It's Elephant Seal Viewing Time Again

IT'S THAT TIME AGAIN...
Each year for the past several years I've encouraged you all to visit the wonderful Northern Elephant Seal Colony just north of Hearst Castle on one of the most magnificent stretches of the Central California coast you'll find.  In fact, I covered it pretty darn well last year at this time HERE.

A LONG WEEKEND AHEAD - PERFECT!
The Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday weekend is upon us, so it will be a perfect time for you and your families to jump in the family car and head north - about 280 miles from Costa Mesa on Highway 1 - for an experience you'll likely never forget.

LIVE WEB CAM NOW AVAILABLE
This year, to whet your appetites a little, The Friends Of The Elephant Seal - a wonderful group of volunteer guides who help visitors understand what they are seeing when they visit the site - have installed a web cam overlooking the beach for your viewing pleasure.  You can connect to it HERE.  It's got live streaming video during the daylight hours and a continuous loop of a recorded scene at night.  This time of the year you just might see a birth, since that's what's happening on the beach up there now.

HEARST CASTLE...
As I've said before, Hearst Castle is only about 4 miles south of the prime viewing site, so stop in there, too.  Even if you don't take a tour, they have a free museum, a great gift shop, food is available and the restrooms are clean.  Heck, you might even see the zebra herd along the highway.

CAMBRIA, AND MORE...
And, since you'll likely not make this trip up and back in one day, be sure to visit San Simeon and Cambria, where you'll find great motels, shops and restaurants, too.