San Luis Obisbo

San Luis Obisbo has a casual, laid back atmosphere, with friendly people and lots of cool things to see and do.

We spent most of our time exploring downtown San Luis Obisbo during our visit. Downtown is full of great shopping that not only have nice things to buy, but they are also in beautiful settings, many times in unexpected nooks and cranies. Downtown has many charming shops and indoor mini-malls with 8-10 shops.

Perhaps the highpoint of our visit was right in the heart of downtown...the Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, an old and beautiful church that is still in use. We enjoyed the surrounding area in Mission Plaza, with San Luis creek, and the shops and cafes that line its banks. We encounted a special Farmers Market, that was like a big block party.

Quick Tips:

Best Way To Get Around:

Be careful if you are driving on Highway 101. There are a lot of unexpected wind gusts from the Pacific that can easily push your car out of your lane (or worse). In the 70 miles back to Santa Barbara in heavy rain, we saw many accidents.

San Luis Obisbo is accessible from everywhere. We drove up from Santa Barbara on Highway 1 and 101, but Amtrak also serves San Luis Obisbo. Flights will likely be commuter (turboprop not jet) flights connecting through major cities like Los Angeles or San Francisco, since San Luis Obisbo is a small town.

We stayed for 2 nights and used all the facilities. They have a Continental breakfast bar that was popular among the guests. It had cold cereal, coffee, fruit juices, and lots of breads, rolls, danish, and crossants, and a microwave to warm them in. For lunch and dinner they have an adjoining Mexican restaurant that is not part of the hotel. The hotel gives discount coupons to it, but we didn''t try it.

The heated pool and jacuzzi were great. Not just to entertain our young daughter, but it felt so nice to soak in the jacuzzi after lots of walking, hiking, and sightseeing...we loved it.

The hotel is located one mile north of downtown San Luis Obispo. There are several restaurants nearby. There is a free downtown trolley that stops right in front of the hotel that runs every 15 minutes. Even if you have a car, parking was a hassle for us downtown, so the trolley was great, and kids love it.

The Holiday Inn Express is located north of downtown San Luis Obisbo at the corner of Grand and Monterrey Streets. To get there, take Highway 101 to San Luis Obisbo, exit at Grand Street, and go east. The hotel will be on the left as you approach Monterrey Street.

They have a variety of food on their menus, including hamburgers and other hot sandwiches, lots of sides, fajitas, pasta dishes, salads, and more. They also have 1950's style shakes and malts. They even have a full bar, which was unusual for a 1950's style malt shop, but they make it work.

Most everything on the menu was less than $10. I had a bacon cheeseburger ($7) that was good, my daughter had chicken strips from a kids menu ($2), and my wife had chicken fajitas ($10) which I'm told were good.

While on a family vacation, Hudson's Grill provided a welcome selection of different foods. We had been visiting many specialty restaurants that were very nice, but our young daughter really liked Hudson's Grill. She had a million questions about the car sticking out of the wall.

Hudson's Grill is located at 1005 Monterrey Street in downtown San Luis Obisbo. Downtown only covers a few square blocks, so Hudson's Grill is in walking distance of anywhere downtown. To get there or anywhere downtown, it is best to take the free old-fashioned style downtown trolley that runs continuously. If you drive, take Monterrey Street south into downtown, and Hudson's Grill is on the left, about 6 blocks north of where Monterrey Street deadends at Mission Plaza. It is easier to park a few blocks north of Mission Plaza than farther into downtown.

The 1865 Restaurant was just the thing for us. As soon as we checked in to our hotel, I called to see if reservations were available and if casual dress was okay (yes and yes!). This gave us something to look forward to in a few hours, and some time to rest from our fun and frolic on the trip up from Santa Barbara (please see my other journal).

The 1865 Restaurant has a casual elegance atmosphere. They have rustic wood siding outside and two patios, one facing the mountains, and one facing Montrrey Street. On the inside, they have wood beams and barrels complementing their casual decor. They have a full bar, and a small waiting area that came in handy for the crowds on Thanksgiving night. The 1865 Restaurant is a non-chain restaurant, and I observed the owners working very hard to make sure everyone enjoyed themselves. The floorplan is unique, and I was surprised when I learned that they have a second floor dining room.

They have a fairly small variety of food on their menu ($20-$30), that includes Prime Rib and other steaks, seafood dishes, pasta, poultry, and ribs. They also have a selection of desserts.

My daughter and I had their off-menu traditional Thanksgivng turkey dinner special ($11/kids, $23/adults), and it was fantastic. It started with a salad, and their tomato-vinegarette dressing over fresh greens was awesome. The dinner came with tender and juicy carved turkey breast, mashed potatos (real ones), and gourmet bread stuffing, all covered in light gravy, with green beans, cranberry sauce, and choice of apple or pumpkin pie for dessert. My wife had their pork tenderloin dinner ($20) that came with mixed vegetables, garlic mashed potatos, and dessert. I got to sample it...it was grilled with a smoky flavor, and it was tender and delicious.

The 1865 Restaurant was an unexpected and unplanned surprise, like some of the best things you find when you are traveling. It happened to be across the street from the hotel we stayed at, and we had a memorable Thanksgiving dinner there. The 1865 Restaurant is located at 1865 Monterrey Street, about 1 mile north of downtown San Luis Obisbo, at the northeast corner of Monterrey Street and Grand Avenue. The free downtown trolley stops right in front of the restaurant. If you are driving, they have free parking.

The Mission was very beautiful. We loved the delicate handpainted ceilings, and old wooden beams and stained glass. More notable was the feeling of solitude and inner peace I felt during our visit....and it wasn't even during a service! It was very humbling to be in such a sacred and old place....I really enjoyed it.

The Mission has a wonderful courtyard in the back, with very nice gardens, with historic fountains and statues. There were great views of the back of the Mission from the courtyard. There was also a large open covered grill area for cookouts.

The grounds in front of the Mission are very nice as well. The Mission is situated near San Luis Obisbo creek on Mission Plaza. In the front there are nice gardens overlooking Mission Plaza and the creek. There are flowers and rocks around a statue and cross.

In the front of the Mission there is a large gift shop, that has wonderful souvenirs, including rosaries, cards, and other inspirational gifts.

Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa is in the heart of downtown San Luis Obisbo, at the corner of Monterey and Chorro Streets. To get there, go to San Luis Obisbo, and take Monterrey Street south into downtown until it dead ends into Chorro Street. You will see the Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa on the right....you can't miss it. I recommend using the free downtown shuttle to get anywhere downtown.

I went over early in the morning while my wife and young daughter were still rising, to see if they would enjoy seeing the fair, and I learned that every year on Thanksgiving week, the Country Christmas Fair takes place over 2 days in the Veterans Memorial Building. I was surprised at how big the fair was, and the wide range of gifts and decorations they had. After having a look around, I retrieved my family, and we soon returned.

I knew the girls would love all the country art Christmas decorations and other gifts. They can't get enough of it even when we are not on vacation. This fair had at least a hundred booths indoors and over a dozen outdoors. Among the outdoor booths was a local massage therapist with a table set up (how tempted I was).

The crafts for sale are too numerous to mention, but leaded/stained glass, Christmas decorations (of all types), wooden toys, and country folk art were all very popular among the artisians. Outside, they had a food vendor in a trailer that I got snacks from since the girls interest always outlasts mine when shopping is involved. They had seating outside and in a waiting area inside. The fair was very well organized, and the merchants were friendly. We all had fun.

The Veterans Memorial Building is located north of downtown San Luis Obisbo at the corner of Grand and Monterrey Streets. To get there, take Highway 101 to San Luis Obisbo, exit at Grand Street, and go east. Veterans Memorial will be on the right at Monterrey Street.

While exploring downtown San Luis Obisbo, you will approach Mission Plaza before you get to the Mission itself. Make sure you take the time to see both. Mission Plaza provides a nice place to relax and enjoy the surrounding area in downtown San Luis Obisbo in a setting of San Luis Obisbo creek and park-like settings of nice sidewalks, stairs and bridges on the west side of the creek, and stores and restaurants with creekside patios on the east side of the creek.

While you are at Mission Plaza, while you are walking around or relaxing, you can enjoy the scenery along the creek from stairs and the footbridge, or while dining or drinking from the outdoor patios at restaurants and bars. There is also lots of shopping nearby, in the historic brick buildings that line the downtown streets.

The development of San Luis Obisbo Creek started as a flood control project, and subsequent cultural and economic programs have created an entertainment district that provides the focal point of downtown, and popular destination of all locals and visitors.

Mission Plaza is located in downtown San Luis Obisbo where Monterrey Street deadends. There are several ways to get there. The best way is to take the free downtown trolley from anywhere around town. If you must drive, go to San Luis Obisbo (from Highway 101 exit at Monterrey Street), and take Monterrey south into downtown until it ends. I have no recommendation for where to park. Mission Plaza will be on your right.

During our visit, they had a special Farmers Market on Friday, instead of Thursday. I was amazed at what a festive event the market is for the locals. In addition to just fruits and vegetables, there are live bands, and open grills with food cooking everywhere. Local farmers have booths loaded with fresh fruit, vegetables, flowers, honey, spices and more in a party-like atmosphere. Additionally, many local restaurants and brewpubs set up huge Barbeques, and sell fresh and hot sandwiches and meats.

It was great fun watching the merchants get their huge grills ready for the party. The smell of burning wood and charcoal is everywhere, and you can see them bringing huge amounts of beef, chicken, sausage, and ribs to cook when the fires are ready.

The friendly locals and the laid-back atmosphere of this nice town make this type of event perfect and great fun. Well after the merchants have closed and traffic is restored, you can find the nice crowd off the streets and in the downtown bars and brewpubs.

The San Luis Obisbo Farmers Market is located downtown at Hiquera Street. To get there from north of downtown (where most hotels are), go south on Monterrey street, and on any Thursday evening, you will run into the roadblocks, which is where the fun starts.

Much better than driving (parking downtown is scarce), is to take the free downtown trolley on the very cool old-fashioned style cars of wood and brass. The trolley makes runs every 15 minutes, so it is very assessible and FREE!