By Jennifer Best

Photo by Jennifer Best
	A beachcomber begins his trek up the long stretch of open sand at Guadalupe Beach.

It was early evening the first time I stepped foot on the main drag in the little seaside farming town of Guadalupe. I was alone, female, hungry and very nervous.

Maybe because at first glance, Guadalupe looks like something out of an Old West movie - a border town where you might find rowdy cowboys and bandits eyeing each other tensely over a card table.

But hunger booted fear into the back seat for me that night. I locked the doors and set the car alarm before walking the 25 yards to the bright welcoming lights of a burger joint on which I'd set my sights.

Where to Eat & What to See in Guadalupe

Not 10 feet from the car I spotted a gaggle of teenage boys heading my way. They filled the entire width of sidewalk. Should I step aside? Should I look at them? Should I look away?

Before I could decide, one of the boys cheerily said, "Hello," and herded the others out of my path.

Guadalupe has since become one of my favorite stops on the Central Coast, as much for its great food as for its friendly people and comfortable atmosphere. I enjoy watching the kids play in the streets and parks, teens walking from pizza joint to park to home again, adults strolling with toddlers to and from the grocery store, seniors taking an evening jaunt amidst it all.

"The folks here are mostly from Mexico and more than any other place, they live the life they lived in Mexico and it's really lovely," said Dennis Apel, a former Guadalupe resident who returns to town regularly.

Without doing a scientific study or juggling statistics, I'll venture a guess that there are more restaurants per capita in Guadalupe than in any other Northern Santa Barbara County town.

You can spend a couple hours sipping wine and chowing down a side of beef, rack of ribs or tender filet mignon at Far Western Tavern or try the scrumptious chile relleno at Nardo's. Grab a big, fat burger at King Falafel or stop in at Romo's Market for a taco to go.

Photo by Jennifer Best
La Simpatia is one of many authentic Mexican restaurants in Guadalupe where good food and friendly people are abundant.

"There's no fast food, no warehouse stores, no traffic lights. It's self contained and it's not butted up to another city," Apel said. In fact, farm fields full of broccoli, cauliflower, strawberries and lettuce surround Guadalupe. The business of the town is agriculture, not tourists. The cooling and packing plants along the railroad tracks in town will show you that right away.

In addition to being a true California farm town, Guadalupe is also the entrance to the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Preserve. A mile to the west of town, the fields give way to the 8,330 acre Preserve with its sprawling mountains of dunes and long, lonesome, white-sand beach along the Pacific Ocean.

To get to the beach and preserve, take Highway 166 (Main St.) west from Guadalupe 3 miles to the gate, which is open from 6 a.m. to sunset. Stop for the attendant, donate $3 if you wish, then continue another 2 miles along a paved road through the dunes to a parking lot on the beach.

The beach here is often windy and the surf is heavy and dangerous for swimmers and novice surfers. No camping, off-highway vehicles, fires, horses or sandsurfing are allowed. Between March 1 and September 1 each year. Dogs are also banned from the beach in an effort to protect nests of the endangered California Least Tern and Western Snowy Plover - among the 200 species of migrant and resident birds in the preserve.

With so many limitations, there's still plenty to do at the Guadalupe Dunes. Hiking along the beach and through the dunes is allowed throughout the year, though some areas are fenced off during nesting seasons. Surfing, surf fishing and sandcastle building are certainly high on the list here.

For the rugged sand walkers, head south along the beach and walk for about an hour to a giant sand dune at the end of the beach. Shimmy up the face of the dune for a fabulous view up and down the coast.

The wind often comes up in the early afternoon, so plan ahead and bring plenty of water. Take a snack with you, but leave the big meals to the cooks in Guadalupe.

- Jennifer Best is a freelance writer and Central Coast native who loves to chow down at Nardo's.

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