Stunning views of the Pacific Ocean are the
trademark of Pismo Beach. As you veer around Highway
101 on the Central Coast, you'll suddenly notice
hotels situated on cliffs overlooking the water.
Beauty and the beach: it's the stuff travelers'
dreams are made of. Top photo shows Best Western
Shelter Cove location and bottom two show Best
Western Shore Cliff. Another great hotel on the
beach near the Pismo Beach Pier is the Sandcastle
Inn. See classiccalifornia.com
for official information on Pismo Beach.
Pismo Beach is charming city with an active downtown
that includes shops, restaurants, hotels and a
beautiful pier. Take a stroll on one of the best
piers for sightseeing. We rate it with high marks
because the walk back toward land is special in its
own right. In Spring, the sun shines on green,
gently rolling hills that frame this picturesque
city while seagulls on the pier stand at attention
and watch. Locals are especially proud of the pier,
itself, and tell us that it cost over $1 million to
build and is sturdy enough to carry the foot traffic
of over a million guests who visit annually.
When you visit Pismo Beach, you may notice clam
insignias on things, and there's even a clam
monument. Pismo Clams were once as much a part of
the city as seals were to Seal Beach. In both
places, the icons are more of remembrance than a day
to day occurrence. Although, a sign with a sculpted
clam greets visitors to the city, you can't dig for
clams unless you purchase a license. Even then, you
are allowed only a certain number per day, if you
find them. There are plenty of other activities to
keep you busy, however.
Themed weekends such as the Clam and Jazz Festivals,
shops, restaurants, bicycles, a factory outlet and
12 miles of camping, hiking and surf fishing on the
State Vehicular Park make this one of the top
vacation spots on the Central California Coast. Just
being in love keeps romantics occupied in Pismo
Beach.
The name "Pismo" originates from a
Chumash Indian word, meaning "blobs of tar". Yuck!
Actually, the blobs of tar found naturally along the
California coast were very useful for building
boats, the Chumash prized possession. Pismo was part
of the original Rancho Pismo when founded by
developer John Price over 100 years ago. His El
Pizmo Company recorded a sale of a downtown lot in
1881 for $5.00. The piece of land now known as
Dolliver Street is lined with shops and buildings
and is one of the city's primary arteries. And
though we don't have recent prices on the cost of
that land today, we know that houses perched on
hills overlooking the ocean can range in the
+million mark.
A
piece of Pismo land is valuable today but selling
beach property wasn't as easy at the turn of the
century so Price built a hotel overlooking San Luis
Bay. His plans included a wharf and a railroad stop
to lure newcomers. Growth through new construction
and discovery of oil and tourism carried El Pizmo
Company into the 20th century and helped put Pismo
Beach on the map. Clams which were plentiful in the
region during those years, did their part in
creating an image for the town, as well.
All Terrain Vehicle riding on the Dunes
Bicycling
Butterfly Tours November-February
Bowling Pismo Bowl 805-773-2482.
Farmers Market at Dolliver & Main, May through
October, Tuesdays 4 pm to dusk
Horseback Riding: Silver Spur Livery Stables,
805-489-8100.
Kayaking -Central Coast Kayaks 805-773-3500
Pool at Hotshot Billiards - 805-773-4542
Shopping at Prime Outlets, Exit Five Cities Drive of
Hwy 101, Mon-Sat 10 am- 8 pm
Sun. 11 am- 6pm
Surfing
Tennis Courts -Wadsworth and Bello & European style
red clay courts are adjacent to Shore Cliff Lodge
(2555 Price St.)
Where to stay:
Pismo Beach hotel favorites (check out all of them) that
we have personally checked out include beach front or beach
close options:
Best Western
Shelter Cove Lodge. Each room has a private balcony with
an amazing ocean view! Guest rooms were completely
redesigned and not long ago, providing modern, cool breeze,
ocean view and fun time visits for romantic couples and
families.
Best Western
Shore Cliff Lodge at 2555 Price Street in Pismo Beach
also include views of the Pacific Ocean. The two Best
Western Hotels are three diamond rating. This means they are
nice, but not full service. You won't find resort amenities
such as on-site spa treatments, but at the great prices, who
needs them?
