DIABLO MAGAZINE: Aug/Sept, 2024
In Spanish it means “the snout,” but to the Chumash and Salinan tribes, it’s Lisamu’ or Lesa’mo’—a sacred site. The nearly 600-foot volcanic outcropping that frames Morro Bay is the most visible landmark in town, but Morro Rock barely scratches the surface of things to see (and do) in this Central Coast city that is often overlooked by travelers along Highway 101.
Thanks to its small fishing village feel, Morro Bay has been compared to northern neighbor Monterey before the aquarium brought in throngs of tourists. Motel prices can run as low as $69 a night, and you can easily walk or bike to the wharf from your accommodations; visit morrobay.org for a variety of lodging options.
The Life Aquatic
Kitschy shell shops and beachy boutiques share the waterfront with sea lions and otters who frolic in the Morro Bay National Estuary Preserve. The protected waters host more than 250 species of birds, including dozens of endangered species. Seabirds swoop in the skies over the six miles of beaches in Morro Bay, while sandpipers skitter along the sandspit separating the estuary from the ocean. One unusual site is a cluster of dead trees along the shore that serves as a rookery for great blue herons and black-crowned night herons, great and snowy egrets, and cormorants. Long ago, the forest succumbed to bird droppings—which generate a high level of acidity—yet the dead trees are still full of life, especially in spring when adult birds feed babies in their nests.
There is such a wide variety of birds in this protected environment that the town holds the Morro Bay Bird Festival every January. In fact, the Morro Coast Audubon Society regularly scores in the top five for the yearly Audubon Christmas Bird Count.
Two oyster companies have beds in the estuary, where the water quality is carefully monitored. You can even kayak to the bed where Grassy Bar Oyster Co.—popular for their briny flavor with a finish of “garden cucumber and a lingering wet river stone minerality,” as the bed’s operator notes—grow. Morro Bay Oyster Company cultivates Pacific Gold oysters, a hearty cold-water shellfish with a briny, buttery taste.
Fresh Flavors
Morro Rock looms large at Tognazzini’s Dockside Restaurant on the Embarcadero, where fishing boats dock to bring in their daily catch, including rock cod and halibut. Co-owner Mark Tognazzini has worked in the fishing industry for over five decades and has his own 38-foot commercial fishing vessel. Tognazzini’s Dockside Restaurant, and the more casual Tognazzini’s Dockside Too, are top spots for fresh seafood and oysters served raw, barbecued, or “decadently dressed” as oysters Rockefeller (this dish is only available at Tognazzini’s Dockside Restaurant).
For those craving clam chowder, Dorn’s Breakers Café has used the same award- winning recipe for 70 years and focuses on local seafood along with options like steak and pasta. On a hill overlooking the Embarcadero, Dorn’s has sweeping views from its window tables and patio seating.
Spencer’s Fresh Market on Main Street is another foodie destination, with a farmers market that brings vendors from all over the region. Avocados, finger limes, and goji berries are just a few examples of the produce grown nearby at the family-run Shanley Farms. Using layered agriculture to pair symbiotic crops helps growers Justin Warren and his wife, Megan Shanley Warren, get a better yield with eco-friendly techniques.
Sea and Land Adventures
Farms and ranches dot the rural road that leads west from the wine region of Paso Robles. Because of the winding 20-minute drive from Highway 101, Morro Bay tends to be less crowded than regional hot spots San Luis Obispo and Pismo Beach. This is a good thing for nature lovers who appreciate the solitude of a small coastal town, especially during the offseason. Visitors can rent whisper-quiet electric boats from Estero Adventures or kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards from several Morro Bay vendors. It’s an easy paddle along the estuary, past moored boats and old buoys where sea lions and harbor seals rest. It’s not uncommon to see otters floating lazily on their backs, feasting on urchins and crabs in the rich aquatic environs.
Whale-watching tours are a popular attraction in Morro Bay, where visitors can spot humpbacks in the summer and fall months and California gray whales in winter and spring. The best whale-watching is two to five miles out of the harbor, but there are days when whales come within a mile of the harbor mouth, according to the staff at Morro Bay Whale Watching. The company also offers cocktail cruises and tours on a semisubmersible vessel to see schools of fish and jellyfish; sometimes smelt swim right up to the boat.
On land, hikers have their choice of coastal trails including Black Hill, which winds through the Monterey pines in Fleming’s Forest. Cerro Cabrillo mountain has several trails above Morro Bay Estuary and along its back bay and sandspit. Even the challenging 18-hole Morro Bay Golf Course has beautiful ocean views from every hole. Often compared to Pebble Beach Golf Links, the public course can be played at just a fraction of the cost.
Cultural Attractions
This seaside enclave with so much natural beauty is an understandable draw for artists. Art Center Morro Bay changes its shows regularly, featuring regional paintings, drawings, jewelry, prints, sculptures, and more. There’s also a self-guided tour of 23 murals along the waterfront and downtown that make up the Morro Bay Mural Mile.
History buffs will appreciate the rare ships in the Morro Bay Maritime Museum, where the star is a deep-submergence rescue vehicle used to save distressed submarine crews. One of the last surviving Monterey-style fishing boats from the 1930s, the Spindrift, is also on display, along with the tugboat Alma, which rescued survivors of a Japanese submarine attack six miles offshore, north of Cambria, in 1941. The Museum of Natural History in Morro Bay State Park focuses on cultural and natural history and offers great views of the bay and Morro Rock.
And there’s no shortage of fun at nearby Morro Rock Beach. You can swim, surf, walk the trails, and take plenty of Instagram-ready photos. With the rock in your shots, don’t be surprised if you get more likes than normal thanks to your picture-perfect posts.
Ginny Prior 