San Luis Obispo, California - Visit SLO 

San Luis Obispo or S-L-O is a Central California city situated on a river bank. A place where history and contemporary influences meet, students who arrive at the state university at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo from larger cities tend to slow down upon arrival in this college town.  Home to a mission and university, the city is filled with history and traditions that students love. Take, for instance, the Farmer's Market the meets on the streets every Thursday evening. It includes outdoor barbecue tri-tip beef and chicken cooked over oak wood, farmers market, entertainment and vendors selling wares. Recognized as one of the original, longest running California street fairs, other cities visit San Luis Obispo to find out what they're doing right.

San Luis Obispo is a shopper's delight. Because of the college population, shops tend to carry youthful styles and contemporary gift items. Ethnic food restaurants, Starbucks Coffee, Barnes and Noble Books and numerous smaller shops offer a casual atmosphere close to the outdoors. Many of the businesses are built overlooking a river which runs through town and it is there you will find the mission and the San Luis Obispo Art Museum. Students mill around the downtown, and at night, you'll find them at the proliferation of clubs and bars that have increased in numbers recently.  Microbreweries, coffee houses and restaurants are great places for live music, socializing and a mellow vibe in this town surrounded by mountains and close to the Pacific Ocean.

While the city is a college town, it isn't overrun by students. The local, growing population loves to visit and shop in San Luis Obisipo.  Because its downtown is filled with historic buildings, even Ross Stores is located in a great building that has character, making shopping more interesting. Walking along the downtown streets that meander next to Mission San Luis Obispo and an historic red brick Carnegie building that's now the San Luis Obispo County Historical Building, both structures are well worth visiting.  While the mission is actively used as a functioning church, it also is open to visitors hoping to gain a glimpse into California's past.

The historical museum includes a small gift shop and several rooms of displays that include a great section of Chinese items, painting a picture of San Luis Obispo as a Chinese settlement. The admission fee is minimal to this museum, making it well worth your time to explore.

One more museum within steps of the mission complex is the San Luis Obispo Art Museum. Rotating exhibits and a seasonal holiday gift store that sells affordable art & jewelry during the Christmas season are several of its offerings. One favorite annual event exhibit is the Plein Air art exhibit hosted there, usually each September. I caught it one year, but just missed it the next, and was so sad. Artists come from throughout the USA to portray the local landscape that lends itself so well to paintings that are timeless and worth investment for wall art.

A Mozart festival in July and wine festival in September are some of the cultural events you'll enjoy if you are in town during those times. San Luis Obispo (pop 45,000+) is 50 miles north of Vandenberg Base in a valley created by the Santa Lucia Mountains.

The city is best traveled by foot or bicycle. More than 15,000 students attend California Polytechnic State University. More than 8,000 students attend Cuesta Community College. The Native American, Spanish, Mexican, French, Chinese (see historical building), Japanese, English and "Old Yankee" residents form a unique community founded in 1772.

Leave your mark on Bubblegum Alley or chew on something tasty at an outdoor cafe. If you spend your last dime, catch a ride on SLO trolley.

Among the Landmarks in SLO County and points of interests you'll find a weekly Farmer's Market in this city where the stated Population hardly reflects the actual size during the school year when Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is in session.