All of these little towns up and down the coast are rich in history; from the Pacific Railroad passing thru many of them, to stories of overfishing, uprooting the Chinese and Japanese peoples from established villages, to the Gold Rush days of the 1800’s. The rampant commercialism that has taken over these cities makes me both sick and sad. I understand that people have to make a living off of the tourists, but we simply don’t need so many t-shirt shops, souvenir shops, ice cream and pizza joints and restaurants out the ying yang. A person can only take so much and after awhile it was just plain boring.
After the car show and my jaunts out to explore became ho hum, my daily routine became floating on my back in the pool staring up at the big puffy clouds and contemplating life. In the early morning, every morning, the fog would roll in off the ocean and it was just beautiful, with perfect temps. Then it would burn off and the sun would come blazing out, but the temps would still stay in the 70‘s. Who could ask for more? I wished things could always be like this and I could stay living on the road, going from town to town and never stopping. It becomes a little of a surreal experience after awhile and you get disconnected from the rest of the world as far as what’s happening out there - war, poverty, hunger, the economy, commuting, politics. Everyone around me was on vacation, relaxing, having fun. This is what I imagined a version of heaven to be like.
The World Cup was in full swing at this time, and the U.S. was still in the hunt. A crowd had gathered around one RV that had an outside TV set up. I had not watched TV for so long that I found I had not missed it a bit. So I was content to ask what the score was as I walked by on my way to the pool. From my serene oasis in the water I heard periodic screaming and yelling as the U.S. scored or made a great play (I found out later we had lost and were eliminated).
Hammy had also enjoyed his stay at the campground, having been admired by all, and was one day joined briefly by another vintage camper. Before I could have more than a cursory chat with them about theirs and peek inside, they were gone the next morning. It would be awhile before we would see another. I was seeing many old and new Airstreams on the road, but not many of Hammy’s age or look.
My visit to Pismo/Avila/San Luis Obispo/Shell Beach/Oceano was all in all great. I found a little bit of gonzo living at Happy Nails and on the beach from people doing their own thing, but not as much as I thought I would here. Was kind of expecting a little bit more, but I got to know the area well and they are all nice communities with their own draws. I would definitely come back but next time avoid all the commercialism and seek a quieter more laid back experience. I also would NEVER go back to that San Luis KOA. Nice facilities but extremely poorly managed.
Until next time, I’m living small and loving it largely.
The Gonzo Hunter
