North of LA,  South of the Bay

by Debra Kuzbik

There’s an expanse of California coastline that stretches from Los Angeles to San Francisco that is wild, beautiful, rugged, and mostly untouched.  My family and I have enjoyed a number of winters there, exploring the beaches, the little art communities and the inland rolling hills of wine country.

The pace of life is slow and it is easy to imagine that you have stepped back in time to the 60’s.   The ice cream parlors, surf shops, Volkswagen mini-vans, woodies with surf boards on top and the ever-present music of The Beach Boys, The Ventures, The Mamas and The Papas, and the Surfaris can easily transport you to younger days.

Quirky, eccentric, unique and occasionally bizarre—the Californians who call the Central Coast home live in cautious harmony with a sometimes dangerous land.  Earthquakes, wildfires, drought, and the occasional hurricane occasionally wreck havoc on their idyllic, laid-back, beach lifestyle—but the siren call of the surf promises a perfect ride!