Is Morro Bay the Town for Us?

It’s been a while since we spent a full day exploring the town where we camped the previous night, but that’s what we decided to do today in Morro Bay, California.  One of the goals of this trip is to start looking at possible towns where we might like to live when Tim finally decides to retire.  Yes, we know that’s many years away, but why not check out a few places now.  Although we love Estes Park, we would prefer a place where winter doesn’t linger for six months.

Tim was intrigued with the idea of Morro Bay, plus he just liked the name.  That seemed as good a reason as any, so we started our quest here.  Although we have kept our eyes opened throughout our trip, I think we both have sensed that our town of choice will be somewhere in the Rocky Mountain region or the west coast.

We put our completely unscientific way of looking at a town to the test today.  We stopped at the post office, we walked through the downtown and harbor area, we tried out one of the restaurants, we located the coffee shops, we drove through several neighborhoods looking at houses and we gathered brochures at the Chamber of Commerce.  We also tried to get a sense of the people who live here.

Getting Out on the Water Is a Favorite Activity in Morro Bay

Looking Across the Bay towards the Town

Morro Bay is a pretty town and has not given its soul to tourists.  It has an authentic feel, and its setting on the ocean with Morro Rock as an anchor is certainly appealing.  We enjoyed our wanderings, as well as just talking about what makes a great place to live.  We likely will not end up here, but it was fun to envision the possibilities.

Morro Rock Is Visible from Almost Everywhere in Town

Waves Crash Against Morro Rock

A Beautiful Setting for a Town

Before returning to our campground at Morro Bay State Park, we stopped at the Morro Bay Museum of Natural History.  It’s a nice, small museum that is devoted to interpreting and encouraging the conservation of the Morro Estuary and its environs.  This estuary is one of the few preserved wetlands along the California coast and is a haven for numerous birds and ocean life. 

The View from the Museum