Next Stop: Cambria, CA
After the epic road trip way, way up north to Oregon, I hit the oracle (AKA Pinterest) once more. I wanted to discover more of the coast, but this time, to determine if it was possible to find a reasonably-priced area in southern California. I read several blogs and articles and community websites to uncover any secret gems. Surprisingly, I found a few!
After much research and time and internal deliberation (ask any introvert and they will agree with me- internal deliberation is a thing) I decided to visit Cambria, CA. I was intrigued by the pictures and articles I read about the whole area. The kids were game, so we threw together a playlist and hit the road once again.
Though we spent most of our time wandering around Cambria, we took driving tours of the residential areas of San Luis Obispo, and the gorgeous Morro Bay, pictured below, where I experienced the most beautiful sunset I’ve ever seen.
I wish I could remember the name of the restaurant located right on the water (bad blogger! Bad!) The food was great but the view was even better! The boys and I were eating and as the sun began to set, and I absolutely needed to get a photo! I begged the boys to remain in their seats so the waiter didn’t think I was pulling a “dine and dash” as I raced out the door to snap this shot. This is one of the photos I took from right outside the restaurant.
After visiting the areas just north of Cambria, we had no choice but to take an additional side trip to the infamous Hearst Castle, located in the neighboring San Simeon just south of Cambria. I had visited once before, but my kids hadn’t seen it. I thought maybe they’d enjoy it. Honestly, I never know with one pre-teen and one teenage boy in tow, so I’m always going on a wing and a prayer!
Now, I know what you’re thinking. Those of you who are unfamiliar with the historical landmark may scoff at the thought of a “castle” in California. I mean, come on! California isn’t exactly known for historical architecture. True. Very true. But here are a few fun facts! The estate was built from the ground up 100 years ago. It was imagined by William Randolf Hearst, the newspaper magnate who owned acres and acres of ranch land in the area. The castle was made a reality by the brilliant architect Julia Morgan. She was such a badass and completely ahead of her time! She rebuilt the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake, amongst many other notable projects.
So, to sum it up, Hearst Castle might not be as historically significant if comparing it to ancient ruins in Greece or Rome. Instead, it gives you a peek at our more recent past. A visit to the castle gives you a strong impression of the culture of the rich and famous of its time: California-style.
Anyhoo, my photography skills are lacking and cannot possibly do justice to how truly magnificent this party pad-turned-museum is, so check out their website if you are curious to see more or learn about its history. hearstcastle.org
OK. Now that I have sufficiently demonstrated my attention deficit disorder, let me get back to the point of this post. Cambria!
The beaches were lovely, as expected. Though, I rarely find a beach I don’t fall in love with, so that wasn’t a shocker. I didn’t get a great shot with my camera, so I cheated a bit. Here’s a stock photo of the beach at Cambria. Pretty, isn’t it?
The houses we passed along our tour in Cambria were beautiful and more spread out than the tightly-packed housing of our hometown of San Jose. Cambria was exactly the kind of town I dreamed of living in. Yes, the town attracts tourists, but I noticed something unique about the main drag.
As we walked down the adorable and quiet Main Street area, packed with restaurants and shops to drool over, I discovered…wait for it…actual locals! (Let’s be real, people. You can always tell the difference between a local and a tourist. Agreed?) And I swear, they all knew each other. They could be seen wandering around, eating, shopping, and chatting comfortably with each other amidst us annoying tourists.
I found myself wondering if the residents of Cambria were simply gifted with unnatural amounts of patience, or if Cambria really was just so small there was no choice but for the residents to suck it up and deal with us!
Regardless, I fell in love with Main Street. Mainly, it was the kind of downtown-ish area that I always dreamed of living close to. So close I could walk to it from wherever I was in town. You know, like in Gilmore Girls! Time for coffee? Walk two blocks to the left. Need to get some groceries? It’s three blocks that way. Time for work? Walk ten paces, turn left, and you’re there!
The problem? Though Cambria was idillic, when it came down to it, the cost of living was not much different from our hometown of San Jose. So, if we moved there, not only would we be much farther away from family, but we would be facing the same financial situation we were in… and I had a kid headed to college to think of, after all.
Back to the drawing board.
To be continued…
