Pismo Beach (Photo: Courtesy of Pismo Beach Conference & Visitors Bureau)Summer. Of all four seasons, she’s got the most personality and the brightest enthusiasm. She throws wicked parties and sports a stellar wardrobe. It’s no wonder that in late August, many of us feel the need to send her off with a worthy, last hurrah. Pack the cooler, grab a leash for Fido and don’t forget your sunglasses – Yahoo Travel has rounded up best spots to soak up the last drops of that dip-in-the-pool, sand-in-your-hair, charcoal-on-the-grill goodness that is an American summer.
Pismo Beach, Calif.
Located almost equidistant from San Francisco and Los Angeles, Pismo Beach first got dubbed as the “Clam Capital of the World” in the 1950s. Back then, the clam population was so thriving, you could literally shovel them off the sand by the dozens. No longer the case thanks to overharvesting, the place still makes headlines for its great surfing, soft sand beaches and quaint charms, like the weekly farmer’s market held on the historic pier. It’s not only the surf that pulls people to Pismo, however. You can tee off at one of four golf courses, tour the 20 vineyards in the surrounding wine country, get an aerial view in a WWII biplane or strap yourself inside a Humvee for a thrill ride across the region’s natural sand dunes. They make up some of the largest in North America.
HINT: If you revisit in the fall, you can witness the annual influx of thousands of Monarch butterflies that spend the winter in the Pismo trees.
