Beaches and Hiking Boots

Happy New Year!

Instead of fireworks and a falling ball of lights, the new year rushed in on the tips of ocean waves and blue skies.  Morro Bay and its surrounding areas summoned for another long weekend excursion.

For any successful trip, it’s important to break up the drive with at least one stop along the way.  Since we skipped it last time, we walked around Solvang.  Solvang was full of other weekend warriors and tourists taking in the windmills, baked goods, and wine, but thankfully, there were plenty of open sidewalk to share with the dog anyway.

While we are fans of Morro Bay’s Beach Bungalow Inn & Suites, we opted for the just as pet-friendly Days Inn for half the price (and half the modern upgrades).  Days Inn is dated and drab, but there was plenty of space for guests and dog alike, plus it was clean and close to the Embarcadero.

As soon we we checked in, we set off to walk said Embarcadero and caught a glimpse of the last sunset of 2011 in Morro Bay.

2012 brought on a well known challenge.  Hiking opportunities where a dog, leashed (good!) or unleashed (great!) would be allowed. Lessons learned?  Beaches are your friends.  State Parks?  Not so much.  Case in point, we drove through Montana de Oro State Park and every trail head–or anything that could be mistaken as a trail head–was marked with a sad dog silhouette with a mean red slash through it.  The one saving grace of Montana de Oro was Spooner’s Cove near the end of park that does allow leashed dogs.  The area looked small considering the crowds, so the search continued.

The following list should keep you and your furry friend happy.  Imagine:  Plenty of open space to feel like you’re getting a low impact workout in, beautiful sights to behold, secluded/spacious enough to feel like you’re sharing the beach or trail with the few people in on the secret, and so dog friendly there are poop bag stations at the entrances.

1. Morro Bay Strand 
2. Elfin Forest – Pygmy trees, a wooden walkway, and a couple fabulous views of the estuary. 
3. Cayucos Beach – Take the first left turn when you see the Welcome to Cayucos sign on Highway 1 North.  The public access stairwell is on Studio and Mannix.
4. San Luis Bay – On the other side of the pier from Avila Beach.  

May this new year be filled with adventure for you and your loved ones.