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Morro Bay
Morro Bay was a place I discovered because it was halfway between Silicon Valley and Los Angeles, where my family lived, so it was a convenient spot to stop and relax on the long trips back and forth when visiting.
I fell in love with the place, smaller, more intimate and less expensive than nearby Pismo Beach, and with good places to sleep and eat, and a wide, diverse variety of birds and animals within easy reach. It ended up second on my list of places to live when we decided to leave Silicon Valley, but I spent many days there and it was always a place I could retreat to when I needed to get away and unplug for a bit.