THINGS TO DO
Things to do in San Luis Obispo
It’s no secret that San Luis Obispo is a stunningly beautiful place to live. From the mountains to the sea and all the parks and wineries in between, our little slice of heaven has all the natural beauty one could hope for. But people can’t live in the fresh air and blue skies alone, we need to stimulate our other senses like smell, taste, and of course… shopping!
Let’s take a quick tour around this happy town and cover some of the more popular things to do in San Luis Obispo.
Wineries
San Luis Obispo County isn’t exactly new at growing grapes, but its two distinctive growing regions, Arroyo Grande and Edna Valley, are catching people’s attention with unique bold flavors.
Some of the best coastal hiking trails in California are in SLO County, many with panoramic views of the ocean and the volcanic morros in the area. Take a look here for a list of our favorites.
Parks
Shopping & Dining
Familiar names like Costco, Target, Petco and Home Depot are all within 5 minutes of your new front door at Avila Ranch. A quick drive to downtown SLO reveals an eclectic world of small shops and boutiques intertwined with quick bites and fine dining establishments.
SLO: The Happiest place in the USA?
Thanks to National Geographic and Oprah Winfrey we have all heard that San Luis Obispo is the Happiest Place in America and arguably the WORLD. SLO was also ranked the 3rd best place in America to live (above Santa Barbara, San Francisco, Monterey, Newport Beach, Honolulu, etc.) Here are a few reasons why we think San Luis Obispo is so loved by all its residents and visitors. It is no fluke. There are very sound reasons.
- San Luis Obispo is social. On the Oprah segment, Jenny McCarthy said it well. San Luis Obispo is our version of being SOCIAL. She loved the beautiful and scenic outdoors, filled with bikers and hikers on trails that went all over the hills to the oceans, the sight of friends hanging out with friends at the farmer’s markets and spending “happy hours” in SLO’s popular downtown.
- San Luis Obispo truly has farm to table lifestyle. There are four farmers markets in San Luis Obispo every week and one every day of the week throughout the county, so access to fresh foods is easy. Not to mention that SLO is home to some of the most amazing restaurants, world-class chefs and finest wines anywhere. Farms and ranches are throughout the rambling hills and sister peaks of San Luis County.
- San Luis Obispo is happily active. San Luis Obispo was recently cited as one of the most active cities in the nation. Many residents bike and walk to work every day. There are more than 6,500 acres of protected open space for hiking, biking and yearlong outdoor activities.
- San Luis Obispo supports the arts. Residents love their art – from performance art to the visual arts. San Luis Obispo is home to the Christopher Cohan Performing Arts Center, a state-of-the-art performance facility that exposes the Central Coast to varied, high quality arts events designed to serve diverse audience interests.
- San Luis Obispo weather is as pleasant as it gets. San Luis Obispo County has one of the world’s most comfortable climates. The weather is perfect 306 days of the year. While more than half of the country is trekking through snow, ice, sleet and rain this time of year, we’re enjoying perfect 75 degree weather without a cloud in the sky.
Is San Luis Obispo the right fit for everyone? That’s hard to say. But we think there’s a pretty good case for this special place to be as close to heaven on earth as it gets.
