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A short drive from Pismo will take you to Santa Barbara County, where you'll find not only more beaches, but also Mission-style architecture and wineries galore. Pay a visit to Santa Maria to try the city's unique style of barbecue, or make your way up to the Danish-American community of Solvang to see colorful neo-Tudor architecture.
Popularized by the writings of Henry Miller, the Big Sur region of the Central Coast has long attracted artists of all stripes, offering scenic beaches, clifftop hiking trails, and hot springs. Some of these highlights are located in the region's much beloved state parks, including Andrew Molera State Parkand Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park.
Like elsewhere on the California Coast, Pismo Beach is at its most popular during the summer vacation months, but the weather is just as nice in early fall. Come in October to attend the annual Pismo Beach Clam Festival, an ode to the Pismo clam and its famous chowder. The winter off-season is a great time for whale watching, while Pismo Beach State Park also provides refuge for the largest overwintering colony of monarch butterflies in the country, which can be seen en masse from November through February.