SLO County News BlogGolf, Wine, Real Estate, Business & Travel NewsWinter Solstice on the Central CoastSaturday, December 24, 2005 Morro Rock Originally uploaded by hua bing chong ji. Tonight, five local members of the Salinan Tribe will spend the longest night of the year atop Morro Rock. The winter solstice ceremony won't end until the sun peeks over the eastern horizon the next morning. "It's like seeing a rebirth," said John Burch, a tribal official, describing the sunrise. Tribal members will gather at the base of the Rock at 3 p.m. today, along with Morro Bay city dignitaries and other supporters, before starting the hike to the top. Members of the tribe have been celebrating the summer and winter solstices from the top of Morro Rock since last year -- a result of more than 10 years of wrangling with state agencies for access to what the tribe considers a sacred location. It is a peregrine falcon nesting area, so access is limited to tribe members. Meanwhile, the Dunes Center in Guadalupe will hold its seventh annual Winter Solstice Celebration in the Guadalupe Dunes Preserve starting at 6 p.m. today. The center said the reservation-only event will be sold out. Today is also the first day of winter and the day with the fewest hours of sunlight. Days will progressively get longer until peaking next June on the summer solstice. Read More
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