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Sunday, December 4, 2016

San Luis Obispo things to do

Destination Station:  San Luis Obispo, tucked away on the California Central Coast

Nestled on the coast, halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo has a wonderful small town charm and tons of outdoor adventure awaits.

Our top favorite things to do in San Luis Obispo, or SLO as it's known to locals, pronounced as "slow" whom live the "SLO life":

1.  Strolling downtown for that small town charm with fun shopping, mostly mom and pop stores that carry unique items with a few big box stores mixed in such as Sephora, Williams-Sonoma, Abercrombie and Fitch, and more.  Some of our favorite downtown SLO mom and pop shops* are:

• Hep Kat Clothing and Beauty Parlor Cool, edgy clothing and old fashioned beauty parlor and separate barber shop
• San Luis Soap Co. for tried and true soaps made the old fashioned way with natural ingredients
• Eco Bambino baby store for all gift giving needs, the best eco friendly baby supplies and clothing

Mission San Luis Obispo gardens, church, and gift shop are beautiful to visit.

Thursday Night Farmer's Market for dinner and entertainment, this is THE event for the county each week, and is family friendly complete with live music and puppet shows [pictured left]

Walk along the creek that parallels Higuera St. downtown, or dine along the creek at:

• Novo global cuisine, also excellent for Sunday brunch.  Beautifully lit at night over the creek
• SLO Brew creekside patio complete with whiskey lounge, fireside salon, and loft hotel
• Luna Red at Mission Plaza using locally sourced, seasonal ingredients [pictured right] 
• Libertine Brewery, flights are a great way to try a bit of a lot.  [pictured left] 

 
  




2.   Hiking:  So many trails, so little time.  Famous for the Nine Sisters, or Morros, that stretch across San Luis Obispo to the pacific at Morro Bay, these volcanic peaks are visible from most SLO trails, some favorites:

• Bishop's peak, so named as the top looks like a Bishop's hat (Mitre), a local favorite for hikers and mountain bikers alike, this is for advanced levels ascending to elevation 1,546 feet.  The trail head begins near sea level.  Fun Fact: Obispo is the Spanish word for Bishop, Mission San Luis Obispo is named after Saint Louis of Anjou, the bishop of Toulouse, this peak is a namesake for the city.
• Johnson Ranch, a family favorite with many trails on the ranch [pictured below]
  
  
  
  
• Madonna peak, elevation 1,292 feet [pictured above]   
• Irish Hills, several trails linked here, a beautiful view of Morro Rock and the Pacific Ocean.  Read up on the passages at bridges, some are narrow and there have been wildlife sightings in these trails
• Reservation Canyon allows for a beautiful view of the Cuesta Grade.  Fun Fact:  Cuesta is the Spanish word for "grade" so it's Cuesta squared.
• Take a trip back in time on the Stagecoach Road trail, the southwest end is at the Cal Poly dairy farm
• Links to SLO hikes listed here and more can be found on Hikes Peak

3.  Dining all over town, favorites are:

• Firestone for world famous casual BBQ, tri-tip, and good veggieburgers (seems like a clash of opposites but so good)
• Big Sky, global fusion food with delicous daily specials
• Linnaea's Cafe serene patio seating, great breakfast, pastries, coffee, and tea
• Wine tasting and updated mac and cheeses at TASTE
• Sally Lou's Wholesome Cafe for breakfast Acai bowl with granola, and tasty lunches, complete with theater seating along the north wall
• Nucci's for casual pizza, the raspberry salad is the best
• Shawarma and kebabs at Petra (great pizzas here too) or Jaffa Cafe
• Grab a sweet treat at Batch ice cream sandwiches  

* all recommendations in our Destination Station series are unpaid endorsements, simply favorites by Deco Belle with no compensation, as we recognize the same quality of service that we provide to our own customers, and well wishes to fellow small business owners.

Labels: slo, travel

by: Deco Belle Inc.

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