There’s nothing like an American road trip, and the coast road between Los Angeles and San Francisco offers one of the best experiences.
Hitting the wide-open road between these two cities, you’ll encounter stunning ocean views, historic sites, delightful wineries, and charming towns. These attractions merge neatly in San Luis Obispo on California’s Central Coast, making it the perfect place to take a break.
To Market
If you only have one day to stop in San Luis Obispo (known as ‘SLO’ to locals), arrive on a Thursday. Every Thursday evening throughout the year, Downtown hosts the Farmers Market. This colorful collection of stalls spreads along Higuera Street, an attractive stretch of low-rise businesses with a welcoming small-town feel.
At the top end of the market, local produce is the focus, making it an ideal spot for travelers to pick up fresh fruit. At the opposite end, stalls serve hot dishes, including corn on the cob, quesadillas, and a local specialty, barbecued tri-tip. Join the locals in the friendly street party vibe while indulging in some exceptional Californian cooking.
History on a Mission
SLO has retained and cherished its historic heart – though it was a close call when postwar planners aimed to cover the San Luis Obispo Creek with concrete for parking. Fortunately, that plan was overturned, leading to the pedestrianization of Monterey Street between the creek and the Spanish-era Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, built by pioneering priest Junípero Serra.
The resulting Mission Plaza is a pleasant, shady area to stroll in the center of the city, with pedestrian bridges providing views of the creek below. Several public buildings surrounding the plaza are worth visiting, including the Museum of Art and the History Center (historycenterslo.org).
SLO Food & Tasty Drinks
SLO is a vibrant student town, hosting around 20,000 students from the California Polytechnic State University during term time, thus ensuring a rich variety of restaurants, cafes, and bars.
One standout example of the casual dining scene is SLO Brew, a combined restaurant, brewery, bar, and music venue on Higuera Street. The lofty interior is lined with booths on one side and a bar on the other. The pub-style menu ranges from classic burgers and pizza to regional dishes like chicken and waffles.
Another excellent dining choice is Cafe Roma (caferomaslo.com), located opposite the train station, serving classic Italian dishes paired with local wines. For a memorable experience, try the acclaimed local restaurant Luna Red, then enjoy a nightcap at Luis Wine Bar afterward.
If you’re in the mood for coffee, there are great cafes Downtown. Kreuzberg brings a taste of Berlin to SLO with its rock-and-roll aesthetic. Meanwhile, Scout (scoutcoffeeco.com) caters to hipster locals, offering a slick interior of bare bricks and white tiles.
Vines and Wines
Wineries dot the countryside near SLO, offering refreshing day trips. Lying north of the city, one impressive option is Barton Family Wines (bartonfamilywines.com), where the tasting room overlooks the vineyard. Aside from the typical tastings, the property hosts the Krobar Distillery (krobardistillery.com) and the Kitchen Window eatery, serving hearty meals like pulled pork sandwiches and mac & cheese steak.
If you prefer to enjoy regional wines without driving, consider the Ultimate Wine Experience tour.
Historic Locales
Another worthwhile stop north of SLO is Atascadero (visitatascadero.com) and its City Hall. Built a century ago, it’s an extravagant Renaissance-style structure with a grand dome. Thoroughly restored after a 2003 earthquake, it features a beautiful interior that visitors can explore during weekday office hours.
Nearby Paso Robles deserves a visit too. The area around the City Park has various murals and public art, and the former library displays the exhibitions of the El Paso de Robles Historical Society (pasorobleshistoricalsociety.org). Just across the road, the Paso Robles Inn offers an atmospheric stay, perfect for enjoying a drink in its saloon-style bar or sipping craft beer at the popular Firestone Walker Brewing Company.
Coastal Attractions
West from San Luis Obispo lies the beautiful Pacific coast and popular seaside spots like Pismo Beach and Avila Beach. Further north, the fishing town of Morro Bay is dominated by the dramatic Morro Rock, a volcanic formation rising majestically from the ocean.
Continuing beyond Morro Bay, the town of San Simeon serves as the gateway to one of the region’s standout attractions, Hearst Castle. This magnificent hilltop mansion, showcasing grand Spanish-inspired architecture, was built in the 1920s for newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst and has been open for public tours since 1958.
Visitors must park at the Visitor Center, from where they take a bus up the winding road to join a guided tour of the interiors. Guides lead guests through spaces where famous personalities, such as Charlie Chaplin and Winston Churchill, once mingled, including a vast lounge, a lofty dining room, and a spacious theater. After the guided tour, you can enjoy a stroll through the beautifully terraced gardens before returning to the bus.
Sleeping and Moving On
For a comfortable overnight stay in SLO before continuing your road trip, a cluster of hotels and motels is available along the northeast end of Monterey Street. Options include the Holiday Inn Express and the more upscale San Luis Creek Lodge. Budget-friendly travelers may consider the HI Hostel Obispo near the train station.
For those looking to swap a road trip for a train trip, the city is served by two Amtrak services: the Pacific Surfliner train, which runs from SLO via Los Angeles to San Diego, and the Coast Starlight sleeper, heading north to Oakland, Portland, and Seattle.
As you drive on from SLO, you’re certainly not alone. As Jack Kerouac, a man well-versed in road tripping through California, once wrote: ‘Nothing behind me, everything ahead of me, as is ever so on the road.’
