San Luis Obispo is legendary for its lovely seashores and year-round Mediterranean local weather, however don’t overlook town’s vibrant historic websites and culturally important sights. Residence to a few of California’s finest wine-producing areas, the Arroyo and Edna Valleys, issues to do in San Luis Obispo extends into the rolling valleys and steep mountains that encompass and shelter town.
It’s a beautiful place to go to on California’s Central Coast regardless of the time of 12 months. San Luis Obispo is certain to impress you with pure splendour, Californian hospitality and lots to see, do and expertise proper on the shores of the shimmering Pacific. Listed here are some issues to do in San Luis Obispo it’s possible you’ll get pleasure from.
San Luis Obispo, California
20 Issues To Do In San Luis Obispo
1- Discover The Avila Valley
Whereas most travellers know all about Avila Seashore and its idyllic waters and enjoyable retailers, few enterprise additional into the valley that Avila Seashore lies in.
The image-perfect Avila Valley, with its abundance of improbable climbing trails and pure scorching springs, should not removed from the shores of Avila Seashore, but it looks like a world away.
Stuffed with a variety of lodging choices, enjoyable out of doors actions and a rural farmstead really feel, the Avila Valley is a superb vacation spot so as to add to your itinerary to interrupt away from the seashores and historic appeal of SLO.
Take a look at the Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort and Spa, the Avila Scorching Springs, Avila Valley Barn and the Bob Jones Bike Path while you’re right here to get essentially the most out of your go to to the Avila Valley.
The Avila Valley could be reached by way of Avila Seashore Dr, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405.
2- Go to Mission San Luis Obispo
Father Junipero Serra established the mission in 1772 in honour of the Bishop of Toulouse.
The picturesque adobe-style Mission de San Luis Obispo is considered one of California’s finest Spanish Missions.
Dotted with towering oak timber, a vibrant rose backyard and alluring courtyards and arcades, Mission San Luis Obispo is a deal with to tour if you happen to’re thinking about studying extra about California’s wealthy historical past.
The Mission’s museum retells the historical past of the Mission and its affect on the realm by way of shows and historic gadgets that recount how folks again then used to dwell.
The Mission San Luis Obispo is at 751 Palm St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401.
3- See The Iron Highway Pioneers Monument
The larger-than-life Iron Highway Pioneers Monument outdoors the San Luis Obispo Amtrak station serves as a monument that pays homage to the numerous labourers who constructed the nation’s railroads.
A thankless job that price many labourers their lives, the Iron Highway Pioneers Monument was created by artist Elizabeth MacQueen and formally unveiled in 2003.
Superbly lit up at night time, admiring the monument is without doubt one of the free issues to do in San Luis Obispo.
The Iron Highway Pioneers Monument is at 1011 Railroad Ave, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401.
4- Dangle Out At Pismo Seashore
Pismo Seashore is midway between San Diego and San Francisco.
This beachside city is house to cafes, eating places, galleries and boutiques.
It has a beautiful stretch of sandy seaside the place you’ll be able to swim, sunbake and really feel the sand between your toes.
Pismo Seashore is a Californian seaside vacation spot to get pleasure from at a gradual tempo and considered one of San Luis Obispo’s finest sights.
Pismo Seashore is at 100 Pomeroy Ave, Pismo Seashore, CA 93449.
5- Admire The Structure Of Fremont Theatre
The 1,060-seat Fremont Theatre was opened to a lot fanfare on Memorial Day in 1942 and is a classy Artwork-Deco model construction designed by architect S. Charles Lee and impressed by the lavish opera homes in Europe.
The Fremont Theatre is stunningly embellished with over 100 ft (30 m) of murals protecting the partitions and ceilings of the theatre’s inside, topped off with intricate palm flooring.
The theatre’s existence was threatened through the latter levels of the twentieth century when builders needed to interchange the Fremont Theatre with a multiplex, nevertheless, the locals rallied and saved the theatre from destruction.
The Fremont Theatre stays the architectural crown jewel of San Luis Obispo and is properly value stopping by for a tour or a dwell present.
The Fremont Theatre is at 1035 Monterey St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401.
6- Go Kayaking On Lopez Lake
Overlaying an space of some 4,200 acres (1,700 ha) of verdant forest and over 22 miles (35 km) of shoreline, Lopez Lake is considered one of San Luis Obispo’s high out of doors sights.
Lopez Lake has over 350 campsites all alongside the lake’s shore, the place guests can keep the night time after spending the day having fun with lakeside actions reminiscent of kayaking, fishing and windsurfing.
If tenting’s not your cup of tea, Lopez Lake additionally has a number of rentable cabins close to many consolation facilities reminiscent of laundromats, grocery shops and automobile leases.
Ultimate for a weekend getaway to take a break from SLO’s sunny seashores, Lopez Lake is a improbable spot to go to year-round.
Lopez Lake is at Lopez Dr, Arroyo Grande, CA 93420.
7- Keep At The Madonna Inn
Impressed by cottages and chalets discovered within the Swiss Alps, the well-known Madonna Inn is arguably San Luis Obispo’s most weird landmark.
The brainchild of Alex and Phyllis Madonna, and constructed in 1958, the Madonna Inn shares no reference to the singer ‘Madonna’, nevertheless, its chichi decorations and vibrant rooms are nonetheless value visiting.
With over 109 rooms all embellished in cheesy over-the-top themes, the Madonna Inn is really a sight to behold.
Cease by the recent pink colored tennis courtroom, the copper-clad café, the intense pink restaurant or the inn’s theatre for a dwell efficiency whilst you’re on the venue.
With room names such because the Searching Lodge, the Whispering Hills, Previous Mexico and Floral Fantasy, there’s by no means a boring second on the Madonna Inn.
The Madonna Inn is at 100 Madonna Rd, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405.
8- Go For A Stroll At Avila Seashore
The beautiful Avila Seashore in San Luis Obispo Bay gives the identical seaside enjoyable on supply at close by Pismo Seashore, however with hotter water and fewer winds in addition.
Bordered by a promenade that boasts a number of the area’s finest eateries and boutique retailers, Avila Seashore gives guests with a novel resort-like ambiance lower than a 15-minute drive from Downtown San Luis Obispo.
Avila Seashore additionally hosts many entertaining occasions and festivals all year long, together with the Avila Seashore Blues Competition, the Central Coast Shakespeare Competition, and the Open Studios Artwork Tour.
Excellent for a mid-afternoon picnic or a Sunday stroll, Avila Seashore is an ideal vacation spot to plan a go to to any time of the 12 months.
Avila Seashore is at Entrance Road, Avila Seashore, CA 93424.
9- Go Wine Tasting In Edna Valley
Usually ignored for the extra well-known Napa, Sonoma and Paso Robles Valleys of California, San Luis Obispo is house to 2 of the Golden State’s high wine-producing areas.
One in all these is the rolling Edna Valley, famend for its wonderful crimson and white wine varieties.
Many picturesque wineries dot the Edna Valley, making it a superb area to spend a day tasting wine and having a superb time with buddies, household and locals.
The Edna Valley could be reached by way of CA-227, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401.
10- Step Again Into Historical past At San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum
The San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum captures, preserves and retells the historical past and the deep-rooted affect that the railroad business had on this as soon as sleepy Californian city.
Residence to quite a few reveals devoted to all issues rail, the San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum is an unmissable landmark for anybody thinking about studying this proud metropolis’s historical past.
The museum’s 1926 Southern Pacific Boxcar, Pacific Coast Railway, Amtrak, and 1,200 sq. foot (111 sq. m) Central Coast Mannequin Railroad, a wonderfully scaled model of the unique line, are simply a number of the high reveals to see.
For a chew to eat on the museum, La Cuesta Café is a novel eatery inside a transformed 1926 Pullman open-air statement carriage.
The San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum is at 1940 Santa Barbara Ave, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401.
11- Uncover The Bells of El Camino Actual
The Bells of El Camino Actual is a group of some 585 particular person bells dotted alongside the El Camino Actual, a street initially established to hyperlink all the 21 Spanish Missions which operated in California on the time.
Though the El Camino Actual dates again to the institution of the Spanish Missions, the bells are a latest attraction added to the route to spice up tourism.
Whereas a number of the bells have since been misplaced, stolen or destroyed, the bells stay a preferred attraction and a improbable sight as you trek from Mission to Mission throughout San Luis Obispo and past.
12- Journey An ATV At Oceano Dunes
The Oceano Dunes, or Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Leisure Space because it’s formally recognized, is an out of doors wonderland that mixes beautiful vistas with adrenaline-pumping actions all 12 months spherical.
Oceano Dunes permits guests to whisk round on the park’s 1,200 acres (486 ha) of Oceanside dunes in ATV off-road bikes, dune buggies and all different OHVs (off-highway automobiles).
Other than the enjoyable off-road actions, the Oceano Dunes space can be a haven for extra conventional out of doors actions reminiscent of horseback driving, chicken watching and fishing, making it a improbable out of doors vacation spot with one thing for everybody to get pleasure from doing.
The Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Space is at 100 Pier Ave, Oceano, CA 93445.
13- Hike Bishop Peak
Rising to simply over 1,500 ft. (457 m) above sea degree, Bishop Peak stands guard over San Luis Obispo and is the Californian metropolis’s climbing hotspot, with varied scenic trails of all problem ranges to select from.
Shaped over 20 million years in the past from magma after a volcanic eruption, this dormant “volcano” of kinds treats guests to a few of Central California’s most commanding vistas from atop its summit.
Reaching the summit of Bishop Peak is comparatively simple, with a nice 3.7-mile (6 km) round-trip climbing path to get to the height’s summit and again down once more, making it an ideal afternoon exercise so as to add to your San Luis Obispo itinerary.
Bishop Peak is at Patricia Drive, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405.
14- Bubblegum Alley
This odd but fashionable attraction in San Luis Obispo’s Historic Downtown space acquired its begin through the Nineteen Fifties, and regardless of a number of cleanup makes an attempt by authorities and native companies, Bubblegum Alley stays.
Bubblegum Alley was rumoured to have originated as a result of a rivalry between college students at San Luis Obispo Excessive College and the native California Polytechnic State College, however the actual purpose stays a thriller.
Since its inception, the alley’s partitions have attracted intrepid city explorers looking for the distinctive and weird, lots of whom left their mark on Bubblegum Alley by sticking their items of gum on its partitions, turning it right into a well-known attraction.
Whereas actually not a vacation spot everybody will get pleasure from, it’s properly value visiting if you happen to’re up for a novel factor to do in San Luis Obispo.
Bubblegum Alley is at 733 Higuera St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401.
15- Escape To Shell Seashore
The secluded and serene Shell Seashore is midway between Avila Seashore and Pismo Seashore.
It could be geographically near San Luis Obispo’s two hottest seashores, however Shell Seashore couldn’t be additional aside from them.
As a substitute of countless stretches of white sand, Shell Seashore is a slither of unspoilt coastal paradise nestled beneath near-vertical sea cliffs.
An amazing spot to see some sea lions, whales or dolphins, Shell Seashore is an absolute deal with for nature lovers.
With beautiful sunsets, nice year-round climate and calm waters splendid for kayaking, Shell Seashore is certain to be an incredible vacation spot to go to throughout your keep in San Luis Obispo.
16- San Luis Obispo Botanical Backyard
Located neatly between Downtown San Luis Obispo and close by Morro Bay, the San Luis Obispo Botanical Backyard and its shows of plant species from everywhere in the world is a superb spot for spending a day aimlessly.
The botanical backyard’s five-acre (2 ha) preview backyard is house to a captivating show of vegetation from each main local weather zone on the earth.
The attractive Life Celebration Backyard, full of plaques of family members who’ve handed away, is a well-maintained but sombre location splendid for a stroll.
The San Luis Obispo Botanical Backyard is at 3450 Dairy Creek Rd, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405.
17- Drink Wine In Arroyo Grande
Arroyo Grande is alongside the Edan Valley, considered one of San Luis Obispo’s high wine-producing areas, full of pleasant wineries the place one can simply spend a complete day sampling the area’s world-class crimson and white wines.
The Arroyo Grande Valley is house to charming Victorian-era buildings, charming retailers and improbable eateries serving up luxurious meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Guests to Arroyo Grande might be handled to hospitality, pleasant locals and beautiful landscapes which might be properly well worth the brief trek from Downtown San Luis Obispo to get to.
18- Discover Historic Downtown San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo’s Mission-centric historic downtown space is stuffed to the brim with lovely Spanish-style constructions, tree-lined streets and vigorous cafes, bars and eating places.
Lots of the high issues to do in San Luis Obispo are in its Historic Downtown, together with visiting the well-known Bubblegum Alley, and the realm’s bus terminal makes reaching different sights reminiscent of Pismo and Avila Seashore a breeze.
Downtown San Luis Obispo involves life on Thursday evenings between 6 pm and 9 pm when the Farmer’s Market has dwell music, contemporary produce and scrumptious meals.
At all times a hub of leisure in San Luis Obispo, you merely can’t miss out on stopping by the Historic Downtown space.
Historic Downtown San Luis Obispo is at Higuera St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401.
19- Go to San Luis Obispo Museum of Artwork
Located in Mission Plaza in Downtown San Luis Obispo, the San Luis Obispo Museum of Artwork places the easiest Californian artwork on full show in all kinds of artwork exhibitions, movie screenings and cultural occasions.
The museum’s reveals are repeatedly up to date, making no two visits to the San Luis Obispo Museum of Artwork the identical.
Stuffed with thought-provoking sculptures, work and images, this compact museum can simply be toured in a day, making it an amazing addition to any SLO itinerary.
San Luis Obispo Museum of Artwork is at 1010 Broad St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401.
20- Go to Leaning Pine Arboretum
Located on the sprawling campus of California Polytechnic State College, the 5-acre (2 ha) Leaning Pine Arboretum’s spectacular array of flowers, vegetation and timber from each nook of the globe.
Not solely is the Leaning Pine Arboretum’s lush flora spectacular, however Leaning Pines’ lovely location on the picturesque campus of CPSU with the mountains behind the arboretum makes it a really scenic vacation spot too.
The Leaning Pine Arboretum could be discovered on the campus of California Polytechnic State College, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407.
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