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(Photo of Pismo Beach Coastline during one of my hikes at Pismo Preserve.)

As a transplant from San Diego, moving to a small city from a bigger beach town gives me a different perspective. I'm used to the beach life but I've put my feet in the water here in Pismo Beach more than I have in the 29 years that I used to live in San Diego. That's because, hanging out at the beach here is so easy! And because, well, I have more time to enjoy the SLO life here.

During the summer months, most college kids go back to their hometowns and footprints are replaced by tourists by all over the world. It's fun to see the change but I've got to say, the college kids who come back to SLO to study are way more chill than the tourists who come here with their families during the holiday and vacation seasons. I'd expect the opposite but that's not the case here from what I've personally experienced.

The college kids here frequent Downtown San Luis Obispo and hang out at the weekly Thursday farmers market and study at local coffee shops. There is not a shortage of coffee shops in SLO, thankfully! They'd also hang out in Pismo Beach, which is probably the most famous beach on the Central Coast of California. I am going to be honest that I am very biased with this.

I've been approached by many parents asking me what I think about San Luis Obispo for their future and current college kids and I've got plenty of great things to say! Of course, there would be headlines here and there about trouble but compared to many colleges in California, San Luis Obispo is relatively mild with trouble making episodes. Plus, there are lots of outdoorsy things for them to do to keep their mental health in check.

Here's a list of suggestions for college kids to do or places to hang out in San Luis Obispo County:

1. Hang out at Pismo Beach. With a long pier, a nice beach walk trail and an amazing Central Coast view, anyone would feel at peace coming here. They're famous for their clam chowder at the local Splash Cafe near the pier and the big and freshly baked cinnamon rolls at Old West Cinnamon Rolls will satisfy a sweet tooth. There are also many souvenir shops and other restaurants to choose from for breakfast, lunch or dinner. See pictures that I've taken at Pismo Beach under the 'Beaches' category of my blog. I walk along Pismo Beach often and have seen really cool sea creatures like whales, sea lions and by-the-wind-sailors. What's also more unique about Pismo Beach is you'd see many white Pismo clams, even large ones that are more than 3 inches, by just casually walking on the beach.
   
   
   
2. Go to the Weekly Farmers Market in Downtown San Luis Obispo in Thursday. The farmers market in downtown SLO on Thursday evenings are fun. There's usually a band playing and walking by lots of local produce options encourages me to make healthy picks for our future meals. There are usually also many fun street food booths with different cuisines. My favorite is usually Shalimar's booth. On particular dates, they'd have themed nights for holidays and special events. When some events at the Downtown SLO Farmers Market are coming up soon, I usually list these special events in chronological order under the Event List page.
   
3. Check out the wine tasting rooms in San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles. Checking out the vineyards in the area can be a very beautiful experience right before harvest season. Paso Robles is a famous wine country now with over 300 wineries and it's located within San Luis Obispo County. You can view my top 10 favorite wine tasting rooms as a resident of the area. Remember, you have to be 21 and older to consume wine but I've seen many older college kids enjoy a wine tasting outing with their parents and I think it's so classy and fun to see them share that local experience. The wine tasting experience out here is drastically different than the Temecula and Napa Valley wine tasing experiences that I've had. It's typically less rowdy herel!
   
   
4. Hike at Pismo Preserve. In Pismo Beach, you can hike at Pismo Preserve and get a bird's eye view of the Pismo State Beach Coastline, seeing as far as the Oceano Dunes.
   
   I hike here more often than I do anywhere else. Parking can be limited, but it's free. The starting point and parking lot is located right off the HWY 101.
   
   I suggest taking a picture of the map that's located at the starting point near the restrooms before taking off on your hike so that in case you get lost, you can reference your picture of your map and have a better idea where you are located. I've had a group of people come up to us for directions while we're hiking here because they're lost and it was a pretty hot day that day. Read more about my thoughts about Pismo Preserve in a more dedicated blog entry. Here's one of my videos that I posted about Pismo Preserve.
   
5. Hike at Montana de Oro. There are many beautiful hiking trails here in San Luis Obispo County but the one that most residents and tourists will rave about is the Montana de Oro hike!
   
   The beautiful coastal view, cliffs, and nature will take your breath away. Make sure you have your appropriate hiking or trail shoes on and water for hydration. I recommend that you also pack a picnic or lunch as well. Here's a couple of clips from my hikes at Montana de Oro below.
   
6. Go camping at Oceano Dunes. One of the rare things about living around here is you can drive on the beach on half of the Grover Beach side and all of Oceano on the beach. You can buy a day pass for $5 or a camping pass to stay overnight for just $10 (this rate may increase over time)! I've camped with a tent here with my family and you can't beat camping literally on the beach. It's a wonderful way to watch the sunset. If you're planning on driving on the beach, I recommend driving in an all wheel drive or 4 wheel drive vehicle or your chances of getting stuck in sand is very high. Like Pismo Beach, Oceano and Grover Beach are located on the South County part of San Luis Obispo County and make up the entire Pismo State Beach. 
   
   
7. Watch a movie at Sunset Drive In. Sunset Drive In is one of the last outdoor drive-in movie theaters left in this country (U.S.A). It's rare to find one in any town. Fortunately, San Luis Obispo's Sunset Drive In has been around for years and they are still going strong! You get to watch two of the latest movies for one price. I love coming here with my family and I imagine coming here with friends is just as fun.
   
   You can bring your own food and drinks. The most important thing to remember is to bring your own portable radio to hear the sound for the movie. You do not want to use the radio from your vehicle as it could drain your car battery and leave you stranded! Read more about my experience at Sunset Drive-In Theater and more tips. I also posted a reel about my recent Sunset Drive In experience via instagram. See my Sunset Drive In reel on IG.
8. Visit the elephant seals in San Simeon. Not only is San Simeon, where the famous Hearst Castle is located, is within San Luis Obispo County, you can also watch many sea creatures in their natural habitat around here. I had mentioned in the top item above that that I've seen whales, by-the-wind sailors (Velella Velella), and sea lions just by walking up and down the Pismo Beach shore during one of my routine leisurely walks. I also suggest going a bit north within the county like San Simeon to see the magnificent elephant seals in their natural habitat there too. It's very humbling when you're able to experience watching animals outside a zoo and aquarium. It's a reminder that this world is for all of us, and not just human beings.
   
   We usually see at least 50 of them when we go to the Elephant Seal rookery in San Simeon called Piedras Blancas Rookery. Read about my day visiting Hearst Castle and the Elephant Seals in San Simeon.
9. Visit the iconic Madonna Inn. Madonna Inn is a motel (doors to room are facing outside) and also has two restaurants on property: Copper Cafe and Gold Rush Steak house!
   
   If you love eccentric architecture and all things pink, this is the place for you! I've dined at Copper Cafe many times for special occasions and also had two Madonna Inn staycations!
   
   I've also dined here for a company banquet for my husband's work so my experience is very versatile over the years as a resident! Whether you are staying there or dining there, you can always walk around the main property during their business hours to shop for souvenirs at their two gift shops (one on the second story and one in the cellar). The men often like to rave about their restroom experience in the cellar but I'll leave that up to you to discover as I can't go in there as a woman. Read all of my blog entries about Madonna Inn. If you happen to squeeze in a visit to Madonna Inn, don't forget to try their famous Pink Champagne Cake!
10. Go shopping at the stores in Downtown San Luis Obispo or Pismo Beach Outlets. There is no indoor mall in all of San Luis Obispo (SLO) County but we still have some options! The main two great areas for brand names and clothes shopping are around Downtown SLO or the Pismo Beach Outlets. For brands like Lululemon, H & M, Sephora, Barnes & Noble, Apple, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Victoria's Secret, you'd have to go to Downtown SLO. For brands like Coach, Levi's, Nike, Guess, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Kate Spade and even Hot Topic, you'd have to go to Pismo Beach Outlets. I prefer to go to Pismo Outlets because parking is free and they have a lot of options in one general area without having to cross so many streets like I'd have to do if I'm in Downtown. However, when I need to work remotely from SLO, I do take advantage of my proximity and go on a shopping spree and take advantage of the more ethnic food options in Downtown. Here's a video clip of me walking around Downtown SLO below.
    
11. Lastly, go on a local food adventure. Please don't scoff when I say this but, I'm a "foodie". There's no other word that can define this better. I love trying different restaurants and challenging my palate. Some of my favorite cuisines include: Indian, Peruvian, Mexican, Thai, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, and good Southern cooking! Thankfully, we have all of these options in San Luis Obispo. If I didn't care about my waistline, I'd be eating every 5 minutes. I also love visiting different coffee shops in SLO County and getting my boba fix all over, from Paso Robles to Pismo Beach (both cities are located in San Luis Obispo County). What can I say, I like my sweet caffeine drinks. To see my top favorite restaurants in all of San Luis Obispo County, go to my restaurants page. When the kids go to Kids' Night Out events, my husband and I go on date nights and I'd post it on my instagram if they are excellent dining experiences and then blog about it after. Here's a clip from our visit at Bell's Los Alamos (in the next county over in Santa Barbara County) below.
    

San Luis Obispo Goods:

• "I've got friends in SLO places" T-shirt and Other San Luis Obispo T-shirts


• Cal Poly Sweatshirts


• Pismo Beach T-shirts