While my husband and I drove to Morro Bay from Big Sur, I did a little research, learning that Morro Rock is a 576-foot tall volcanic plug that was formed about 23 million years ago from a long-extinct volcano. It is part of a chain of nine volcanic peaks known as the Nine Sisters that extend from San Luis Obispo to Morro Bay. But as with anything this enormous and unique, no amount of reading or pictures can prepare you for seeing it in person.
The balcony of our room at the Blue Sail Inn provided an unobstructed view of Morro Rock, as shown in the photo above the title of this story. Even a seagull that perched on the wall of our patio was captivated.
Eating dinner along the water so we could stare at Morro Rock, at Rosie’s Bar & Grill my cocktail, “Yes, On The Beach,” was the perfect compliment to the dome-shaped protrusion offshore.
Riding around to explore the Morro Bay after our meal, we came across an ice cream shop by the name of Suns N Buns Bakery. They were about to close but they took pity on us and let us in.
You can drive to the base of Morro Rock, which we did after our cones. With just a few lights along the way, we could only see its outline. I found it a bit eerie. Otherworldly is putting it mildly.
Returning to our hotel, the curved giant had changed into something different without the sun high in the sky above it, this night persona equally as remarkable.
The Blue Sail Inn, by the way, was the second lodging of our week in California to be devoid of air conditioning due to Morro Bay’s constant cool temperatures. (Click here to read “Pacific Grove.”). We slept with the sliding door open to its screen counterpart to invite the ocean breeze in,as the barking sea lions sung us a lullaby.
After a scenic breakfast al fresco at Dorn’s Breakers Cafe, we went back to Morro Rock to explore in the daylight. As we got closer, a fictional origin story popped into my head of its arrival on Earth, hurtling into our atmosphere and landing in the vibrant blue ocean with an enormous splash like a NASA capsule of old.
The little tied island connected to the mainland by a causeway was alive with people and dogs, the sea on one side filled with paddle boarders and surfers.
Walking around, Mister Rain commented to me that up close Morro Rock is not smooth as you might think based on its appearance from a distance. Instead, it looks as though huge individual boulders were stuck together. I felt as though I had been set down in a strange new world. Not even the mainland and the city of Morro Bay across the water could counteract this impression.
My husband went to find the steps that we had been told you can take to the top. He returned shortly after, reporting that no such steps exist.
It was a gorgeous day in an extraordinary location, we stayed longer than our schedule allotted. Finally we tore ourselves away, reconnecting with the Pacific Coast Highway. It had been hard to comprehend living in a place where a gigantic volcanic plug is visible from just about anywhere in town. Now that we had experienced Morro Rock for ourselves, it was difficult to imagine living without it.
#sisterrain #alittlesightalotofheart #legallyblindwriter #writer #writersofinstagram #legallyblindtraveler #travel #travelgram #travelwriter #adventure #wanderlust #explore #travelblogger #vacation #instatravel #traveler #roadtrip #pch #california #morrobay #morrorock #rockonmorrobay
