We like to celebrate special occasions with trips – big, small, near, far, it doesn’t matter. To celebrate Steve’s birthday, we took an overnight road trip up the coast from Santa Barbara.

We spent a night overlooking the Pacific in Pismo Beach with dinner and some beach explorations the following morning.  But that was only part of our journey.  In the two days that we were gone, we managed to find some other beautiful locales and mini-destinations, one of which was the magical Elfin Forest.

Resting spot in the Elfin Forest

Photo by Gabe taken on his Fuji x100

In his searching through California-based travel photos, Gabe found an article about the Elfin Forest. Located on the estuary of Morro Bay in the tiny town of Los Osos, this park is well worth visiting. The park itself is small – just around 90 acres – with a one-mile walkway winding through Pygmy oaks overlooking the back bay. To get there, we drove into a residential neighborhood whose dead-end streets butt up against the dunes. We parked and briefly scaled the dunes, finding ourselves on the wooden planks that wind through the forest. We took a left on the path upon entering the park, heading clockwise up and over the dunes.

At several points along the walkway, there are benches. This is a great place to sit and relax. I can remember visiting Morro Bay when I was little, and the one thing I remember above all else was the fog. Today was one of those days. The cloudy, gray and chilly weather made for beautiful soft light – perfect for taking photos.

We wound around the walkway with barely another person in sight. What we did see were vistas of the bay, groves of Pygmy oaks, wildlife, and abundant plant life lining our path.  Just when we were nearing the end, a little offshoot walkway took us into the magical scene that drew us there in the first place. Tucked inside the shelter of the oaks we came upon a single bench that beckoned us in. Oak branches folded and intertwined above, moss clinging to and hanging from the limbs. We set up the camera and took some photos here.  This entire place is breathtaking!  We lingered quietly listening to the sound of the breeze moving slowly through the trees. Something about this blissful nook and the thoughtfully placed bench made this a place we will never forget.

If you are ever in the mood for a quiet little getaway and something off the beaten path, we highly recommend a trip to the Elfin Forest.