USA 2019 - 3rd April Day 12 - San Simeon to Santa Maria

Being Lovers of California, we have never really stopped at San Simeon or Pismo Beach for any length of time. Unfortunately, this was no different, although we did spend a little bit of time at Pismo Beach.

Day 12

Today we started in – San Simeon
We finished in – Sant Maria
Miles travelled today – 84
Miles so far this trip – 1246
Tonight we are staying at – Historic Santa Maria Inn

Curtains get flung open and a cloudy start to the day awaits.

At least 3 other families are already packed up and heading out as I load up the car.

Our first stop is Hearst Castle, the home of the Hearst family and in particular William Hearst.

The 60-minute tour is $25 each, although Max goes free. The bus winds up the hill, and the journey lasts 15 minutes, the views improving as the minutes and altitude increases.

Our guide for this tour was James Cadreau. A jovial, happy man with a striking resemblance to Harold Bishop from Neighbours, for those that watched the show back in the day. When I didn’t!!

Table of Contents

San Simeon Hearst Castle

His knowledge, quick dispensing of the facts and the history and his enthusiasm was impressive.

A particular part of the tour described how William Hearst approved the stories in his many news publications.

Laying them out on the floor and walking around one of his impressive rooms approving them or requesting the change. Harold (or James as he is really known) demonstrated this with enthusiasm and animation of someone that clearly knows and loves his job,

The theme of the tour was to explain how William Hearst loved building, loved adding rooms, but also talked about how he lost his fortune, and made it again.

The decor in the house was over indulgence at it’s finest. Ornate, elaborate and clearly expensive. But normal I suppose for a man possessed with building.

Palatial rooms, expensive paintings and a pool Julius Caesar would be proud of!

The tour came to end, and we head south on Highway 1 again. We make a stop at Moonstone Beach, which is quiet. Pretty but nothing more that we have already seen on this trip.

San Simeon to Morro Bay

Morro Bay was up next. Another repeat stop after our 2013 trip. The small seaside town is best known for its 576 foot tall rock that pokes proudly out of the ocean. It is now a state and historical landmark.

It is also a designated bird sanctuary for among others, Peregrine Falcons. Unfortunately, we don’t get too close to it, and so don’t spot any of the birds of prey.

We walk along the pavement. One side is the car park, the other is a multitude of sea food restaurants and takeaways. There is also some building work going on too, presumable a renovation of sorts for the summer.

We spend 3 hours here. Reminiscing about our 2013 visit. There were families milling around, along with the workmen too.

We see otters again taking a swim in an area dedicated as an otter nursery.

A chair, expertly crafted with car parts sits bayside. A memory of Ford and / or Nick (1946 to 2008)

Next Stop – Bubblegum Alley

The time has come to head off to our next stop. Bubblegum Alley!

A gross, disgusting, mess of an alley. It has thousands of pieces of bubblegum stuck all over the walls of the 15ft high and 70ft long alley.

Why anyone would want to visit it, chew gum and stick it to the wall is a mystery.

So we visit, we chew gum, and we stick it to the wall. When in Rome, I think the saying starts.

It is actually worth seeing. A quick Google later, and according to Wikipedia, the alley could have been started a couple of ways, but both involved students.

Kids!!

We bump into a local there who claims it is cleaned every 5 years or so. It has a steam clean, is put back to its original state, so the gum chewing tourists can come again.

The lady, visiting with out of state friends claims there would be uproar locally when it was suggested it be closed. I have no reason to doubt her, but I am not so sure.

The street it is in is pleasant. Tree lined, multitude of shops and cafes to enjoy. Street parking means we can park a block away for a dollar or so. As a result it didn’t take us long to get back to the car and be on the road again.

Pismo Beach

Initially, when we started planning this trip, we had intended on staying here for a night, but swapped that out for an extra day in Santa Monica.

Our love for the known Santa Monica trumped the unknown Pismo Beach, but for sure we plan on returning and spending some time here.

This is a great seaside town. Californian’s are certainly spoiled with their beautiful seaside towns. We manage to park in a simple high street, the car’s nose in facing the shops. A dollar or so in the meter gave us enough time.

Pismo Beach Pier

We wander down the street, making a beeline for the pier. Renovated and reopened in 2018, after an $8.7m, 18 month overhaul. I have read somewhere it is 16th longest pier. Not in the world. Not even in America. But in California.

Built in 1924, the 1,370-foot pier has nothing on it, other than the odd bench, the odd fisherman and a particularly odd man in an electric wheelchair singing what appeared to be the same song over and over, in the hope of a few tips.

Max seemed particularly interested in him and spends at least 10 minutes watching.

We gave him a couple of dollars, and head back to the car, walking back along the same street we walked along an hour or so ago.

Pismo Beach and Art Deco

The whole road looked a little retro, with art deco buildings. 1950’s signs atop 1950’s diners. It reminds us, on a smaller scale of Miami, and it’s Art Deco buildings.

The short, 20-mile drive to Santa Maria gives me nothing to write about. Other than farmland, and a few long barren roads, we see nothing inspirational. During a particularly long, boring road, I notice how the top of the hills in the distance we in bright sunshine. There is nothing else to look at, so as we drive along, we pass the time watching the sun creep lower down the hills.

This is clearly one of our less exciting drives. But it appears it did give me something to write about. Who’d have thought!

We arrive at the Santa Maria Inn, check in and head over to The Magic Dragon for a tasty Chinese meal.

Day 12 complete. 12 to go!