Pelicans Over Pismo

It was a beautiful day at Dinosaur Cave Park and the Pelicans were cruising the coast line. They were beautiful.

Lazy Crazy Daze of Summer

Passing the time with the beach and banjo! I love this young man so much.

Beach = Sandy Feet

We met our daughter in Ventura with three of the Grandsons and one of their friends and had a wonderful time. It is amazing how they have grown up and become young men. It was not a real sunny day but it was not cold or windy.

When we walked down town to have lunch, we were welcomed with this sign... what the hay??? A beach burger joint with a sign like this. I wanted to turn around and walk out but I was hungry! And the burger was really good. (Just for the record, we did try to get the sand off of our feet... really we did.)

It was a good day and I loved being with my Daughter and Grandsons.

Wheels and Sand

Fun days on the beach this Memorial Day weekend. Fun, fun, fun.

Be safe!!

Windy Day Kiteboarding

The wind was blowing hard down at the beach, but the kiteboarders were having a blast.

This guy got caught up with one of his friends...

And this kite was in the surf...

But nothing slowed them down until the sun was setting and the wind calmed down.

Hauling Truck

I would sure like to know the story behind this rig.

Does he haul this buggy with him and when he is close to the beach he drops his trailer somewhere and comes down to play in the sand? He has ramps to take that dune buggy off of there. I would sure like to see that happen. It might be even scarier to see him put it back. Wish I had had the guts to flag him down and get the real story.

The Red Dot

I've been noticing this red dot on the bill of some Sea Gulls. After some research, here is what I've learned. The Western Gulls have the red dot on their bill. The other two are California Gulls and have the dark spot on their bill. There are many other kinds of gulls and to make it even more complicated their feather colors change over several years as they mature. All this makes it a little tricky to identify each kind.

It is interesting to note that the California Gull is the Utah state bird. The California Gull swooped down in1848 and ate hoards of crickets that were destroying the crops of the pioneers. The people of Utah showed their appreciation by naming the California Gull their state bird in 1955. How cool is that?

The New Avila

The rebuilding of Avila has been happening and they have done a nice job. Several years ago the Union Oil company was required to tear down a lot of the buildings and remove all the contaminated sand in this little town. It was a mess and looked so sad. A couple of nice new hotels have been built and a beach side restaurant with outdoor dining is delightful.

Now things are looking much better and the sun seekers have returned in big numbers. They have improved parking and made a charming down town area. Every Friday afternoon they have a Farmer's Market in the plaza area right on the beach. The fresh produce and food is certainly worth the trip down on a sunny afternoon.

They have reopened the pier and put in a complete new playground for the little ones. AND they left the swings that are right on the sand.

 

Best of all... the oil smell is gone! It was a long, long time coming but they got it done! 

End of Day at Pismo

We were down at the Pismo Pier as the sun was setting. It was warm, balmy even for a January afternoon. It was beautiful... just beautiful.

Seagulls Fishing

This Sea Gull dropped his lunch. Was it a fish or a clam?

Minus Tide

We caught a low tide of -1.2 the other day. There was so much sand to drive on and the beach was swept clean.

The Seagulls and Sanderlings were having a feast on all those critters in the sand that they had access to because the water was so low.
It was a Sand crab buffet!

No Way

This is not my idea of a good beach experience.

We made the mistake of driving on the beach on Saturday. It was packed!! ATV's, cars, motorhomes, motorcycles, dune buggies, horses and people. We all have our own way of enjoying the beach... but this seems so wrong.

Day at the Beach

There was a brisk breeze down on the beach and the kiteboarders were taking advantage of it. We sat at a table far above and ate lunch. The view and the lunch was wonderful!

Ice in the Ocean

The ocean took on an unusual icy look and the sea gulls were enjoying the waves.

Beach and Birds

On our way home we drove onto the beach at Grand Avenue. We were looking for Whimbrels. We found only two and the first one flew away as we drove past and this was the second. It was small but hungry and was digging for any morsel in the sand. They are such interesting birds with that long bill. Some days we see flocks, but today only two.

There were several places that the tides had washed up lots of pebbles and broken shells. This doesn't happen too often on Pismo Beach which is mostly sandy and not known for many shells. Except when the sand dollars wash up! This is very sporadic...you never know when.

Lots of seagulls where eating too, young and old. These are Heermann Gulls.

Foggy Day at Pismo Beach

It was very foggy at Pismo Beach but some people can not accept that it is not a beach day. I don't claim to know any of these people...my family is smarter than this!

The sun tried hard to peek through but never really made it. There will be better days for the beach!

Looking for Lunch

This little guy ran along the shore gathering his lunch. He was busy as could be and kept at it all the while I was watching him. I thought at some point he would get full but he never stopped and I walked on my way.

The Tsunami that Never Came

There was all the hype on TV. We just had to go down at the predicted time they said it would hit the shore.We weren't the only ones either.

It was windy and there were waves. Some were even big and broke way out beyond all the rest. Some looked odd and rolling in at a different angle. But none of them were a tsunami! Good thing too, since we were curious enough to go stand out there!

Avila Beach

A drive to Avila Beach and the pier is always a treat. This sheltered cove is often one of the warmest beaches on the central coast. The town of Avila has been almost completely rebuilt after the oil companies did their damage. Although that was all painful for the people who live there and those of us who visit, the town is now better than ever. There are new hotels, a nice park and delightful restaurants with outdoor seating. On Friday evenings during the summer there is a farmers market that is very popular with food booths and local crafts.

There were many boats resting in the harbor where the water was as smooth as glass. They have also redone the parking lots and the camping spots clear out by the pier.

This is a wonderfully peaceful place to spend a little time.