Montana De Oro Tide Pools

Yesterday we went south from Cambria to hike around in Montana De Oro State Park. It's not a very big park, but it's got enough to keep you busy for the day. The land is coastal desert, a lot like the canyons around where we live in San Diego. The coast, however, is quite rocky, very different from the soft, sandy beaches of home. The tide pools are plentiful and dramatic.

A cool, murky day added to the mystery and romance of the pools.

In San Diego, at least around La Jolla Cove, it's a decent swim to get from the shore to the kelp beds when you go diving. Here, there are any number of places where you'd be out into something interesting within a short distance from shore. The water's colder so you'd need a heavier wetsuit, but the sea life would have to be different, too. I might give diving a try the next time we come up.