San Luis Obispo, California

Day 19 - 26:  Wednesday to Friday, February 6 – 15, San Luis Obispo, CA

After a morning spent organizing and tidying, we headed south on 101 to San Luis Obispo.  The weather continues to be intermittently windy and raining, while there is snow and ice at home!  We got a great campsite at El Chorro, screened by bushes full of golden-crowned sparrows, and a yard full of California Quail and white-crowned sparrows when we put up our birdfeeder.  When they heard tossed-out birdseed on the ground, the quail came rushing out of the bushes.  Jim headed to the RV store to get parts, fixed the hot water heater problems. 

Yellow trees blooming all through the campground, gurgling creek below us.

Black-Capped Chickadee and Golden-Crowned Sparrow enjoying a feast.

Busy California Quail, such pretty birdies!

Thursday, we waited for the temperature to warm a bit, then headed up to Santa Margarita Lake to go kayaking.  This is the reservoir for the Salinas River, and this year it is 104% full.  We saw lots of Clark’s Grebes, also a few herons.  We went up one arm that ended at a cataract coming into the lake, then found the main channel and paddled up the lake a way.  Just a little wind, lots of peace and quiet, a great paddle!

Kayaking at Santa Margarita Lake, reservoir for the Salinas River.  104% full!

A boater's campground, peaceful area!

By the cataract where Salsipuedes Creek comes into the lake.

Friday, my nephew Mason, whom I had not seen for many years, was gracious enough to drive up from his Mom’s house in LA, before he was heading home to New Jersey on Saturday.  He is such a great guy, and got to visit with him more than I ever have before!  We hiked up to Eagle Rock above the campground, then up the road to the end, stopping by a pool on Dairy Creek for lunch.  We walked through the Arboretum here, then came back to the RV.  Mason and Jim went up to the baseball field here for Jim to fly his Mavic drone, then Jan and Dwayne joined us for dinner.  I made guacamole, Jim barbecued pork chops, I made an asparagus, rice, mushroom stir fry, and we had brownies for dessert.

Nephew Mason, with our destination Eagle Rock, above.

Oxalalis, lots of that around here!

This pretty flower with six petals is in the lily family!

Mason on a collapsing bridge!

Lunch by a pond on Dairy Creek.  Croaking frogs nearby!

The California ground squirrel is everywhere, with pretty, mottled fur.

A selfy at the top of the hill, Moro Rock between our heads!

Pretty, peaceful country!

Saturday, we went up to Hearst Castle with Jan and Dwayne, went on the upstairs tour.  Such a beautiful place it is! 

One of the many, many rooms!

Many beautiful works of art.

View of the ocean from an upper balcony.

Part of the huge library, where Hearst micro-managed his newspapers.

Neptune Pool, where the rich and famous cavorted in the 1920's.

Views of rolling hills through all windows, along walkways and porches.

Blue Pool

 Afterward we drove up to Piedra Blancas and saw the Elephant Seal rookery, including young ones and big males snorting and trumpeting and chasing each other around.  Right after the birthing season comes the mating season.  These animals have an amazing life story, hunting far at sea and at great depths, and migrating as far south as Baja.  Their numbers have increased from 50 in the early twentieth century to over 200,000 now.

Elephant Seal at Las Piedras Rookery.

Lots of people looking at lots of seals!

What a handsome guy!

Windy weather on Sunday.  Jim worked on the plane in the morning, and in the afternoon we drove up to Montana de Oro, a beautiful drive along the rugged coast with a view to Morro Bay, and hiked 2.3 miles up the Coon Creek Trail, a moderate walk along a rushing stream.  We saw Sessile Trillium and a number of caves in the hillsides.

Jim, on the first of 6 bridges over the stream.

Sessile Trillium, lots of it in the canyon!

Caves in these rocky hills!

Pretty trail!  My jacket matches Jim's!

Monday was Morro Bay kayak day.  With an afternoon high tide and cool weather, we waited until 1 pm to embark.  We paddled up the estuary, saw sea otters, loons, and Western Grebe.  The wind came up, and we had a strenuous paddle back to the launch point!  I had to tack back and forth to make headway against the wind and the tide, which was still coming in!  Afterward we rewarded ourselves with clam chowder at Rose’s Bar and Grill.

Heading south on calm water in Morro Bay

Heading back against the wind on rough water, J & D and Morro Rock.

Sea otter, munching on dinner!

 Tuesday Jim and I went down to Grove Beach to the RV Parts Store, then stopped at Pismo Beach Monarch Grove, saw a few Monarchs fluttering around, some in the trees.  Headed back to SLO Von’s for groceries, at lunch at Carl Jr.  Back at the park, we rode south from the park as far as Los Oso Road, a pretty ride through green fields and horse ranches, saw Red-winged Blackbirds and more California Quail.  Total ride 11 miles, one gentle hill. (Did cause me to be in 1 and 2 on the way back.  Steeper for me than for Jim!)

The plane is coming right along!

We were scheduled to go to Rancho Oso on Wednesday, but it was very windy and it looked like there was a problem on the road up from Santa Barbara, so we decided to stay two more nights here.  I worked on this blog in the morning.  In the afternoon, we drove down to an RV dealership in Pismo Beach with Jan and Dwayne and looked at various RV’s.  The Newmar Ventana is quite a critter, beautiful woodwork, many amenities.

Wednesday night there was loud thunder, lightning, and pounding rain on our roof!  In the afternoon, Jim and I and Sarah walked on the boardwalk at the Elfin Forest, a beautiful spot overlooking the Morro Bay estuary, with coast oak trees 800 years old in the dunes, only 10 feet tall.  Then we walked Los Osos Oaks State Reserve, where the same oak trees are 50 feet tall!  We saw wildflowers, also some Witches’ Butter.

Fuschia-flowered Gooseberry along the boardwalk trail at Elfin Forest.

800-year-old oak trees, stunted by the harsh dune environment.

Ceanothus, or Buck Brush, all in bloom along this trail.

Morro Bay Estuary, with Morro Rock in the distance.  Low tide!

Witches Butter

Lichen on many branches.

When we got back to the Bounder, we discovered J & D were gone, checked Life 360 and discovered they were back at the RV dealer.  Uh oh!  They found what they think might be the diesel pusher meant for them, a 40 foot Newmar Ventana!  While inspecting the various rigs, Jan twisted her ankle where the bath at the back changed levels.  They had to stop at an Urgent Care place, discovered her ankle is sprained, not broken, but she will be on crutches for a while.  How tough is that!  Jan, as usual, is a good sport, even though she is in pain.

J and D's new Newmar Ventana!  What a rig!