San Luis Obispo and nearby towns

[kap]

While visiting our family in the central coast (CA) we are planning some short getaways for ourselves as well. Any recommendation? We prefers to stay away fromt the touristsy locales. TiA

Checking out some ideas suggested by Sunset Magazines right now.

[zeppo2]

I live about 20 miles from SLO, and it's all pretty touristy here :-) What do you enjoy doing? The SLO/Edna Valley wine scene is quite good, as the tasting rooms are never as packed as in Santa Ynez Valley. The Paso Robles wine area is also a joy to visit. Los Osos is a quiet, funky beach town close to Morro Bay, without the crowds of Morro Bay. If you go, make sure to hike through Montana de Oro State Park. Pismo Beach is often full of tourists, but if you rent a kayak you can get away easily enough. Paso Robles/Atascadero and Templeton are not touristy at all, but they aren't beach communities and don't have as much going on. San Luis Obispo is a great college town, with a "quaint" downtown that fun to walk through, and on Thursday's hosts a wonderful farmer's market.

[spearmint]

Pismo Beach is a bit touristy but really pretty. I love SLO, everbody in town is classy and the smartest kids in the world. I do not know about the timing of the Central California State Fair in Atascadero but that is a good old time. You need reservations but the drive through cart tour of the Hearst Castle is unbelievable.

[kap]

zeppo2,

We'll be doing lots of walking and window-shopping (saving $$$ for a real vacation in November Quaint, cozy and tranquility are what we are looking for. We are not wine drinkers. Coffee shops, bookstores and small family owned restaurants offering delicious food, and similar. We enjoy farmer's market, alas, we'll only be there Sat, Sun and morning Monday. Any good running trail? or bike group I can join just for a ride?

[Filliam H. Muffman]

Montaña de Oro is one of my favorite places to visit in all of California. It is best when the California poppies are blooming in March and April before all the tourists show up.

[spearmint]

Window Shopping and nice small restaraunts? You want SLO. The downtown area is just cool. Coffee Shops you betcha. Right off the furthest North exits off 101 are some decent motels. I cannot remember the name but there is a bizarre motel with cool theme rooms more for couples.

It is such a great town. I used to do a lot of business there and grinned all the way down from SF. Ten miles from the Ocean. Good Luck!

[Effin Haole]

Lots of farmers markets, SLO, Morro Bay, Paso robles, etc. all have them on varius days/times.

Also, the wineries also have other things to see and eat/drink, especially on Hwy 46

Take a drive up the coast for a day northbound up past Ragged Point.

While a bit pricey, IMHO, there are kayak/canoe rentals at Morro Bay and it is a great time.

Lots of hiking all over the county.

http://www.sanluisobispocounty.com/

[spearmint]

I'm with you elmo.

[Go To Top]

Run nekked thru the lobby of the Madonna Inn.

[Filliam H. Muffman]

The hotel with the bizzare rooms is the http://www.madonnainn.com/tour/index.asp. The uninals in the mens rooms used to be waterfalls triggered by electric eyes.

There are hundreds of running and hiking trails in the area. http://www.hostelobispo.com/hikebike.html There are many bike clubs in town but I have not ridden there in 20 years. I used to ride out to Morro Bay and back as a good long (for me) ride. http://www.slobc.org/Home.html There is a "historic" bike tour of downtown. http://www.slobikelane.org/ http://www.visitslo.com/cm/Activities/Bi...Tours.html

Another cute town for walking around in the area is Solvang (65 miles south). It used to be like a Bavarian town in the middle of California.