Bubble Gum Alley, San Luis Obispo: The Eighth Wonder of the World
As a seasoned globetrotter, you’ve seen it all. You’ve seen Victoria Falls – a bunch of water. You’ve travelled by camel to the Great Pyramids – a big pile of rocks. The Great Wall of China? A very, very, very long fence. There just aren’t a whole lot of sights in this world that can truly leave you awestruck.
Until now.
We spend a considerable amount of time in central California, and on a recent trip to the Morro Bay area, we decided to spend an evening in San Luis Obispo. Best known as the home of Cal Poly, the college town is a great place to spend some time; there are some great shops and restaurants, and on Thursdays the town hosts an excellent Farmer’s Market. SLO also boasts one of the most unusual works of…art? I guess?…you’ll ever encounter. Nestled between the buildings on Higuera Street is Bubble Gum Alley. What is Bubble Gum Alley? Well, it’s…er…here, take a look.
Bubble Gum Alley, San Luis Obispo
That polychromatic appearance is caused by thousands upon thousands of pieces of gum, chewed and then stuck to the wall. Over the years, layer upon layer of masticated bits of Bazooka, Fruit Stripe, Bubblicious, and Big League Chew have built up along the alleyway, like stalactites (or stalagmites – I could never remember the difference). The origins of Bubble Gum Alley are shrouded in mystery. Legend has it that Hernando deSoto was the first to stick a piece of gum in the alleyway, upon discovering San Luis Obispo in 1623. That seems sketchy. Most people believe that the gum-sticking began back in the late 40’s/early 50’s, as a tradition of local graduating high school students. Whatever its origin, Bubble Gum Alley is definitely a sight you’ll not soon forget. And four out of five dentists recommend visiting it the next time you’re in San Luis Obispo.
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7 Responses
My son just did a paper on the history of gum, and he ended this report with a paragraph about bubblegum alley. He was just so happy to learn of a place where people could stick their gum on the wall and not get into trouble.
Bubble Gum Alley is an important stop on our walking tours. People never fail to exhibit that odd combination of disgust and fascination when faced with layers and layers of decaying gum. Bubble Gum Alley is oral history at its best and worst. steve at slowalkingtours.com
I have a love-hate relationship with Bubble Gum Alley. It IS pretty unique and cool, but it’s also disgusting and cringe-worthy. Definitely a must-see for San Luis Obispo though. Don’t forget your gum!
Bubble Gum Wall ! Really Funny
I hope we have an alley like this in our town so people could stick their gum on it instead of somewhere else.
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I just wonder whether this stops people dropping gum on the street and stuff. I think it looks pretty good though, in a strange sort of way.