by Ed Boitano, “Life After 50” Travel Editor

“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

They came by the thousands. It was not the first time, nor would it be the last. They 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 at the beginning of World War II. 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.

That California almost 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.

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 close to reflecting the classic California of that bygone era. It begins on Pacific Coast Highway, just north of the city of Santa Barbara – a location where many Southern Californians head for their weekend get-a-way. It is known as the Central Coast, and my destination of choice for the weekend would be Pismo Beach.

THE PISMO 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 era, but the remaining decedents found a rebirth with their new Las Vegas-style casino in Santa Ynez – the Chumash Casino.

PISMO BEACH – THE WINE AND WAVES DESTINATION

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. Pismo is a place that has done its best to embrace and promote the best of its past while engineering 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 seemed to fit-in: surfers and seniors walking their dogs shared the same beach with fishermen and women gathered near the iconic Pismo Pier in hopes of landing a big catch. You can even drive and camp on the beach just down the coast at the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area.

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 right on the beach. Pismo Beach is the winter home of the Monarch butterfly which 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, the previously mentioned Chumash Casino, and the historic communities of Santa Ynez, Ballard, Buellton, Los Olivos, and the old village of Arroyo Grande. Make sure you check out The Point San Luis Lighthouse Park, just outside of San Luis Obispo, which features spectacular vistas stretching from Avila to Vandenberg where whales, sea lions and otters are frequently seen playing on the surface.

For further information about Pismo Beach, click on .