San Luis Obispo Area Overview
The Central Coast offers a wide variety of sights to see and things to
do. Whether your looking for a place to get away to for a long weekend, or
planning to stay for a week or more, the Central Coast has the opportunity
to be a lasting memory...if you take advantage of this wonderful area.
Here are overviews of places in and around San Luis Obispo county:
San Luis
Obispo
Avila Beach
See Canyon
Pismo Beach/Shell Beach
Morro Bay
Hearst
Castle
Places Further South of San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo (SLO) is home to Cal Poly, one of the California State
Colleges. During the school year, SLO has a college town atmosphere,
especially on Thursday-Saturday nights. During the summer, tourists flock
to the area from both Northern and Southern California (and out of state
too!). There are many motels in the city of San Luis Obispo. If you're
planning on sightseeing, the city offers a central place to rest your
feet. SLO is 15 minutes from Pismo Beach to the South, 12 minutes from
Morro Bay to the North, and less than an hour from Hearst Castle.
The main areas to stay in San Luis Obispo are:
Monterey Street-
This is "motel row" located right when you enter the city from the North
on 101. You can find rooms to fit most budgets along this street. From
here, you can walk to downtown shopping (about 6-9 blocks) or to Cal Poly
(a bit longer walk or a short drive).
Madonna Rd/Los Osos Valley Rd-
Here you'll find some major chain motels close to the freeway at the South
end of the city. From here, you're a few minutes driving distance from
downtown SLO and Cal Poly. You're also about 12 minutes from Pismo Beach
which is about 4-5 minutes closer if you're staying on Monterey Street.
There are also some motels located in downtown and around the Santa
Rosa Street off ramp.
Tourist things to do in San Luis Obispo
Thursday Night Farmers Market-
In the early 1980's, the city of San Luis Obispo began closing off the
main street (Higuera) and sponsoring a farmer's market and barbecue. This
was at the time that the new indoor shopping mall at Madonna Rd was
threatening downtown shops. Today, downtown is flourishing and the
Thursday night event is not just a tradition, but one of the most
successful town events I've seen. At 6 PM every Thursday, the event kicks
off with local restaurants cooking up ribs, tri-tip sandwiches, and other
tid bits.
Getting ready for the 6 PM whistle.
One of the many local restaurants represented on Thursday night.
At 6:30 PM, the whistle blows which begins the next part of the event,
the Farmers Market. Until the whistle blows, the vendors are not allowed
to sell any of their produce. Most vendors are setting up from 6 PM which
gives you a wonderful time to browse and decide what you want to buy (if
that's your intention). If so, be at the table of your first choice at
6:30 since the streets will be busy and chances are your favorite fruit or
vegetable will sell out quick. If you do plan on taking back some produce
with you, it may be beneficial to pick a motel with an in-room
refrigerator (one you can use, not a mini-bar). Or...bring an ice chest
which you can keep in your car. Once you make your purchases, take the
produce to your car so you can enjoy the rest of the evening with a
lighter load.
Here's some of the items you may find to buy...
If looking at the produce is your preferred choice, then there are
other items for sale along the street or in the downtown shops which stay
open late on Thursdays. If your a people-watcher, this is a great place to
be!
Tip: Although the aroma of barbecues may make you want to get in the line
for dinner, hold off. Not that the food isn't good, it is! But...it's a
pain to eat. There are no tables or chairs to sit at and you'll end up
joining everyone else on the curb to enjoy your feast of messy ribs.
Curb seating is the best you're going to get.
My suggestion is to nibble and have a late dinner in one of the many
fine restaurants in SLO or one of the neighboring cities. Or, walk down
and have a pizza at Woodstocks and leave the rib/steak dinner to Friday or
Saturday night.
The Thursday Night Farmers Market is worthwhile enough to try to get
off of work early on Thursday and be on the road by 3 PM. This should give
you enough time to drive down to SLO, check-in to your motel, and spend a
few hours downtown before going off to dinner or staying around town to
visit one or more of the bars with live music.
Bubble Gum Alley
While walking down Higuera Street, look for a small alley on the East
side of the street just North of Broad Street. This is bubble gum alley
and it won't take you long to figure out how it got the name. For many,
many years, people have been placing their chewed gum on both sides of the
walls of the alley. You're bound to have a reaction when you see this,
either grossed-out or amused. Definitely something you don't see
everyday...
Wall to wall gum
You can even add your wad to the wall if you dare
Men's room at Madonna Inn
A trip to San Luis Obispo wouldn't be complete without visiting the
men's room at the Madonna Inn. As crazy as it sounds, this room is a
popular stop for both men and women. Unfortunately, if your a man and need
to use this for it's original purpose, be prepared to be interrupted by
giggling women with cameras.
Madonna Inn is a motel with each room having its own theme (like the
caveman room). There is also a restaurant, wine cellar, and a few shops in
the main building. Mrs. Madonna loved the color pink which you'll see
everywhere but luckily they haven't repainted in awhile so it's not as
fluorescent as it once was.
Entrance to the Madonna Inn
Once you enter the main building, go down the staircase at the right.
This will take you to the wine cellar, and pay phone in the
Flintstones-like rock cave. The men's restroom is to the left. Here you'll
find the attraction....a urinal that looks like a waterfall which is
activated when you break a beam of light. Yep, that's it! Put this in the
same category as the Bubble Gum Alley- something you don't see everyday.
Here's a picture of the urinal when not in use!
Don't worry, there's lots of other things to do in SLO if this doesn't
meet your fancy. Other suggestions are eating lunch by the creek, taking
the kids to the SLO Children's museum, relaxing in an outdoor redwood hot
tub at the Sycamore Mineral Springs, or taking a walk along Poly Canyon at
the university.
Avila Beach
About 15 minutes from San Luis Obispo is the small
coastal town of Avila Beach. Mainly a beach town, Avila Beach has one of
the best coastal climates on the central coast. It's worth a trip to Avila
just to stroll on the pier and look at the surfers and other beach-goers
having fun. If you go to the beach to lay out in the sun, you'll find the
college/high school crowd on the South side of the pier, while families
tend to be on the North side. Unfortunately, the town recently discovered
that the oil pipes under the city that UNOCAL use have been leaking. This
has caused some people to stay away from the town while UNOCAL figures out
how it's going to clean up the ground beneath the town and beach.
See Canyon
Positioned in the valley between Avila Beach and San
Luis Obispo is See Canyon. This canyon's unique climate makes it perfect
for growing some mighty tasty apples. There are a few apple farms along
See Canyon Rd that sell apple cider and fresh picked apples during the
August - October season. If you wanted to take a more scenic route back to
San Luis Obispo, you can take the 14 mile road which will take you through
the apple orchards, up a hill with good views of Morro Bay and San Luis
Obispo, and through a cattle ranch. The road isn't paved all the way but
the non-paved parts are OK. You can take this anytime of the year except
maybe in a big rain storm. The apple farms are not too far from the Avila
Beach side of the road. So, if you wanted just to visit the apples,
they're only a few minute round-trip from San Luis Bay Dr. The road is not
traveled much and once your past the apple farms, you'll be lucky to see a
car or two until you arrive back at San Luis Obispo.
You can reach See Canyon Rd by taking the Avila Road/
San Luis Bay Dr exit just south of San Luis Obispo off of Highway 101.
Travel towards Avila Beach and a few miles up on the right, you'll see See
Canyon Rd. About 1/2 mile past the See Canyon Rd turnoff San Luis Bay Dr
ends at Avila Rd which means you've gone too far. As far as apple farms
go, the Daisy D is just three miles down the road followed by the See
Canyon Ranch (our favorite) and the Ruda Ranch which is only 3.7 miles
after the turnoff. Beyond the apple Farms See Canyon Road is partially
gravel and at times can be narrow. Although fine for passenger cars, the
drive is not for someone in a hurry, especially on the one lane non-paved
parts. You should allow about 45 minutes to get back to San Luis Obispo.
Here is a mileage guide to help you through the less
than 15 mile stretch of road known as See Canyon Road-
At 5.4 miles from the start of See Canyon Rd, the road becomes gravel for
the first time and narrows to one lane. The gravel road goes for about one
mile before returning to pavement. After seven miles the road is once
again dirt. Here you will find a beautiful overlook, on a clear day, Morro
Rock looks within grasp. Go another ½ mile and the view is even more
spectacular. Remember, allow plenty of time to do the drive and be on the
lookout for drivers coming the other way. At the eight mile mark the road
returns to pavement and there is a great view of San Luis Obispo. Another
half mile the road becomes gravel again and stays that way for two more
miles. Ten miles into the drive pavement returns for good, and at 10.4
mileage mark, the road becomes two lanes. 12.4 miles marks the city limit
of San Luis Obispo and the road name changes from See Canyon Rd to Prefumo
Canyon Rd. Just a short distance and Prefumo Canyon Road ends at the
intersection of Los Osos Valley Road in San Luis Obispo. To return to
downtown San Luis Obispo, turn right at Los Osos Valley Road and make a
left at Madonna road. The Madonna Inn, on the left side of Madonna Road is
at the 101 freeway junction.
Pismo
Beach/Shell Beach
About 10 miles South of San Luis Obispo on Highway 101,
you'll get your first glimpse of the ocean and Pismo Beach/Shell Beach
communities. The first town is Shell Beach, a small coastal town with
ocean front residences. It's here on the East side of the highway where
you'll find McClintocks Dining House. If you like steak/ribs/seafood, this
is a must restaurant to visit. Always busy, the restaurant consistently
gets rave reviews from couples and families. Go when you're hungry since
you'll get plenty of good food to fill you up.
Further south is the city of Pismo Beach. Also a
beach-town, Pismo offers a wide variety of motels, most right on the cliff
overlooking the ocean. If you want to stay at a place where you can hear
the surf at night from your room, Pismo is the place. The beach at Pismo
is long, wide, and rarely crowded which makes this a great place to take a
long stroll. By the pier, you can shop, visit the video arcade, or eat at
one of the seafood diners.
South of Pismo Beach are the towns of Arroyo Grande and
Grover City. This is also where the Pismo Dunes are located (California
State Vehicular Recreation Area). Here, you can drive your car on the
beach (if you dare) or rent ATVs to use on the dunes (or bring your own).
Rentals will cost you from $42-$140 for four-hours, depending on the type
of ATV.
Morro Bay
15 minutes North of San Luis Obispo is all it takes to
be in the town of Morro Bay. Mostly known for it's big rock, Morro Bay is
a fishing town with it's own fisherman's wharf. Here you can get a good
seafood lunch/dinner or go out on a half-day or full-day fishing
expedition. There are motels located a few blocks from the wharf which
provide a nice relaxing place to get away from the craziness of the Bay
Area. Make sure to drive out by the rock and take some time to watch the
surfers on the North side.
Hearst Castle
A popular destination on the central coast is Hearst
Castle. Located near the town of San Simeon on Highway One, the castle
sits up on a mountain overlooking the ocean. You'll need to get
reservations/tickets before you go and allow an hour from San Luis Obispo.
The drive should only take about 45 minutes but you don't want to be late.
You'll park in a parking lot right off of Highway One and bussed up to the
castle to take one of the tours of the house and grounds.
The castle is open for tours everyday except New Year's
Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. There are four tours to choose from
during the daytime and one evening tour. Reservations are strongly
recommended as you can get tickets for a specific time and tour you want.
You can go to the castle without reservations and get the next available
tour but you'll be taking a chance, especially during tourist season.
Reservations can be made through Mistix (800-444-4445).
Places Further South of San Luis Obispo
If your stay on the central coast is longer than a
weekend, you can take some day trips to places further south on Highway
101. One of those places is Solvang, a town that looks like a Danish
village. Actually, a Danish village with a lot of bakeries and tourist
gift shops. Solvang is about an hours drive from San Luis Obispo.
Another popular city south of San Luis Obispo is Santa
Barbara. It's 75-90 minutes from San Luis Obispo depending if you stay on
101 or take the San Marcos Pass (Highway 154) which cuts off about 15
minutes off your trip but it is a highway that goes through some mountains
with only two lanes in sections. A day trip to Santa Barbara to shop on
State Street may be a nice break from the quiet central coast (if you need
one). Unless you want to walk fast and far, you probably shouldn't try to
fit Solvang and Santa Barbara in the same day trip.
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