Coasting to Pismo

Last week I began my annual Christmas migration to Arizona with a jaunt down the coast to Pismo Beach.  It was a crisp, fresh day, with rather substantial surf along the way.  Here a wave crashes over a rock near Lucia, on the Big Sur coast.

Foam mass.

The elephant sloats are, well, sloating out on the beach.  The females are starting to give birth...there were a few pups about.  Many more to follow in the coming weeks.

Wave crashes over a rock at Pt Piedras Blancas.  The rock is at least 30 feet high.

Morro Rock, from the Cayucos pier.

Windblown spray from a crashing breaker.

Looking at a wave from behind and above on the Cayucos pier, you can see a brief rainbow if the light is right.

Gulls eye view of a Cayucos breaker.

I stayed at the Best Western Shore Cliff, my usual Pismo haunt.  Had a good view of the incoming swells from my veranda.

Sunset at Pismo.  Not visible in the pic are several dozen pelicans hanging out on the slope below the gazebo.