...Continuing South

We made more progress south, and are writing this from Ventura. We've had lots of fog, but only take photos in the sun, so you have to imagine long periods of gray inbetween each of these sun-filled images.

The lighthouse above is at the entrance to the broad bay that acts as the anchorage for San Luis Obisbo (the actual town of San Luis Obisbo is much further inland.)  We took this photo at the end of a long, sunny spinaker ride downwind from Morro Bay. We also enjoyed the afternoon and evening at anchor off the pier at Avila Beach, an pretty little beach resort, listening to the sounds of kids playing in the surf.

The following morning, we pulled up the anchor and headed south in the fog. Quite soon, this random traveler, a small Flicker, landed on our mast. He stayed with us for a fifty five mile run down and around Point Conception. This photo was taken when he first sniffed land as the fog cleared; he flew off to shore moments afterwords.

We went on to anchor at Coho Anchorage, just south and east of Point Conception. This was like a pilgrimage for us, since we had read for years about the early explorers and cartographers who had used this anchorage as a base of operations. 

We were lucky to have this view of the shore alongside the Coho Anchoreage. Accounts from the mid nineteenth century talk about a large cattle ranch here, but now it is quiet. Except that the train - the Amtrak Coast Starlight - comes past this point a dozen times each day.