Hearst Castle Run Recap

Group shot atop Bitterwater Road on our way into King City

Hi Everyone,

We had a great turnout for our weekend run to Hearst Castle on October 7, 2017.  Twenty-four cars and 43 people came along for the fun ride out of Gilroy along CA - Hwy 25 through Hollister, past Pinnacles National Park, along Bitterwater Road before we arrived into King City for a restroom break.  From there we had to go on Hwy 101 for a few miles before taking off on CA Hwy 41 down into Morro Bay for lunch. We had the in-coming VP with us - Simon T., your new social media/communication officer - Bayley M. and the following 2018 in-coming directors on this run: Carolyn & John M., Tina & Steve S., Vickie C. & Mick B., Alison & Gordon L., Anita W. & Christoph, and Brian D. & Crystal T.

I'm sure everyone was wondering where the heck I was taking us as we drove through the middle of Morro Bay, into Morro Bay State Park on a dead-end road.  I love those little surprises you can find traveling down dead-ends.  Most of us had lunch at Bayside Cafe, 10 State Park Road in Morro Bay, Ca, with a few of our group venturing off to a different location for lunch.  The food was wonderful at Bayside Cafe and the view was picturesque.

View at the Bayside Cafe

Once we re-grouped, it was a short drive into Cambria, but first we had another dead-end road to explore the Town of Harmony.  Harmony has 18 residents and home to Harmony Glassworks and Harmony Pottery.

 Christoph, Tina, Vickie, Simon, Nikki & Anita

Members were on their own at this point to continue exploring Harmony, or Cambria, check-in to their hotels or just sit by the ocean and watch the waves until the appointed time of the evening tour at Hearst Castle. Check out the NorCal MINI Facebook group for more photos of the Hearst Castle tour shared by our members.

We couldn't end the weekend without a little more fun. I placed a NorCal button among all of the scarecrows in Cambria. The only rule for the game was the 1st to text/send me a picture of themselves with the button were the WINNERS!   I don't know if everyone knows this, but we have some hardcore 'gamers' as members.  Many of them looking before the morning light of Sunday.  

Congratulations to Phil & Valerie who found the button at 10:49 PM on Saturday night.

Here are the WINNER! getting their bag of goodies.  Yes, they got to keep the bag too!  Of course I placed the pin on MINONS.  Where else would I have put it?  All you had to do was find it FIRST.

Thanks to all of you who made the run!

I had to share this great shot of Matthew's car.  Photo ops abound during this trip!

Great beauty shot from Matthew H.