If we plan on a 2 night stay in the Cambria area, what else is there to do apart from Hearst Castle? DO we need to reserve a tour there? Where are the penguins and seal sightings? Young couple + year old baby.
thanks

You could walk along Moonstone Beach in Cambria. It's pretty... and depending on the time of year you could paddle in the ocean too.

Cambria has several nice restaurants and a plethora of arty-crafty shops too.
I liked the glass gallery (Spellers?)

You probably don't need 2 nights in cambria. Yes, you need a reservation for the tour at Hearst Castle. I am not sure you can bring a stroller in there, so check before you sign on. Do a morning tour, and then have the afternoon for viewing Cambria. It is about 2 blocks long. The sea lions are right along the beach off of Pacific Coast highway. No penguins that I am aware of.

A great place to stay in Cambria is Blue Whale Inn on Moonstone Dr.(AAA 4-Diamond which is a BIG deal for a B&B). It is charming, with gourmet breakfasts and pm appetizers. Ocean views from their public rooms, partial from your room. Very quiet. Only 5 min into town for the galleries, shops, restaurants. Elephant seals are in several places along rte 1 just past the turnoff to Hearst Castle. You do need 2 nites for all of that.

The Blue Whale Inn is very nice, we have also enjoyed stays at the Fireside Inn next door and the Pelican Cove Inn. All of these properties are right across the street from Moonstone Beach.

We like to relax in Cambria, it is very laid-back. There is a nice glass art gallery there called Seekers that is fun to browse through, a drive out to Linn's Country Farm Store is fun and scenic. They make really good Ollalieberry pies there and chicken pot pies.

Sow's Ear Cafe, Robin's, Moonstone Beach Bar & Grill and the Black Cat Bistro are all great places to eat in Cambria.

The elephant seals are cool to see also, in Piedras Blancas, just a short drive from San Simeon. Have fun and enjoy this gorgeous part of the Central Coast.

You could also go to Paso Robles for wine tasting if you like that kind of thing. ***kim***

You could do two Hearst Castle tours - the place is so large that it would take at least four to see everything available to the public.

Will you be returning to the same place you arrive from? There are great drives in almost every direction so you could take a short trip to see something you would miss otherwise.

Is your child walking yet? Many of the beaches in the area are full of pretty tumbled shells and stones. Make a day of it and build a sand castle.

You could also check out Morro Bay - go out to the rock and wander around, go to Montana del Oro state park and walk along the bluffs and go down to little beaches there - collect seashells and all of that.

For sea lions, you can see plenty at Morro Bay. For elephant seals, there is a place along the hwy north of San Simeon - maybe about 20-30 minutes.