Pismo Beach

...Continued from yesterday:
     The following day, Friday, we drove to Pismo Beach.  However we stopped first for breakfast at another little place we found in Atascadero called AJ's Kitchen Fast & Fresh.

     The place was really small inside and had only five tables,

​...however a table was clearing just as we arrived,  and so we were lucky enough to snag one.

     We soon saw why the place was full: the food was, as promised in its name, freshly made, - as well as hot and tasty -  and the service was fast.
          Romaine had a veggie and rice  burrito,

​....while I had sunny side up eggs with the best home fries and a side of thick, buttery garlic toast.

     Well-fueled by our yummy breakfast, Romaine, Lucy,

...and I drove 27 miles south,

​...to our first destination, The Pismo State Beach Monarch Butterfly Grove.

     The Butterfly Grove is a copse of eucalyptus trees where Monarchs from all over the country migrate to winter over between October and February.

​     Though Romaine recalled on a previous visit to the Butterfly Grove seeing thousands of monarchs clinging to the trees like foliage, as in this picture,

...on the day we were there we saw only a few stray butterflies flying among the trees.

   We wondered if it was too late in the season to see the butterflies, if they'd already left their winter habitat, or if, a worse thought, their numbers have been decimated by climate change.  In any case, the Butterfly Grove was a nice place for a walk among the eucalyptus trees,

​...and there were groups of children on class trips, which was sweet (I felt that I would like the park ranger's job of telling children about the butterflies)

    From the Butterfly Grove we drove to the beach,

...where we strolled along the shore line.

     Next we decided to drive up to San Luis Obispo, which was on our way back to Atascadero,

...to have a look around the town,

...and grab some lunch, which we did, at a place called The Habit Burger Grill.

    The food was good. Romaine had a veggie burger with green bean fries - quite good - and I had a tuna in teriyaki sauce with sweet potato fries.

     After lunch we headed back to Atascadero,

​...to our cute house.

     That evening Romaine made us some hummus,

​...which was awesome.

     To be continued...