Drag your feet in the white sands of Pismo Beach and you may be experiencing the same feeling the Chumash in this region enjoyed 9000 years ago .  “Pismo” comes from the Chumash word “pismu” meaning tar.  I don’t see any tar here, only long stretches of beach, sparking waters, and gentle waves delivering sand dollars.

Camped at Pismo Coast Village RV Park, we are a short walk from the beach and pier.  The town’s first pier was built in 1880 and collapsed in a storm in the 1890s.  The current pier was built in 1924 but was originally longer.  Just shy of October the weather is clear and warm.  Today we watched the Harvest Parade in Arroyo Grande then walked around the Harvest Festival. 

 

Our favorite part of the day here in Pismo is the hour before sunset when the shorebirds are plentiful.  The water caught up with me as I searched for sand dollars and It was surprisingly warm. Some kids were boogie boarding and not wearing wet suits.  Kids jumped in the surfed.  In the distance a few surfers were catching waves.  Is this the last hold of summer?

 

We brought our gin ‘n tonics to the sunset show and waited patiently for the green flash.  Did it appear?  Not sure, we sort of thought we saw it, but it was not pronounced.

 

WE DID SEE LOTS OF DOLPHINS PLAYING IN THE WATER JUST OFF SHORE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not far up the coast is Moonstone Beach where we enjoyed the wonderful bbq lunch we bought in Cambria..

.We also made a stop at Morro Bay where we snapped a shot of the NitWit House, a crazy place built by some nitwit.

Morro Bay was sparkling.  We made our traditional stop at Giovanni’s and purchased a large crab, calamari salad, smoked swordfish, sour dough bread and wasabi cocktail sauce.  This was for happy hour, but turned out to be dinner!

Even caught sight of a few otters playing in the water, just like an otter oughter.

 

 

The moon above our campsite shines bright!  This is my kind of camping!

 

 

The trick is to get to the sand dollars before the birds peck them to pieces.

I ended up with about twenty dollars.                   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With Route 66 behind us and summer coming to an end, we yearned for some time in our favorite part of the world:  The high sierras along Highway 395. 

 

                First stop LONE PINE in the shadow of Mt. Whitney.  There we enjoyed Boulder Creek RV Park and had dinner at Seasons with Jim Newton and Linda Smith.  Jim and I are old Hollywood High School friends and he is fortunate to live in this paradise.

                Traveling north we passed through Bishop, stopping at the Mountain Light Gallery featuring the dynamic landscape photography of Galen and Barbara Rowell.  After their tragic deaths in 2002, the gallery was opened by their children.  We continued north, skipping the traditional stop at Schats Bakery for lack of RV parking, and arrived at our campsite on McGee Creek. 

                The next 3 days were full of adventure, fishing, eating and fireside conversation with our friends:  Hans, the leader and organizer of the group; Bill, the fisherman extraordinaire, and his wife Ariana, daughter Cezanne and son, Hunter; Chris and Tina. 

 

                                             THE MIGHTY FISHERMEN

BILL AND HUNTER CATCH THEIR LIMIT AT CONVICT LAKE

 

                                     CHRIS REELS IN A WHOPPER

 

                                  HANS SHOWS OFF HIS TROUT                                                                    

 

 

Everyone rushes to see what I’m reeling in.

                                    I WIN THE PRIZE:  4 LBS, 22 INCHES!!           

 

 

Bill gives his son, Hunter, a lesson in fish cleaning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

STANDING AROUND CAMP AT NIGHT TO TELL FISH TALES.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                          DINNER ALWAYS TASTES BEST WHEN CAMPING!

 

      ALAN REMAINS AT THE CAMPFIRE CURSING THE DAY CUZ HE GOT SKUNKED.

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 A BREAK FROM FISHING, WE TAKE A SIDE TRIP TO BODIE STATE PARK:

 

 

                      BODIE’S CHURCH:  A PHOTOGRAPHER’S FAVORITE

                                       HANS TRIES OUT THE OUTHOUSE

                                   CHRIS, TINA AND HANS

                             LUNCH AND BODIE PICNIC AREA

OUR LAST DAY HAS ARRIVED SO WE HEAD FOR BENTON CROSSING FOR ANOTHER AFTERNOON OF FISHING:

I LOVE BENTON CROSSING.  EVEN IF YOU DON’T GET A BITE, IT IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO VIEW THE PRAIRIE AND THE SIERRAS.  HOWEVER, I LIMITED OUT!

Time to head home.  Better luck next time Alan!

 

            This fish doesn’t even fit in my ice chest.  How am I going to fit it in my oven?