Page 51 - SLO Visitors Guide Summer/Fall 2020
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 Cambria,
San Simeon & North Coast
The charming village of Cambria is filled with unique shops, galleries, and restaurants serving all kinds
of delicious food. The shops have everything from antiques, specialty items, household gadgets, exquisite jewelry, and art from the quirky to traditional. It’s easy to spend an entire day browsing the shops and eating. Walking through the village, along flower-filled yards and shady trees, the well-maintained buildings, many
dating from the 1800s, all come to- gether in a sense of how life in a more tranquil time must have been.
Cambria is also known as the gateway to Hearst Castle, glorious ocean scenery along Highway 1, and during the month of October, is the heart of the Cambria Scarecrow Festi- val. The festival is an outdoor display of whimsical handmade scarecrows that draws visitors from all over. Plans are currently underway for the 2020 festival.
Attractions
Historical Cambria Walking Tour
Visit the Cambria Historical Society website (cambriahistorical- society.org) for a map of a walking tour of Cambria’s historical buildings. The self-guided tour encompasses
28 buildings and the map includes a written history of each one. Learn the fascinating history of these old build- ings and how their uses evolved from the original business or residence to their current occupations. Learn a little about the people and families
who shaped Cambria’s early years.
Visit the elephant seals
The elephant seal rookery extends six miles along the shoreline near Point Piedras Blancas in the Hearst San Simeon State Park. The seals may be seen all year but the largest popu- lations are present during late Janu- ary, April and October. They arrive at the rookery to give birth, breed and molt. Visit the Friends of the Elephant Seal website at elephantseal.org for information about the best viewing times and spots.
The Hearst San Simeon State Park
The state park encompasses the Moonstone Beach, the Santa Rosa Creek Natural Preserve, the San Simeon Natural Preserve and the Pa- Nu Cultural Preserve.
• Santa Rosa Creek Preserve includes valuable riparian forests and coastal wetlands, that provide habitat for endangered Tidewater Goby.
• San Simeon Natural Preserve covers vast wetlands, riparian areas, and several undisturbed native plant communities and is a wintering site
for monarch butterflies.
• The 13.7 acre Pa-nu Cultural
Preserve contains an archaeological site dated to 5850 years before the present era. The site holds significant evidence of prehistoric technology and life patterns.
A 3.3 mile trail runs through
parts of the San Simeon Natural Preserve, with a portion of the trail being wheelchair accessible. The trail includes scenic overlooks, rest-stop benches and interpretive panels. The park address is 500 San Simeon Creek Road, Cambria. Call (805) 927-2010 for information about days and times the park is open.
Nitt Witt Ridge
This California Registered Histori- cal Landmark #939, is famous for the artistic use of recycled materials used in its construction. Reclusive artist Arthur Harold Beal purchased the land in 1928 and spent the next 50 years creating his own version of a castle. Building materials include beer cans, concrete, washing machines, car parts, old stoves and abalone shells. Call (805) 927-2690 to arrange a tour.
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