SeaVenture Beach Hotel

Visit WorldMark Pismo Beach for the quintessential California experience. This means surfing, of course! But it also includes activities like horseback riding along the tide line or strolling the length of the Pier. From Pismo Beach, it's easy to tour wineries, go on a whale-watching tour, take flight in a biplane or head 55 miles north to the Big Sur area and Hearst Castle, the palatial home of the late publisher William Randolph Hearst. If you make this trip, just make sure to ride in a convertible while the Beach Boys are playing on the sound system. This is California at its classic best.