Last Fall, Bob and I took a road trip up the historic Pacific Coast Highway. It was one incredible trip, complete with vintage and restored VW Van as our ride and camper, with quirky pit stops along the way to Big Sur. Pismo Beach easily reminded us of Panama City- super touristy, cheap souvenirs and not much going on. But one thing Pismo Beach had going for it, was the legendary calm chowder from Splash Cafe. As you can see from the long line around the corner, this place was always busy- with tourist as much as locals. We bought two calm chowder in bread bowls and headed out to the long pier to find a good spot to sit and eat while watching the surfers and beach goers. While we only spent about an hour in Pismo Beach, I have been seriously craving that calm chowder and eagerly awaiting a return visit.

Have you been to Pismo Beach? Is there a really touristy city that you still like?