What dates would someone recommend going to pismo. I want to have the best chance of good weather and not hit one of the busy weekends. For the wife and kids, what is close to pismo as far as shopping or amusements parks?? We are going to bring the jetskis and quads and stay on the beach. Has anyone tried launching the jetskis from the beach? Thanks for the help.

justin

 

Summmer is always a popular time so pick a weekend thats not on a holiday or on spring break or Port-a-Gee weekend and you'll be fine . I belive the aloted campsite number is around 1000 overnites per day so theres is plenty of room. Plan ahead and get your reservation on line ( www.reserveamerica.com ) Just remember to camp above the high tide line and the farther inland you travel the more air you'll need to let out of your tires, and when you find your spot run some ribbin tape and stake/sticks to surround your campsite. This tends to help keep the kids safe from idiot riders.

 

Your best bet is to get there before the crumb-crunchers get out of school for summer break. Every weekend during the summer is crowded so the sooner you can make it the better. Making it even worse during the summer months they close off part of the beach from Pole 6 down to the end for some damn migrating bird. If you don't have one already, I would recommend picking up one of those jetski dollies with the big wheels. Those are what I see most people use to get their ski's into the water. Take a wetsuit the water is chilly!

There is a bunch of places to go shopping right in town including outlet stores. For food I like to hit splash cafe (one block up from the pier on the left) Just look for the place with the line out the door. If you want a nice steak dinner head up Highway 1 a couple of miles and you will see McClintock's on the hillside just off the freeway. I don't know of any amusement parks in the area other than the dunes themselves. They should keep the kids busy all weekend.

 

I am in the middle of writing an article for a magazine about Pismo. I will post what I have so far, and add a little bit:

While loading up the toy hauler on a late April afternoon, I began to sweat. With temperatures already reaching into the 90’s in Central California, I was glad I had made my reservations for Oceano Dunes for the big upcoming weekend.

Oceano Dunes is a 1500 acre off road vehicle recreation area located on California’s golden central coast. Almost 200 miles north of downtown Los Angeles, Oceano is the last stronghold in the state for legally driving a car on the beach. Most times, Oceano Dunes is referred to as Pismo Beach, which is a sleepy little coastal town just right up the street from one of the two entrances to the dunes.

If you plan on going to Oceano Dunes, it is recommended that you make reservations. The dunes are run by the state of California’s Department of Parks and Recreation. They have set the limit on the number of reservations per day at 1000. It is not abnormal for weekends in the spring and summer months to be sold out up to 7 months ahead of time. To get reservations for holidays is almost like going to Las Vegas, the odds are not in your favor. You can get them by visiting www.reserveamerica.com while online, or by calling 1-800-444-7275.

Taking your toy hauler on shallow sand, like at Dumont or Glamis is almost like being on dirt, but at Oceano, the deep, rutted, whooped out sand is an entirely different monster, and you have to be prepared. It is almost a requirement that you air down your tires, not only on your tow vehicle, but also on your toy hauler. The reasoning behind this is that with less air, the contact patch of each tire becomes wider, giving more surface area. With more surface area, the less likely you are to get stuck. Even when I have aired down in the past, I have gotten stuck, so bring a shovel or two to be prepared. It is also imperative to time your entrance/exit to the dunes with the tide. When the tide is low, the wet drivable sand area is very narrow, making it difficult for traffic to get on and off the beach. A high tide will often drive those with little patience to drive on the soft sand, which increases your chances of getting stuck, even if you are aired down. You can check the tides at http://www.classiccalifornia.com/tides.htm. You will also want to park your trailer a good ways away from the water line at low tide, because within a few hours, you could have the ocean lapping at your wheels, which could get ugly.

There are no campsites on the beach. It is all dry camping. There are also no spots marked where you can and cannot camp. You can park your toy hauler wherever you feel like it(or wherever you get stuck!). You will see campsites with up to 20 trailers around it. Most people like to cordon off their campsite with yellow caution tape, or orange netting, to let others know that they are not welcome to ride through for various reasons, like children playing, or dogs.

There is a dump station that also has fresh water very close to the northern ramp. Just as the ranger at the kiosk where it is.

Once you are set up, you will want to go for a ride. With the view of the ocean right in front of you, the sound of the waves crashing, the view of the kite surfers and regular surfers, and all types of vehicles driving by, some would be inclined to sit back and watch the show and enjoy the view.


RIDING AND RAILING
Don’t go to Pismo expecting dunes the size of the ones at Dumont or Glamis. They don’t have them. The tallest dunes are maybe 50 feet, if that. What these dunes have for the seasoned atv rider or a sand railer is a lot of transitional riding. You could be carving a bowl, hit a G out, hanging on through high speed whoops, and catching major air, all inside of 30 seconds.

There is a Competition Hill here, but again, it is nothing like the monsters at Glamis and Dumont, but people don’t come here for huge dunes. It is the weather that is the big draw.

One of the conveniences of staying at Oceano dunes is the fact that Pismo Beach and many of California’s central coast amenities are within a 30 minute drive. There are several must try eateries in the Pismo Beach, like McClintocks, R.J. Spurs, and Broadway Bagels (breakfast) to name a few. One must in Pismo is the clam chowder at the Splash Café, best in California! If you forgot something at home, never fear, there is both a Wal-Mart and a K-Mart right off the 101 freeway. If your bike or rail breaks down, needs parts, or want to shop for riding gear, there is several bike/rail shops right at the southern entrance to the dunes. And shoppers rejoice, Pismo Beach has it’s own set of Prime Outlet stores, plus specialty stores like Trader Joes, all within minutes of the dunes!

If you dare to venture out farther, it gets better. 20 minutes south of Pismo Beach on the 101 sits a restaurant with some of the best steaks and meats. Jocko’s, not known for their great service, is an experience everyone should have at least once. All the meat is grilled on an open oak fire. Traveling north from Pismo on the 101, you will find your way to the college town of San Luis Obispo, home of some of the best BBQ on the central coast. A stop here needs to include a meal at Firestone’s, in downtown SLO. San Luis also has one of the most diverse malls on the central coast that is a must for all you self proclaimed shoppers.


I feel it is best to go during the week, even in the summer, to avoid the crowds. Although, i have been there during sold out weekends, and it is not as bad as many people make it to be.

PM me if you have any quesitons

jason

 

Nice write up! Good call about Jocko's steak house in Nipomo. I believes its A.J. spurs, not R.J spurs!

 

Justin:

Give me a call on this.

A few from my group went last year and didn't ride AT ALL! The sand was that bad!

I air down my Excursion tires to about 15 psi and go where I want but, a two wheel drive RV in the soft summer sand is tough.

Me and two buddies ended up there on that Port-I-Gee Weekend a few years back. Luck I guess [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/img] I've never had so much fun watching people get stuck in my life. . . Not saying anything about anyone race or anything. . . Probably just the sand and where we were camped but, we literally walked 25 yards from the trailer to the beach and put our chairs out and drank beer as we watched people get stuck. God that was one of the most fun trips! If I knew it was going to be like that I would drive from Idaho just for that!

 

Whatever! if that is all you can get on me then[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-tongue.gif[/img] The wife and I are planning on stopping at jockos on the way home for a steak sandwich when we pull off the beach that sunday, if you are interested in joining us sand?

 

Dang. . . rough croud. He's just trying to help you on your article. Proper response is "Thank's for the correction" not "Whatever!". You made a mistake. . . own up to it. Don't tell the other guy he is a jerk for pointing it out. Unbelieveable!

 

Duneme

Sandaholic and I have ridden together before, and are going to pismo the 14th -17th (two weeks). its all in fun, and no need to get all bent out of shape over.

 

You may want to mention that no reservations are required for day use

Just "ASK" the ranger at the kiosk where it is.

its AJ Spurs

Dont want you to get in trouble with your editor![img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

[/quote]

A very good article, good job