Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Central Coast - Oceano

The posts relating to our last two road trips are starting to back up on me.  Because the scenery and things we did on each trip was so different, I decided that I'm going to alternate posts from each one.  We parked our RV outside of the little town of Oceano. There is nothing noteworthy about the town, except for the awesome area it's in.

The view from our spot. The ocean is just the other side of those sand dunes. We decided to take a stroll to the beach and take in the sunset.

Just pick a spot and lay out your towel and umbrella

Is this a beach, or the Sahara Desert?

The French Foreign Legion blazing a trail to the next oasis.

It just goes on FOREVER...

This dune was at least 10 stories tall. If my wife was to fall,  she would probably be hurt. Please note that she has her priorities in order; her wine cooler is much more important that her safety. You can see how high this dune is by taking a look at our shadows and the people in the background.

Finally we got our payoff for all the hard work.

The beach was pretty awesome. Totally undeveloped.

Off in the left distance, you can see some vehicles and RV's. This beach is the only place on the west coast of the U.S. that you can drive on.

You think it was hard hiking to the beach?  We had to hike back after sunset. My new favorite APP on my phone is a compass...


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56 comments:

  1. I MUST go there! Your pix are gorgeous, as always. When I look at them, I'm reminded of how beautiful the west coast is. I miss it!!

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  2. Wow, wow, wow! Just beautiful, Pat... sunset and beach photos are my absolute favourites :-)

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  3. Wow, gorgeous photos! That really does look like a desert--amazing. You and your wife seem to be having the best of times! Thanks for sharing them with us :)

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  4. Wow! Those are stunning photos.
    You've just made me add yet another place to my 'must visit' list.

    I'm glad your wife has her priorities in good working order! The wine must not spill!! LOL :)

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  5. great sunset, good to see the wife has her priorities in order. I mean, how enjoyable can a sunset be without a wine cooler?

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  6. Awesome photos, Pat. What a wonderful beach but the walk would do me in.

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  7. Patrick! Did you just go bananas taking pictures at the dunes! I would have! These are magnificent.

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  8. The dune photo is an amazing landscape.

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  9. amazing pictures and wow! what an amazing place!

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  10. That sand looked like it went on forever! Wasn't it hard to walk in? Did you have the Grands with you, or is that someone else?

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  11. These are amazing! I love the one of your wife scaling the dune with her wine cooler!! You are my kind of people! Looking at the shadows does put it in perspective eh? Great shots Pat!

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  12. these are so beautiful! love those 'waves' in the sand. :)

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  13. If I had to be lost and die out there, I wasn't going to be thirsty!! Love that Central Coast!!

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  14. I loved this post! Great pics. I'd have loved to been there too. When we went to the desert at Giza (Egypt) I was expecting to see these kinds of sandscapes, but no. I guess I didn't go far enough in. So glad you had your wine, camera, and compass, in that order, to make for a great hike.
    Rosemary

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  15. An amazing place! Your photos are wonderful. I've climbed those dunes on the west coast, but my hubby was pushing me from behind as I walked!

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  16. haha- LOVE the photo of your wife hiking with the wine cooler- the shadows are the cherry!
    Looks like a fun trip.

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  17. Beautify photos, and that sunset is amazing!

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  18. Wow! As a California tapirgal, I'm sorry to say I didn't know this place. Amazing, and really evocative photos!

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  19. Nicole - Thanks Nicole! I agree about the west coast. It's about 1500 miles of amazing...

    Nat - Thanks Nat! I really like them also.

    Sarah - It felt like a desert too. We are having a good time. Retirement is good! Thanks Sarah.

    Nariane - Thanks so much! Not even a drop!

    Budd - It sure was! She got to carry a drink and I got carry my camera! Not fair...

    Pam - Thanks Pam! Yep, getting there wasn't easy.

    Bossy Betty - Hey Betty! I sure did, I took a ton of pics. I also did a 360 degree video, but I didn't post it.

    Sharon W - It sure is. Not only is it wide, it's also about 20 or 30 miles long.

    mshatch - Thanks so much! I sure is a neat place.

    Ms. A - It was very hard to walk on, especially uphill! Those were just some other lost souls looking for the next oasis...

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  20. Eve - Thanks Eve! Hey it's never too early for happy hour!

    TexWisGirl - Thanks! Yep, if you got down close to the ground you can see the constant and slight blowing of the sand.

    My Love - Next time we'll hire a camel to carry a cooler full.

    Rosemary - Thanks Rosemary! I only had the compass and the camera. I got short changed on the drink!

    Belle - I was wishing somebody would push me! We tried to walk in footprints and it seemed to help. Thanks Belle!

    Ren - Oh yeah! I really didn't notice the shadows (or the other people) when I took the photo.

    Rian - Thanks Brian! One giant litter box...

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  21. Such a beautiful place! Love these photos.

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  22. Those views are only about 100% better than the ones I had this past weekend, with that freak snowstorm! Thank goodness it's all melted now.

    Gorgeous photography as always, Pat. Thanks for giving me something warm to look at. :)

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  23. Wow, that seems like a totally worthwhile hike. I love the huge dunes. I've always wanted to try dune surfing. I guess that would a great spot to give it a go.

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  24. WOw! What great shots, Pat. That first one...if you cropped all the man-made stuff from the bottom, would look surreal. I can't even imagine climbing a dune 10 stories high.

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  25. My late husband Ben and I used to camp up in that area many years ago. Was always a beautiful place.

    Hugs,
    Kay

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  26. oh Pat, these are some real WOW photos. when I looked at the first and noticed the light color on the horizon I thought it was a high desert mountain range or something. these are the most awesome sand dunes I've ever seen. I love the photo of your wife scaling the dune! great shots. you guys sure do get around...
    happy day to you Pat.

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  27. Those are amazing pictures. Wow! Beautiful. Must be scary as it started getting darker.

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  28. Wow, where is this exactly? And of course - save the wine cooler.

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  29. The journey was worth that beauty. Awesome photos.

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  30. You wowed me with your adventure and photos. I have not heard of Oceano and I have to look it up. There are so many places within its proximity.

    Climbing up and down the dunes is a great work out.

    Hmmmm, I don;t know what season we plan to visit.

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  31. Fantastic !! I wanna go there too !

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  32. Beautiful photos with a beautiful sand dunes, from childhood I liked a lot. I love these delightful reflections on the beach photos, a delight.

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  33. That's a LOT of frikkin' sand, Pat! Wonderful shots, and the one of your pretty wife climbing the dune with both your shadows behind was perfectly timed!

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  34. Hi there,
    I am just popping in from Alex's insecure writers group and it's taking me to get around everybody's blogs and say "hi". I will pop by your blog as often as I can. Nice to "meet" you.
    Eve. :)

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  35. Beautiful, I love those dunes. Greetings.

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  36. That sand is absolutely amazing!!! And the sunset is so beautiful! I'm so envious of your trips. Maybe once we get the kid off to college...

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  37. An app that is a compass? GREAT ONE!
    And the west coast beaches are the best ones, most of the time.

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  38. Oh WOW! What an incredible and beautiful hike! Those sand dunes....I want to try to run across those ripples of sand! Hahaha...And I DO like how your wife has her priorities set! That's awesome!!
    I don't know as I would have wanted to leave that beach....

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  39. Water. Sand. You do it all my friend. Wow! It does look like it stretches forever!

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  40. Fantastic scenery and pics! Love the one of your wife and her wine cooler. You were brave to hike back after dark!

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  41. This is a new one on me. I've spent a lot of time in that area and never heard of Oceano or the sand dunes! I have made it to the Kelso Dunes in the Mojave National Preserve and climbed to the top, but forgot the wine cooler! I will definitely put this location at the top of my list. Love those expansive shots of the pale, creamy dunes, the shadows and ripples. Looks like you had the place pretty much to yourself. Really excellent!

    And of course, Happy Trails!

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  42. Goodness. Those pictures are simply stunning. Especially the last one. Love it!!

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  43. you always have the best pictures and take the best trips

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  44. The dune is impressive and I also love the sunset image, so adorable and romantic place!
    hugs
    Léia

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  45. Looks as though you were the first people to trek that beach. It's heavenly.

    Happy weekend, Pat, and I feel the same about NaNo. I'm doubting I'll ever do it.

    xoRobyn

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  46. These are great. We have never seen a dune like that. Maybe someone should suggest stairs or a handrail . . . a rope to pull yourself up maybe?

    Darryl and Ruth :)

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  47. Tapirgal - I've always just passed this place by on the way to Pismo Beach. Not this time! Thanks!

    Ree - thanks Ree! beautiful, not it sure was foggy for most of the time we were there.

    Marlene - Sorry about that early snow! That's why we live on the left coast! Thanks Marlene!

    Tim - It sure was. I thought about using a snow disk to do just that, but then I'd have to climb back up the dune!

    Chuck - Thanks Chuck! I'm gonna crop it and take a look. It wasn't easy climbing it, cause for every two steps you take up, you slid back down one.

    Kay - This was a first time for us. Seriously, I never really gave this place a second look. You can't really see the good stuff from the coast highway. Have a great weekend Kay.

    Mama Zen - thank you!

    Ms. Becky - Thanks so much for saying that! We had a good time. I wonder how easy it would have been to climb that dune if she had both hands free?

    Bouncin' Barb - Thanks Barb! All we had to do was remember to head due east!

    Alex - Oceano is tiny little town about 10 miles south of world famous Pismo Beach.

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  48. Mary - It sure was! We could have taken the jeep and driven the long way around, but what fun would that be?

    Ebie - Thanks Ebie! That's why we like it around there, so much to do and see! Any season is good there, it's even nice when it rains.

    faye - It sure is! I hope you make it.

    Leovi - Thanks Leovi! Thee is a lot to see there. A camera is a must!

    Francisca - It sure is! I'm still getting it out of my sneakers! It was pure luck that those people were in the background. I smiled when I saw them.

    Eve. E - Thanks for stopping by, commenting and signing on! I'll be over to take a look see at your place as soon as I can...

    Japy - Hey Japy! Thanks so much.

    Lolamouse - It was perfect. It really helps that all our kids are adults now! I'm not saying that I'm glad their gone, but....LOL!

    Brenda - Oh yeah! I use it all the time. I also use the level APP and night sky APP all the time. I agree about the west coast. California has almost a thousand miles of coastline by itself. Add in Oregon and Washington and it's a LOOOOONG coastline.

    Dawn - Thanks Dawn! It sure was. The good thing about it, is that that beach will always be there!

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  49. Jesse - Well, we don't do it all, but sure do our share.

    Marguerite - Thanks so much! It wasn't so brave, we knew where we were going. You know, it's gotten to the point where all I have to do is see your name and I get hungry...

    Baby Sister - Thanks so much! I appreciate it!

    becca - Why thank you! We manage to get around and spend very little money doing it.

    Leia - Hi there! Although it was very foggy most of the time there, it was still beautiful!

    Robyn - Most of the people you see on the beach are driving by, there were only a couple of people actualy on the beach that we could see in either direction. Of course, it was a long hard walk up and down those dunes to get there.

    Darryl and Ruth - Thanks! How about a ski lift? That would be nice, but then there would be a lot more people there...

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  50. Brilliant shots Patty, especially the dune shots.
    Lawrence of Arabia anyone?
    Patty of Oceano?

    :)

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  51. Pat, Enjoy your photos. The ones of Sedona took me back. The 1st one of the sedona favorite #2 is Coffe Pot rock, you can see the spout.
    Sorry about posting it here, but as a technically challenged geezer, this is the latest post I could find and am not sure how this works.

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  52. WOW.... it's like you two landed on another planet.. so many incredible places to see here in the USA..
    Your wife is one smart cookie..never let the wine cooler spill:-)

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  53. Your pictures always awaken the travel bug inside me. Magnificent -- and I was especially awed at: the wind cooler on the dune; and (2) the spectacular sunset.

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  54. These are wonderful and fantastic photos, Pat! I love the pattern on the sand.

    Your wife with her wine cooler was just awesome! :-)

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