Oneof thebestways to take in thecounty’svast
networkofwineries isbybike.Thereareadozenopen
trails tocycledown, eachofferingpicturesqueviewsof
either thecoast, vineyardsor therollinghills.Theroutes
aren’texclusively for twowheelseither, theyalsomake
fantastichikessograbyourbootsand take in thescen-
ery. Ifyouhead towards thecoastyoucanspendaday
(oraweek)sunningyourselfon thecounty’speaceful
beaches.Manyargue they’remoregorgeous than those
found furthersouth towardsL.A., and far lesspopulated,
soyou’llhaveyourpickof thewatersports.Tryyour
handatdeep-seafishing,kayakingandstand-uppaddle
boarding.Orheadoutonaboat tour—choosebetween
aglass-bottomedboat for theshallowsand the larger
offerings forwhalewatching.
Formoreadventure, rentadunebuggyorall-terrain
vehicleandhead for theOceanoDunesatPismoBeach
StatePark,which is theonlydrive-onbeach inCali-
fornia.Alternatively, youcouldsee itall fromaboveby
flyingabiplaneover thePacificOcean.
Fora touchof luxury, stay inoneof thecounty’s
full-servicesparesortsand take inashowat theOpera
SLO, theLittleTheatreor theSanLuisObispoSympho-
ny.Thecountyhasavibrantmusicscene, fromclassic
andcontemporarymusic festivals to intimategigsat
thesmallerSLOBrew.Meanwhile, theVina
RoblesAmphitheatre inPasoRobles isastun-
ningoutdoorvenue forworld-classconcerts
and thePozoSaloon,built in1858, addsa touch
ofold-Californiacharm.
Foranotherglimpse into thecounty’s
longhistory, payavisit toMissiondeTolosa,
whichwas founded in1772, in thecitycenter
ofSanLuisObispo.Also from the18
th
Century is the
rusticMissionSanMiguel,whichsits furthernorth
on theroadpastPasoRobleswinecountry, andhas
beenanational landmark formore than200years.At
eitherendofSanLuisObispoCounty’scoastline lie
thePiedrasBlancasLightStation, in thenorth, and
thePortSanLuisLighthouseon thesouthern tipof
Whalers Island.Bothhistoric lighthousesareopen for
docent-led tours.
Ifahistorical tour isn’tenough tokeep the littleones
placated, then the family friendlycounty ishappy to
obligewithmoreentertainment.Head toAtascadero for
theCharlesPaddockZoo.Dedicated to theconservation
ofboth localandexoticspecies, thezoo ishome to the
rareMalayan tiger,which isbound toget thekidsexcit-
ed, aswellasspidermonkeys,meerkats, andabeautiful
aviaryfilledwithnumerousbirdspecies.
NeighboringSanFranciscoandLosAngelesmight
getall the fameand theglamour,but thesoftlyspoken
SanLuisObispoCounty is justasadventurousand
proves itselfaworthymatch fora fun-filledgetaway.
visitslocounty.com
VisitSanLuisObispoCounty
visitsloc
VisitSLOC
Ifyouheadtowardthecoast
youcanspendaday(oraweek)
sunningyourselfonSanLuisObispo
County’speacefulbeaches
PROMOTION
FromAvilaBeach to
theOceanoDunes,
thecounty’svast
sandycoastline
andgreatwaves
areabigdraw for
surfersandsun
worshippers
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APRIL2016
AMERICANWAY
