Pismo Beach. Courtesy of Pismo Beach Conference & Visitors Bureau

Classic California
On the Central Coast
Story by Ringo Boitano

“This land is your land, this land is my land
From California, to the New York Island
From the redwood forest, to the gulf stream waters
This land was made for you and me.”
- Woody Guthrie

hey came by the thousands. It was not the first time, nor would it be the last. These were young Americans, many of whom who had never lived more than forty-miles from their place of birth. This all changed with the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Most of the U.S. military bases were located in California and the recruits were shipped to an unfamiliar landscape of wide-open spaces, eternal sunshine, crystal-clear ocean waters and groves of citrus trees where you could pick the oranges right from the branch. When WWII ended, many of those who were fortunate enough to return home remembered this paradise found. Winters didn’t mean having to dig your car out of the snow each morning or wearing your heaviest boots and gloves to the factory. Many of these families packed their bags and headed to this promised land of the West – where the beaches were wide and expansive, and the Pacific horizon seemed to say that anything was possible.

This California no longer exists. The citrus groves have been razed and track homes have taken their place. Factories and industries have flourished on the once inexpensive and seemingly limitless terrain. Southern California has now become something else, and, like all things in our land, will continue to grow and evolve.

Courtesy of Pismo Beach Conference & Visitors Bureau

Two hundred miles north of Los Angeles, however, there is still a piece of paradise that resembles this dream of the post WWII years. Although it too has changed, this area still comes the closest to reflecting the classic California of that bygone era. It begins on the Pacific Coast Highway, just north of the city of Santa Barbara – a location where for many Southern Californians the weekend getaways ends. It is known as the Central Coast, and my destination of choice for the weekend would be Pismo Beach.

Courtesy of the Library of Congress. Backstory Pismo Beach got its name 9,000 years ago from the indigenous people, the Chumash Indians, who referred to the area as a place to find pismu, or tar. Spanish archeologists called these early coastal residents 'playano'('beach people'). The Chumash, renowned for their magnificent redwood plank canoes, subsided on a staple of ground acorns, wild game and the (now almost depleted) Pismo Clam. The Chumash’s way of life almost ended during the Spanish Missionary Period, but the remaining decedents found a rebirth with their new Las Vegas-style casino in Santa Ynez – the Chumash Casino.

Courtesy of Pismo Beach Conference & Visitors Bureau

Today

The city of Pismo Beach was incorporated in 1951, and from the beginning was a natural as a tourist destination with its long white beaches, great weather, and spectacular views. This is not the town, though, where time has stood still. However, it has done its best to embrace the best of the past and has engineered tourist friendly packages that showcase all the wonders the area has to offer today. As I explored Pismo, I could see it was a place where everyone seems to fit - surfers and seniors walking their dogs share the same beach. Fishermen try to catch the big one from the iconic Pismo pier. You can drive and camp on the beach just down the coast at the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area.

Courtesy of Pismo Beach Conference & Visitors Bureau

Pismo boasts over 30 restaurants and more than 50 motels, hotels, and RV parks. You can enjoy bicycling, golfing, hiking, nature walks, water sports, Hummer adventure tours and horseback riding – also right on the beach! Pismo Beach is the winter home of the Monarch butterfly that comes to stay annually from October to February. Pismo also makes a wonderful home base for exploring the Central Coast’s other attractions that include the Danish Village of Solvang, Hearst Castle, over 100 wineries, the boutiques of Cambria and the previously mentioned Chumash Casino.

Where to Stay

PISMO COAST VILLAGE RV RESORT. This RV resort truly lives up to its name – it’s located right on the beach and is its own self-contained village. RVers enjoy 400 full hookup sites on 26 tree-lined acres, complete with restaurant, general store, laundromat, heated pool, wireless Internet, bicycle rentals and miniature golf course.