Flooding closes Morro Rock parking lot — but that’s not stopping visitors from enjoying waves
Morro Rock’s main parking lot is closed through the end of the week as crews work to repair damage from the historic high surf last week, but that didn’t stop people from visiting the spot on a near perfect day Wednesday.
A crowd gathered in the smaller parking lot across the street from the main lot, watching a group of otters snack on kelp and play in the water. The smaller lots along Coleman Drive were still open for parking.
Meanwhile dozens of people braved walking through the muddy main lot to watch the waves — which were still under a high surf advisory as of Wednesday.
Steve Rushingwind and his wife, Susan Ruiz, gazed at the waves in awe for a few hours, they said. The couple visits Morro Bay annually to celebrate their July anniversary but tries to add additional trips whenever they have vacation time.
“We’ve had such a busy year,” Ruiz said. “So we come here and recharge with the water — it just seems like the water just recharges our whole person and being.”
Both Rushingwind and Ruiz are painters based in Clairemont near San Diego, Rushingwind said, and they find inspiration in the waves on the Central Coast.
“We’ll go out there and sit off and watch the ocean, but it’s not the same,” Rushingwind said. “I don’t know why.”
The pair said the activity helps them be more “zen” — and could help others too.
“We need more calm in the world,” Rushingwind said.
“The crazy drivers need to just come and sit here for a couple hours and relax,” Ruiz joked.
A high surf advisory is expected to continue for the Central Coast through Thursday afternoon, with minimal chances of coastal flooding.
Another stronger round of high surf is expected to return to the area on Friday.
This story was originally published January 3, 2024 at 12:47 PM with the headline "Flooding closes Morro Rock parking lot — but that’s not stopping visitors from enjoying waves."
