Blowin’ in the Wind

Michael and I are starting to suspect that the wind is following us. I don’t mean to sound paranoid, but really, everywhere we have gone lately, it has been windy. We thought we were going to leave the wind behind when we left Borrego Springs. Well the answer my friend, is blown’ in the wind, the answer is blowin’ in the wind- Bob Dylan.

We had another fabulous bike ride to Morro Strand State Beach this morning, and I love biking here. Even with it blowing like crazy, it is still beautiful out. The bike path borders the Snowy Plover nesting grounds and the sand dunes are protected too. You can only view the wildlife from a distance, and you cannot walk on the dunes at all in protected areas. The Snowy Plover lays her eggs in the sand and this has worked pretty good for them up until humans came along and trampled over their nests and crushed their eggs. It is only recently that the birds have been granted protected status during nesting season, but it is hoped that they will have a come back and flourish once again. They are so adorable to watch flitting and darting across the shoreline. Their legs appear to spin in a circle like a wheel because they run so fast. It would be an incredible loss if these birds chose to avoid our shorelines; or even worse, became extinct.

In spite of the wind, we managed to make it to Morro Strand and back with stops along the way to take photographs. The wind was howling and the sand was spraying and pelting me in the face when I tried to shoot a short video. You can hear the wind in the background and the camera is not being held steady because I am being buffeted so hard. Morro Rock looks so incredible from the north side and I love the way the dunes are patterned by the wind. The iceplant has adapted to cling to the sand, hunker down low, and conserve water in its leaves. All and all, it is an amazing sight to behold. I love the coastline as it becomes more and more wild the further north you travel. There are less people on the beach because it is too cold out for sunbathing. This leaves the shoreline less crowded with people and the wildlife left alone, to be wild…..

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Our Morning Ride Suprise!

Michael and I decided to take our chances, without a map, to figure out the bike trail that leads to Morro Strand State Beach. We ended up going the less picturesque way north, and discovered the scenic route by chance, upon our return. We made it to Morro Strand by passing under the 101 North, then following alongside the freeway and crossing back under it again, to get to the campground. I thought to myself that this isn’t what I expected. On our return route we noticed a pathway and took it all the way back along the ocean side of the freeway, and it was such a nice suprise. This bike path is the celebrated one, and it is so worth riding on. I imagine it gets quite a bit of traffic over the weekends and on holidays, but on a Monday morning, it was perfect. On the way back, I chanced upon a turkey vulture feasting on a dead seagull. Most of the sandunes are protected north of Morro Bay, and it is a delight to see all the wildlife behaving naturally and feeling safe enough from human encroachment. You can bike for miles and miles, and observe nature quietly and respectfully, without impacting them negatively. We had a beautiful morning.