Enjoy the Slow Life in San Luis Obispo

Everybody I met in San Luis Obispo called it SLO. Sticking to a town’s three initials is a pretty obvious nickname, and made even easier when those initials happen to spell out a word, but it’s also a perfect one for this charming little city near the central California coast. Small and easygoing, with a highly walkable downtown where basically every necessity is easily reachable, San Luis Obispo is all about the slow life. It’s basically a college town, a Californian take on Athens or Gainesville or State College, which means it’s a more laid-back version of a type of community notorious for being laid-back. And when you go in August, before school is back in session, as I recently did, it’s even sleepier than usual, with most of the students still out of town. I’m talking, like, “most bars are closed by 10 p.m.” kind of slow, here. If you’re looking for a relaxing trip to a small town full of good restaurants, cool stores, distinct vibes, not one but two good record stores, and all within a short drive to the Pacific Ocean and all that entails (sea lions and otters at Morro Bay, for instance), San Luis Obispo is an ideal choice. 

What to Do

San Luis Obispo is smack dab on El Camino Real, almost halfway through the 600 miles that connect California’s 21 Spanish missions. Mission San Luis Obispo del Tolosa has sat at the heart of the town since 1772, and should be a part of any trip to SLO. With its unique L-shape it’s unlike any other mission on the trail, and today it serves as both an active church, with a small but gorgeous chapel, and a museum about its history and connection to the town. Whether or not you’re Catholic or even religious at all, the Mission’s combination of history and spirituality is educational and enlightening; maybe reflect in the chapel or light a prayer candle for a loved one (recommended donation: $5), or commune with nature in its well-maintained garden. And definitely check out the gift shop if you want a SLO souvenir that isn’t just a tacky t-shirt.

If you prefer your culture a little less godly, the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art sits in the shadow of the Mission, and will pull you right back into the California of today. This small but smartly curated museum features two galleries. Current exhibitions include Whose Waters?, a group show with nine artists (some from California, including SLO) looking at the most Californian of sports—surfing—from a variety of cultural and personal perspectives. That runs until Oct. 20, 2024. Nashville-born, Boston-based artist Maria Molteni has a solo show called Beautiful Seven that closes on Nov. 6; its an immersive collection of large objects that unite Catholic imagery, astronomy, the Italian card game scopa, and Italy’s Seven Sisters, whose name reflects San Luis Obispo’s own Seven Sisters, a chain of large rocks that dot the landscape and were formed millennia ago by volcanic activity. You can’t miss the museum—its exterior is painted with a large mural that is replaced by a new work every year. 

Downtown has its fair share of chain stores, but it’s also full of cool local shops that might have something you can’t find at home. HumanKind Fair Trade is a great place to find unique gifts, clothes, home goods, toys, arts, and other artsy knick-knacks and doodads. You can buy cool stuff and feel good about it, not just because it’s ethically made but also because HumanKind annually donates to various nonprofits in and around San Luis Obispo. If, like me, you tend to spend as much as possible on music, downtown SLO has two top notch record stores to dig through. Boo Boo Records is the more welcoming of the two, with large collections of used and new vinyl and CDs for sale, from the most popular artists of today to cult classics and obscure independent experiments. With multiple floors of records, comics, games, and movies, Cheap Thrills is a media labyrinth that would take days to go search through in its entirety. I would’ve spent way too much money at both stores if getting records home to Georgia hadn’t been an issue.

SLO is also a Godsend for nature-lovers and active travelers, with multiple gorgeous hiking trails and cycling paths. Check out the Cerro San Luis trail, especially its Lemon Grove Loop, or walk or cycle up to the Terrace Hill Open Space for a great view of the city.

Where to Eat

I’ve been everywhere, man, and everywhere I’ve been has barbecue. I’m from the South, though, and went to pig pickin’s in North Carolina every year as a kid, so my BBQ standards are high. I’m tough to impress. (Sorry, Texas: your BBQ ain’t it.) So when I was told I absolutely needed to eat at Old SLO BBQ Co., I was beyond skeptical. I shouldn’t have been: this walk-up counter (it does have a dining room, and a newly opened taproom full of local craft beers, too) specializes in a tri-tip sandwich that’s one of the best things I’ve ever eaten in my entire life. Dry rubbed, smoked, and served either on its own or in a French or sourdough roll, Old Slo’s tri-tip is immaculate, and so different from the BBQ we make down south that it’s not even in competition with it. It is its own delicious thing, one that must be eaten by any meat-lovers stopping over in San Luis Obispo. (My tri-tip tip: get it with the sourdough, but eat the bread and meat separately, and don’t put any sauce on the meat.) 

Right next to the Mission, the popular restaurant Luna Red celebrates SLO’s Spanish and Mexican heritage with its acclaimed paellas and tacos. I was alone my first night in town, so I didn’t get to try a paella, which serves two to four diners, but its selection of tacos, from street favorites to Luna Red specialties, is no joke. As a card-carrying member of Bread Club I can recommend the back porch bakery bread appetizer without reservation; its rich, warm wedges of sourdough made a deliciously perfect base for not just the mai tais I drank (it was tiki Tuesday) but also the filet medallions and glazed shrimp in the bourbon street surf ‘n’ turf entree. Luna Red also has ample outdoor seating, which, considering San Luis Obispo has perfect weather about 360 days of the year, is greatly welcome.