Growing up I was really close with a couple who lived down the street from me. They became my other parents and were a major touchstone in my daily life. This friendship has been such a key part of me for the majority of my life. Everything changed though when my husband’s job would have me moving to Florida. Then another shock came when they decided to move to California. We would be at complete opposite ends of the country from each other.
For a couple of years, we talked on the phone and video chatted when we could. But as soon as the Covid restrictions lessened, all the sudden there were discount tickets available and I decided to make a quick trip to California to see my friends for one glorious weekend on the central coast of California. The weekend was packed to bursting with interesting places, delicious food, and most importantly good company.
Solvang Danish Community
Our weekend in California started off with the charming town of Solvang. This community was established by Danish immigrants who brought a little bit of home with them to California and the generations of their families that still live here. This town is so wonderful to walk through, home to wonderful bakeries and shops, streets lined with the beautiful Danish architecture, and even home to a a couple of windmills.
We wandered through the Hans Christian Anderson bookstore and museum. The book store is a wealth of books and games in an atmosphere that would turn anyone into a bookworm. But upstairs they have a number of pictures and artifacts of the the man and the stories that he shared with the world. There are the fairy tales in the many different languages that they have been translated into and copies of some of his writings. Though small, this is a wonderful tribute to the man of fairy tales. And outside on the corner of the square is a recreated statue of ‘The Little Mermaid’ like what can be found in the bay of Copenhagen.
Montaña de Oro State Park
We made our way to Montaña de Oro State Park to a small area called Spooner’s Cove. We wandered up and around the rocks looking out towards the Pacific. My daughter just wanted to stand in the water and let the waves crash into her over and over again. We went for a slippery walk along the rocks that form a sort of barrier between land and sea. And then a few more waves hitting our feet before it was time to go.
We came back to this state park the next morning. This time we went a little further down the coast to make our way down a small path towards the tide pools. We came in the morning so that the tide would be out and we could venture out onto the rocks as we looked for any sea creatures that we might find. Sometimes you can spot a star fish or an octopus out here. We didn’t see either of those but we did see a lot of groups of clams on the rocks and a lot of crabs and some sea anemone. We combed the beach looking for seashells and to see if we could find a sand dollar which apparently have also appeared along here.
Morro Bay State park
We drove up the coast a little ways to visit another state park- Morro Bay State Park. This park is known for the large domed rock right next to the bay. We drove all the way up the hill to see the bay from the top of the park and then drove back down to get a up close view.
As we drove around the bay we spotted a bunch of sea otters hanging out in the water. Some of them would wrestle each other in the water, one had a baby otter laying atop the mother’s stomach as she floated along. This bay is also home to the marina where people park their boats, but because the otters are protected in this park all the boats are mandated to go very slow and constantly be on the lookout for these otters.
Moonstone Beach
After the state parks we kept moving our way down the coast until we came to Moonstone Beach which is aptly named in that this is the best place to find moonstones along the beach. You can easily find hundreds of small beautiful moonstones in the sand on this beach. Moonstones are opalescent gems that are believed to help us find balance in the natural rhythm of life.
This beach is not a busy, touristy beach so it made for a perfect place to walk along the water, get our feet wet in the waves, and dig around in the sand for moonstones.
Madonna Inn
Our last day in California was a day of extremes, starting with the lavish opulence of the Madonna Inn. This landmark hotel was first opened in 1958 by local entrepreneur Alex Madonna and his wife Phyllis. From the beginning this has been a key point in the Central Coast and one that everyone has to experience at least once if in the area.
We wandered through the main area of the hotel where you can’t help but stop and stare at the absolute over the top lavish style of it. Once you get over feeling overwhelmed by pink, you begin to notice the beautiful details that are everywhere. With overflowing flowers, golden cherubs, fanciful stained glass, and flirty booths you will think you just stepped into another world.
One of the Madonna Inn’s favorite, and most interesting, features is the men’s restroom downstairs. I kid you not, people come from all over to not only see the inn itself but to go and see the men’s room. There is constantly a line of people waiting for the all clear to see the restroom. With massive sea shells acting as sinks and the jungle green tiles, but especially an open urinal on the rocks with sensory technology that turns the waters on to wash it all away, it makes for the most epic man cave experience.
Bubblegum Alley
From the opulence of Madonna Inn to the far other end of the spectrum of places, I bring you Bubblegum Alley. In the beautiful downtown area of San Luis Obispo there is Bubble Alley where the walls are covered in chewed gum. The alley is 15 feet high and 70 feet long. This is by far the most disgusting, yet weirdly fascinating, place I’ve ever seen.
And the fact that this place is so popular that is listed on the city’s list of best things to do tells you just how much people love it. So we had to check it out if for no other reason than the sheer gross novelty of it. We chewed on our gum while we drove through downtown and then added to the growing collection using straws.
The layers of gum on the walls says that this has been a favorite place for a long time. It’s best not to think too much about it because it may make you sick.
Mission Santa Barbara
Our last stop in our Central Coast tour was the Old Mission Santa Barbara. This is one of ten Spanish missions in this area that were constructed in hopes of converting the people of the Chumash-Barbareño tribe of Native Americans.
Originally built in 1786, this is the only mission to still be under the leadership of the Franciscan Friars since it’s founding. To this day, it operates as a local parish church so any tours offered are scheduled around those times.
Our tour started with a walk through the mission itself showcasing the simple beauty of the mission style. The interior atrium was beautifully kept and peacefully inviting. We paused on our tour to marvel at the incredible artistry of the chapel and then walked through the small cemetery before finishing the tour in the museum that was filled with original items from when the mission first began.
There were some people who couldn’t believe that I would fly all that way from Florida for just a couple of days in California. But it was well worth it to me to be able to hug my friends after what felt like ages and have them once again be the touchstone of my life.
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