A Relaxed Highway 1 Escape With Beaches, Wine & Small-Town Character
Some California beach towns compete for attention. Not Cayucos. After spending several days here, I found a laid-back Highway 1 town with ocean views, character-filled restaurants, nearby wine tasting and none of the crowds you’ll find elsewhere along the coast.
By Kevin Wilkerson, Editor & Publisher, PubClub.com
Not every destination likes to be the center of attention. The queen of the dance. The one in the spotlight.
Oh, it’s okay for a Paris, a London, attention-seeking Los Angeles. But not for others. They are the shy ones, like the people who sit at the back of the room and hope the crowd doesn’t notice them. They prefer individual conversations over speeches.
It’s not that they are not proud of what they have, it’s just that they don’t feel the need to stand on a platform or to send out a series of press releases and social media posts touting their sights and activities.
Cayucos CA, is one such place.
It is on the California coast, with blue water riding up to its beaches and sunsets as spectacular as any place. It is practically within arm’s reach of Hearst Castle – 20 minutes by car, up scenic Highway 1 – has wineries in the area, some good restaurants. a famous cookie store (the Brown Butter Cookie Company because of its Sea Salt Cookie) and a couple of bars with great character. And characters.
It also has the Beach B&B, a place so accommodating it’s difficult to leave to even walk out its doors. Hey, they feed you an awesome breakfast and keep bringing bottles of local wine and craft beers to your room! Many of those rooms have balconies overlooking the beach.
In other words, it’s like a lot of California coastal destinations. Except I bet you have never heard of it. Heck, I bet you can’t even pronounce it.
The locals prefer it this way, tho they are also very kind to visitors and will, with great patience, teach you the proper pronunciation of their town (ki-yook-us.)
Now let me be clear, Cayucos is not the kind of place to plant down for a week or more. Leave that to Paris, London, Los Angeles. But if you want to kick back for a couple of days away from a bunch of other tourists, then you will find it a nice place away from the spotlight.
Kevin Wilkerson is the founder of PubClub.com, an award-winning journalist and nightlife expert who has covered destinations, events and nightlife for more than two decades. While working as a newspaper reporter, he received an Associated Press award for investigative journalism.
Next Stops On The PubClub Central California Party Bus!
• The California Beach Town That Time Forgot
• Three Days Along The Central California Coast
Leave a Reply