On Becoming a "Local" and not merely another "Just-Arrived"

They are officially designated a number of different things, the Oceano Dunes and the Guadalupe Dunes being the most common. Locally, we just call them The Dunes.

They are breathtakingly beautiful, rich in unusual history and, in some respects, so controversial as to pit locals against tourists and even locals against locals.

The Oceano Dunes represent the last place in California where vehicles are allowed to drive on the beach and modified vehicles are allowed to roar up and down the dunes.  If you want to take a leisurely drive along the edge of the ocean you can enter at the end of Grand Avenue in Grover Beach or the end of Pier Avenue in Oceano. However, beware Arroyo Grande Creek where it empties into the Pacific. Following a rain it can rage and cars, trucks and RVs have been lost to the waters when drivers chanced to traverse it unwisely.

For those of a more benign or, yes, even spiritual, nature, the Guadalupe Dunes is the place to visit. Personally, I’ve hiked more miles than I could count through these dunes and though I’ve crisscrossed their broad expanse I have never beheld the same vista twice. You can enter via Oso Flaco Lake located off Highway 1 between the Arroyo Grande Mesa and Guadalupe or at the end of Main Street in Guadalupe.

Two tips if you’re planning a hike in the dunes: (1) Go early. The wind often picks up in the afternoon and blowing sand can be unpleasant; and (2) plan your visit in advance. The places you’ll want to hike are closed to humans several months of the year due to the nesting of the endangered Snowy Plover.  Check with the Dunes Center in Guadalupe before heading out then visit them for some very interesting displays.

Should you become as enthusiastic about The Dunes as I, you’ll want read Norm Hammond’s book, The Dunites. This odd assortment of intellectuals, charlatans, celebrities, writers, artists and even the grandson of a President inhabited The Dunes between the early 1900’s and late 1960’s, creating a community and a culture like no other. And an entire set for The Ten Commandments filmed in 1923 was built out on The Dunes then buried in place when filming was done.