Morro Bay to Santa Barbara.
Had the best Coffee of the trip in The Top Dog Cafe, Main St Morro Bay before hitting the road again, destination Santa Barbara. Took a detour down the Los Osos Valley to see the rest of the Morros. Well worth the time. We kept to the back roads as much as possible, keeping away from the freeways and taking a look at the countryside. We stopped in Pismo Beach to see one of the largest winter resting groves of the Monarch Butterfly in the US. There were only a few left at this time of year, but I've been wanting to see them since I was a little girl so it was still a big thrill. We left Highway 1 and drove through Guadalupe where we saw a beautiful old neon sign outside of a closed down picture theatre. This town existed only for agriculture and the soil was dark and rich. We rejoined the main highway not far from Santa Barbara and just off shore were 3 or 4 oil rigs. Fascinating but very unattractive. Had our first healthy lunch in days at The Natural Cafe and spent some time browsing the shops on State St. Came across a designer furniture store with stuff we either can't buy at home or the price is prohibitive. The women in the shop was lovely, she gave us a catalogue so at least we can take the pictures home and a bottle of water, as we were weary travelers. Spent a little of the afternoon on the beach, very windy, cool, water too cold to swim, though watching the pelicans drive for fish was a highlight of the day.
