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One of California’s most charming road stops on Highway 1 is Cambria, home to Moonstone Beach. The small city near Hearst Castle is a popular tourist attraction, known for many privately owned non-chain restaurants and beach accommodations. The scenic city of Cambria isn’t quite as close to Hearst Castle as San Simeon, where you can also find beach hotels with ocean views, but Cambria’s Moonstone Beach offers incredible charm and is well worth driving a few extra miles to experience.

Summer weekends often mean few remaining accommodations, but if you book ahead or go week day, your chances of finding a beachfront room improves incredibly. A row of hotels along Moonstone Beach Drive offers opportunities to shop and compare, but most are well kept and managed with friendly staff. Since you’re in the heart of wine country (wine tasting in nearby Paso Robles) you’ll find Cambria restaurants are well equipped with extensive wine selections. Locals generally know their stuff when it comes to pairing wines with meals. Try local wines that you can purchase and take to your hotel room at Moonstone Beach. Pop open a bottle just around sunset as you sit on the patio deck of your hotel and soak up the smooth waves and pleasant wines that Central Coast produces. The experience grows on you. You’ll be back!

Hotels along Moonstone Beach include:

• Best Western Plus Fireside Inn on Moonstone Beach  3.5 of 5 stars
• Fog Catcher Inn   4.5 out of 5 stars
• Blue Dolphin Inn 4.5 of 5 stars
• Sand Pebbles Inn 4.5 of 5 stars