Traveling in my own backyard: Portland, OR: Pismo Beach, CA 12.7.11

After being on call all weekend, I've been waiting for wednesday afternoon for some time off. It was time to hit the beach. Despite being in the 60s, Pismo Beach is still a great place to explore and watch the beautiful ocean. Pismo Beach's Main Pier is off the Price St. Exit off of the 101. Turn west onto Pomeroy until you hit the ocean.


Clam Strips and Fries

I started my afternoon eating lunch at Pierside Cocktails, which has a view of the pier (no surprise there) I ordered clam strips and fries, something I've never tried. Knowing that Clamming is an activity you can do in Pismo beach, I decided to give the clamp strips a try. Tastes very similar to calamari, but a more hearty flavor. A plus is that you can bring your dog on the patio, and a cute little terrier came up to me for a cuddle. Makes me miss my Gidget.

Afterwards, I walked the pier and explored the farmer's market they have on Wednesdays from 2-5pm. From the pier, I see two surfers floating in the ocean waiting for a good wave. I also saw some guy with a metal detector. I assume he is looking for buried treasure.

View of Pomeroy St.- The Main street that leads to the main beach and Pier

I love the central CA beaches because of the drastic change in environment in such a short distance. One minute I'm staring at the waves, then I turn around to see rolling hillsides filled with crops. The only beaches in LA that have a similar environment is Malibu.

I wanted to go hiking next and planned to go the Pismo Beach Campgrounds, North Beach. According to the website, they have hiking trails. Unfortunately, the Nature Center was closed, so I had no guidance or maps on hiking trails. After walking around, I did find a trail that lead to the beach. Not knowing how far the trail was, I decided to turn around as it got closer to sunset. I love the campground because it also has the dichotomy of feeling of being in a forest while beach access less than a mile away.