Day 8: Lompoc

I backtracked a little today, 6 miles, to get to Hearst Castle. The media mogul William Randolph Hurst (who, a legend as it, told his photographers during the Spanish-American War: "You provide the pictures, I'll provide the war.") built the castle in the foothills overlooking the San Simeon Pier.

The castle is now owned by the State of California and the tour costs about $25, but I decided to pass. Besides, I had visions of me yelling out when I got up to the castle "Where's Patty, I am the rebirth of the Symbionese Liberation Army!" I don't think they would have found that funny as me.

I drove down the road a bit to Cambria to look around mostly. I did find the greatest title to a child's book and I want to know why I am just now finding out about this.

Driving into the Morro Bay area you can't help but notice Morro Rock. There are two different theories about how this rock came to be: It was either a volcano that petrified or liquid hot magma (said like Dr. Evil) pooled at that location and erosion formed the rock. Either way, the damn rock is huge.

I followed that by going to Morro Bay State Park. There is a museum there that costs $2. It's interactive and fun.

Less than 20 minutes away is another state park, Montaña del Oro. It's bigger and has access to the beach in a couple of places. You drive through a forest of dry trees and hope that a forest fire never finds this place. My second stop at this park was a beach were there where cliffs on the left and a rocky area on the right with a pebble beach in the middle. The rocks were like shingles that were part on land and part in the ocean. The rocks were also home to small water life including hermit crabs.

On my way to Lompoc – pronounced LOM-poke – I drove through San Luis Obispo and Guadalupe. I found Guadalupe more interesting since it was town that needed the highway more than SLO. Guadalupe had murals on building, one was a map showing you where you were on the coast and a chart showing you how far cities are away from there. I wish I had taken a picture of it.

I am sort of getting tired from the driving and checked in to my hotel early. The Quality Inn here is being renovated and I am experiencing high definition television for the first time and 25 inches of it. Everything else just looks like crap now.

I get a late checkout on my return to Long Beach. With the noon checkout time, I am going to make the most of it. After checkout, I am going to the local mission, La Purisima. I would have gone today, but I got there as they closed down. I am also going to go to a few beaches between here and Santa Monica where I am going to get dinner with a friend, and it will be the first time I talk to someone in person with a familiar face since Tuesday.

Miles traveled today: 131

Miles traveled total: 1,073