{"id":5555,"date":"2012-06-20T19:31:21","date_gmt":"2012-06-20T19:31:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/offmetro.com\/sf\/?p=5555"},"modified":"2025-05-30T05:30:15","modified_gmt":"2025-05-30T05:30:15","slug":"things-to-do-in-slo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ca\/5555\/things-to-do-in-slo\/","title":{"rendered":"Train-ing Down the Coast: Monterey to SLO"},"content":{"rendered":"

The second leg of my epic trip<\/a> on the Coast Starlight Train took me from Monterey, down into Central California and stopping in San Luis Obispo\u2014the idyllic blue-sky city that loves to tout its recognition as \u201cthe happiest city in America.\u201d<\/p>\n

Getting There:<\/strong>
\n\"horseshoe

Where to Sleep<\/strong>
\n\"Petit

Things to Do<\/strong>
\n1.<\/strong> The notoriously opulent Hearst Castle, the<\/del> seaside residence built for newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, is by far the biggest tourist draw in SLO County. It\u2019s a full 45 miles from downtown, but believe it or not, is accessible by public bus\u2014although you have to be willing to tolerate a two-hour ride. Of course, in that time you could have picked up some sturdy two-wheelers from Hostel<\/del> Obispo (from $10\/day) and just biked there.<\/p>\n

2.<\/strong> Pismo Beach and coastal SLO County get most of the love in travel brochures, but there are actually plenty of great outdoorsy finds in the city itself. I opted for a hike up Bishop\u2019s Peak, the tallest point in the Nine Sisters range that gazes over the city. You can reach the trailhead from downtown (it\u2019s about a 2-mile walk, but there\u2019s also a surprisingly efficient public bus system). The 2.2-mile hike to the top is not particularly strenuous, you\u2019ll pass through oak forests and take in sweeping views of the entire city\u2014which, yes, is a blue-sky, green-valley little piece of perfection. Check out CarFree SLO<\/a> for full instructions on how to find the trailhead.<\/p>\n

\"SLO

Where to Eat<\/strong>
\n\"Tri-tip

2.<\/strong> Kreuzberg, CA<\/a> is a German-inspired coffee shop, caf\u00e9 and \u201cbook bar\u201d\u2014which seems to mostly mean it\u2019s a popular study spot for Cal-Poly students. It also has a lengthy menu of very Californian sandwiches named for popular writers (the Milan Kundera: crispy tofu in sweet chili glaze, microgreens, coleslaw and sunflower seeds on a ciabatta).<\/p>\n

Photos: Loco Steve<\/a>, lastorset<\/a>, Petit Soleil, dkastner01<\/a>, Brendan Spiegel<\/em><\/p>\n