6 gorgeous central coast beaches

Hello everyone! I hope the winter is treating everyone well - if you're living in a cold weather area, I can only hope you are curled up on your couch with a mug of hot cocoa and the snow falling outside your window. I know all too well that most winter days in a chilly state means lots of scraping snow off a frosty windshield and running to and from your car to avoid your face freezing off in the wind. *shudders internally* I wanted to write a little post today about the amazing beaches here on the Central Coast of California (meaning Santa Barbara county and San Luis Obispo county!) - maybe even those who are shivering under a coat and ten thick blankets can close their eyes and imagine the waves and warm sun and feel their soul lighten a little bit. It's been a little too chilly to dive into the ocean headfirst with only our swimsuits on, (around 65 degrees most days) but my favorite part about going to the beach during winter with Chris and Ben is seeing Ben explore the sand and cold waves, and we love to take in the beautiful scenery while looking for interesting rocks or shells. I also love photographing the beaches at sunset - our earth is a wonderful place!

So, here goes! Please note: This list is not in any particular order of the "best beaches" - I think they're all really lovely depending on what you're there for. I also know there are beaches on the Central Coast that we haven't visited yet - there are many cool coves and beautiful areas in Santa Barbara or tucked away somewhere along the coast that I will probably write about someday in the future. There are only the ones that we've visited recently.

Avila Beach

Avila is gorgeous - it's a popular spot, with a large public beach and a cozy and bright strip of surf shops, restaurants, and ice cream stores (One of the candy and ice cream shops sells AMAZING fresh caramel apples!) . We bought a watercolor print once on the beach here from a local artist, so when the weather is particularly nice, you can find artists selling their stuff. There is a large pier a little ways down from the beach with great views of sea lions sunbathing right off the pier. The pier has seafood shops and restaurants, and lots of fishermen casting their lines. There is also a really cool little beach between the main beach and the pier where dogs are welcome, so it's really fun to take your pooch to run around in the waves with other dogs. The weather is typically really beautiful in Avila because of its position on the coast and geography, but the surf isn't as high. This makes it a great spot for a stunning beach day with kids or your dog!

Pismo Beach

This is another really popular spot - it's actually just south of Avila on the coast. Pismo is more of a surfing beach, because the tide tends to be higher, but the weather is often a little colder and sometimes more overcast or foggy. Pismo Beach has a larger area of shopping and activities - tons of surf shops, arcades, and great places to dine - at Hoagie's, I would recommend trying a Pismo Wrap - they're famous for the tri-tip wrap that's big enough to share. SO good! Splash Cafe is famous for their amazing fresh clam chowder. Pismo also has a really cool pier with a great view of surfers and the higher tide.

Grover Beach

Grover Beach is a big camping area, and it's really unique because you can drive right on the beach! It's a big spot for 4-wheeling because of the dunes right on the coast. It's right near Pismo Beach. Chris and I came to Grover Beach a while back on an overcast day and found dozens of whole sand dollars dried on the beach - it's definitely a great place for looking for treasures. (But make sure to watch out for cars driving on the beach haha!)

Jalama Beach

Guys, I've only been to Jalama once for a couple of hours, and I really loved it. You drive through the mountains for a while and basically get away from civilization, and it's a stretch of rural coast with a beach campground and the best beach burgers I've ever tasted in the little camp store. It's a popular destination but it's not busy at all - it's like a little Central Coast secret. I think a weekend camping trip with mornings spent watching the sun rise, days spent soaking up the salt water sunshine, and evenings spent playing games and eating burgers by the fire with family and friends with no cell service and endless coastline sounds like paradise! Plus, it's fun to pronounce - it sounds like "Ha-llama.) Jalama, ooh na na! Half of my heart is in Jalama ooh na na. (Okay, I'll stop.)

Morro Bay

Morro Rock. Photo Credit: EnjoySLO. 

Morro Bay has a special little spot in my heart - Chris and I had a date night here last time we visited California (before our move) and it was so much fun and I was seriously amazed by the sunset at the beach near Morro Rock. It's a beautiful little coastal city with a marina and a harbor filled with huge boats, but the real treasure is a short drive to Morro Rock. It's an enormous volcanic plug that's been there for hundreds of millions of years, and it has a little rural beach right there next to the plug. The view is beautiful and tucked away from the city, and I was truly stunned when we spent the sunset here. Surfing is popular at this spot, and I was simply in awe of how beautiful Morro Rock is - it's actually forbidden to climb on the rock because it is known as a sacred site for the Native American groups on the Central Coast, and it has been for thousands of years. 

Gaviota Beach

If you're looking for a little adventure and different terrain, I would definitely check out Gaviota - it has wind caves, it's more rural, and it has really cool rock formations and interesting caves forming. It also has some really interesting sea life hidden among the rocks. It's not busy and it's sort of tucked away from the main areas - definitely worth checking out and enjoying!

The beaches here are one of my favorite things about California - there's something about listening to the waves crash to the shore and watching the sun dip below the horizon with the saltwater air wafting that makes the soul feel refreshed and calm again. Here in Cali, I love how the mountains and the waves meet along the coast. Thank you for reading!

Hugs,

Megan

road trip to california

Well, well, WELL! Long time no see, my little blogging community.  December was chock-full of change from beginning to end, and it seemed that all month long, there was never a dull moment. We started off the month going on a road trip across the US - We traveled through ten different states, saw the Grand Canyon, spent a night in Vegas, drove through the snowy mountains in Colorado, and spent a peaceful morning exploring the Arches National Park in Moab, Utah. There were late evenings spent eating pancakes at Denny's, and lots of time on the road listening to 70's music. We decided to really take our time getting to California because we knew Ben wouldn't be able to sit in his carseat for longer than around 6 or 7 hours each day, so it took us almost a full week to reach our destination. I have so much to share from the past month that I've decided to do a photo diary series instead of just trying to type everything out. Even if you have no plans to move to the West Coast, I would strongly encourage anyone to take a long road trip to see the country. It was such a fun experience, being in a  new place every night and seeing so many cool things along the way.

After some deliberating, we decided to take the more scenic route - we  wanted to cross through Colorado and Utah, so we decided to take the northern route. It was a risky move due to snowy conditions in the mountains, but it ended up being a huge blessing because there were huge storms on the southern route! I love this photo - driving through Colorado was beautiful. We spent one night in Denver, and drove through Vail and the Rockies the next day.

This is another photo from our drive in Colorado. If you ever get the chance to take a road trip from the Midwest to the West Coast, I would definitely take the northern route. After a few flat states (Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska), Colorado is a breath of fresh air and excitement. I thought it was really beautiful, and Denver was such a cool city.

Moab was really one of my personal favorite spots.  Utah feels special to me, and being in the Arches National Park felt spiritual. Millions of years ago, a sea dried over and left a thick layer of salt where the rock formations began. Our night spent in Moab and the morning exploring was peaceful and beautiful. I also loved how once you entered the national park, you had free range - you were able to climb into the arches and explore on your own.

Moab, UT. <3

We were nervous about Ben in the car for so long - but since we were able to take our time with the drive, he did really great. With lots of time to stretch and play at the hotels and various spots along the way, he was a real trooper. He had toys and snacks and lots of entertainment and naps!

We spent the night in the nearest city we could find to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. You guys, let me tell you - choose wisely when finding a place to stay near the Grand Canyon! Let's just say that where we stayed, EVERYTHING was so expensive. A case of water that would normally be $2.99 was twenty dollars, and there were no grocery stores! Plan ahead.

The Grand Canyon sure was stunning. We went to the National Park on the South Rim, which was lovely but more guided than the park in Utah. (A trolley system takes you to the vista point and there are tours.) Though that makes these areas more accessible, we kind of prefer to be able to be wild lil' adventurers and explore ourselves! I would love to explore the Canyon more at some point - kayak through the river at the bottom, explore the North Rim. I felt so lucky that we were able to make this stop. One of my favorite ways to "soak in" a place is to just sit on the ground and breathe the outdoor air in and out slowly, tuning out all other distractions. (Might sound weird, but try it yourself! Soak in the beauty and energy of our world!)

Plenty of fast food was consumed on our trip - Ben tried a chicken nugget for the first time, and as you may be able to tell - he was a big fan.

VEGAS, BABY! We started off our day in the Grand Canyon and ended it spending the night in Vegas. (At a very shady motel, but thank God we made it out alive to tell the tale!) You guys, I've never had a huge urge to see Vegas, but I sure am glad we spent a night here. It was amazing! I would completely and absolutely go back - it was exciting and the city had such a fun-loving and wild energy. We didn't gamble or anything (I don't think babies are welcome at blackjack tables) but we just walked around and took in all the attractions and sights to see.

After we left Vegas, we basically drove nonstop the entire day all the way to the Central Coast. We made it home! Any move (especially one that's well over 2,000 miles with a baby and a dog) is tough and takes adjusting - I miss my Michigander family and friends, and we are still figuring out our routine here. I feel like just about the luckiest girl for having such wonderful and welcoming in-laws and family out here, because living here in California has been a dream so far. Beaches, mountains, and endless sunshine. I feel like we were meant to live here - the lifestyle is relaxed and I've been feeling like creating and painting again because there are so many beautiful things to recreate. Seeing Chris around his family again and spending time with them has been amazing - they're my kind of people. I can't wait to get back on the blog and start writing about all of our new experiences. Thank you for reading and I would love to hear about your New Years resolutions and favorite moments of 2018. 

Hugs always,

Megan