Cute little town that we visit mainly for the cookies. Brown Butter Cookies are a must when passing…read morethrough. I would rather buy the cookies here than in SLO. The weather was perfection today. So beautiful! 7/29/26

North of Morro Bay and South of Cambria comes a 3 block casual little beach town…read more Cute and quaint, yes. Beach, yes. Pier, yes. Great breakfast/brunch place (Hidden Kitchen), yes. Antique Shops, yes, but a BIG no for me. The town just doesn't offer enough for me. But, the beach is lovely. Lots of surfers, great waves. Beautiful to walk on a warm day.

Passing through on Highway 101 City of Nipomo is in the San…read moreLuis Obispo county , half way mark from Los Angeles and San Francisco. Many of the residents of Nipomo are retirees. Quiet and a quaint town

Nipomo is a cute town. I usually just come here to go to Jocko's but tonight I caught their…read moreChristmas parade which was very cute. They had a place for kids to go see Santa. They also had a few booths up selling Christmas items for sale. There was a live band and a beautiful Christmas tree. A few blocks away they had an area to take pictures with a huge ornament.

I've been coming to San Luis Obispo for years and let me say it is gone downhill as far as I'm…read moreconcerned so many empty stores everywhere you walk there are empty stores. Yes there's still stores but I wonder why there are so many empty stores. This used to be a great place to go visit during a vacation trip or something but now it's not so great. we love to come and visit the mission food prices are ridiculous. Also, I'm not saying that the food is not bad but the prices are ridiculous. Perhaps they charge two months for rent in the shops one year you will come and the shop will be there the next year you come back and the shop is gone. It just doesn't seem like they have much foot traffic through this town anymore. Very sad.

Perfectly situated halfway between LA & San Francisco, equal parts city & small town…read more Coming from San Francisco, I'm blown away by the clean, picture perfect downtown, lively during the day, Edward Hopper painting at night. I'm not sure where all the homeless go at night, you see a few sitting on benches outside businesses, wandering around after dark, but no obvious encampments. There's a lot of really smart people around, Cal Poly students, professors, & retirees, enough to keep the Apple Store crowded. There's plenty of local retail, large enough for Pottery Barn, Urban Outfitters, Victoria's Secret, Patagonia, excellent restaurants & hotels, much etc. I looked at apartments & real estate once & discovered nobody ever leaves! The pickings are slim. The city is built in a valley, surrounded by mountains, making the weather temperate, and SLO is only 15 minutes drive to Avila Beach. What's not to like? Well, the complete lack of ethnic diversity. I have no idea where all the hotel maids & nannies live. And where are they hiding the homeless people? That said, San Luis Obispo is destination worthy.

Ask my husband - as we pulled into the main heart of the Village, I kept saying, "I want to live…read morehere!" The charming mix of unique architectural styles with varied textures and accents is reminiscent of many of the old Gold Rush-era towns in the Sierra foothills. I definitely prefer vintage character to contemporary glass and steel, so felt right at home. We grabbed a sandwich at Branch Street Deli, then wandered several blocks to check out the window displays and real estate postings. We even ventured out onto the swinging bridge, and noted the gazebo nearby. Free parking is also a plus. As we left the business district we cruised on several adjacent residential streets. It seemed like each cottage was cuter than the one before. The Village of Arroyo Grande is loaded with character. Can't wait to go back and explore more.

The Village of Arroyo Grande is always a pleasure to visit. Be it for the harvest festival, the…read morestrawberry festival, the farmers market, or ... Every time it is a fun stop and the stores and restaurants are so welcoming. Come on in and take a walk and enjoy

My little ode to the City of Morro Bay. To me the harbor and waterfront vibe is unmatched. Unlike…read more its neighboring coastal town neighbors, the coexistence of both businesses (tourism and commercial fishing) is symbiotic. Not competing with one another but exists mutually bringing out the best to draw tourists in, like myself. Also ancient lore has it that the calm is brought about by the calming effects of the Morro Rock. Embarcadero: The waterfront, which is called the Embarcadero, is a mix of retail shops, restaurants, hotels, charter tours, local service businesses, and parks. The Embarcadero is well planned out. Behind the shops is a walkway (ADA) with views of the harbor. There is an area with a telescope that locals call the seal viewing point. There is a floating platform in the harbor that seals flop onto and lounge about in each other's company. When there's something to talk about, they sure can chat it up. They can be loud and expressive, heard from the shore. The telescope is free, not one of those coin operated jobbers. Waterfront coastal access walkway: Throughout the harbor view walkway are information boards describing the local plants, animals, ecosystems, and city history.Plus there are memorials along the walkway, to name a few: Anchor Memorial honoring fisherman lost at sea; Nick Howell Legacy Bench honoring his contributions to the local community; First Landing of Filipinos in America marker; and CA state historic landmark # 821 Morro Rock. Restroom Situation: Having clean and accessible restrooms is so important especially for folks day tripping doing the tourist thing. There are public restrooms throughout the Embarcadero and along the coastal access walkway linking the Embarcadero to Coleman Park, iconic Morro Bay Rock and adjoining Morro Strand beach. The parking lots next to the Rock and beach is free. Free access to the beach as well. I gotta hand it to the City for the forethought of the multitude of restrooms. Boat Launch: On the far side of the Embarcadero Street from the Morro Rock is a boat launch that is free to use. But be aware that parking fees for the launch is enforced. It use to be free, but that changed recently in March 2026. Plus this area has a park (Greenspace, play area, picnic table/bbqs, restroom, fish cleaning station). Maritime Museum: Such a special place. Outdoor exhibits of real vessels. The one room museum surprisingly holds significant local artifacts and historical info. Plus the best part, it's FREE. Donations accepted but no pressure or mention by staff to do so. Landmarks: +Morro Rock - The Rock stands 580 feet tall and is a volcanic plug dating back to 20,000 million years ago. It's against the law to climb onto the rock. It's a protected area for birds. Plus with all the guano, you don't want any part of that, +Three Stacks- PG& E built an energy plant along the harbor in the 1950s. Thus the three stacks. The plant was closed in 2014. After a study was completed that determined it would take about $1 million per year to maintain the three stacks, the City voted to remove the three stacks which will be taken down by 2028. Say your goodbyes now. History: The Chumash tribe lived here before the European settlers. Archaeological artifacts of the local tribe date back to over 3500 years ago. Then by the late 1500s, it has the earliest recorded European interactions. By the late 1700s, permanent European settlement occurred in the area. In 1870, the city became officially incorporated, just 20 years later after California obtained statehood in 1850.

We passed by here yesterday before heading home. We were in Cambria which is a short drive north of…read moreMorro Bay. Morro bay is a beautiful seaside town. They have nice places to eat and shop at. Some of our favorites are Dorn's, Giovanni's and Dockside to name a few. Cal Poly is not too far away, in San Louis Obispo. It's definitely worth checking out. You will see lots of surfers at the beach close to Morro Rock.

If you're a fan of art and you like the idea of a self-guided tour then this one's for you…read more I discovered the Morro Bay Mural Mile from my airbnb host's guidebook and since she was kind enough to lend my friend and me her pair of beach cruisers, it made for a great way to take in some fresh ocean air and see some local art. The Mural Mile is actually 2.25 miles long if you follow the recommended directional path and covers 23 murals, most of which are painted on the side of buildings in popular places in Morro Bay. I really enjoyed biking around Morro Bay to see some of these murals and plan to finish seeing the rest next time I'm in town. Pro tip: Plan to skip #3 (Treasures of Morro Bay) unless you feel comfortable walking up onto someone's residential porch to actually see it.

Checked out the Pismo Beach Pier in the late afternoon/evening, and it made for a really pleasant…read morevisit. The area feels lively and walkable, with plenty of nearby shops and spots to check out without feeling overwhelming. The beach itself is nice and clean, and best of all, it wasn't overly crowded when we were there, which made it easy to relax and enjoy the coastal views. Of course, stopping by to see the cool large Pismo Beach letters is a fun little bonus for a quick photo. It's a classic California beach spot that's definitely worth a stroll if you're in the area (great for clamming)

Pismo Beach Pier always delivers -- wide open views, salty breeze, and that perfect coastal energy…read more N"Pismo Beach Pier always delivers -- wide open views, salty breeze, and that perfect coastal energy. Nothing beats a walk down this boardwalk with the waves crashing beside you and the whole Central Coast stretching out in front of you. This is the kind of spot you save... and come back to every chance you getothing beats a walk down this boardwalk with the waves crashing beside you and the whole Central Coast stretching out in front of you. This is the kind of spot you save... and come back to every chance you get... #pismobeach #pismobeachpier #beach #traveltiktok #visitcalifornia

Visiting SLO and my wife heard about this trail. I checked online on how to access...unfortunately…read morethe article was from 5 years ago and seemed to be outdated. Make sure you have plenty of time as there is quite a bit to see. We had a little over an hour and weren't able to see everything. We parked at the parking village drive parking garage, which was $10. There are 2 trails that head to the entrance arch shown in the picture..the first we ran across connected to the living quarters as was a narrow trail in the grass leading to the woods. This is a tad more challenging as the other trail is a gravel road with a slight incline and this route is a small path through the woods ( incline, decline, over branches and roots, etc). After about 14 mins it connects the gravel travel. To access from the gravel trail start from the parking garage opposite of the parking garage entrance there is a sidewalk path leading to a bridge, cross the bridge and you'll be on your way. Immediately, we saw some horses wandering around and crossing us on the trail. They were calm and a pleasant surprise. I won't post much of our photos, but there are lots of interesting structures that gave me a burning man feel. Lots of graffiti too, not sure if that is welcome or just vandalism. This was a nice change of pace trail and I would recommend.

If you've heard of the Architecture Graveyard, this is the way to get there! Other reviews have…read moregood directions but I highly recommend going on a weekend so you don't have to worry about finding parking. There's also a parking garage that isn't too far, in addition to the nearby staff lots. Trail is a fire road, and occasionally there are cars/trucks on it, so stay aware. You'll eventually come to a route to your right with a bridge for a hidden trail, but keep going to the left to get to the graveyard - plan to spend an hour or two if you really want to wander around and see all the structures. The trail itself is shady, but several of the projects are out in the open - take sunblock and water, and use common sense. For better or worse, most of the architecture displays are run-down, broken, and/or vandalized with graffiti - it lends a cool dystopian vibe to the area but it's a shame that the university let them get so damaged. Still cool to explore, though, stop by to take a look and get in some steps on a nice day!