Hungry now, I drive into Solvang. But it existed nicely as an ordinary California farm town until about 30 years ago, when entrepreneurs began converting the place into a Danish variation of a fake Swiss ski resort. Still, it evidently draws busloads of smorgasbord-devouring tourists. I settle for a smoked eel sandwich and head toward the Pacific Coast Highway and Lompoc, the Flower Capital of the World. Seeds are big business here, and travelers are welcome to sniff from a distance.
Shadows are long.
Here and there, a dog is being walked. A jogger takes advantage of the sand left firm by the retreating tide. It is a quiet time, the best of times. Pismo has been around for a while. The first hotel hit the beach in 1884.