped into Moonstone Cellars (www.moonstonecellars.com) and sampled our way through their wine list, bringing a few delicious bottles of wine home. I'll order from them again when it gets cooler for sure. Couldn't leave without sampling the beer at The Cambria Beer Company (www.cambriabeerco.com) as well and we loved the friendly service at both locations.

As luck would (always) have it, we stumbled upon the town cemetery and it was lovely. If you know me, you know I love good cemetery pics and here's a few from this quaint old place sitting up on the hillside above the town.






Many of the gravesites had unique benches for guests to sit, relax, and visit their loved ones. Charming!

One of the most interesting spots in Cambria was a "home" that has been built completely with recycled and found items. The place was terrifyingly decrepit, but offered tours to those brave enough to climb through. I was only brave enough to photograph the place lovingly called Nitt Witt Ridge.




We did a little hiking out to Fiscalini Ranch and truly enjoyed the open spaces preserved along the coastline. Your pups must be leashed on the surf side, but can stroll leash-free on the upper edges of the preserve. 



Love This Bench!!


Along the cliffs of Fiscalini Ranch


Wyatt loved his vacation with us! 

Up the coast about 20 minutes you won't believe the wonderful sight to see - great huge Elephant Seals! They are protected here on a large spot of coastline and come to breed, bear their young, and nurse their babies. Above the edge of the ocean there are lovely viewpoints to watch all kind of nature in action.





Aren't they adorable?


Further up the road is the majestic Hearst Castle, built by William Randolph Hearst. My first visit to this magnificent structure was absolutely breath-taking. The care to keep this home and its antiquities a State Park is rare and glorious to behold. If you're in the area, try to grab a visit and take one (or more) of their tours (www.hearstcastle.org.) The visitors center is also a wonderful pit-stop if you're unable to take a tour.









Another surprising treat along the way was the little town of Harmony, population 18. Yep, population - 18. We had to stop into their little pottery shop and take a look around. How often will you come across a town of that size in your lifetime? I would guess... not too often. 






I truly loved this little peek into the central California coast, an area that I have not visited in all our time living and vacationing in California. I would definitely make a return visit and stay in Cambria again for a cool time-out. I'd bet the prices are even better off-summer. Check it out yourself for a nice getaway.  




Just a little P.S.
We started this trip out in Los Angeles, visiting my husband's grandmother. She celebrated her 100th birthday while we were there and I wanted to share her sweet self here. I only hope that I can make it that far and as gracefully as Grandma Kate. Love you Grandma!!




Until next time - Cheers to wherever your travels may take you...
Deb :)