Beach
California beaches allow people to enjoy the cool ocean breeze while getting kissed by the sun even in the middle of fall. California has been blessed with these stunning beaches with the capability of year round access.
Right now, on the East coast, Hurricane Matthew is devastating many. It has been raining off and on for the past couple of days. Californians are so lucky to have these opportunities to enjoy the weather and go to the beach year round.
Pismo State Beach offers all kinds of attractions like hiking, swimming, surf fishing, kite surfing, horseback riding and digging for the famous Pismo clam.
Boogie boarding and walking in the brisk ocean water are a must for multi-school Emily Wood, ‘18, when she goes to the beach. Wood is at the beach because she is on a retreat with her youth group from Riverpark Bible Church. She also enjoys the many opportunities that the youth group provides.
“My favorite thing to do when I go to the beach is to go out into the ocean and just play around, because it is a ton of fun,” Wood said. “I also like boogie boarding because it is the only thing I know how to do. Another favorite of mine is just walking along the beach because it is really peaceful.”
Pismo offers many great opportunities that other beaches In California do not provide. Pismo is known for being the only beach in California where it is permitted to drive a standard highway vehicle along the shore. The Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area sits right on the beach and offers massive sand dunes and the ultimate “dune-ing” experience.
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Campground
The Pismo State Beach North Beach Campground is walking distance from the world-renowned Monarch Butterfly Grove and Pismo Beach itself. The Campground has 103 campsites, as well as offers pay showers, restrooms, a dumping station and a senior citizen discount.
Cole Arnold, ‘20, from Clovis West has never been to North Beach Campground before. However, Arnold loves going to the beach. He also appreciates the convenient beach access and the cool weather.
“This is my first time staying at this campground, and I have really liked it so far,” Arnold said. “Some things that I like about this camp are how close it is to the beach, and the beautiful weather. I have also seen some monarch butterflies around, which is really nice. I really enjoy going to the beach because I like the change in weather and community.”
The campground is very close to Pismo Beach Monarch Butterfly Grove which offers the largest over-wintering colony of monarch butterflies in the U.S.
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Town
The City of Pismo Beach was founded in 1891 and incorporated in 1946. It is located mid-way between Los Angeles and San Francisco with a population of 8,000. Pismo Beach is a recreation and tourism-oriented town with over 65 restaurants and more than 30 hotels, motels, inns, and RV parks.
In the 1950s Pismo was once called the “Clam Capital of the World”. The city still holds an annual Clam Festival every October. The festival includes clam chowder competitions and a clam-themed parade.
Noticing the difference between Fresno and Pismo, freshman Blake Deffenbacher enjoys the change of community whenever he goes to Pismo Beach. He feels that the combination of beach, shops and restaurants offer numerous opportunities. Deffenbacher also enjoys the many different food choices.
“I have been to Pismo many times before, but this is the first time that I have tent camped here,” Deffenbacher said. “I like the combination of beach, shops and restaurants, they provide many opportunities to have fun. There are also many good places to eat here in Pismo, but my two favorites are Splash Café and El Mirador a small Mexican restaurant.”
The 70th annual Pismo Beach Clam Festival will be held, Oct. 21-23.
This writer can be reached via email: Braden Bell, Twitter: Braden Bell and Instagram: braden.bell
Slideshow: Pismo Beach offers a variety of activities for California tourists.
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