Pismo Beach, CA

After staying in downtown San Francisco, the Oxford Suites Pismo Beach was a nice change, with large rooms and a garden courtyard.
Our morning started in the Butterfly Sanctuary, where we immediately were overwhelmed (in a good way) with the smell of eucalyptus. The grove was smaller than I expected, with a wide trail offering plenty of opportunities for viewing. Interpretive signage explained the life cycle and migration process for the west coast Monarch population, and noted that there were over 20,000 butterflies in the sanctuary. This number was somewhat surprising, as none were flying around.

We learned that in cooler weather, they huddled still along the branches of the trees, and looked like rows of small silver leaves. Although the butterflies weren’t active, the trees were buzzing with hummingbirds, attracted to the same nectar.

PB to LA

The trip between Pismo Beach and LA was filled with “I think I saw that spot on X television/movie,” as we made our way through Santa Monica and Malibu to our host’s rooftop patio, where we were treated to an LA sunset with the Hollywood sign in the distance.

Palm Desert

From LA we drove to Joshua Tree National Park, where we spent the day rock scrambling and hiking. That evening, we checked into the Esmeralda Golf Resort, a literal oasis of dining, swimming, and relaxing in the desert.