Daily Blog: Cayucos--A Contrarian Strategy

What does a city do when its population is 3000 and its two main landmarks are a 953-foot public fishing pier and a house built in 1867?

That was the plight of Cayucos, California.

The strategy: Resist change.

While all the other towns along the California coast are changing, Cayucos is promoting itself as the "Last of the California Beach Towns."

The pier stays, as something of a symbolic appeal to the outdoor California options of fishing and kayaking, as well as mountain biking and hiking.

The old house has undergone a meticulous 14-year renovation and is now gathering rave reviews as a week-end attraction known as the Cass House--"a luxurious five-room historic inn" and a "gourmet restaurant whose seasonal menu highlights items from the region's bountiful farms."

The tag-line for the Cass House seems to capture the essence of the contrarian strategy of Cayucos:

"Built in 1867. Restored in 2007."

To read more see National Geographic Traveler, September 2009, p. 86.