20220327_144317Along the coast of Cambria (March 2022)

Many people have their own kind of happy place, whether it’s the beach, the library, a cozy alcove at home…my happy place is Cambria, a small town of 5500 inhabitants located in central California, just 33 miles/53 kilometers west of San Luis Obispo. It’s a sleepy town that gets a lot of tourists who come for peace and quiet, from strolling the boardwalk along the ragged shores to wine tasting in the nearby vineyards. Overall, Cambria is a beautiful gem in California, and it’s a place that I keep returning to time and time again.

I’ve highlighted Cambria in a previous post a couple of years ago, and I happened to return just last year for my birthday. It was a short, but wonderful two nights in town with my dad, and we also used it as a base for a day trip to Big Sur (more on that later). It’d been over seven years since I last visited Cambria, and I was dying to go back. That said, I booked a cozy, BnB-style hotel right by the ocean (and a room with ocean views) and we headed right over following our pit stops in Santa Barbara, Cambria, Pismo Beach, and Morro Bay.

We arrived into Cambria at 16h00 and checked into our hotel. As stated, we booked a hotel right by the ocean, and our room actually had a partially view of the waters, i.e. if you look out and to the left of our room’s window, you could see the Pacific Ocean. Given that Cambria’s a popular spot and we were visiting during spring break (with costs averaging over $200/night), we did what we could with our small room and partial ocean view!

My dad and I wasted no time dropping off our belongings and heading right now to hit the boardwalk for our usual stroll along the promenade. It’s been a tradition for us to visit Cambria for the boardwalk, to feel the chilly breeze of central California in our face as we admire the wild waves crashing into the coastline rocks. It’d especially been a favorite of my mom, who sadly passed away three years ago– that said, revisiting Cambria without her felt sort of empty, even bittersweet, and I felt those feelings while celebrating my birthday during that visit.

20220327_142933Strolling the boardwalk

20220327_144004Wildflowers and views of the sea

20220327_145355Purple wildflowers

Although the weather had been temperate upon checking in, the coastal fog rolled in swiftly during our first afternoon in town. Not the most-ideal welcome to Cambria, but broody and atmospheric all the same. We caught sight of some wildlife during our stroll, including squirrels, rabbits, seagulls, and elephant seals just a few miles down the road. And apparently, you can even see some wild turkeys!

20220326_170642Rocks by the shore

The late afternoon fog was getting too dense to enjoy the boardwalk, so my dad and I headed back to the hotel to order some food to pick up in town for dinner. We drove into town just three miles/5 kilometers away from the promenade to pick up our food. During our first night, we got dinner from our usual barbecue joint. I’m not even a barbecue kind of gal, but I really enjoy the place’s saucy, pulled pork sandwich. We got that, along with some ribs– the meal also came with tons of baked beans and garlic bread, which were greasy, hearty, and absolutely phenomenal. It was all really affordable at just $26 total, given all of the food we had.

20220326_181029Pulled pork sandwich for dinner

Our second day was busy at Big Sur, but upon returning to Cambria, we checked out the elephant seals in nearby San Simeon (which is actually where the famed Hearst Castle is) and strolled the boardwalk again, this time with the weather being sunny and warm, a huge contrast compared to the previous cold and gloom. That meant we stayed out longer to enjoy the warmth before we headed over for an early dinner in town for my proper birthday meal.

We got dinner at one of my favorite restaurants in town, a place that we’ve also been going to for at least the past seven years. It was a whirlwind of crab cakes, rack of lamb, and key lime pie, paired with some local red wines from nearby central Californian wineries that were all so delicious and made my birthday dinner a special one. Four courses, two glasses of wine, and a $177 USD tab later, I was very satisfied and happy. One of the best birthdays I had in a long time. ❤

20220327_171559Rack of lamb for dinner

As I’ve said, Cambria is my happy place. It’s a place that I’ve been going to since I was a kid, and returning to it always brings me a strong sense of nostalgia for calmer and simpler times. I was so glad to return last year since 2015, and I hope to make more-frequent trips back as the years go on.

Thanks for reading– more of my birthday trip to come soon!

— Rebecca

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Published by Rebecca

Blogger, world traveler, poet, foodie, part-time penguin. Welcome!

47 thoughts on “Destination: Cambria, California (2022 Edition)”

  7. CA has so many beautiful locations and this is one of the best; I also love this area and have been fortunate to have visited numerous times. The food looks great, particularly your birthday dinner, and spending it with your dad sounds even more special. Thanks for sharing your happy place with us!

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    1. I’m proud to be born and raised in California; it’s such a beautiful state that has so much to offer in terms of geography, people, and food. Cambria was a special time, and I hope to return soon!

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  8. Ah you’re bringing back great memories of our wonderful California road trip last year – we walked along those very same Cambria boardwalks….and the fog rolled in that day too! The elephant seals were fascinating to watch (despite the smell) and Hearst Castle is an incredible place. Glad you had such a fab birthday, and it’s great to read your post and remember our wonderful time there.

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    1. Great travelers think alike! Cambria is one of most beautiful places on Earth, and it’s worth at least a drive through to admire its tranquility along the central California coast. 🙂

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  9. I’m so sorry about your mom, Rebecca. That would put a sad twinge on any birthday trip.
    I looked up Cambria on the map and it seems like a great place to make day trips in either direction. However, when I tried to map it north to see how far it was from Monterrey, the coast road showed a bunch of those red circles and routed me into the mountains. Is that road washed out (still/again)?

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    1. It’s not sad, but rather bittersweet to return to Cambria without my mom: while I have good memories from there with her, I know she would’ve wanted me to continue making memories there, even without her. I’ve been told that parts of the coastal drive (specifically what you’re referencing, which I believe is Big Sur) are closed off due to the abnormal amount of rain we got this winter (and into) spring, so definitely be careful if going there!

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  10. What a perfect place to just unwind and relax, Rebecca! I can easily see why charming Cambria is one of your favourite Central California Coast destinations.
    As I love places where waves crash against rock formations on the shore, and you can hear seagulls call as they fly around overhead, I am confident that I would love visiting Cambria, too. I am sorry to hear about your mom passing away, no gift could match just being with her. Thanks for sharing and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx

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    1. Thanks, Aiva! While it was bittersweet going to Cambria without my mom anymore, I also know she would’ve wanted me to go for her. It was a beautiful weekend away, to celebrate my birthday, but also commemorate my mom’s life. 😊

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  13. Looks like a wonderful place for a birthday celebration. A room by the ocean with ocean views sounds perfect, even if the ocean view is only partial. The wildflowers are lovely. I can sense from the way you write about this place how special it is for you. Bittersweet is a good way of describing what one feels when visiting places that are reminiscent of other times and people we lost. I think that choosing to spend your birthday with your dad in Cambria was a great way to remember your mum. The food is amazing, I love pulled pork, lamb and crab cakes.

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    1. Thanks, Leighton! True, Cambria holds a lot of memories for me: the good ones, the sad ones, and everything else in between. While my mom’s no longer with us to come to Cambria, we continue to visit in honor of her, to celebrate life and living, as she would’ve wanted for us to do. Cambria’s not just the place for gorgeous coastal views, but also a small, but lovely food scene, which was why I loved trying the variety of food there!

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  19. Cambria does look amazing, and I can understand why it is your happy place. I’m sorry you had those nostalgic feelings because of your mom’s passing, but it’s great that you could enjoy it nonetheless and spend some amazing quality time with your dad. Looking forward to read about your birthday trip – even though I have followed it a bit through Instagram!

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    1. Thank you, Juliette! Yes, Cambria has bittersweet memories for me, but lots of good ones to reflect on. Honestly, given all of my backlogged posts (still haven’t written about my Argentina trip yet!), it’ll take until next spring to get to my birthday trip! 😅

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      1. Ah well, then it’s a good thing that I followed your adventures on Instagram ahah! I’m very impressed by the fact you already have so many posts planned ahah, I can’t seem to do it myself and I’m always in a bit of a rush!

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    1. It truly is beautiful. I love living by the coast in southern California, but the quieter, more peaceful beaches in central California have my heart ❤️

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