Cynthia had an all day conference in San Luis Obispo on Saturday as part of her duties as a board member for Californians for Justice (CFJ) - a statewide non-profit organization committed to racial justice and education reform. We decided to make a little weekend trip out of it. It's a pretty long drive (~4 hours) so we were definitely glad to stay for 2 nights. We stayed in Morro Bay at this great hotel on the grounds of the State Park with a private balcony equipped with a hot tub that overlooked the beautiful bay. We heard and saw all kinds of sea birds, sea mammals (I don't know what they were - seals? sea lions? sea cows? they were huge!), and lots and lots of straight, white people. Even the beauty of the country cannot lure me into believing that we could be happy socially living in such a homogeneous place. Everyone was friendly, don't get me wrong, but more than a weekend trip could be less encouraging.
Since Cyn had to be up early on Saturday, I decided to get an early start too. I had a leisurely breakfast in the hotel with coffee on the deck then decided to do some exploring. I borrowed one of the ancient, squeaky beach cruisers that the hotel owns and set out with a primitive map for the Natural History Museum. The fee was nominal and I learned a ton about the local ecology. They had incredible displays of much of the wildlife: stuffed cougars and tons of birds, smaller mammals, and more information that you could shake a stick at about the Bay (which is actually an estuary) and the infamous Morrow Rock.
Then I rode the bike around the Park and explored all the old roads, eventually found a loop road back to the hotel which ended up being all uphill which was unfortunate on the ol' beach cruiser with no gears. I must've been quite a sight because I actually had two nice, older gentlemen slow their trucks to a crawl to ask if I needed help or a ride.
Once I crested the hill I nearly cried but managed instead to let out a whoop that echoed through the valley. I didn't see any birds scatter but I'm sure they heard my victorious cry. I must have gotten a second wind on the way down the other side of the hill because I decided to ride the 2 miles into town for a snack and a much earned beer. I was given free salt water taffy from an older gent that asked if I have been a good girl, which was just as creepy as it sounds. I wine tasted and bought a delicious bottle of Primitivo from Aron Hill, enjoyed a fabulous Mahi taco with plenty of beer to wash it down, and even got in a March Madness game.
Cyn got to eat seafood to her heart's content which delights us both; overall it was a glorious, energizing weekend.
Since Cyn had to be up early on Saturday, I decided to get an early start too. I had a leisurely breakfast in the hotel with coffee on the deck then decided to do some exploring. I borrowed one of the ancient, squeaky beach cruisers that the hotel owns and set out with a primitive map for the Natural History Museum. The fee was nominal and I learned a ton about the local ecology. They had incredible displays of much of the wildlife: stuffed cougars and tons of birds, smaller mammals, and more information that you could shake a stick at about the Bay (which is actually an estuary) and the infamous Morrow Rock.
Then I rode the bike around the Park and explored all the old roads, eventually found a loop road back to the hotel which ended up being all uphill which was unfortunate on the ol' beach cruiser with no gears. I must've been quite a sight because I actually had two nice, older gentlemen slow their trucks to a crawl to ask if I needed help or a ride.
Once I crested the hill I nearly cried but managed instead to let out a whoop that echoed through the valley. I didn't see any birds scatter but I'm sure they heard my victorious cry. I must have gotten a second wind on the way down the other side of the hill because I decided to ride the 2 miles into town for a snack and a much earned beer. I was given free salt water taffy from an older gent that asked if I have been a good girl, which was just as creepy as it sounds. I wine tasted and bought a delicious bottle of Primitivo from Aron Hill, enjoyed a fabulous Mahi taco with plenty of beer to wash it down, and even got in a March Madness game.
Cyn got to eat seafood to her heart's content which delights us both; overall it was a glorious, energizing weekend.
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