Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Olde Port Inn
SEAFOOD
mains $14-46; 11:30am-9pm Sun-Thu, to 10pm Fri & Sat; )
Clam chowder and cioppino are standouts at this seriously old-school seafood restaurant at
the tip of Harford Pier. A few tables have see-through glass tops and floors, so lucky
diners can peer down into the ocean. Reservations recommended.
Getting There & Around
Between 10am and 4pm on Saturdays and Sundays from late March until mid-October, a
town Avila Beach to Port San Luis; from early June to early September, extended hours
are 10am to 6pm Thursday through Sunday.
Pismo Beach
Backed by a wooden pier that stretches toward the setting sun, Pismo Beach is where
James Dean once trysted with Pier Angeli. Fronted by an invitingly wide, sandy beach,
this 1950s-retro town feels like somewhere straight out of
Rebel Without a Cause
or
Amer-
ican Graffiti.
If you're looking for a sand-and-surf respite from coastal road tripping, break
your journey here.
Sights & Activities
Pismo likes to call itself the 'Clam Capital of the World,' but these days the beach is pretty
much clammed out. You'll have better luck catching something fishy off the pier, where
you can rent rods. To rent a wetsuit, boogie board or surfboard, cruise nearby surf shops.
Pismo Beach Monarch Butterfly Grove
PARK
From late October until February, more than 25,000 black-and-orange monarchs make
their winter home here. Forming dense clusters in the tops of eucalyptus trees, they might
easily be mistaken for leaves. Between 10am and 4pm during the roosting season, volun-
