San Luis Obispo, CA Road Trips

About half way between Los Angeles (200 miles / 320 km to the south) and San Francisco (230 miles / 370 km to the north), nine small but impressive volcanic peaks march down a valley of the Santa Lucia range to the Pacific Ocean. Nestled around two of these peaks is San Luis Obispo ("SLO", "slow", or "San Luis" to locals), a small college town that also is one of California's oldest communities. San Luis and its neighboring communities boast extraordinary resources for hiking, mountain biking, sea kayaking, swimming and surfing; outstanding natural beauty; a carefully preserved and thriving 19th-century downtown centered around a meticulously restored 18th-century mission; a small but thriving art gallery scene; and a large and growing collection of top-quality wineries. San Luis Obispo is bounded by the imposing line of Cuesta Ridge to the northeast, the Irish Hills to the southwest, dramatic Bishop Peak to the northwest and Islay Hill to the southeast. The town clusters around the feet of the 1,000-foot (300-meter) Cerro San Luis, notably marked with a big white "M" (for Mission High School). Both locals and visitors frequently refer to Cerro San Luis as "Madonna Mountain" and a common misconception is that the "M" represents the surname "Madonna;" the famous Madonna Inn sits at the foot of the mountain and the city of San Luis Obispo negotiated public access to the peak with the Madonna family.

1 Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, 728 Monterey St, ☏ +1 805 543-6850, fax: +1 805 781-8214. Open daily winter 9AM-4PM, summer 9AM-5PM, closed New Year's, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas. Founded in 1772 by Junipero Serra, Mission San Luis Obispo was the fifth Catholic mission in California. Still an active parish, it is in the middle of downtown on Chorro St and Monterey St, with its main courtyard interrupting Monterey St for a full city block. In addition to the church, there is a small museum; both are definitely worth visiting. The Mission is part of the Mission Plaza development, which incorporates San Luis Creek and a number of stores and restaurants. Walk from the Mission to the creek and up to one of the restaurants for a bite to eat. Admission is by donation. 2 History Center of San Luis Obispo County, 696 Monterey St (across Broad St from the Mission), ☏ +1 805-543-0638. Every day except Tu 10AM-4PM. Housed in a beautiful library donated by Andrew Carnegie. There are three separate exhibit areas (two medium-sized rooms and a set of two much smaller rooms). There is a friendly attendant, and there is a good chance that you will find the exhibits interesting and worth looking at. For example, in October 2014, there were exhibits of impressive baskets by Native American tribes from the region and historic photographs of people and buildings in San Luis in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Free. 3 San Luis Obispo Museum of Art, 1010 Broad St (on the west end of the Mission Plaza), ☏ +1 805-543-8562.

1 Downtown SLO Farmers' Market. Th 6PM-9PM. On Thursday evenings head downtown on Higuera St. for the weekly farmers' market where bands, college students, and local farmers pack the streets for several blocks to create one of the best known farmers' markets in California. On the first Thursday of every month, hundreds of spirited bicycle enthusiasts congregate near the intersection of Chorro Street and Monterey Street to celebrate a themed, downtown bicycle parade, which starts promptly at 9:30PM. (updated Mar 2024) There are many places to hike and mountain bike in San Luis Obispo. The Santa Lucia mountains and the "Nine Sisters" offer many beautiful views of the city and the countryside. The two most popular hikes are Bishop Peak (no bikes allowed) and Cerro San Luis (multiple biking trails). If you're interested in other mountain biking trails around the county check out the list at CCCMB, a volunteer organization that creates and maintains trails countywide. Visit Montana de Oro State Park. Take Los Osos Valley Road 10 miles (16 km) west of town to a park named one of the state's best-kept secrets by the L.A. Times a few years back, and with good reason; it's filled with an abundance of hiking, mountain biking, and equestrian trails both along the ocean along the bluffs and inland into the coastal peaks; a dramatic cove with caves that kids and adults love; and miles of sandy beach and tidal pools. Trails range from casual ambles along the bluffs to the steep climbs up Valencia and Oats Peaks.

Due in large part to the death of affordable ethnic eateries, dining in town will set you back a few dollars. None of the local restaurants stands out with a consistently good menu (with the possible exception of the pricey Koberl) although several have some great dishes. Consequently, a fun and satisfying way to explore downtown is to have an itinerant dinner, sampling appetizers, salads, and a main course or two at a variety of eateries. 1 Kreuzberg California, 685 Higuera St, ☏ +1 805 439-2060. Su-Tu 8AM-7PM, W-Sa 8AM-9PM. This cavernous coffee shop/nightclub/restaurant/used bookstore/study spot offers a range of relatively affordable, tasty sandwiches for lunch; prices go up a little in the evening. It has a slightly edgy, intellectual vibe (photos of famous authors adorn the walls) and can be a pleasant place to spend an hour or two, sipping a coffee and sampling the games and books on offer. Kreuzberg (named for a hip neighborhood in Berlin) is a favorite study spot for Cal Poly students, and can become crowded around exam times. Live music is presented a few evenings a week. $8-10. (updated Mar 2024) 2 Linnaea's Cafe, 1110 Garden St, ☏ +1 805 541-5888, [email protected]. A long-standing downtown institution, Linnaea's has a wide variety of teas along with the usual cafe fare. The large patio and garden out back is an excellent place to relax, and the back room often hosts musicians and poetry readings. Delicious dinner is served five nights a week. Wi-Fi is available for free.

Bars The downtown area has many bars along Higuera street south of Santa Rosa ave, owing to the large student population. They are all an easy walk (or stumble) from one another. These start to become active around 10PM and on weekends will generally be quite busy up until 2AM. Options range from Martini lounge to Irish pub to wannabe LA nightclub. Wine Tasting There are several award-winning wineries in SLO county, many of which offer free wine tasting. Brochures to guide you through the area are available all over town, but they are actually unnecessary. Drive on 101 into Paso Robles and turn on Highway 46 (either direction). There will be wineries on either side of the road. There are also a number of wine tasting bars in downtown SLO. Brasserie SLO, 1119 Garden, ☏ +1 805-592-3880. Wine, cocktails, beer along with brie and French cuisine.

Hotels along the entire California coast get booked up every weekend during the summer. Be sure to make reservations if you intend to stay in San Luis Obispo on a weekend in the summer. Camping. Nearby at San Luis at El Chorro Regional Park, Morro Bay State Park, Morro Strand State Beach, Pismo State Beach, Montana de Oro State Park, and Cerro Alto Campground (U.S. Forest Service). 1 Apple Farm, 2015 Monterey St, ☏ +1 805 544-2040. An upscale country style hotel with small but charming rooms and a wonderful restaurant that serves large, hearty breakfasts. Their administrative building at 2223 Monterey Street (a block away) is what remains of the Milestone Mo-Tel. $205/night. Best Western Plus Royal Oak Hotel, 214 Madonna Rd, ☏ +1 805 544-4410, toll-free: +1-800-545-4410, fax: +1 805 544-3026. An average motel with simple, clean, comfortable rooms in a convenient location. $165/night. Inn At San Luis Obispo, 1895 Monterey St, ☏ +1 805-472-3966, [email protected]. Renovated hotel, featuring stylish, comfortable accommodations, meeting space and California vacation packages. Courtyard San Luis Obispo, 1605 Calle Joaquin Rd, ☏ +1 805-786-4200. One of the Marriott hotel chains; clean, spacious rooms and pleasant staff, as expected from a large mid-range company. $205. Embassy Suites, 333 Madonna Rd, ☏ +1 805-549-0800. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: noon. Accommodations come with a complimentary cooked-to-order buffet breakfast, nightly manager's reception, parking, business center, fitness facility, and heated indoor pool and spa. $109/night and up.

San Luis Obispo has a one-terminal airport, 1 San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport (SBP IATA). Scheduled flights are available from Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, Portland, Phoenix, San Francisco, and Seattle on Alaska Air, American Airlines, and United. Taxis and Uber/Lyft is available, as well as rental cars, and the 1A and 1B city bus routes link the airport to downtown. (updated Jun 2021) Central Coast Shuttle has 7 trips a day between the Los Angeles/LAX and Santa Maria Airport, about 35 miles (56 km) south. This is a limited option, an Uber or ride from a friend must be procured, but may work in your situation. Air Charter or air taxi is another alternative, where you can catch flights to San Diego for the weekend, or to any large or small airport. Air charters and air taxis fly point-to-point, at the departure time, departure airport, and arrival airport of the passengers' choosing. Prices start around $150 for a seat on flights that might already be going to your destination, or go from $1,000 to $10,000 or more for a custom-chartered flight where you hire the aircraft to fly you directly to your destination, any time you want to go. On-demand flights, and seats on flights already chartered to/from San Luis Obispo are offered by Pacific Air Taxi. Air taxi flights have a much shorter check-in time (typically just 15 minutes) than larger airlines, so you can just arrive and go. Travel time for an air taxi flight is usually 80 minutes from SLO to Sacramento.

Car is the easiest way to get around town and the larger region, but many locals opt to travel by bike or to walk within the city. SLO Transit Services are reliable and cover most points of interest, but end at 11PM on weekdays and 8PM on the weekends. A trolley links some of the hotels on Monterey Street to the downtown area. Click here for more information Regional Transit Authority The county bus system. Mainly intended for travel to neighboring cities, with limited service inside SLO, but check if the stops and schedules work for you. Walking is a great way to get around, especially if you're staying close to downtown. SLO keeps improving its bike infrastructure every year. Several bike shops offer rentals and some hotels have bike available for use by guests. SLO Pedicab San Luis Obispo now has pedicab service. Taxi service is available from 234 Taxi (805-234-TAXI) but you certainly won't be able to hail a cab from a street corner; call for pick-up.