Sometimes, you stumble on to things. Sometimes, you don’t know what you’re doing, you’re just flying by the seat of your pants, and things just kinda work out. That’s kinda how I feel about adventures. Yes, you can have an itinerary and schedule what to see at what time and it’s great when everything happens as you planned it. But, sometimes… it’s when you don’t know what’s gonna happen, that you have a great adventure.
After visiting our family in SoCal for a few days, it was time for us to get going if we wanted to do a little sight-seeing before coming home and going back to work. So, we decided that the best route would be the Pacific Coast Highway, also known as Highway 1.
I first learned about the Rancho Guadalupe Dunes Preseves on a previous trip. Not having any time to really explore that place out that time, we made it our first destination, this time.
Boom… Dunes.
From my understand, this preserve is part of a network of dunes that span from Pismo Beach to Santa Barbara. But, unlike Pismo Beach, here in Guadalupe, there are absolutely no vehicles allowed on the sand. Which is GREAT because that leaves us with an organic landscaped. Unscarred by humanity in their buggies and quads (which are absolutely fine and a lot of fun. They just kinda leave the scenery a little not-so-photogenic).
Being that the terrain is pristine and uncommon and you can walk a little ways and find yourself completely alone; you kinda get this out-of-worldly feeling. Like you could kinda see yourself on mars a little bit.
“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” Breathing like Darth Vader, I’m having a blast exploring the surface of mars. When suddenly…
I found remains of the life I was searching for.
A war had been brewing between the two dominant species on mars. The ferrouts were intelligent spider-like creatures with the size and strength of a silverback gorilla. Over millennia; they evolved iron skin to protect them from the harsh storms, and the ability to breathe, consume, and run on methane. They would breathe and the gas would flow into a chamber which acted like a lung/stomach/furnace. The methane would combust and it would fuel them. It was their energy. Their drive, however, was to kill the “Sandogs”
Sandog was a derogatory term for a martian being by the scientific name of Caninus Silicanus . From the name, you can derive that they were a silicon based life form. They were a werewolf-like creature. Except, not like from our horror stories here on earth. They were smart, and compassionate, and like… just noble creatures. They lived in massive cities under ground, protected from solar radiation.
The reason the ferrouts hated the CanSils was because the CanSils were using natural pools of methane gas to power their cities (like we do with fossil fuels here on earth). Being that the ferrouts actually live off of methane… well, something had to be done.
So, the ferrouts attacked. The CanSils fought back. The utopia fell and no life remained, except for the microscopic organisms that fed on the decaying bodies.
… just kidding.
I’m pretty sure they’re dog bones. Poor doggy. Got left behind by some cruel “owner” and starved to death… gosh, that’s so terrible. Let’s hope he lived a long life and ate all the treats he could handle and receive a burial at sea by loving owners because he loved to run on the beach… yeah, that’ll help me sleep better.
Moving on
GULLS!!
Did you guys know that gulls have been found to use this tactic where a gull uses bread to lure fish to the surface of water, then pounces on that son of a fish, and eats it?! Pretty clever.
AAUUURAAAAHHH!!! AAUUURAAAAHHH!!!
I once heard a theory that birds evolved from dinosaurs. I’m not gonna lie, that seagull kinda looks like a tyrannosaurus. Can you see it?
Up
Up
And Away!!
“Singing in the sunshine, laughing in the rain. Hitting on the moonshine, rockin’ in the grain”
Led Zeppelin – The Ocean
And, sandpipers.
These little dudes are kind-of daredevil badasses.
After a wave crashes and recedes, they run in like bats outta hell towards the water. Looking for their next meal, they methodically probe the newly tilled-and-turned sand.
Searching for this guy
And other washed-up or hiding sea creatures.
And, they do this until the water from the next wave is nipping at their butt, and they gotta run or fly outta there.
Run little dudes!
We were having such a great time at the Guadalupe dunes, that time flew by and we realized that we wouldn’t have too much time to explore other places along the PCH. So we packed our gear, shook out the sand from our shoes, and took off north towards home.
I saw Morro Bay on the map and decided to head there to catch a few pictures of the sunset from the beach. We parked and started walking on the shoreline, when suddenly we spot animals in the water!
I instantly assumed they were seals. But as we approached, they turned out to be…
Otters!
This momma and her cub were very cute.
Unfortunately for me, the sun was starting to set, and the golden hour (The last hour of sunlight before the sun sets or the first hour of sunlight after the sun breaks the horizon in the morning) did not help me here, at all.
With the otter’s super water-repellent fur making them look like oil slicks because of the low sun casting long shadows… I wasn’t able to get any exceptional pictures.
I know, ‘excuses, excuses”. I’m just gonna have to go back.
So, anyway, I’m there snapping away at this group of otters when suddenly, this giant bird comes swooping over me and lands at my feet.
After quick google search, I was able to identify it as a Great Blue Heron. Shannon fights me on this. Saying “no, great blue herons are huge”, “I saw them when I was in florida”… What side are you on?
So I’m standing there, with my telephoto lens on because I was shooting the otters, and I was fortunate enough that the heron swooped in. Then, all of a sudden, “frfrfr” fluttering darts by.
When we pulled in to Morro bay, I wasn’t expecting to see otters splashing around by the shore. I thought that was treat enough. Then the heron came swooping in, in all its majesty. Then on top of that, the little hummingbird coming by and giving me some of the best pictures I’ve ever taken… When you just get out there, not expecting anything, not planning anything, sometimes it just happens. The stars line up and you get the opportunity to see things and photograph things, and just make good memories.
I hope you all enjoyed following along with me on my adventure.
See you all next time.
Grizzly De Haro 
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