Friday, December 9, 2011

I SPY WITH MY LITTLE EYE – WILDLIFE!

Heading to Prefumo CanyonA bobcat!  A coyote!  Four playful otters! 

When we stopped in at the visitors center in Pismo Beach a few days ago, I asked the staffer to recommend a particularly scenic drive in the area, expecting a road that meandered along the coastal bluffs.  Instead, she recommended See Canyon, a narrow road through an oak-studded, eucalyptus-lined canyon that eventually climbs a couple thousand feet for a 360 degree, mountain-top view. 

A little research on Google retrieved photos and videos of the drive, a favorite route for hard-core bicycle riders.  I learned that, at the end of See Canyon Road, a short stretch of narrow, dirt fire road continues to Prefumo Canyon Road, which then descends to a road we could follow to Morro Bay. 

A repaired Jeep, perfect weather, a bit of wilderness on the way to a lovely coastal town… all the ingredients for a fun day trip.

Morro Rock from Blue Sky CafeSee Canyon Road starts as a two-lane, paved road, but a large orange caution sign warns of 13 miles of narrow, winding, climbing road – and it doesn’t take long to materialize.  We traveled most of the drive to the top of the canyon at 25 miles an hour, sunroof open, breathing in the scent of the eucalyptus.  As the grade eased near the top of the canyon, the road turned to dirt, so I slowed even more… and spotted an animal standing in the sunshine on the road ahead.  A coyote?  A fox?  Nope, a curious bobcat!  Though it moved away as we slowly approached, it stopped several times to look over its shoulder at us.  Of course, the camera was in my bag in the back seat! 

Once he disappeared, we continued slowly on, connecting with paved Prefumo Canyon Road as the road broke out of the trees on the ridge top between the two canyons.  I pulled over off the road, TURNED OFF THE JEEP (testing the gods of automotive good fortune, I know), and we climbed out to stretch our legs and take in the view.  That’s when we saw the coyote, a healthy looking specimen only mildly curious about us.  Not as exciting for us as the bobcat, but another plus for wild animal sightings.

Back in the Jeep, we looked at each other, held our breath, I turned the key… VAROOOM.  Started right up.

2nd half of my outstanding meatloaf sandwich.

Does it get any better than this?

Meatloaf sandwich Odel at lunch in Morro Bay

By the time we hit Morro Bay, we were ready for lunch.  I hadn’t researched restaurants, so we chose the first café we found with a waterside location.  What a score!  Blue Skye Coastal Café had it all: sunny, outdoor seating (protected from the cool breeze by a windscreen) with a view of the marina and Morro Rock; delicious food; and friendly service.  Couldn’t have been better.

Three ottersAfter lunch, we slipped over to Morro Rock for a walk in the sunshine.  The channel into the marina was prime territory for water and shore birds, and hawks soared around the heights of the rock.  Strolling back to the car along the channel, we watched the entertaining synchronized movements of groups of water birds diving and resurfacing.  Odel pointed out a couple of birds that had just resurfaced further into the channel… but there was something wrong with that picture… finally, I got it.  Not birds, otters!   We picked up the pace and spent the next 10 minutes or so laughing at the antics of four otters floating and frolicking in the channel (too far away for a close-up with my little camera).

It was a grand day to close our stay in Oceano; after a walk on the beach this morning, we’ll continue our southward travels.  Later, friends.

18 comments:

  1. so cool, Laurie! Love that drive and have decided that we will have to try it when we do the return trip from Desert Hot Springs. We are planning on ambling back up the coast and looking forward to following in your track...backwards of course.

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  2. Wow, what a wildlife day and a special treat to see a bobcat.

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  3. Otters are my FAVORITES! What a wonderful day this sounds like. On it goes to my increasingly long list of "Odel and Laurie went....."

    Could Ruby, my Honda Accord, do this drive? Or does it really need a Jeep??

    Sherry
    www.directionofourdreams.blogspot.com

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  4. Boy, Paul was drooling when he saw that meatloaf sandwich. That is favorite food in the whole world wide!
    What a beautiful area!

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  5. What a wonderful day after all that turmoil that Jules gave you both. David and I were at Morro Bay last year and it was a wonderful place to spend a few days.

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  6. Paul, the sandwich was even better than it looked. You can't see the carmelized onions and chipotle mayo... and the bread was perfect!

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  7. Sherry, any car could handle the road, even a low-slung sedan - and the smaller, the better. :) No high clearance required as long as the dirt portion of the road is in good repair (as it was when we drove it). I found it to be quite a joyful drive.

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  8. What a FABULOUS day!! I go crazy when I spot any wildlife..That bobcat would be a real thrill. Yep, sometimes you just have to take a "memory" photo..one you will never forget..That sandwich looks positively sinful...I may as well just paste it on my butt,that's where it would end up anyway.

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  9. A terrific day and another one for the memory banks with beautiful photos to remind you. We are taking notes! Love your posts and accounts of your travels!

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  10. what an excellent day!!! Thanks for sharing all your pics...does it get any better than that I wonder??? have a super weekend...

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  11. What a great day. Makes me so sorry we didn't leave some time to go down the coast in California a bit. I so loved that area when we visited.

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  12. I hear you guys are on your way to Jojoba. Looking forward to meeting you!

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  13. Sounds like a perfect day ~ especially since the jeepster started right up!!! Loved the photos and that sandwich looked so delish!!! Makes me want to make a meatloaf!
    Have fun & Travel safe
    Donna

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  14. Wow! I've never seen a bobcat in the wild. Maybe we should take little Smartie on that drive! Thanx for the tip.

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  15. And that's why you have a jeep to go on these wonderful drives. A Bobcat! how cool.

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  16. Wow, my kind of day - wildlife, nature, the ocean and good food! Thanks for sharing this.

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  17. Perfect road trip! Thanks for sharing.

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