There's Magic in Those Dunes

The towns of Oceano and Guadalupe have gotten into a tiff this week when it became widely known that Guadalupe decided recently to adopt the exact same city slogan that Oceano has employed for more than a decade: "Gateway to the Dunes."

It seems more people are discovering what a treasure the dunes of the Central Coast are. Our dunes are much more awesome and varied than a lot of people realize. Most people, it seems, think of the dunes as just giant, barren piles of sand primarily used as a big sandbox for playing with dune buggies and all-terrain-vehicles.

But the off-road vehicle portion of the dunes --where vegetation and animal life has been pretty much wiped out under the assault of spinning wheels--is no longer the most magical part of the dunes. Outside of the off road vehicle area there remains lush areas of vegetation, where you can find trees, wild flowers, animals, even areas of fresh water if you know where to look. There is definitely much to explore and enjoy out there.

Have you heard of the Dunites? That was the name locals gave to people who lived in the dunes in the early to mid -20th century. Artists, poets, philosophers and hermits were drawn to the area and for a while turned it into a bohemian community of sorts, a sandy, rent-free utopia where they lived in shacks and cabins and tents. Some even published their own nationally distributed magazine, The Dune Forum.

The story of the Dunites is one of the most fascinating, mostly neglected aspects of California history. It was nearly buried in the sands of time until Oceano resident Norm Hammond wrote his classic local history book The Dunites. You can find copies on Amazon.com. I highly recommend this fascinating and charming book--it's great. After you read it, you will never think of our dunes the same way--I guarantee it.

And you'll gain a better understanding of why people are now arguing about what town gets to call itself "The Gateway to the Dunes."

David Ciaffardini