SLO LIFE Magazine Jun/Jul 2020

| FAMILY
Sand
and Sun
BY PADEN HUGHES
One of the best things about this corner of the world is the beautiful ocean front
and many seaside communities, each with its own flair and personality. Our
family favorite is Avila Beach. It is a great little protected cove with a unified
look and feel, perfect for families looking to enjoy the south-facing beach.
A fun collection of restaurants, tourist shops, a playground, and an aquarium—topped off
with a wood-planked pier and beautiful views—it’s hard to imagine Avila being anything
other than a tranquil cove. But its history is rich with twists and turns. From Chumach
natives to Spanish conquistadors, from a whaler hub to Unocal’s oil tank farm, which lead
to its environmental clean-up and eventual rebirth, Avila has had many face lifts over the
last few centuries.
I find it interesting that what gives Avila Beach its cohesive charm is actually a sad story
of environmental damage. For nearly one hundred years, Unocal pumped gasoline, diesel
fuel, and crude oil from its bluffs, while 22,000 gallons had silently been spilling into the
earth around the oil giants’ tank farm. Residents who grew up in the area in the 70s and 80s
remember going to the beach as children, building sandcastles, and watching oil well up as
they dug in the sand. By the end of the 90s Unocal was required to pay over $200 million
to clean up the environmental devastation. After removing 300,000 cubic-yards of crude
saturated earth, most of the town was decimated and needed to be rebuilt, in part explaining
why Avila looks so fresh and unified. It’s as if Walt Disney himself had taken up residence
nearby and orchestrated the cheerful, bright rebuild of the town.
Moving here in 2004, all I have ever known Avila to be is a perfect little beach town. It has
always been my favorite spot in the sand, in large part because of the Bob Jones Trail that
winds from the highway to the ocean. It is a haven for families
to enjoy the sunshine and beauty of the Central Coast.
Now with young children of my own, I find it a perfect place
to enjoy splashing along with the ebb and flow of the tide.
With small tide pools exposed during low tide at either end of
the main cove, it’s a wonderful place to explore the ocean and
sea life. There is something healing and refreshing about the
rhythmic and peaceful cadence of waves breaking, the smell
of the ocean breeze, and the warmth of sunshine on your skin.
Whether shrouded in fog or illuminated by the sun on a clear
day, Avila Beach always makes for a picture-perfect walk in
the sand. It’s the one place I return to again and again. It
never gets old and always restores my gratitude for this place
we call home. SLO LIFE
PADEN HUGHES is
co-owner of Gymnazo
and enjoys exploring
the Central Coast.
42 | SLO LIFE MAGAZINE | JUN/JUL 2020