Tucked between Pismo Beach and San Luis Obispo on California’s Central Coast, Avila is home to vacationing families, local beach lovers, and, yes, okay, the occasional horde of college students.

Wandering along the town’s one long pedestrianized street feels like stepping onto the scene of a 1950’s beach flick — in addition to its deli, ice cream parlor, shaved ice stand, waterfront seafood restaurant, and kitschy beach souvenir stores are places like the Hula Hut, an all-in-one shop that sells everything from homemade salted caramel fudge and thick breakfast burritos to jars of seashells and decorative wooden signs.

If it’s an overcast day, grab a coffee at Joe Momma’s and watch the surf. During the Friday afternoon farmers markets in the spring and summer, try the pulpy strawberry lemonade and fresh mango ceviche with homemade corn chips.

When the weather is bright and hot, grab your Chacos and scour the tide pools for bright orange sea stars, hit the links at the Avila Beach Golf Resort, or crack a beer and kick back on the pier.