Pismo Beach, CA Travel & Photos

If you want to get excited about something on the Central Coast, Pismo Beach is an exciting destination that tourists rave about. Does anybody not love Pismo Beach? It is the premier vacation and beach destination in a stretch of coast between Santa Barbara and Monterey. In the picture is the Pismo Beach Pier, a wooden plank pier over the Pacific Ocean that includes free fishing, a beach concession, public restrooms, picnic tables, benches, and during the holidays, an artificial Christmas tree.

With the largest stretch of flat sand beaches for sunbathing, surfing, and even dune all terrain vehicle riding, the city that calls itself "Classic California" lives up to the reputation more than most cities do. Combing old-fashioned fun with less crowds that Southern California beaches, Pismo epitomizes the happy songs and good times that made surfing, skateboarding, and California beach living famous. Tourists have enjoyed the beach for over 100 years, as evidenced in a photo of happy women & girls at the beach that long ago.

Pismo Beach has a charming wood pier where you can fish free, sit and watch the surfers in the Classic California experience, or people watch as others from Bakersfield, San Diego, and San Jose come to visit and enjoy its small town charms.

Pismo Beach was named for the Pismo clam which once was plentiful at its beaches. An annual event pays homage to the clam, and several restaurants in town serve popular clam chowder. Among the favorites is The Splash Cafe. It is located just a block from the beach, and serves up hearty soup that has won awards year after year. People line up outside the restaurant adorned on its exterior with surf themes, murals, and signage. Be sure to save time for dining in Pismo Beach.

Things to see and things to do in Pismo Beach include many annual events such as the big Pismo Beach Clam Festival.

Hotels overlook or are on the beach, providing the best beach accommodations for hundreds of miles either direction. The water temperatures in the Pacific Ocean are slightly cooler than Southern California because of the Alaskan ocean current that flows south and still provides influence in this portion of California. The good news is that this very current blows cool air on shore, and is what makes the grapes so perfect for wines.

Pismo Beach is located in San Luis Obispo County and features Prime Outlets shopping, a California Welcome Center, a visitors center downtown, and state beaches nearby where you can ride ATVs.