San Luis Obispo：The Happiest City in America

The quaint and charming town on the central coast, San Luis Obispo is not only a weekend road trip getaway but an incredible wine county as well. Located on the coast midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, the famous San Joaquin Valley extend towards the east showered with Mediterranean climate throughout the year. The town holds a special place in each traveler’s heart and is rich with lively bars and restaurants. With plenty of breweries across the town, no wonder how it has become a beer city. The city has lovely outdoors, perfect weekend destinations, adventurous sports opportunities, and there is so much to do in the area.

1. Pismo Beach

The coastal hills of San Luis Obispo open up to reveal the shimmering turquoise water and a long stretch of Pismo beach coastline. The Pismo beach is one of the popular beach towns having its own energetic vibe. Located a few miles towards the south of San Luis Obispo, the beach offers year-round unlimited fun for the visitors. You can surf the day away, kayak dinosaur cave and get heightened by beautiful central coast sunset view. When on the beach, try not to miss the historic Pismo Beach Pier built in 1928. Take a walkout over the waves to watch surfers enjoying the ultimate beach experience and stroll along the boardwalk. Work your way towards sands through numerous surf shops, clam joints, beach cottages and traditional beach cafes along the coast.

2. San Luis Obispo Museum of Art

Being on vacation doesn’t mean you have to refrain yourself from learning and exploring new things. San Luis Obispo Museum of Art is one such destination offering affordable enrichment and entertainment for all visitors. The museum showcases a wide array of interactive and mixed media exhibits and art shows. Painting, art exhibitions, sculptures, art education class, tea room, and other amenities attract visitors to their wonderful museum.

3. Avila Beach

Avila Beach is a beautiful and unincorporated beach town in San Luis Obispo located to the south of San Francisco. This real hidden paradise on the central coast is that one place where visitors feel like living forever without going back home. The beach town has several boutique surf shops, breathtaking beach view, interesting beach activities, amazing dining opportunities and more. Luxurious Golf resorts are another interesting thing that attracts visitors to the beach. The beachfront used to be the venue for Avila Beach Famers Market, which is great season trade event, conducts every Fridays’ from April to September at 4pm to 8pm. It will be one of the finest experience you can have at the beach front. You can find a lot of local produce, live music, dance, Central Coast wine testing, chances to experience great foods and much more, making your journey full of fun and leisure.

4. San Luis Obispo Children's Museum

When in San Luis Obispo, need not search anymore for an interactive and fun getaway for your curious young child, San Luis Obispo children museum is the place you need to pay a visit. This vibrant children’s museum always has something new to discover. It has activities, exhibitions, programs and a lot more all-round the year with a sole mission to motivate children learning through fun-filled activities. The museum also offers facilities to host your child’s birthday party, and they have some great packages.

5. Shell Beach

You can find the most picture-perfect beaches in California at San Luis Obispo. Nested among steep and rocky shores to the north of Pismo beach is yet another beautiful location known as Shell Beach. It is a perfect scenic spot to brighten your morning while watching surfers glide across the waves. The beach offers a lot to its visitors rent a kayak and take a tour to explore the coastline and beautiful caves along the shore. It also has a hiking trail, the Ontario ridge trail which is a steep hiking climb connecting the Pirates' Cove and Shell beach. You will be enchanted by the spectacular views of the ocean and rolling mountain hills.

6. Oceano Dunes

Formerly known as Pismo dunes, Oceano Dunes is a geologically unique and impressive recreational activity playground for enthusiasts from around the world. Camping facilities, hiking, surfing and surf fishing, etc., are offering to visitors and there are professional staffs how takes care of everything. For ensuring your safety, the bay watch staffs will take care of the beach activities and guide you accordingly by observing the tides and blowing sand. The scientists and visitors recognize this dune area as the finest and extensive coastal dunes in California.

7. San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum

When it comes to railroad industry San Luis Obispo has a rich history of trains,' and they were the ultimate channel to bring essential supplies to the central coast. The Railroad Museum, located in the historic railroad district is a must see and information center for train enthusiasts. The museum has rail artifacts, paintings, photographs, multimedia and video installation. On the days when there are special exhibitions, the entry to the museum is free along with light refreshment and free parking. The museum is a quality model to explore the railroad history of the county and is an art piece by itself.

8. Avila Hot Springs

Avila hot springs is a quite popular tourist destination on the central coast. Avila Beach is located in the gateway to Port San Luis Harbor and Avila beach in Avila Valley. The hot springs offer cabin camping and dry tent camping apart from water slides and hot soaking pool. Arcades, pool services, a lot of fun activities and water events keeps visitors busy at Avila hot springs. The place is known for its old-fashioned game arcade, picnic and BBQ facilities, mineral soaking pool, golf courses, dining choices, and shopping.

9. Farmers Market

Your trip to the county will not compete without paving a visit to the world famous farmers market in San Luis Obispo happening every Thursday night. It is one place where you can find local agricultural products, delicious produce all through the year. Thousands of visitors flood this market and enjoy shopping the uniquely crafted handmade goods. It is one of the most elegant markets to buy fresh local produce vegetable, seasonal fruits, etc. On the sides, you can also enjoy live music concerts and many recreational activities. You can also find a variety of local food stalls, and barbeque, the specialty of Farmers Market. Further, you can participate in the special bike valet programs, which is an exclusive item for guests who wish to visit the downtown.

10. Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa

Located in the spacious valley of the Central Cost, Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa is a church built in 1772. The mission is a famous resting place for tourists and pilgrims. It used a unique construction design, and the construction technology you can not find any other mission sites in California. If you are someone who loves exploring historical mission sites, never miss this place when in San Luis Obispo.

◎ Closing

Being a charming and pretty town situated right between Los Angeles and San Francisco San Luis Obispo deserves to be crowned as the happiest city in America. Whether you are traveling to the county or planning to settle there, it makes an excellent weekend getaway offering a plethora of dining options, wind choices, shopping, entertainment, recreational activities and a lot more. It is an attractive city with beaches, scenic spots to unplug and soak in the beauty of nature.

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San Luis Obispo：The Happiest City in America