Destination of the Week

San Luis Obispo

Let’s see, if we had our druthers, we’d spend our free time in a place that offers beauty, a laid-back atmosphere, great wine and food, and – maybe – a couple of activities to interrupt our relaxed thinking and reading time.  Oh yeah, and if possible, fantastic weather.

San Luis Obispo.  Anyone you ask who says, “Don’t go there.” is being just plain piggish – saving it all for themselves – because, you can find it all right there.  Warm to hot days and cool nights make for great wines and great visits, too.  The wines you’ll taste include both old world and new world tastes.  We’ve talked about one of the two viticultural districts, Paso Robles, a number of times.   To the south, though, in the San Luis Obispo district, lie well over 3000 acres of vines yielding chardonnay and pinot noir grapes.  This is the Edna Valley and, at the base of the Santa Lucia Mountain Range, there’re absolutely breathtaking views from just about all of the over 80 wineries.

The wonderful thing is that you can relax your way, driving, walking, or biking, if you like, through the countryside.  Depending on the time of year, you’ll find tastings (of course), and plenty more to entertain you.

Want to picnic?  There’s a terrific outdoor farmers’ market in “SLO” as they say, to stock your basket with.  Along with it go gourmet foods – if you prefer not to prepare your own meals and supplies.  Alongside, you’ll often see local crafts and, sometimes, live bands.  And the weather, especially the summers, is just about perfect, but, hey, even in winter, the highs are in the 60’s so there’s no bad time to visit.

Like the arts?  You’ll be amazed at the number of galleries which include paintings and sketches, photography, sculpture and jewelry.  In the temporal arts, there’s the Civic Ballet of San Luis Obispo, offering a variety of selections in their performance and the San Luis Obispo Symphony, which performs Classics in the Cohan, Pops by the Sea, and chamber music via Sundays in the Clark.  In addition, there’s a Mozart festival every July.

How about golf?  The weather and scenery combine to offer golf that you’ll remember for a long time.  There are five nearby golf courses including three county public courses – Morro Bay, Chalk Mountain, and Dairy Creek. 

Other great points of interest:

The Hearst Castle is nearby in the Santa Lucia Mountains.  William Randolph Hearst’s property grew into the Hearst Castle over a 28 year period.  It now has 165 rooms and occupies more than 127 acres with its pools, gardens and terraces with much of the property offering views of both the mountains and the Pacific.  Now a state historical monument, it’s one place you may find crowds but it’s worth the trip.

Montana de Oro State Park:  Located in nearby Los Osos, the nature preserve offers hiking and sightseeing and even a natural history museum.

Morro Bay:  A year ‘round attraction, Morrow Bay, Morro Rock and the Morro Bay Estuary offer galleries, stores and boutiques that border the Pacific.

Oceano Dunes:  Daytona Beach West!  Take your car onto the beach then visit the Oso Flaco nature preserve.

Now a lot of people just pass by SLO on their way to Napa or Monterey but do yourself a favor, make San Luis Obispo part of your plans.   

Want to book a trip? Start here.

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