How did I hear about this place
“What!! You haven't heard about San Luis Obispo?!! No way!” My cab driver reacted in dismay, almost willing to stop the ride mid way. I wanted to sound like I knew my California maps really well, but I thought the prospective follow up questions would’ve given out the reality any way. So a simple “No” seemed easy.
So it started off with me clarifying the town’s spelling and my cabbie sharing stories around him growing up in a huge ranch in the most beautiful little town and how he met his now wife there.
Now every time I hear a story, ALL my senses are tempted to react immediately, and simultaneously. The ears make sure I've heard and collected all the key data points. My eyes and mind don't quite fall behind in helping me visualize it all. It's a little Bollywood movie going on in my head, trust me! And by this time, my mind has even started playing some background music (Bollywood junkies I tell you)! The only difference is - in this movie playing in my head, the lead actors are J and I :) Wait Whatttt!
"Ohhh you know what buddy, I think I'm gonna take my husband to this place for our upcoming 4th anniversary. It just seems to be that perfect place for a weekend getaway" I said almost before finishing my ride and stepping out of the cab. The cabbie reacted with an ear-to-ear to smile and said "You guys will absolutely love the place. And I can tell, you will fall in love all over again". A perfect dialogue to end my imaginary Bollywood saga :)
So I stepped up my "Planning the vacation" game this time, considering I (strategically) limit my planning capabilities to consulting engagements at work. J had a mixed reaction when I told him that I have a plan for our anniversary - he was partly shocked and he partly laughed it off. When he asked where this place exactly was, I was sooo pumped to repeat my cabbie's words "What!! You haven't heard about San Luis Obispo!! No way!"
And that's how the 4th anniversary getaway to SLO got planned!
Let's talk specifics
Where is San Luis Obispo:
San Luis Obispo/SLO is a beautiful beach town located in Central California. It is halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles.
How did we get there:
SLO is roughly around 185 miles from San Jose and it was a 3.5 hours drive with little traffic here and there each side.
How long were we there:
We stayed in SLO for 3 days.
Where did we stay:
We stayed at Shore Cliff hotel on looking the Pismo Beach pier.
What SLO has to offer:
Tucked between the Coast Range, the Pacific Ocean and right in the middle of the Central Coast wine country, SLO enjoys all the possible spoils of a an extra-ordinary California life.
On one side of the town, the vast ocean runs along with you and on the other, stunning landscapes embrace you. Whichever way you turn, there's just immense natural beauty, and beauty of many facets! A chain of ancient peaks runs across the town. These are huge ranges of lush green hills, mostly blooming wild flowers at this time of the year (April 2018).
Beaches and National Parks, SLO has both, you pick!
For wine lovers, this place would be a paradise with a dozen of exquisite vineyards enthralling around the town.
The sunset views and hues only get better in this town! Photographers will find their kind of nirvaana right at this place.
The town has an amazing beach town vibe to it, with a dash of college town vibe as well. The downtown has a HUGE amount of great dining options - a bunch of them by the creek which just adds so much to the experience. The night life here won't disappoint you either.
So overall, it's a town that has something in store for all kinds of travelers:
Thrill seekers - immense options for hiking, biking, horse riding, off roading, kayaking, surfing and the list goes on
Silent nature admirers - travelers who find lying down at the beach and hearing them waves splash
Wine & fine dine lovers - exquisite restaurants by the nature with unique food options
History buffs - you will find museums and art centers. Special cultural events is a norm here
Photographers - which ever direction you turn, it's a post card picture
What all did we do in SLO:
J and I together are a good mix of the traveler types stated above. We like outdoorsy activities as much as we like simply admiring nature. We like exploring as many restaurants around as possible (good mix of fine dine and local eateries), thanks to my overflowing Yelp and OpenTable bookmarks. We like walking around the town to feel the vibe of the place. Since we're a good mix, we typically have a lot of boxes to check off in every trip and this was no different.
Quick summary of places we went to:
Pismo Beach: Hit the Pismo Beach as we were put up right next to the beach.
Morro Bay, Morro Strand Trail, Morro Strand State Beach: Kayaked in Morro Bay, docked our kayaks and hit the Morro Strand Trail that took us to the Morro Strand State Beach and got us closer to the Morro Rock.
Dinosaur Caves Park: Enjoyed one of the best sunset views and hues from the Dinosaur Caves Park along Pismo beach.
Restaurants/Eateries: Loved our breakfast at Luna Red, brunch at Big Sky Café and Anniversary dinner at Novo. We loved the ambiance and food options at all these eateries. If I had to pick a favorite, it would be Luna Red - a cozy Creekside restaurant with a nice Mexican town feel to it.
Wildflowers at Shell Creek Road and Calle Joaquin Road: You will pretty much see wildflowers all around the town, but not every place would be accessible. Two accessible places where we got to see wildflowers were by Shell Creek Road and Calle Joaquin Road.
Central California is not as talked about as Northern or Southern California, but is sure to offer as much or more with all the beauty around! So so glad, I ended up chatting with my cab driver the other day instead of replying to work emails or writing my blogpost that day.
Ohh and also, happy 4 years J, adding this amazing chapter to our travel diary! :)
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