Building A Small Cottage

A trip to Cambria is refreshment for the soul and what better place to do a fairy tale house just steps from the surf and amazing energy of the Pacific Ocean?

If you're the type who likes to take long walks on the beach, then Moonstone Beach in Cambria, California, is your kind of place. Cambria is a place where you can spend hours walking each day - on the beach on the boardwalk and through a colony full of charming restaurants, art galleries and unique shops and good history of the artist.

Cambria is ideally located near many attractions of San Luis Obispo. The caves are a few miles east, Hearst Castle a few miles north. Some of the best beaches in California are a short drive south. And San Luis Obispo is a few miles south and inland.

On our recent trip to Cambria we discovered a charming group of cottages on Moonstone Beach that seem especially well suited to honeymoons or romantic getaways. There are only three "Moonstone Cottages" built on a small lot just across the road from some of the best places to explore on Moonstone Beach (so named because of the semi-precious agate and jasper stones that can be found in the sand). The cottages are not part of a big resort so you do not share your getaway with other travelers. In addition to seeing their vehicles parked in front of their houses, we never even saw our neighbors the whole time we were there.

Each cottage is fully furnished with great attention to detail. They are not huge, but quite adequate for a couple and have plenty of room to move. We stayed in the Seascape, the cottage by the sea with the best view, which includes a fireplace and mini-kitchen with refrigerator, microwave, sink and counter space. Opposite the bed with wrought iron frame was a gas fireplace and, as is common with small houses like that, a cabinet has eliminated the need for a closet. A small white table for two was perfect for enjoying the breakfast that arrived in a basket on our doorstep. A flat screen TV and DVD player are a small office of marble and marble showed up again in the bathroom vanity and shower. The brilliant dark ground cherry wood and furniture updated, created a general atmosphere of simple elegance.

Outside, a landscaped garden added to the English storybook feel and a small patio, chairs and a table was available to just sit and watch the ocean waves and visitors walking the nearby beach trails. A cypress tree framed the cottage, completing the illusion this little lodging is straight out of Hansel and Gretel.

Along this special part of the California coast, the walks are the thing. They say you can walk around the town of Cambria, including lengthy sections of a first class walk skirting the shoreline and complete this tour in about four hours. We settled for the beautiful long beach walks where we found plenty to explore, including tarpaulins, small caves, interesting rock formations, abundant driftwood and, of course, the constant backdrop of waves s 'crushing on the shore with incredible fury.

We also walked through the village itself, enjoying the many galleries and historic buildings, Squibb House, built in 1877. Shops downtown are often located in historical buildings or grounds were designed to emphasize the historic character of the village. Some shops are quite stylish and are located in the new shopping centers with historic grounds.

We took a short drive and noticed the scenery in this part of the County of San Luis Obispo is what really appeals - the more you're close to the coast, more Monterey pines appear. The combination of hills, quiet winding roads and towering pines makes.