Peace Sign on Bolinas Beach Pismo Street
Pismo Beach and Bolinas
Contains an explanation regarding how this component (any aspect of it; eg content of videos, content of websites) connects to your study of humanities.
Pismo Beach is located in Central California just past San Luis Obispo. It is part of an area called the Five Cities which include, Grover Beach, Arroyo Grande, Oceano and Shell Beach. The city itself is the quintessential beach town, with touristy stores selling shell collections and salt water taffy, amid the smells of salt water, fish and cotton candy. Tourists stroll thru the area and watch the "souped up" four wheel drive trucks heading toward Oceano Dunes. There is a 1200 foot pier where people gather every evening (as weather permits) to watch the sun set. Just south of the city is the Monarch Butterfly Grove, where thousands of butterflies can be found in the eucalyptus trees from late October to February. The Oceano Dunes is a large OHV area and a great place to dig for the famous Pismo Clam. The dunes are a wonderful location for camping, walking, horseback riding and people (truck) watching. The weather in this part of California is mild and the beach at times can become foggy. There is so much to do and see in this area, for people of all ages, it is a great family destination. The video City of Pismo Beach captures the town and the shops while, the competition hill video, gives a glimpse of action on the dunes.
Bolinas is located twelve miles north of San Francisco in Marin County, off Highway 1, near Stinson Beach. I visited there once, for a wedding. Although given very good directions, we missed the turn not once, but twice - from each direction. It is definitly not an easy place to find and the locals like it that way. Supposedly, whenever Cal-Trans has placed a road sign for the road that will bring you into the town, the sign has disappeared. Once in the town, the main road is shaped almost like a horseshoe which dead ends at the lagoon. The shops in the town are as eclectic as the people (see 4th of July video). The website listed above (2miles.com) gives a very interesting list of answers to the question "You know you grew up in Bolinas if. . . ." which will give prospective to the mindset of the individuals that live there. The beach here is on a lagoon and the waves are very gentle. It is a quiet place and very relaxing. The way it sits, the wind is blocked, which makes it very comfortable.
These two areas are a contrast in culture. The lifestyle, the people - it is a culture clash - and that is the study of humanities.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KIMLuOAQH8 Bolinas 4th of July
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1neBNrioXp8 Bolinas Lagoon Wetlands
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAgtuCL42Tk Pismo Hotel Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqXStP9LSsY City of Pismo Beach
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWxZS9sHIzk Competition Hill
What are some assumptions/stereotypes you think people have of each location: 1 point
Bolinas is filled with people that are activists and environomentalists, that are remnants of the 1960 Haight Ashbury lifestyle - very bohemian.
Pismo Beach is full of surfer types and "hot dogs" with their four wheel drive trucks.
List 3 things that make each location similar: 1 point
Environmentalist have interest in both locations;
On the water;
Surfers like both areas.
List 3 things that make each location so different: 1 point
Tourism - Pismo Beach welcomes tourists, Bolinas would prefer you did not find it;
Size - Pismo Beach is a city (pop. approx 8500), Bolinas is a town (pop. approx 1300);
If you live in Pismo Beach you can be anonymous, if you live in Bolinas, everyone knows you.
What else would you like to know about these places?
The Five Cities area was once inhabited by the Chumash Indians, a tribe that I had not heard of before. I think it would be interesting to learn their history and if there are still members in the area today. The village of Bolinas has an interesting past, and according to an article I read, if it weren't for a oil tanker crash which spilled thousands of gallons of oil into San Francisco Bay, making its way to Bolinas, the town, would have turned out much differently. It would be interesting to learn more about the area prior to the crash (1971) and how the town became what it is.
5. Using your classmates work from last week, tell us one thing you learned from 1 student. Is this one thing some common experience you share or some experience that is completely different than what you experienced? Is this one thing related to our class theoretical foundation and if so, how? Is that one thing related to historical or cultural context of this country or a different one? Link that persons blog to this entry (eg cut paste that blog entry here)
Sierra brought up the differences in language between San Francisco and Boston. When I have heard Bostonians speak (mostly Senator Kennedy) his accent is very thick and it is how I have always associated the people who come from that area. However, I recently met, someone from Boston who has been in this area for seven years and he did not have an accent at all. It really surprised me when he said he was from Boston. When I asked him about the fact that he did not have an accent, he indicated that only people from certain areas of the city have accents and the only word that he has found that he doesn't pronounce the same as people in this area is room.
It seems we are always quick to sterotype people and cultures, yet it isn't always true.
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