The first recorded presence of Filipinos in the United States was when mariners aboard Spanish galleons crossed the Pacific between the Philippines and Mexico and landed in Morro Bay over 400 years ago. Along Coleman Drive leading to Morro Rock, a 20 million year old volcanic plug off the shore of Morro Bay, is a plaque commemorating the historical site.

As you head south from Big Sur on Highway 1 into San Luis Obispo County, just south of the Piedras Blancas Lighthouse is the Elephant Seal Vista Point where visitors can go onto a boardwalk overlooking the beach and be steps away from hundreds of Elephant Seals resting in the sand and enjoying the sun.

Elephant Seals rest at the Elephant Seal Vista Point south of Piedras Blancas Light Station.

After an overnight at the Beach Bungalow Inn and Suites, grab a hearty breakfast at Frankie and Lola’s Front Street Café and head south on Main Street to Morro Bay State Park. Next to hiking around Morro Rock State Preserve, the best way to experience Morro Bay is to kayak through the estuary and treat your morning to a serene paddle among flocks of sand pipers, curious harbor seals, and the cool Pacific breezes.

Sand Pipers fly overhead on our early morning kayak in the Morro Bay estuary.

After a day on the water, join Central Coast Outdoors for post-kayak lunch on the sandspit dunes or head back to the Embarcadero where you can sample fresh barbecued oysters or wander into dockside boutiques offering fresh fudge and handmade salt water taffy.

BBQ Oysters at the Morro Bay Embarcadero.

"Crabface," as he's called by the Santa Cruz locals, share a photo with us on the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf

Once a year, between November and March, some of the biggest names in surfing descend upon Half Moon Bay to ride the world’s best big waves. During the winter, California’s northern Pacific Ocean waves routinely reach from 25 feet to over five stories high. Surf lover or not, the San Francisco to the Central Coast is a haven for nature lovers and thrill-seekers. As you head south on San Francisco from Highway 1 the Cabrillo highway, sloping hills turn into green bluffs scattered with coastal pines that overlook the Pacific shore pull over into Pescadero State Beach and Natural Preserve to explore the tide pools that teem with sea anemone and crabs or watch kite surfers brave the high winds and pounding surf.

Ready to catch some waves? Walk up to Club Ed’s trailer on Cowell Beach and learn from locals on how to surf or paddle board. Or if you prefer to admire the surf from the comfort of a yacht, join the Chardonnay II on sunset sails or watch gray whales pass through the Monterey Bay on their migration from Mexico to Alaska each February through April.

After your beach adventures, enjoy tasty tapas and wine at Soif and treat your taste buds to the wild fennel or rose petal organic artisan ice creams at The Penny Ice Creamery.

Head to the other side of the bay to Monterey and Carmel and explore marine life up close or the secret lives of seahorses at the Monterey Bay Aquarium or peruse the over 100 art galleries and boutique shops in the upscale village of Carmel-by-the-Sea.

Creamy cheese-filled pears with butter rum sauce…sour cream pear pie with baked crumble; it was what Greek poet Homer called the “gift of the gods.” And that was just last year’s winning dishes! You can find variations of these heavenly desserts at the Annual Pear Fair in Courtland, California in July.

A family member’s high school graduation party took me to Courtland, California in July, but that Sunday also happened to be the 38^th annual celebration of the Delta’s Bartlett pear harvest. In addition to local arts and crafts, a classic car show, and a parade, the pears were the feature of this summer’s festival.

Pear recipes from the 2009 Pear Fair

1st Place

Cheese Filled Pears in Butter Rum Sauce

by Jackie Bermudez-Harrell

4 med. Bartlett pears

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1/4 cup apple juice

1/4 tsp. Rum flavoring

1/2 cup whipping cream

Cheese Filling:

1 – 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup butter 1 graham cracker crust, crumbled

Pare pears, leaving stems on. Carefully remove cores from bottoms, leaving tops intact. Stand pears upright in baking dish. Sprinkle with ground nutmeg, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Then with clean bare hands cover pears with butter. Pour in apple juice and rum flavoring. Bake for 45-50 minutes at 350 degrees. Transfer pears to a plate and keep warm. Pour cooking liquid into a small saucepan. Stir in whipping cream and heat to a boil stirring often until sauce is reduced by 1/3 and slightly thickened. Pour over pears. In a bowl combine cream cheese, honey, and butter; beat until blended. Fill the inside of the pears carefully with cream cheese mixture. Place in another shallow baking dish. Sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs. Bake at 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

2nd Place

Sour Cream Pear Pie

by Carlene Perez

Filling:

1/2 cup sugar

1 beaten egg

1 Tbsp. flour

1 tsp. vanilla

1/8 tsp. salt

1 cup sour cream

3 cups cubes pear

1 unbaked pie crust

Crumb Mixture:

2/3 cup flour

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter (Mix with pastry blender)

Combine sugar, egg, flour, vanilla and salt. Fold in sour cream add pears. Pour all ingredients in unbaked pie shell and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and add crumb mixture. Bake pie for approx. 30 minutes or until lightly browned.

3rd Place

Easy Pear Pie

by William Arlin

1 – 9 inch frozen pie crust

3-4 medium pears; peeled, cored and sliced

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup butter or margarine

2 eggs 1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. cinnamon Place pears in pie crust. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over pears. Cover edge of crust with aluminum so not to over brown. Bake at 325 degrees for 45-50 minutes.

I’m referring to the experience at Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary and being neck deep in a warm mixture of finely ground cedar and plant enzymes, heated naturally by fermentation. Recently, my partner and I visited Osmosis Day Spa and spent the night in Occidental, California, a small town in the rolling hills of Sonoma County, tucked along the Bohemian Highway between Wine Country and the Pacific Coast. What’s special about Osmosis? A number of things, including being the first cedar enzyme bath in the country brought from Japan from a decades-old tradition. Michael Stusser, founder of Osmosis, is also a founding member of the Green Spa Network.

The experience at Osmosis, with their sustainable spa practices and monthly meditation programs, is always a memorable and transformative retreat for me and I love that they offer different relaxation options such as the

• unique cedar enzyme bath experience – wooden tubs filled with a fragrant blend of finely ground cedar, rice bran, and plant enzymes imported from Japan, which are heated naturally, by fermentation, creating biologically generated warmth
• meditation garden – tranquil, five-acre, meditation garden designed by the chairman of the Japanese Garden Society (based in the UK), where you begin your spa experience sipping tea mixed with enzymes made from more than 25 different organically grown plants, and
• themed wellness and inner journeys programs featured every month – for example in June, the theme included one-on-one relaxation exercises and a guided meditation with a life coach who specializes in spiritual exploration and holistic health.

I recommend making a weekend of it and stay in Occidental. There are budget and upscale lodging options as well as delicious dining choices (including an organic bakery specializing in fresh baked bread just walking distance from the spa).

Just an hour and a half north of San Francisco, the Bohemian Highway beckons with the warm days of autumn and the tranquil setting of eucalyptus trees and lambs grazing on roadside meadows. My boyfriend and I visited Osmosis Day Spa and spent the night in Occidental, California, a rural town in the rolling hills of Sonoma County, tucked along the Bohemian Highway between Wine Country and the Pacific Coast.

We stayed at a highly-rated budget lodge in Occidental that was basic in style and amenities but offered fresh-baked cookies in their lobby. One morning shared a loaf of fresh-baked olive and rosemary bread from a small organic bakery with an onsite garden. For dinner we had made reservations at an intimate French bistro where there were small tables, a cello musician playing solo classical tunes, and the chef came out to ask us how our meal was tasting and to shake our hands.

On Main Street, we happened upon a charming shop with a collection of functional art objects made entirely of reclaimed or recycled materials. And in Freestone, the neighboring town, we relaxed overlooking a meditation garden, while our bodies were suspended in healing enzymes and cedar dust. It was my second time to this rural retreat and each time I’m reminded of how simply some people live. The small stores, the close knit community. I liked being the only car on the road.