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Showing posts with the label Pismo Beach

My Amazing Ride - 2021

Pismo Beach Pier, California Traveling during the pandemic was  quite different from my previous last minute trips with no hotel reservations and lots of taken for granted expectations. There are health disclosures to fill, vaccination cards to show immigration, covid tests to take, and in some cases, travel insurance and confirmed paid hotel reservations to show the border police. Thankfully the airports were quiet at the beginning of my European trip in June but by the time I got home in July from Paris, travelers were back in droves that it took me close to three hours to get to my gate. The same was true in December when I returned from Costa Rica. LAX was full of Christmas travelers, it was hard to find any seat at the gates let alone, breathing space. Enough whining! After all, I visited 7 countries in 2021 plus the Arctic Circle, Interior Alaska and Las Vegas and had reunions with my close friends in Michigan, Amsterdam and Vienna. It was an amazing year of travel! April. After

Easter Weekend at Pismo Beach

Pismo Beach Pier After months of staying indoors with only an occasional getaway to the supermarket, it was a huge relief to take a short road trip to the coast. The weather was warm and the sky was clear. Though Pismo Beach was hopping with weekenders, we found parking a short distance from the beach. Most of the people on the pier and on the beach had their masks on.   The wooden pier is 1,200 feet long and extends out into the Pacific Ocean. It was renovated in 2020. There are a couple of vintage Airstream concession stands along its length offering snacks, drinks and souvenirs. The pier is connected to the plaza which has shops, cafés and a children’s playground.    Stairs lead down to the beach from both the north and south sides of the pier. It was fascinating to see the pylons supporting the pier. The pier has the best view of the surfers who, this late in the day, are still waiting patiently to ride the big wave. Sunset is that time of day when everyone stands quietly staring a

California Central Coast

Sunrise on Pismo Beach California's Central Coast has some of the most breathtaking views in the world. Driving south on 101 from the San Francisco Bay Area, I passed rich farmlands and vineyards crawling up the hillsides. And halfway down to Santa Barbara, the beach towns of San Luis Obispo County are the hottest spots for sun worshippers. The outdoor tables at the Marisol at the Cliffs Resort on Pismo Beach offer premium seats for watching the fiery descent of the sun into the Pacific Ocean. Yes, it calls for a toast! It's always a treat to eat breakfast at Stearn's Wharf in Santa Barbara. Seacraft of all sizes ply the Channel in the early morning hours. A walk on the pier is a must with a full stomach. Camera at the ready, I spied a sailboat coming into the harbor. Ahhh, beautiful mornings are made of these. Santa Barbara Channel from Stearn's Wharf *  *  * Images by Charie