1/13, Friday. Left work after lunch. Picked up dad at SJC downtown. Drove south to the coast. 
Hwy 1 was blocked between Lucia and Ragged Point, due to the storm on weekend (I drove along the coast from SFO to SJC on Jan 8th, and it was so bad, that I didn't even get out of the car at some viewpoints. The car was rocking in the parking lot.) Had to take 101, which is rather boring. Stopped at Salinas to visit Steinbeck's birthplace, now a restaurant open for lunch only. A pretty Queen Anne house.
We drove through a lot of agriculture land, not very interesting. Route 46 towards the coast is prettier, over green rolling hills. The setting sun shone brightly. Dinner at Sea Chest in Cambria before driving north to San Simeon for the night, based on Yelp rating. We ordered swordfish, scallop and shrimp combo. Fresh, $$, took leftover to go. Friendly service.1/14, Saturday. Central California Coast.
Drove north to Point Piedras Blancas Lighthouse. Access road is closed, maybe only for guided tour. 
Back along the coast, stop at Piedra Blancas Elephant Seal rookery. Hundreds if not a thousand of them. Naturalists from Friends of the Elephant Seals were on site. happy to answer any questions. Fascinating animal. The big bulls all have pink necks: evidence of wound inflicted when fighting for mate. They are 2-3 times as big as the females, but live half as long. They use different feeding ground, hence different migration routes. But they meet here, once a year. They don't eat here. Right now is breeding/birthing season. A lot of cubs. In 3 months, female and cubs will come back to molt, male and juvenile will be here later. The population is obviously on the rise. This rockery is recent (after 1990), probably because other good spots were overcrowded.
Checked out the small Coastal Discovery Center at San Simeon, and a pier off its ground. All about whales. A couple of big vertebrate bones behind the building. Video and exhibition indoor, and a couple of friendly volunteers.
Back to where we had dinner last night. Nice and very long boardwalk along Moonstone Beach Drive in Cambria. Seems a good place to stay for a night and watch sunset.Going south along the coast. View is very nice. We hiked up Estero Bluff. The trailhead is not clearly marked. Tried to stopping points. Muddy on the ground, especially the lower parts: water oozes around your shoes.
It's a wide open green headland. The view from the top is expansive, both south and north, the best of this weekend. We then walk down along (on top of) the cliffs, beautiful. Saw 3 people with binoculars on the beach. Not sure where they got down there. This weekend happens to be Morro Bay Bird Festival. There are guided trips throughout the area. You have to register and pay online. The short trip description gave me ideas of where to go to see birds.
After a quick stop at Cayucos Pier, we did a short hike in the Elfin Forest south of Morro Bay. Mainly dwarf oak trees, sandy soil. Good but distant view of the estuary. 
At the Audubon Overlook just west of the forest, we met a large group of birders (part of the festival). The cars completely blocked the driveway of two neighboring homes. It's much closer to the water. Good view, and I could see birds from some fancy binoculars.
We continued on to Montana de Oro state park. Only had time to visit Spooner's Cove. Lots of people, not so pretty. Along the way, good overhead view of Morro Bay, and some campground, and various trailheads. There's more to explorer further south. Seems only one entrance, so we have to drive back.
Last sight of the day is the Monarch Butterfly grove at the southern edge of Pismo. We were there as the sun was setting, so the light wasn't good. You can still see clumps of butterflies hung on tree branches, and a few of them flying around. Not a lot. Stopped at Pismo Beach for supper. Chipwrecked is a hole in the wall diner that features specialty potato chips and sauces, another Yelp find. Too salty. Friendly service. You can bring your own drink. They have a bottle opener.
1/15, Sunday. A chilly and foggy morning. Drove to Mission Soledad. Too early: not open yet. Huge parking area. Of the square layout, only one wing is restored. An orange tree and a lemon tree laden with fruits, otherwise, all look dead-ish. The surrounding looks barren at this winter time.
The main reason of staying in Soledad is not for the mission, but to get to the west entrance of the newly minted Pinnacle National Park. You can hike from here to the main entrance on the east side, but driving there takes a long time. There'a a campground on the east side, so west side is usually quieter. This sunny Sunday morning, we saw less than 10 cars when we arrived, and double that when we left. There's a big picnic area a short walk from the end of the road, with very nice view.
We did the Balconies Cliffs - Cave Loop, clockwise, only 2.4 miles. Most people seem to go on the opposite direction. You are not walking on any cliff, but walking by some towering walls. Good view. 
The caves require some scrambling. Not really an underground cave, rather narrow passages through piled boulders. Each armed with flashlight, we proceeded with caution, mostly due to the water, which is common in winter. Not bad.
On the drive back to SJC, saw a sign by hwy-101 for Mission San Juan Bautista. So went to check it out. This one is in a much better shape. Lots of vegetation in the courtyard. Lot more people. 
It has a map and descriptions of other Spanish missions in California in display. You can visit the chapels, and visit a few rooms. The town square by the mission also looks very nice. It borders a small water canal to the north, and farmland farther afield. Quite open and green.Landed in PDX around 8:30pm, temperature is in the teens °F. Cold and icy. A shock from the nice sunny 60°F California.
