San Luis Obispo is a city in San Luis Obispo County in the Central Coast region of California.

Understand

San Luis Obispo is often referred to by its initials "SLO" or "San Luis." The city is centered around one of the best-preserved 18th century Spanish architecture, Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa. SLO is located in the mid-point between Los Angeles (200 miles south of SLO) and San Francisco (230 miles north of SLO) and has also been know as the one of the best "one tank" stopovers between the two cities.

Get In

By plane

San Luis Obispo has a one terminal airport. Scheduled flights are available to and from San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Las Vegas (weekend service only) on United, American and AmericaWest airlines. Prices start around $200 for a ticket purchased separately, but are much less expensive when combined with flights going through San Francisco or Los Angeles. Air Charter or air taxi is another alternative, where you can catch flights to San Diego for the weekend, or to any large or small airport. Air charters and air taxis fly point-to-point, at the departure time, departure airport, and arrival airport of the passengers' choosing. Prices start around $150 for a seat on flights that might already be going to your destination, or go from $1,000 to $10,000 or more for a custom-chartered flight where you hire the aircraft to fly you directly to your destination, any time you want to go. On-demand flights, and seats on flights already chartered to/from San Luis Obispo are offered by Great Circle Aviation. Air taxi flights have a much shorter check-in time (typically just 15 minutes) than larger airlines, so you can just arrive and go. Travel time for an air taxi flight is usually 90 minutes from San Diego to SLO.

By train

Amtrak runs a train through San Luis Obispo a couple times a day. Make sure you leave plenty of time because it takes 6 hours to get to SLO from San Francisco and 8 hours to get to SLO from San Diego.

By bus

Greyhound also offers bus routes into SLO. Once again set aside time because the trips can be long but Greyhound is one of the cheapest ways to go.

By car

Since San Luis Obispo is home to the first ever motel it is definitely a car town. Highway 101 runs through SLO and besides Highway 1 it is the only way into town.

Get around

By car is the best way to go if you want to see the surrounding areas of San Luis Obispo. SLO does have a Transit System but it end its service at ten p.m. on the weekdays and even earlier on the weekends.

See

Make sure you go downtown and take a look a Bubble Gum Alley and leave some of your own chewed gum behind (south side of Higuera Street between Broad and Garden). Also see the historic Mission in the downtown area. After you have seen downtown head on over to the Madonna Inn to see the Pink Room and the famous mens' bathroom (pictures). Just south of downtown SLO, take the Madonna Rd. exit off the 101 and park at the sprawling hotel. Go in the main entrance, take a right, go down the stairs to the mens' room.

Eat

SLO likes to say that it has the best tri-tip you can ever find. Make sure you are in the mood for some good BBQ.

Do

• Take some time to walk around the downtown area. It is beginning to lose its charm as the big business move in but it still has some class left. If you feel like walking take the stream trail by the old mission for a peaceful walk. On Thursdays head downtown for the weekly farmers market where bands, college students, and produce stands pack the streets to bring an eclectic atmosphere.

• Bike to poly canyon. Located on the north east side of the Cal Poly campus. Or hike Bishop's Peak located to the west of campus for an immaculate view of SLO and the surrounding areas including Morro Bay.

• Montana de Oro State Park. The park's name means "Mountain of Gold" in Spanish. A scenic state park with hiking, camping, beautiful cliffs and rocky beachfront areas

Sleep

• Best Western Royal Oak Motor Hotel, 214 Madonna Road, (805) 544-4410, Toll-free: (800) 545-4410, Fax: (805) 544-3026, [1].

• Best Western Somerset Manor & Restaurant, 1895 Monterey Street, (805) 544-0973, Fax: (805) 541-2805, [2].

• Holiday Inn Express, 1800 Monterey Street, (805) 544-8600, [3].

• Garden Street Inn, 1212 Garden Street, (805) 545-9802, Fax: (805) 545-9403, [4]. A bed and breakfast with 9 guest rooms and 4 suites. It is the only lodging in the heart of old-fashioned downtown San Luis Obispo.

• Motel 6 San Luis Obispo North, 1433 Calle Joaquin, (805) 549-9595, Fax: (805) 544-2826, [5].

• Motel 6 San Luis Obispo South, 1625 Calle Joaquin, (805) 541-6992, Fax: (805) 547-1152, [6].

Get out

• San Simeon