Hey everyone! I'm Veronica Hill with California Travel Tips and today we're on the central coast in the charming town of Cambria. Let's go check it out!
Tucked along scenic Highway 1 between Morro Bay and San Simeon, Cambria is one of the central coast's best hideaways, home to lush Monterey Pine forests and beautiful beaches.
The area makes a great home base for touring California's central coast.
This is the Moonstone Beach Boardwalk. It runs 1 1/2 miles along the coast, and if you look closely, you may spot some sea otters, seals or whales off the shore.
So here we are at Leffingwell Landing. This is a nice place to have a picnic, go tide pooling or do a bit of whale watching.
While you're here, stop by Fiscalini Ranch for an ocean-view trail ride.
Outback Trail Rides has three different tours to choose from, including a 2-hour excursion that takes you through the mountains and along Cambria's rugged coast.
Hey, that one was like made for you. I think we did pretty good.
Good? Yeah. All right!
So there are three different rides we do here in Cambria. We do a one hour ride, which is through the mountains.
So you have stunning mountain views.
We do a 1 1/2 hour ride. It goes over toward the ocean, and that's a beautiful ride.
Sometimes you'll see whales. You'll often see sea otters and such things over at the ocean there.
Up in the mountains you'll see bobcats and deer and wild turkeys.
And, uh, sometimes a koala.
Now the rides we do at the beach at the beach in Cayucos, those are a 1-hour ride so we take the horses to the beach.
We generally meet people a little south of Cayucos at 24th Street at the park.
And we'll just take groups of four people.
And again, that one is for a little more experienced riders. For the less experienced riders, the ranch is a better option.
Then we also have rides at the vineyards in Paso Robles.
So there's two different wineries there.
And you can enjoy a horseback ride through the vineyards with stunning views, then come back and do some wine tasting.
More outdoor adventures can be found in Morro Bay, where you can rent a kayak and go on a leisurely cruise to the sea otter viewing area near Morro Rock.
So here we are at Hearst Castle. It's about a 7-mile drive up the coast from Cambria, and it's well worth a visit.
Built by newspaperman William Randolph Hearst in 1919, this grand estate once played host to Hollywood's hottest stars and dignitaries, from Howard Hughes to Charlie Chaplin.
So there are four different tours at Hearst Castle. The Grand Rooms tour is the most popular.
There are 14 sitting rooms in Casa Grande, but the Assembly Room was where Hearst's guests gathered around 6:30 p.m.
to enjoy cocktails, play cards or enjoy a game of Monopoly before dinner.
At 8 p.m., guests moved into the Refectory, which is the only dining room in the castle.
After enjoying a fine meal, guests retreated to the 50-seat movie theater, or took a dip in the indoor Roman Pool.
Tours average about 2 hours, which includes the bus ride up and down the hill.
So after you go on your tour, you're free to stay awhile and roam the grounds. There's a lot to see here.
After visiting Hearst Castle, take a detour about 10 minutes up the road to see the elephant seals.
More than 18,000 seals call this beach home, and they can be found here throughout the year, foraging on a diet of squid, octopus, skates and rays.
One of the best times to visit is in January, when the new pups are born.
They were almost extinct until the end of the 1800s or early 1900s.
And the Mexican government was the first to protect them.
The birthing and breeding season starts in December, and goes on through the end of February.
And then in March, the pups are here by themselves, because all the adults will leave by the end of February.
On the way back to Cambria, make a stop at San Simeon Cove at William Randolph Hearst State Memorial Park.
Once the Hearst family's private port, this is great place to go kayaking along the Big Sur coast.
While you're here, you can pop in to the Coastal Discovery Center with the kids, then enjoy lunch at the historic Sebastian's General Store.
The Pacific Coast Wine Trail runs from San Simeon to Cayucos. The Hearst Ranch Winery is one of the first places you should check out.
The tasting room is known for its Chardonnay, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon wines, harvested from vineyards in Paso Robles.
Cambria is home to an additional three wineries on the trail, including the rustic Twin Coyotes Winery in the East Village.
The petite sirah is one of our favorite wines here, probably our flagship.
Not a lot of vineyards can brag that they have an ocean nearby.
But if you taste wine here, a lot of people buy a bottle of wine, they drive out to the coast 1 1/2 miles out, and watch the sunset with their wine.
Most Cambria hotels are located in the East Village or along Moonstone Beach Boulevard.
El Colibri is one of the newest hotels in Cambria and it even has its own wine bar!
Cambria's East Village is filled with cute shops, restaurants and art galleries. Many of the buildings here date back to the 1870s!
This is also where you'll find some of the best dining in Cambria.
A few good bets include Robins, known for its inventive global cuisine, and Linn's, where you can enjoy burgers made from the cattle on Hearst Ranch.
More inexpensive dining can be found at Main Street Grill, or Sandy's Deli.
If you're here in May, don't miss the annual chili cookoff!
Our secret? We can't tell it. It's a secret!
It's made with a lot of love.
Would you like to have a little taste of our turkey chili?
This is from the Cambria Rotary. No. 7.
What's your secret ingredient?
Road Kill!
Ah, yummy!
Yummy, yummy!
First place winner....
Lion's Club!
Whooo! Wha-ha!!! Oh my God!
Ya!!!!
During your stay in Cambria, be sure to stop by Nitt Witt Ridge for a guided tour.
Built by former garbage collector Art Beal, this is one of the most unusual homes in California, and guided tours are offered by appointment.
It's a California state landmark. No. 939, which is a folk art environment.
Actually the man, he built this place out of junk and stuff he collected. He spent his lifetime. He started in 1928, and lived in it until 1989 until he was 92.
He would collect everything, from rocks to junk. He was the local trash man for 30 years in town and I guess he brought his work home with him.
Thanks for joining us in Cambria. If you have a suggestion on where we should go next, drop us a line in the comments below. And please don't forget to like, share and subscribe. Thanks for watching!