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Now, we’ve talked a lot about the great wineries, restaurants, beaches and outdoor activities available all year round in SLO, CA.
However, today we thought we’d look at one of the more unusual activities you can see, and perhaps if you have a mind, add to it and make your mark on the world of art.
Bubblegum Alley
No one likes to see or feel used bubblegum under a table or chair, but since the 1940s locals from San Luis Obispo have leaving their unwanted chewing gum behind – stuck to the walls of an alley, and no one’s complaining!
Since that time, Bubblegum Alley has become a major tourist attraction.
The alley itself is 15-foot (4.6 m) high and 70-foot (21 m) long alley lined with chewed gum left by passers-by.
It covers a stretch of 20 meters in the 700 block of Higuera Street in downtown San Luis Obispo.
Bubble-gum Alley in San Luis Obispo, CA
The History of Bubblegum Alley
The San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Business Improvement Association (BIA) tell us the exact origin of the gum is not really understood.
Some historians believe that leaving the gum behind was a tradition which started after WWII by San Luis Obispo High School graduating class
Others believe it started in the late 1950s, as rivalry between San Luis Obispo High School and California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) students.
Whatever the reason by the 1970s, Bubblegum Alley was well established and is still popular today.
Throughout the years, San Luis Obispo’s Bubblegum Alley has been featured on a number of television shows, news programs, and in newspapers around the world.
If you would like to have a quick chat about a home you would like to sell or a referral that you have for us, please do reach out to us – carrie@atlasreai.com or Phone: 805.441.0943
Kindest regards,
Carrie and Eric Kimmell
Bubblegum Alley: Image source
