Mike’s hobby is triathlons (cue the jokes about not running even if you were paid, let alone swimming and biking before…!) and through the sport he met Gary & April. After training together – the 3 of them scouting out different local trails and swimming pools – I finally got to meet them at a bar for drinks one night shortly after.

This was about four years ago. Since then, Gary and April have moved down to Southern California (waaaahhh!) but we still see each other as often as possible. We love to plan trips around triathlons (I spectate, they swim/bike/run) and either camp, share an airbnb, or – if we’re feeling really cheap – a hotel room with 2 beds and hopefully a hot tub. We’ve been all around California as a goofy foursome, hitting up different tris in Napa, SLO, and Tahoe.

This past weekend, along with Mike and Gary participating in a tri, we also celebrated my birthday in Morro Bay, exactly 3 hours in between us in the central coast. Morro Bay is your quintessential little beach town, with it’s salty air and ocean sound effects adding ambiance to the creaky, semi-worn down restaurants and shops lining the roads.

Upon arriving on Friday night, we went to the store to stock up on beer and breakfast noms for the next morning. I’m a big fan of IPAs and found a tangerine one that was nomnom. It was a perfect combination of citrus and hoppy; and a solid 6% – beer under 5% is a waste of time and calories! After a few beers and catching up a little bit, we all went to bed.

The next morning we drank coffee (tea for Mike!) and made a decadent breakfast. I’ve mentioned on the blog a few times that a splash of 1/2&1/2 in my morning coffee would be one of the hardest things to give up if I were ever to be a vegan. I’m surprised that this theory has been actually debunked… I now prefer almond milk in my coffee over cow’s milk. Now, if only cheese wasn’t part of the reason I live so delicious…

For breakfast we have waffles, eggs, bacon, and strawberries. Fuel for a fun day is downtown San Luis Obispo. There was a Dia De Los Muertos estival in that we explored before eating at Luna Red. A few years ago we went to the same place for breakfast after a camping trip nearby and all four of us still remembered how good it was. We had to go back! Like last time, it didn’t disappoint. We left filled up on cocktails and tacos.

When we got back to our airbnb, Gary and April took a nap. Trying to resist napping myself, Mike and I started an episode of The West Wing but the allure of sleep beat out Aaron Sorkin’s witty banter and I quickly fell asleep.

For dinner we went Rose’s Bar and Grill and sat out by the water. Morro Bay is famous for this massive rock and we had a great view! April and I each ordered a glass of white wine, a house salad, and the lobster mac n’ cheese. Hooray for girlfriends to spilt dinners with! (Even though, to be fair, Mike does spilt things with me most of the time.)

As we were walking out, we spotted a small arcade room with air hockey. We stopped for a few rounds before heading back to the house where we finished the night off with a game of Love Letters, a house favorite.

The next morning, Gary and Mike woke up early to set up for the triathlon they were participating in! April and I spelt in and took our time getting down to the start. Added bonus: it was daylight savings (daylight saving?) and no one was complaining about the extra hour off sleep.

After we watched both Mike and Gary make it back from the swim, April and I headed to The Coffee Pot for some much needed BLACK MAGIC and breakfast. Here we spilt (again, I know) a breakfast croissant and home fries. Then it was back to the finish line to see our men come in from the run.

Sweaty and tired, we went back to the house for the guys to shower and then packed up the cars, cleaned up the house, and were right back downtown ready to eat again!

Then it was time to head home and say goodbye 😦 but not without seeing a little otter family in the bay first!

Until next time, Morro Bay!

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** Note this blog went through a rebrand and is now veg vibes; which aligns better with the direction I organically gravitated towards. It’s all about your vibe.**