Fun Things to Do in Cambria Area

Mike and I went to Cambria last weekend for the opening of Andi Perejda's exhibit at the Cambria Center for the Arts. Andi is so talented . . . she does absolutely everything from painting and dyeing to masterful hand quilting. And she's a really nice person too. If you've never seen her work, check out her website. She does a hand quilting class for Craftsy, travels around the country teaching, and she'll be doing a demo when we go to the Houston quilt show.

We never miss an opportunity to spend the weekend in Cambria, and this was no exception. The weather at the beach was extremely foggy. It didn't stop me from taking a lot of photos, but honesty, most of them didn't come out very good.

We visited many galleries and shops. There are so many talented artists in the area and there are so many beautiful items on display. This visit we happened upon a shop called Grow on Main Street. They have rare and unusual succulents and gorgeous pottery. You can see some of it below. The colors and textures are wonderful. We ended up buying three plants, two of them are mutations that I've never seen and the third is just a bit strange. If you like plants and yard art, this is a great nursery.

If your husband can't handle all the shopping and galleries, there's a place for him at the Cambria Ale House. We didn't go there, but the sign made me laugh.

 We went to San Simeon to visit the elephant seals, but it was pretty quiet. The mature bulls won't return until November or December. When they arrive, they are so loud you can barely hear yourself speak. We had dinner at Manta Rey Restaurant in San Simeon. It's our favorite restaurant in the area and eat there every time we are in town.

If you live within driving distance, it's a great weekend get away.

Bizarre Encounter in Cambria

A few weeks ago, Mike and I headed north to Cambria for a weekend getaway. We thought it would be a nice quiet weekend. Ha . . . we couldn't have been more wrong.

Every year, between December and March, North Beach in San Simeon (just above Cambria), becomes the breeding grounds for Elephant Seals. There is a boardwalk where people can view the seals from a safe distance and docents are present to answer questions.

The largest males weigh 5,000 pounds are are extremely dangerous. They continually challenge each other for breeding rights. The winner of each battle returns to the harem on the beach; the loser is forced to leave.

Their sounds were deafening! Click here to listen. Imagine hundreds of bulls fighting and honking, and mothers and babies screeching (bonding) at each other.

Each female gives birth to one infant, but some will let more than one nurse.

This was the largest baby on the beach, it looked as if it were ready to burst. I think it's safe to say that his mother didn't adopt other infants. Soon it will be on its own, and will need to learn how to fish. Until then, it will survive on the nourishment from the mom.

We spent a several hours watching, and photographing these amazing creatures. It was definitely worth the trip.

Summer Distractions

Summer doesn't seem to be the most productive time for me. Too many fun distractions going on. We have a lot of festivals in Santa Barbara. In the past month or so, we've been to the French Festival, the Greek Festival and Fiesta. Here are some of the dancers at the opening of Fiesta (La Fiesta Pequena) that was held at the Santa Barbara Mission.

I took a whole series of photos of the Mission as the sun went down. The evening was very colorful and energetic.

Last weekend we travelled up the coast to Cambria. On the way, we stopped to explore a small town called Los Alamos. We ate lunch and visited a nice gallery. Here's a couple of photos from the historic downtown area.

It was a great way to begin a very relaxing weekend.