Cambria

Visit Cambria to walk on historic streets and famous California beaches. Cambria’s history has been painstakingly preserved by a dedicated band of volunteers at the Historical Society, which brings the town’s history to life with an easy, self-guided historical walking tour. The tour showcases historic homes, storefronts and places of worship dating back to the 1870s spanning 28 stops and multiple architectural styles in Cambria’s historic East Village. Start at the Guthrie-Bianchini House, now the Cambria Historical Museum, for exhibits, information and a charming garden patio.

When you are done walking downtown, head to Moonstone Beach to hunt for sea treasures. Wave-worn “moonstones” cover this beach and entice seaglass hunters of all ages to sift its sands. For a dramatic entrance, walk the gentle Moonstone Beach Boardwalk, an ADA-compliant one-mile path along the beach. Wildlife abounds here with gray whales, humpback whales, dolphins, seabirds and otters at play. After your stroll, relax at nearby Shamel Park, whose facilities include day-use areas, a children’s playground, restrooms and a heated ADA-compliant swimming pool. Bring a picnic, a birding guide, a sweater, and a sense of adventure.

When in Cambria, visit one of the most unique ranches in America. Covell’s California Clydesdale Ranch is home to a herd of 100 freely-roaming majestic Clydesdale horses. The 2,000-acre ranch is made possible through a nature conservation easement, with views of a Monterey Pine forest, glimpses of the ocean, and pristine pastures. Tours of the 2,000-acre property are available in the ranch’s open-air trailer, or on horseback, and discuss the annual rodeo, party and open-pit barbecue held on the ranch in the 1890s with the Hearst Family as benefactor.

Cambria has famous olallieberry pie. The olallieberry (pronounced oh-la-leh) is a cross between a Youngberry and a Loganberry, and is in the same ballpark as a blackberry. The name derives from a Native American word for “berry.” The olallieberry is the most widely-grown fruit at Linn’s Family Fruit Farm, which is open to the public on picturesque Santa Rosa Creek Road. Olallieberries feature in Linn’s famous jams, sauces and, most beloved of all, in Linn’s famous olallieberry pie, available at Linn’s Restaurant. In May every year, Cambria holds the Olallieberry Festival, and every Fourth of July, Linn’s presents an old-timey pie-eating contest.