A cousin by marriage dropped by in Spring 2024 and it sparked some trips. First, are those trips to the local places we all go to, essentially showing off the amazing place where we live. Second, came a weekend trip where we upped and left in the RV for a mini-vacation at Morro Bay, California.
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The Beach, the Bay + the Harbor
We wanted a little vacation by the ocean. So after reviewing some choices, decided to go to Morro Bay; a 234 mile (one way) trip south, halfway between the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles.
Mainly known for this very large, 576-foot rock, which is actually an ancient (23-million years) volcanic mound or plug. The rock is situated at the end of Morro Rock Beach (which allows dogs on leash) and dominates the area.
The rock itself sits within Morro Bay State Park, which features lagoons, plenty of trails, a bird-rich saltwater marsh, and six miles of sand to walk on.
We saw plenty of wildlife, from sea otters, to many seagulls and other ocean/shoreline birds, as well as harbor seals. Common and Risso’s Dolphins are occasionally found in the bay, but we did not see any.
But we also found out that the local aquaculture in Morro Bay included homegrown farmed oysters. This began in the early 1900’s and today they cultivate two types of local oysters: Pacific Gold and Grassy Bar. But it also has Dungeness crab, and various fish.
A great place to visit is the Morro Bay State Park’s Museum of Natural History. They host exhibits on local ecology, and the local Indigenous cultures.
Each of the areas — beach, bay, and harbor — have their own environment and animals. The beach serves people, horses, and dogs galore. But also is used by various birds, and has ocean sand covered with many styles of shells, plenty of sand dollars, and piles of seaweed.
Morro Bay is an estuary, defined as an area where freshwater from land mixes with ocean saltwater. This of course, makes the bay home to many animals in the sea, land and air.
The harbor did not exist until it was constructed in the 1880s by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Now, it is one of the few left in California that can boast an actual working harbor, where fishers go out daily and return with sustainable catches that are then served at local restaurants.
Morro Dunes RV Park
We decided to take the RV, but it took a day and half of prepping to get it ready, because it had set unused over the 2023 winter. As a reminder, our RV is built for two people, so Jamie had to drive his car. Several hours later we both arrived at the destination and it turned out great.
We were given a spot, A8, in the first cull-de-sac area next to the main office. The large rock of Morro Bay was easily visible, but equally so, the ocean was just across the road from our location. Within 5 minutes we were walking on small sand dunes heading directly to the ocean.
Walking to the left on the beach we could bring the dogs (south), on leash of course. Going to the right (north) led to the dog-free area for others to enjoy the beach barefoot without concern for sand covered surprises. Needless to say we stayed south, for the dogs it was absolute heaven. Nothing could beat a romp on the beach for their daily walks.
By the way, the RV spot was great for our needs.
- Close to the free showers, restrooms, a little store, and laundry facilities.
- The space assigned us was large enough for our RV and his car side by side.
- Was located just off the road we’d cross over to the beach dunes, so very easy access.
Eating Out
From our site, walking about 20 minutes south on Embarcadaro street that led to a little commercial area that featured places to stay, little shops, and restaurants. We ate seafood (tuna poke bowl, fish + chips, and a salmon rice bowl) while sitting along the bay with the dogs.
Per usual, when I stay at ocean side places, I wanted to taste their fish-n-chips and/or chowder. This case the fish was very good, although the batter was meh, the tartar was also good.
- Tartar for Fish-n-Chips
- 1C Japanease mayonnaise
- 1 bunch of finely chopped dill to your preference
- 1T minced capers
- 4 minced small gherkins
- 1 diced or minced shallot to your preference
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1/2T white wine vinegar
- Taste and adjust as needed
Easy RV Cooking
Here are some of the foods we made on this trip. They were easy to make, did not take up much space in the fridge, and were so tasty.
- Snacks we Brought
- Salted pistachios in the shell.
- Chips and crackers + dip.
- Apples + bananas
- Some pastries, granola bars, and a candy bar.
- Salads: potato, coleslaw, and others.
After a long day driving, the last thing I wanted to do was cook, so the first day was a very easy dinner. Using my new skillet, which could be plugged into the outdoor outlet near the RV table, I made the easiest American dinner. I cooked several “uncured” hotdogs, butter grilled buns, and served homemade mayo potato salad.
Family Dishes
When I shared My Family’s Pfannekuchen Recipe, it was done in part to share the recipe with my son, my siblings, and nephews/nieces. It was a recipe that my Oma taught to Mutti, who unintentionally taught me as I watched her make it over time.
These family recipes are special in that they are concrete ways we tie back to our ancestors. They hold the family together, like naming the people in family photograph albums, then telling the stories behind the pictures.
One of the mornings, we made coffee and tea for breakfast, and noshed for the day until dinner. Then decided to make the famous Gronseth Hotdogs + Beans dish that both cousins (Jamie and my spouse) remember
- Gronseth Hotdogs + Baked Beans
- Make slow-cooked, sweet and savory baked beans and place in a pot.
- Or do what I did and buy canned baked beans. Taste them to make sure they taste the way you want, sweet and savory.
- Sliced hot dogs lengthwise, but not all the way through and place on top of the beans in the skillet. With the sliced side up, for the filling.
- Make the filling (to taste), and spooned onto the sliced hotdogs. The filling was a mix of catsup, french yellow mustard, diced shallots, and brown sugar. Some of the Gronseth family also add sweet pickle relish.
- Then lid the pot and let it all slow cook and steam until ready to eat.
Upon his first taste, after he added some relish, Jamie let out a sigh and indicated it tasted just the way he remembered when is mom made the dish for his family. My spouse agreed. A touchstone moment of sharing a family dish.
Perfect Camping Breakfast
Another morning Jamie made breakfast. Another homemade dish that makes me feel warm-n-fuzzy are pancakes. We had brought butter, a small bag of frozen blueberries, and maple syrup. So along with the sack containing pancake mix, we had a wonderful day that started with yummy blueberry pancakes.
- Blueberry Pancakes
- Heat the RV skillet and add a small bit of oil.
- Mix pancake batter and instead of adding water we added milk.
- Then the frozen blueberries were added to the batter, mixed well, and poured into the skillet.
- Served with butter and maple syrup.
- We made more pancakes than we ate. So leftovers were available to be toasted for another meal.
Connections
This was a sweet trip. Good food, good company, sharing memories while making new ones. I enjoyed the company, and camaraderie. But, this trip happened in the Spring of 2024, before the horrendous political swing rightward. I look back on it now as an almost innocent time, where all three of us could have differing opinions on political issues yet still get along and cook for each other.
But times have changed, and I will have a surprise in my next post.
— Patty
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