I put together a roughly 1.7 mile #Photowalk for you, starting at the bottom side of the Embarcadero, and then taking you through town, the cafes, gift shops and sounds of the sea lions, as you make your way to the main attraction in town, the 581 foot Morro Rock.
Jefferson Graham’s #Photowalk to Morro Bay, the magical Central California coastal town.
Once you finish the round trip trek, you can hop in the car and go up to the Morro Bay Golf Course, where you can catch one of the best views of the Rock in town, and stop for drinks and/or a snack at the nearby Inn at Morro Bay.
One of the highlights of visiting Morro Bay is catching the sea otters, who love to lie on their back and make “Oh My!” faces for photographers. There are also many, many different breeds of birds flying all over town as well.
Your route:
—Tidelands Park. Start here, on the edge of town, and walk north past the shops and cafes en route to the rock.
—Embarcadero. You’ll be walking up the Embarcadero, where you’ll have many invites to buy Morro Bay T-shirts, sea shells, taffy, muffins and a whole lot of fish. Giovanni’s has fresh crab and lobster, and the Dockside has an indoor restaurant and outside deck that also serves as a fish store.
—Pier T. This is your otter sighting, to the left of the Pier. The little creatures are usually laying on their backs in the water. Don’t miss it!
—The Rock. Continue down the pedestrian walkway about a mile, and you’ll end up the star of the show, Morro Rock. However, know that it’s best to photograph from back in town. The rock is so huge, you can’t capture it with your lens up close. Nor can you climb it. The beach area is to the right.
Head back into town, and once at the park, hop back in the car to see more of Morro.
Old Town Morro Bay is full of more shops and cafes, and worth checking out.
Your best view of Morro, the Rock and the Bay, is up at the Golf Course, where if you take the road up the hill all the way, you’ll come to a parking lot, and a great spot to hike up the hill for your shot on the Black Hills hike.
After the hike, head back down the hill and relax at the Inn at Morro Bay, for drinks, snacks, lunch or dinner by the picture window views of the Rock and the town.
Have fun! Any questions, hit me up on Twitter or Instagram, where I’m @jeffersongraham.