Close to the highway and the coast, the Shell Beach Inn is a simple ten-room motel that you may overlook but is worth checking out. Like motels found along the highways in the 1940s or 50s, the rooms are arranged around the parking lot and you park in your numbered spot right in front of your door. Step inside, and you have a simple bedroom with a closet area and bathroom. Nothing fancy, but it'll be nostalgic for those who grew up with motels as a kid like I did.

The rooms are updated with new paint, carpet, furnishings, floor tile, and a nice touch are the bathroom soaps by Bath and Body Works (I was expecting Ivory!). Rooms are not air-conditioned since it's close to the beach, but if you are warm, a floor fan is available, and if you need to really cool off, the motel has a pool. Some minor shortcomings are that there isn't enough room to hang or put things, especially in the bathroom, and the paint covering the old wall tile in the bathroom is beginning to chip off (looks a little dirty).

Again, there's nothing fancy here, so no big hotel lobby (just a small window counter), no internet access (although I was able to find a wireless connection), no restaurant (but plenty of places nearby to eat), and no 600-count sheets or shower massage (but I suppose they could add this someday). It is, however, in a nice quiet community and just four short blocks to walk to the ocean, which has a small beach and lots of craggy rocks to explore. Staying in a nice clean motel like this one is rare, so it'll be memorable. San Luis Obispo is about 15 miles north and Santa Barbara is about 45 minutes south.

This quiet quaint motel sits in the extreme north part of Pismo Beach. It has a homey charm, and better than average furnishings. A small heated pool was perfect to enjoy the outdoor cool foggy weather. Close enough to Morro Bay, Avila Beach and Cambria.