San Luis Obispo is consistently judged one of the United States' best places to live. Photo / 123rf
San Luis Obispo is consistently judged one of the United States' best places to live. Photo / 123rf
In his latest series for Travel, Brett Atkinson uncovers destinations on the up-and-up for tourism. This week, San Luis Obispo in California.
Travelling between Los Angeles and San Francisco, take time to slow down around SLO (San Luis Obispo), consistently judged one of the United States’ best places to live, and the gateway to California’s Central Coast beaches, an emerging vineyard scene and the over-the-top architectural exuberance of Hearst Castle.
What to see
Crafted in adobe (mud bricks dried in the sun), the whitewashed Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa was built in 1772. Framed by beautiful gardens, it’s a contemplative reminder of the 21 religious missions founded by the Spanish throughout California from 1769 to 1833. Named after California’s first five missions, the mission’s five bells reverberate around downtown SLO at noon.
The whitewashed Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa was built in 1772. Photo / Visit SLO
Southwest of downtown near Hwy 101, the Madonna Inn is a kitsch counterpoint to the mission’s architectural austerity. Themed hotel rooms, most with a sly and ironic nod to glam 1950s style, are loved by the Instagram crowd, while the Silver Bar cocktail lounge is straight from a yet-to-be-filmed Rat Pack Vegas biopic. Check out the pink padded barstools and the riotous rose-adorned carpet. Topping out the Central Coast’s occasionally over-the-top architecture, is Hearst Castle, 45 minutes drive north in San Simeon. With stellar Pacific Ocean views, the sprawling hilltop mansion packed with priceless art and antiquities was built by early 20th-century media magnate, William Randolph Hearst.
The Madonna Inn boasts themed rooms, most with a sly and ironic nod to glam 1950s style. Photo / Courtesy of Madonna Inn
What to do
Central Coast beaches easily reached from SLO include Morro Bay, punctuated by Morro Rock, one of nine 20 million year-old volcanic outcrops around San Luis Obispo dubbed the ‘Nine Sisters’. Book with Morro Bay Whale Watching to see migratory humpbacks from May to October, and explore the marine wildlife – including pelicans and sea otters – around Morro Rock on a kayak tour with Central Coast Outdoors.
Avila Beach’s oceanfront boardwalk is lined with wine bars and restaurants, while Pismo Beach is more raffish and retro, with a long wooden pier silhouetted perfectly against West Coast sunsets. Pismo’s Cracked Crab serves up seafood including crab cakes and lobster mac n’ cheese. To maintain an old-school Americana vibe, visit San Luis Obispo’s Sunset Drive-In, which opened in the 1950s and is one of California’s last drive-in cinemas.
San Luis Obispo's Sunset Drive-In is one of California's last drive-in cinemas. Photo / Visit SLO
Where to eat
One of California’s best weekly farmers’ markets is an essential destination on a Thursday night. All the organic, sustainable and locavore action kicks off around 6pm, turning downtown SLO’s Higuera St into a flavour-packed street party with regular live music. Highlights include Santa Maria tri-tip barbecue, a Central Coast specialty, and fizzy fermented goodness from San Luis Obispo’s Whalebird Kombucha. Try the pamplemousse (grapefruit) flavour dry-hopped with Pacific Northwest hops.
Once a dairy factory, the Creamery Marketplace is an expansive open-air dining destination with more than 10 cafes, bars and restaurants. Order the wood-fired pizza at Bear & the Wren, formerly a popular food truck, and leave room for dessert with icecream made with liquid nitrogen at Nite Creamery. San Luis Obispo’s best brunches are served at the versatile all-day Mint + Craft. Go healthy with a wellness bowl or the granola parfait with strawberries, or ease into riverside twilight cocktails at the long-standing Novo. Bar snacks include ahi tuna poke nachos, and Novo’s shaded tables overlook downtown’s meandering San Luis Obispo Creek.
Where to drink
Forget Sonoma and the Napa Valley. Around California, savvy wine buffs are now exploring San Luis Obispo’s Edna Valley. Quiet rural roads lead to low-key and under-the-radar wineries excelling in pinot noir and chardonnay. The family-run Kynsi Winery pours award-winning varietals on a garden patio, while Malene Wines dispenses summer-friendly tasting flights of rosé from a vintage 1969 Airstream caravan. Pink plastic flamingos mark the entrance to Malene’s long driveway. See slocoastwine.com for vineyard information.
Savvy wine buffs are now exploring San Luis Obispo's Edna Valley. Photo / Visit SLO
SLO’s best places for beer include SLOBrew Rock, a family-friendly location with live music and Mexican Food – try the refreshing A-SLO-HA Blood Orange Hazy – and There Does Not Exist, heaven for travelling beer geeks with faultless Bohemian pilsners and Belgian-style farmhouse ales. At Libertine Brewing Company’s three bars - downtown SLO, Morro Bay and Avila Beach - chatty bartenders serve up sour beers and wild-fermented brews. Courtesy of California Polytechnic, San Luis Obispo’s a big university town, and students can often be found hunched over their MacBooks nursing a nitro cold-brew at downtown’s Kreuzberg Coffee. Good breakfast burritos, too.
Pismo Beach is raffish and retro. Photo / 123rf
Where to stay
Formerly an automotive workshop, The Butler now features six rooms enlivened with curated artwork and cool 1960s furniture. Shared spaces include a lounge, complete with a turntable and loads of jazz, rock and blues on vinyl, and an outdoor courtyard. Complimentary snacks and Californian wines are served late afternoon. See thebutlerhotel.com
The Madonna Inn is an Instagrammers' dream hotel. Photo / Courtesy of Madonna Inn
Getting there
Air New Zealand has direct flights to both Los Angeles and San Francisco. On the seven-hour drive linking Los Angeles and San Francisco, San Luis Obispo is equidistant between both cities. Taking the scenic Pacific Coast Highway route via Big Sur and Highway 1 will add around three hours to the journey.
