The town of Morro Bay was always a place that we drove by and never stopped. The first big and well-known town south of Big Sur, it’s well-known. The Morro Rock is a beacon that visitors see from the road and that welcome everyone to stop and explore.
We stayed overnight in Morro Bay after the hike at Montana de Oro State Park.
The town is very friendly and walkable. We left our things in the hotel and went to the bay shore for dinner.
The sun moved behind the rock, and the light became so soft and warm, I cannot stop to take photos. While eating our food at the waterfront, we watched how sun moved behind the horizon and light changed to pinkish.

Next morning I went to see sea otters. The T Pier is a place where they could be seen. It was the closest I’ve seen these animals except aquariums. And one otter had a puppy!
From the T-pier short walk lead to the Morro Rock and its beach. The long sandy beach is a great place to spent a day and check the rock.
The tribes that lived here consider Morro Rock to be a sacred site. The Salinan people climbed Morro Rock for their biannual solstice ceremony. It was a part of the tradition that celebrates the time in legend when a hawk and a raven destroyed a two-headed serpent-monster Taliyekatapelta as he wrapped his body around the base of the rock. In the same time, the Chumash believe that the rock is so sacred that it should never be climbed. It is illegal for the general public to climb it.
Another interesting fact: the rock was quarried on and off from 1889 to 1969 to provide material for the breakwater of Morro Bay and the improvements at Port San Luis Harbor. Now the Nature wonder is protected as the Morro Rock State Preserve.

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