We arrived at Hearst-San Simeon State Park in Cambria, CA to begin our summer camp-hosting volunteer position with California Parks the last week of June. We arrived before our actual start date of July 1st so we could get some orientation and training completed prior to the responsibilities hand-off from our friends Michael & Imkelina (Instagram @ourwaypoints & instagram @rayd84life) who were headed next to the Oregon coast.
We actually had to boondock for a few nights during the transition, which is always fine with us. Our official site will include full hook-ups for our stay.
Hearst-San Simeon State Park is located directly off Route 1 on the Pacific Ocean in the town of Cambria, CA. It’s namesake is for the famous Hearst Castle a few miles up the road. All the lands were originally part of the Hearst Publishing empires properties. Hearst Castle, San Simeon, is a National Historic Landmark and California Historical Landmark located on the Central Coast of California in the United States.
With 2020 being the year of the COVID-19 pandemic, all of the parks in San Luis Obispo County were closed to campers when we arrived and ultimately turned out to be closed during our entire stay in this beautiful area. With the park closed our traditional camp-host duties turned out to be a little different than if campers had been there.
Our working day responsibilities consisted of 7:00am morning campground checks and patrols, mid-day patrols, evening patrols, policing the gates and barriers to the park, responsibilities for the Wood Sales area, many maintenance tasks, and trail maintenance. Our primary role was to serve as park ambassadors for the State of California. Even though the park was closed to campers we had many people walking through the park, from the adjacent day-use area. The park has several walking trails the locals use regularly. In addition to these responsibilities, we also tackled a very comprehensive project of photographing all 207 sites in the park and updating the database for measurements so they will be able to be used on the Parks website and Reserve California. As you can see… even though the park was closed we had plenty of work to keep us busy…
Our duties were shared with our friends Julie & Fred (from Maryland) who we had recruited to work with and had trained several years ago when we both hosted in the National Park at Assateague Island National Seashore. While we helped each other out (or covered when needed) the schedule we put together included 3 days on and 3 days off. This cycle continued the entire 3 months of our stay and worked well for all of us.
On our days off we each respectively got our laundry done (usually in San Luis Obispo, CA ) at Launderosa, groceries & supplies, sight-seeing, Hiking, scenic drives, Wine Country visits, and beach visits…
Our working uniforms consisted of Volunteer vests, which Joanne didn’t particularly like, and our hats. The golf cart (donated by Friends of Hearst Castle) was a must for our duties and was used everyday of the 3 months…
A special note; the first few weeks of our time at San Simeon State Park Joanne & I celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary. We opted for a safe late afternoon (outside) meal at Moonstone Beach Grill which was perfect for the occasion. Arriving back at our camp site Fred & Julie had decorated for the occasion. Where does 40 years go?? – Even though we are in the midst of this terrible pandemic we both felt so very fortunate to be celebrating this milestone in such a special place…
As I’m writing this and reflecting back on our 3 months we have so many incredible memories…
The Wildlife:
With the park closed, the local wildlife seemed very comfortable paying us visits on a daily basis… We had a family of (4) Great Horned Owls right in front of us our entire stay, We had Red Foxes, Grey foxes, Red-tail hawks, Quail (Lots of Quail…), Herring, Herons, Eagles, ground squirrels, Seagulls, Plovers, Pelicans, Ducks, Swans, dolphins, whales, seals, Mule deer, Elk, the Hearst Zebra herd, and of course the famous Elephant Seals…. (We didn’t see the Mountain Lion the previous host had seen adjacent to our campsite the week before we arrived but that was ok with Joanne…)
We loved the wildlife and it never got old photographing them and talking about them. A bonus was there were many local birdwatchers that visited the park regularly who were a wealth of information. We became friends with many of them over the summer.
One of Joanne’s favorite wildlife hobbies was her hummingbirds… This summer she had more hummingbirds to feed than ever, going through nearly a quart of food a day.
The Hiking:
We sure accomplished a lot of hiking days during our 3 months. In the beginning we hiked the Washburn Trail every few days in the park which took you from the beach, to the wetlands, up into the Monterey Pine forests, and then through the rolling hills. The hike was about 3.5 miles within the park and it was easy for us to access. As for beach walks we did many.
- We hiked from our campsite to the Pacific and then onto Moonstone Beach and the boardwalk trail. About a 5 mile roundtrip we did many times.
- We had several hikes introduced to us by Imkelina before they departed for Oregon including: Fiscolini Ranch, Bouchard Lighthouse Trail at Piedras Blancas, and The Arroyo Laguna Beach Walk.
- We hiked the San Simeon Point Trail from Hearst Pier and stopped for a terrific tasting at Hearst Ranch Winery right on the Water.
- The Harmony Headlands Trail was a special 5 mile hike from Harmony, CA. Afterwards we stopped for a terrific wine tasting at Harmony Cellars Winery…
- A visit up Rte 1 towards Big Sur one day found us hiking the “Salmon Creek Trail “ for 7.2 miles. Not one of Joannes favorites as we were on the edge of a cliff the entire day…
- Probably our favorite Hiking destination was Montana De Oro State Park just South of Los Osos, CA. We visited this park many times and completed many hikes including the Bluff Trail (5 miles), Valencia Peak Trail (6 miles), Alans Peak (including Coon Creek trail -11 miles), and Oats Peak (11 miles with the detour of bushwhacking down the back-side of the mountain and having to return along the Bluff Trail).
- While we did a ton of Beach walks over the 3 months, our 2 favorites were:
- 1) San Simeon Bluff State Park trail from our campsite to the town of San Simeon where we had lunch at the local Mexican restaurant or dinner, on the cliff behind the Cavalier Hotel’s take-out restaurant. The roundtrip hike each time is (5 miles) from our campsite.
- 2) The 12 mile beach walk from Cayucos Pier to Morrow Rock and back. This is the longest beach walk of our life and it was amazing. We both had a few blisters the next day after this one though were so glad we took it on. Joanne also collected about 100 sand dollars on the hike we stored in a doggy green bag given to us by another hiker.
Scenic Drives and Towns we visited:
- Being where we were all summer the best drive had to be Rte 1 to Big Sur. The Central California Coast is breathtaking and this might be the best beach scenic drive in the country.
- The drives South thru Cambria, Cayucos, Morrow Bay, Los Osos, San Luis Obispo, Pismo Beach where incredible each time. West drives took us over the mountains to Atascadero and Paso Robles with views that take your breath away…
- On August 28th we took a very long drive to the famous Danish town of Solvang, CA. While the drive was long the scenery kept us Wowed…between the coastline and the rich agricultural valley of Central California. The town is no doubt a tourist destination with the Danish influence, windmills, bakeries and streets lined with the quaintest shops which were all worth the long day of driving…
Our scenic drive and visit to the Danish town of Solvang, CA.
Our day spent at Avila Beach/Pier and riding the Bob Jones bike trail…
Wineries, Vinyeards, and Breweries:
The Paso Robles Wine Country and the Vineyards of San Luis Obispo County are truly amazing. Having visited several other wine country areas in the country including the famous Napa Valley we both agreed Paso Robles Wine country is the best we have seen… With 3 days off a week we regularly tried to s to visiting 2 different vineyards on one of those days each week.. The vineyards are everywhere’s with so many amazing wines, scenic views and spectacular drives in our mini….
A few of the vineyards we visited which we really enjoyed were:
- Hearst Ranch Winery at San Simeon Pier. We loved this setting, with the ocean waves crashing in the background, and the Hearst Cabernet Sauvignon being our favorite…
- Harmony Cellars in the Little town of Harmony, CA was a small vineyard with an incredible countryside view and a sunset that is to be experienced. Our favorite here was the Red – Repertoire…
- Opolo Vineyards was an oasis in paradise. They had a beautiful outdoor area. Was very safe with Covid guidelines/restrictions in place and had a pizza oven that was a great compliment to their wine selections. Our favorite here was their Syrah… Yum!
- Halter Ranch was a vineyard we tried to visit in June though it was closed so when we got a chance to finally visit in August we were very excited. The setting for Halter Ranch is very special. From the entrance, the original homestead, the airport, and the views of the mountain including a pic of their famous “Ancestor Tree” estimated to be 600-700 years old… Our favorite here was the CDP.
- Tooth & Nail Vineyard an interesting setting that looked like a castle with an actual moat around the vinyard. An impressive property with our favorite wine being Stasis Pinot Noir.
- The single brewery we visited was Firestone walker Brewery. This place is first class with some super beers combined with an excellent food selection that compliments their offerings. We actually ate here twice in our time this summer. The setting was Covid safe, the food was excellent, and the cold brews were exceptional. We are truly “805 Beer” certified now….
A few others small vineyards we visited included Grey Wolf, Thatcher, & Sumerwood. Without reservations we were turned away by Adelaide Vineyards & Niner Wine Estates.
Sunsets:
Spending 3 months this summer on the Pacific Coast for the first time in our lives we were really looking forward to the sunsets… Growing up on the East Coast we really have the market cornered on sunrises and occasionally are treated to some great sunsets. The West coast on the other hand is the king when it comes to sunsets. With nothing east of the Pacific coast, in the horizon, except open ocean the sunsets on the Pacific Coast are truly remarkable. Often we would drive the golf cart to the Washburn Hill, in the park, to witness a great sunset. Sometimes we would head directly to the beach. With the unique weather pattern in Cambria/San Simeon we often were cheated because of the haze, marine layer, or cloudy horizons. The forest fire smoke often obstructed views but for about a week that smoke provided some of the best sunset views we saw all summer.
Our favorite sunset of the summer happened quite frankly by accident. After a very hazy day we actually exited the RV after dinner and I noticed the sky was changing and I asked Joanne if she would want to head to Raged Point about 14 miles North for the anticipated sunset. We quickly fired up the Mini and headed North. Arriving at Ragged Point, getting a beverage and parking ourselves in the cliffside Adirondack chairs we had one of those magic moment we probably will never forget…
Friends & Relationships:
A big part of this Revolutionary Journey is about the people we meet and connect with along the way. It was by sheer happenstance that we met Michael & Imkelina the Camphosts/park stewards at Hearst San-Simeon Park the 2 days we stayed there in May 2019 as we had began our trip North to Alaska. They are truly kindred spirits and fellow full-time Rvers from Cambria, Ca.
The hosts we met back in 2018 and mentored, when we camphosted at the National Seashore National Park on Assateague Island, Fred & Julie, were also a couple of kindred spirits that also have been RVing for many years and we are so glad they accepted the opportunity to share responsibility this summer at San Simeon State Park.
The the Park Aide’s at San Simeon State Park like Caitlin, Romey, Rico, Matt, Justin, and Dylan. The California Park Rangers Nick, Brent, Justin, Rob, Kyle, and Jared.
The Park Maintenance people like Dallas, Xaviar, and so many others…
The head of Hearst Historical Restoration – Mark, who lived in front of our Camp host site…
And of course our supervising ranger Jared & Jade’s family including frequent visits from Lila & Owen while walking their Husky Aspen with the cats in tow…
We are so blessed for all of these special friends in our life…
Probably the biggest challenges of our summer on the central coast of California were:
- Although most of the country was in a heat wave with temperatures in the triple digits including about 10 miles in any direction from our campsite, we actually were in our own micro-climate with the marine haze each day and temperatures that rarely got over 70 degrees. I loved it, though Joanne definitely missed the warmer beach weather at times.
- The second challenge were the tragic fires that were plaguing much of the country. Some of California’s most intense were just north of our campsite location. Rte 1 was shut down for the last month we were in San Simeon. In addition, air quality was often poor with the influx of soot and smoke. The snowing of soot and ash often covered everything each day. On a positive side the smoke created some of the most incredible sunrises and sunsets we have ever seen.
Well there you have it! We practiced great social distancing while being locked down for 3 months, contributing through volunteer efforts, enjoying friends and nature. I can’t imagine a better summer in the midst of these challenging Covid-19 times while still being able to embrace the goals and lifestyle of this continued “Revolutionary Journey”….
