TRAVELS (and more) WITH CECILIA BRAINARD: Zebra and Elephant Seals in the Central Coast, California

It sounds fantastic but there are zebra in the Central Coast. William Randolph Hearst kept a zoo in the grounds of his Hearst Castle in San Simeon, which included zebra. Later the zoo animals were placed in other zoos, but the powers-that-be decided to keep the zebra (and some other animals) in the huge grounds of the ranch, free to roam with the cows. Sometimes, when you drive by the huge Hearst estate you will see zebra grazing, as we did yesterday.

My pictures also include an elephant seal refuge. Several years ago, the elephant seals decided to migrate to some coves in the Central Coast. Local volunteers decided to protect them. There are walkways so you can see them safely at a distance. The best time to see the elephant seals is December when the females have their pups and they are also mating. There is a lot of drama that goes on: babies separated from mothers; males trying to sneak into some other male's harem. There is so much Life going on then.

I also have more scarecrow pictures. They are really very amusing. And there is also a picture of Nitwit Ridge, created from junk. It's a fascinating example of folk art; you can take a tour by calling the current owners (Michael and Stacey O'Malley) tel 805-927-2690.

Remember that you can click on the picture to make the image bigger.