We Never Knew These American Small Towns Existed, and Now We’re Intrigued

When you visit California, be sure to stop by San Luis Obispo. It’s a lovely coastal community and boasts one of the best farmers’ markets in the entire state. And oh, yeah, it also has Bubblegum Alley. If you’re imagining nothing more than an alley covered with bubblegum, well, that’s pretty much what it is.

Since at least the 1950s, visitors to San Luis Obispo have been leaving behind their chewed pieces of bubble gum, sticking them to the walls of a 70-foot-long alleyway. Nobody knows precisely when, how, or why the tradition started, but several efforts by local business owners to clean it up have failed. Bubblegum Alley is here to stay!