Hello all, I am treating this central location [which is really located at our SLO airport] as a…read moregood location to post pictures and maybe some stories that locals can use to give a better view & idea of what our greater SLO area is about. While some places define themselves with city, neighborhood, or even county borders, many locals here relate to both the greater Central Coast Region, as well as, the space between SLO-town/airport and next major cities, which are all quite far away in any direction, especially west! I posted a photo collection of some of the highlights of the greater SLO area, most of which occurred in the past few years, expecially during our new evolving age of the pandemic. It also shows that despite all the challenges, as long as one is careful, people can enjoy all kinds of aspects of this wonderful area, ranging from hiking the mountains & valleys, to enjoying the coast, to savoring all kinds of eats, to preserving nature & history. This is not to say that we live in paradise, but it is to say that we are lucky to live in an area that has a lot going for it. As with Hawaii, the "Price of Paradise" is high here, and we also lack good healthcare or mental healthcare here due to the rural nature of this area. While we lack the huge ethnic & multicultural diversity of major cities like LA, SF, NYC, or Honolulu, we treasure what we have and of course welcome more. Please enjoy my pics and please post pics that reflect daily life here. The airport is a great gateway to our lives here, but of course most will drive here. Most importantly, for all of us, please observe all health & safety guidelines that we view as important here and help to preserve our environment. Thank you!

San Luis Obispo County Public Health officials announced an order on Wednesday, March 18, 2020 for…read moreall county residents to shelter in their homes. The shelter-at-home order goes into effect Thursday, March 19, 2020 at 5 p.m. This order is to aid in preventing the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). The order is not a shelter-in-place, which is an order to barricade ones self inside one's home. The shelter-at-home order applies to pubic and private gatherings of any number of people outside a household or living space. This order encourages social distancing at this time, to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Social distancing -- a term that epidemiologists are using to refer to a conscious effort to reduce close contact between people and hopefully stymie community transmission of the virus. Activities that residents can still undertake while the order in place include: obtaining food, medications and sanitary items, outdoor activities such as walking, hiking, surfing, etc., helping to care for pets or relatives in other households, as well as going to health care appointments. In the city of SLO, bars, breweries and wine-tasting facilities are to close. Restaurants and coffee shops may only sell food and drinks to go, or for delivery. All essential government operations and businesses will remain open, including grocery stores, gas stations, and banks. According to a county official, residents are encouraged to voluntarily comply, however violations could be considered a misdemeanor. It is anticipated the shelter-at-home order will remain in effect for thirty days.

San Luis Obispo County Public Health officials announced an order on Wednesday, March 18, 2020 for…read moreall county residents to shelter in their homes. The shelter-at-home order goes into effect Thursday, March 19, 2020 at 5 p.m. This order is to aid in preventing the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). The order is not a shelter-in-place, which is an order to barricade ones self inside one's home. The shelter-at-home order applies to pubic and private gatherings of any number of people outside a household or living space. This order encourages social distancing at this time, to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Social distancing -- a term that epidemiologists are using to refer to a conscious effort to reduce close contact between people and hopefully stymie community transmission of the virus. Activities that residents can still undertake while the order in place include: obtaining food, medications and sanitary items, outdoor activities such as walking, hiking, surfing, etc., helping to care for pets or relatives in other households, as well as going to health care appointments. In the city of SLO, bars, breweries and wine-tasting facilities are to close. Restaurants and coffee shops may only sell food and drinks to go, or for delivery. All essential government operations and businesses will remain open, including grocery stores, gas stations, and banks. According to a county official, residents are encouraged to voluntarily comply, however violations could be considered a misdemeanor. It is anticipated the shelter-at-home order will remain in effect for thirty days.

Traveling in and out of San Luis Obispo is a dream for me. Close to home, easy parking, easy access…read moreto the one gate and almost always on time flights, make my hops to Phoenix, LA and San Francisco simple. Thank you County of San Luis Obispo for a good time every time!

Friendly, convenient, spacious, nice people. What mark could you ask for thank you, TSA…read more The san luis airport is to be commended for the way they laid things out

San Luis Obispo County, SLO as it is know by the locals, was a great place to visit during our mini…read morevay-cay. Visited San Luis Obispo and the surrounding area. Found lots of great restaurantes and stores to do some shopping. Their downtown area offers something for every with all different tastes and styles. Walking throght the this quaint little town we enjoyed lots of great architecture and historical homes and buildings. It was a well spent weekend here. Will be returning in the futrue to see what we missed this time around. Highly recomend a visit to SLOw down from the big city hustle and bustle. SLOw down and enjoy the views and surounding areas, you wont regrete it. Some places to vist are: San Miguel Morro Bay Pismo Beach Avila Beach Hearst Castle Maddona Inn Botanicle Gardens Bubblegum Alley Old Town San Luis Obispo Misson Rail Road Museum Atr Museum Childrens Museum

Local Eval: Little did I know, that as a kid staying with my mom in a rustic dive motel in…read morePennsylvania, that 3,000 miles away, in the little town of SLO, was it's first ancestor....and that 1/2 century later, I would call the SLO/Pismo area home. The "Milestone Mo-Tel Inn" was built in 1925 [closed in 1991] & the main building is a historic landmark, which is possibly owned by next doors "Apple Inn". While there were plans to rehab this area, is still not redeveloped yet & is not open to the public. But one can still stop, just before the N101 ramp, & marvel at these testaments to early visionaries of what we have long taken for granted, for almost a century. While there are numerous local and national accounts, I do favor the one done by Smithsonian Magazine in DECEMBER 12, 2016, as follows: "The World's First Motel Was a Luxury Establishment, Not a Dive The first motel was supposed to turn into a chain, but it was quickly overtaken by cheaper competitors. By Kat Eschner SMITHSONIANMAG.COM The year was 1925. Across the country, thousands were touring in their cars. Auto travel was becoming normal. But on this day in San Luis Obispo, a town roughly between Los Angeles and San Francisco in California, something totally new was happening. An architect and developer named Arthur Heineman had spotted a niche in the market. His response: the Milestone Mo-Tel Inn. Heineman created a hotel designed specifically for drivers, writes Eric Zorn for the Chicago Tribune. It had small garages next to several dozen bungalows. Use of one cost a motorist $1.25 per night, about $17.00 in today's money. Heineman shortened "motor hotel" down to "Mo-Tel," and a term was born. It was luxurious for the 1920s, wrote Kristin Jackson for the The Seattle Times two years after the motel closed in 1991. "It cost $80,000 to build in its ornate Spanish-mission style, with a three-tiered bell tower, white pillars, and a tree-fringed courtyard," she wrote. "In those days most American car travelers still were staying in campgrounds or tiny wood cabins (some about the size and style of chicken coops) that were clustered by a gas station or general store." Up to 160 people could stay at the motel. According to David Middlecamp of the Tribune, units had modern conveniences like showers, central heating and carpet, he writes, and there were even rooms for chauffeurs. Jackson spoke to Marcella Faust, who as a young woman was one of the establishment's first waitresses. Faust described how the waitresses were dressed--"Spanish-style," including a vest and a "big hat with roses on it"--and their varied tasks, which included handing out brochures at the roadside. "We'd stand out there on the road in our big hats," she said. "My girlfriend would work the cars going north, I'd work the ones going south. They were Model A's and Model T's back then, so they'd have to go pretty slow up the steep hill there. We'd just stand there and wave and hand them the booklets as they went past." It wasn't long before the Milestone had competition from other motels. Heineman had originally planned to open a chain with 18 California locations, Jackson wrote, but he wasn't successful. The Great Depression meant that motel chains opted for less luxe styling, Zorn writes. The Milestone, eventually renamed the Motel Inn, closed in 1991 and then the site fell into disrepair. Even the word "motel" has been slipping out of favor, he writes. But across the country, motels remain part of American road culture. "Motels opened up the American road to those who were neither rugged enough for car camping nor wealthy enough to stay in 'real' hotels," Zorn writes. "In a way that's largely unsung, they aided our transformation to a mobile culture." Hopefully, one day, this wonderful landmark will be rehabbed into a fascinating & historic place to stay, minus Model T cars and chauffeurs!

Top 5 things to DO and what to AVOID in SLOC -…read more Do list: 5. San Luis Obispo farmers market. 4. Spending the day in Morro Bay (museum, pictures, hiking) 3. Fiscalini Ranch Preserve 2.The Santa Rosa Creek Rd backcountry drive. ( start from the 46 highway) 1.Bridge Street Cafe BONUS - SloDoCo dounts... Avoid List: - Bayside Cruisers ( watch out for the shyster owner shaking you down for allegedly missing boat parts when you return your rental). - Sea Chest. Cash Only, Long Line, bland seafood. - El Chorlito (worst rated for a reason)

Aloha! The great SLO…read morecounty area boasts some of the best views, wines, & vistas in CA, the US, & the World. How do I know? Well, I am blessed to live in it. I did live in Hawaii for over a dozen yrs. & explored all the islands & I am so much happier here in SLO. When I did go back to visit Hawaii after a decade in CA, I was sad to discover that almost all, of my old Hawaiian friends, were either depressed or unhappy... Was it the ever rising "price of paradise"... which was made much worse by high costs, plus far lower wages? Was it especially worse for skilled jobs? It was that & more. Anyway, back to SLO: You can see everything here, from endless beaches, to endless dunes, to endless vistas... There seems to be almost no end, to what you can discover exploring here! Some areas are so safe, that you can forget to lock your car, or even your house & nobody bothers it! This may remind one of the "good old days", but alas, at the new high prices ( some "good" areas have houses, that range from over 1/2 million to many millions). Since you are out in the "country", you may not find too much in the way of lux shopping, unless your idea of lux is Kohl's or Walmart....ha..ha... It can be a challenge to find good eats or ethnic food. You need to go hundreds of miles North or South either way to get the SF Bay Area or LA. In SLO, you must judge the reviews & view pics with a good Yelping eye to find decent-good food, that is not overhyped by happy tourists... who are likely to be on a "vacation euphoria" from the more natural wonders of the area. Staying here can be a problem for those who crave a comfy or luxury stay. There is no Ritz, no Hyatt's, & the Hilton is just a lower tier "Garden Inn". On the other hand, sometimes less well known local places can please. The closest to a lux hotel is the Dolphin Bay Inn in Shell Beach, but it will cost you hundreds, but it boasts fine dinning that rivals some of the better San Fransisco venues, Hawaii-esk Panoramic views, Massages/Spa, & Condo-like units that have a full kitchen. The units can accommodate 2 couples, or a family... so it may make sense for some. Many of the usual bargain suspects, do include a breakfast (e.g. Best Western). The closest place, that is part of a nicer chain, is the Hilton Garden Inn. The places along Pismo Beach range from hole-in-the-wall bargains (some very clean... but check reviews) to way overpriced, but may not seem too expensive for the million dollar views. Far from the Ocean, in the Northern Paso Area, some of the nicer places to stay are at Bed & Breakfast Places (e.g. Summerville Winery in Paso Robles), that are out of Paso Robles town itself. There are also numerous campgrounds & RV sites all around. There are even cabins & cottages on one of the lakes near Paso.... or you can stay at the newer Holiday Inn Express. The HI Express is not too far from Paso's popular downtown eats.... which sadly can be overpriced, overhyped/Yelped, "tourist trapping", gross Yelping disappointments. Some out of the way areas are very low, or even devoid of light pollution. Here you can see the "Milk" of the Milky Way which is light from the billions of our neighborhood stars in our own Galaxy. Once you see it, your life may be changed forever! With some skill, you may Astro-photograph things millions of light years (a light year is the distance light will travel in a year...your calculator will likely error if you attempt to convert this to miles...since it is 5.87849981 x 10 to the 12th power miles! The Andromeda Galaxy, our closest neighbor, shines with the combined light of a TRILLION suns & can be seen with binoculars (& so can the glorious Orion Nebula). Getting great photos here are easy. There are tons of things to do here that involve nature, but nightlife usually ends at 9-10PM for this areas full service food places, but ...some bars stay open till 2AM in downtown SLO. For 24hr "food", there is a Denny's & a McD's that are open (on Madonna Rd., off the 101). Try to escape the usual tourist area, for the less known. There are a plethora of dirt roads that lead to wonderful views with great hiking. SLO makes a smooth beautiful transition to Monterey or Santa Barbara Counties... especially on Route 1. Even on the 101, you can be surprised with some great views, including rare double rainbows (see Pics) Anyway, please enjoy yourself here! Mahalo! (Yes, you may find Hawaiian plate lunches here (e.g. Red Dirt Cafe), some Pho, lots of Thai & Japanese, but not Dim Sum, nor other ethnic restaurants. The are some small groceries that cater to the small ethnic populations...such as Filipino (Debu), Eastern European (Enjoy!), Chinese, & Indian....so see my & others reviews) Please remember to driving carefully & fill up on gas if you head North.. it is at least hour(s) of "nothing" but glorious dark skies to Monterey, CA or King City, CA!

This wonderful vestige of local history serves to mark on the "right of ways…read more" of the old functional, but not scenic, Pacific Coast Railway. In other words, that old now defunct railroad was the very first railroad in the Central Valley & predates the wider rail that the Coast Starlight Express/ Amtrak uses from WA to OR, to CA, & then the SF Bay area then all the way down the coast to SB then LA, much of which either hugs the coast or parallels various sections of roads such as 101, El Camino Real, Hwy #1, etc. Since SLO & Santa Barbara Counties were essentially landlocked by geography back then, the first rails were actually started at Hanford Pier in Avila Beach. People would take a steamship from SF to Avila. The first Tram was built by Ah Louis, a SLO-town Chinese gentlemen of great distinction. The Tram was power by horses & then people transferred to a coach to get to SLO. Ah Louis, who's building still stands in downtown SLO, also later organized Chinese laborers to later build the rail system that first went from Avila to SLO. The later amazing tunnels & more advance railroad by yet another company [the Southern Pacific Railroad which today handles more familiar Amtrack trains] with wider gauge/rails was extended down from Santa Margarita down the Cuesta Grade and later competed with PCR, was also built by Ah Louis & Chinese laborers. Indeed there is a large bronze stylized statue of two Chinese railroad workers, laboring on the railroad at today's Amtrak station, in SLO. The Ah Louis store still stands as a historic building with a plaque, but it is used for purposes other than history. In fact, much of SLO's downtown so-called Chinatown has been progressive destroyed over many decades, & little remains beyond the Ah Louis building, an obscure mural on the side of a parking lot, and a absurd Chop Suey Neon sign [at a hotel that does not serve Chop Suey], which obviously did not exist in Ah Louis's time. All excavated artifacts are either stored somewhere else or have been forgotten. I am not aware of any display of Chinese historic artifacts from that era in SLO. Anyway, the earlier narrow gauge rail system was gradually extended first down to Arroyo Grande, to Nipomo [which formed the nucleus of this town], to Santa Maria, Los Alamos, & finally to Los Olivos. Passengers at the end of the line back then would stay overnight at the Mattie Tavern [still in use] & Hotel in Los Olivos & then take a stagecoach to Santa Barbara the next day. Branches of this narrow gauge [or 3 foot wide narrow rail] would also extend to Guadalupe & Betteravia, westward on the Coast & toward Sisquoc East. Much later the Sugar Factory & Co. town of Betteravia became a rare ghost town in 1966. After much of the oil was exhausted in other areas, they also declined. The West branch was used for all kinds of things ranging from Sugar Beets/Sugar to Oil. Sisquoc had lots of oil fields which were discovered all over, but like so many other places that discovered Gold, Black Gold, or precious materials, it was often boom and then bust. While there is one building said to have been at one time a depot for the PCR train system a few block away from this landmark, I cannot confirm it. There appears to be dozens of past & present rail systems in CA alone. There is even a Santa Maria Valley rail system & an organization that keep that information alive. https://friends-smvrr.org/index.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Maria_Valley_Railroad Sadly, not much remains of the Pacific Coast Railway, except for maybe one lone locomotive that may be in Oregon, the remains of a station, and right of ways, that have been repurposed as gas line right of ways. Here & there, old rails may be buried under roads & can be still detected by metal detectors. Sometimes erosion of new roads, reveal underlying rails, but the vast majority of metal artifacts was used as scrap long ago. Here and there such groups as the SMVRR do go on outings to see what traces that they can find and get special permission to go onto private lands to explore. The SLO Railway Museum near the Amtrak station is helpful. Ref. : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Coast_Railway https://www.thirdrail.com/ttrpcrr.htm [..."Oil was first struck in March of 1900 in the Husna Valley. Later again in Arroyo Grande at 500 feet, but these strikes were insufficient to be profitable until 1901 when the Western Oil Company brought in a well on the Careaga Ranch at 200 barrels a day. So great was the activity around Graciosa Station that a new town was laid out one mile to the North. The town was named "Orcutt" in honor of W. W. Orcutt the Chief Geologist for the Union Oil Company...."]. I am by no means knowledgable on these historical topics. Sadly, as time goes on, more is forgotten, destroyed, or even distorted. At least some take it upon themselves to preserve some history. To those individuals, I thank you!

yesterday my wife & i joined what they said was the first tour in years at the recently rescued…read morediablo nuclear power plant. unfortunately the rust definitely was more than evident. we drove all the way up from LA and we were so excited to tour the facility and beautiful surroundings. but 5 hours later we were starving, cold and in disbelief that we never saw inside the plant! we were told to wear only cotton, leather shoes and that they would provide the hard hats. well that was all nonsense. we were only 'allowed' to see a replica of the control room, the fire station, and an outside storage area. what a waste of 5 hours, plus it was during a work day where people had to take off to attend. And since it lasted from noon til 5pm we were starving. all they offered us were old bags of nuts. Crazy. most of the tour was talking and watching videos and powerpoint presentations. could do that from the comfort of my home and saved all the effort we took to be there in person. until they can make this tour interesting and really show off the plant, i recommend they put this tour back in mothballs.

Would I recommend the tour? Yes. Did I learn anything? Yes. The tour guide was knowledgeable,…read morecourteous and factual. The drive out to the plant was farther than I thought. Beautiful location. I saw where Homer Simpson works...sort of. I learned they pay 29 million in taxes. PGE is part of the renewable energy solution. Loved the day!