Local Treasures

Travelers are becoming less destination-oriented and more (authentic) experience-oriented. From beaches to hiking trails to breweries, there’s a lot to explore here. We think you might like to know about some of our local treasures — the places and things you wouldn’t know about unless you were a local. For instance, one of the best gift stores in the county happens to be our local Rexall Pharmacy, who would guess?

These are a few of our personal favorites. We think they might intrigue you and help make your visit more memorable.

Los Osos

{Baker & Brain} Tasting Room, producing Pinot Noir and small-lot artisan wines from the central coast. Limited tasting room hours on weekends. Check before you go.

Beer on the Pier is the best little FREE Concert Series on the Central Coast, every Monday. Great music, dancing, unparalleled local vibe, food and drink too. Happy hour 4-5: Music starts at 5 – 7. Outdoor season, May – October on the lawn on the lawn at the Blue Heron; Indoor season, November – April indoors at La Palapa, both on 2^ndStreet in Baywood. Kick back with friends or meet new ones. It’s a locals’ thing so join in. Hosted by the Blue Heron Restaurant and they roll out the carpet for top shelf hospitality with some of the best local bands, executive chef on the BBQ, fire pit lounge, outdoor bar, bayside patio, and a great view. Music presented by Big Big SLO and they bring a great variety of local and out of the area talent each week.

Foggy Bottom Craft Distillery is right next to the Los Osos Rexall. The distillery features Bourbon, Corn Whiskey, Rum, Spiced Rum, Gin and Barrel-Rested Gin. 

Hiking the trails at Montaña de Oro have dramatic ocean bluffs and summits with sweeping views, 8,000 acres and 7 miles of undeveloped coastline. Trails vary from easy to difficult.

La Casita Mexican Restaurant is our “go-to” very favorite restaurant. It is noted for having the world’s best salsa which they make fresh in 50 gallon batches. The chips are made fresh daily and we love the food. I tell our guests it’s a really good thing

Los Osos Farmers Market (and social soiree) is every Monday, 2 – 4:30 PM, in Baywood Park. Fresh local, sustainable and healthy foods are sold to you straight from the growers. It is the best way to meet local people.

Los Osos Rexall, a well-appointed gift store and pharmacy too. It features unusual gifts, books, ship models, linens and greeting cards that are well merchandised. They even have pajama parties, artist receptions, a putting green, music, Harmony Ice Cream, Cayucos Hot Sauce, a kids department and the popular SLO Farmers’ Market Cookbook. If you ever have a question about medications just ask Jason, he knows more than the doctors, and the best thing, he knows his customers by name. Isn’t that refreshing!

Merrimaker  Google “dive bar” and the Merrimaker comes up #1. It is a popular local hangout in Baywood, recently renovated. You may find yourself sitting next to a colorful local fisherman or an astrophysicist PhD from Cal Poly. Location 1301 2nd St, Baywood Park. 

Pagnol Boulanger’s owner Mark Stambler employs French methods to make his breads, doing most of the work by hand. The bread is amazing, but watch out, you can easily make a meal out of the entire loaf, with a little help from some local wine, of course.

SLO Roasted Coffee is a local coffee-roaster started in 1984, and now in the second generation, they have produced outstanding coffees which we serve exclusively to our guests. SLO Roasted Coffees provide a product that coffee lovers, really love. You can take a tour while you are visiting in Los Osos and meet Julie and Chris, the sister and brother team who run the business while busily training up the 3^rdgeneration of coffee roasters. It takes 4,000 roasted beans for one pound of ground coffee. Over 1.2 billion coffee beans are roasted there annually. They have been voted #1 Coffee Roster in San Luis Obispo County a number of times!

Sweet Springs Nature Preserve is 32-acres of easy walking trails and bird watching opportunities along the bay. It’s a 15-minute walk from the Green Cottage. 

Volumes of Pleasure Bookshoppe, Small independent bookstores have always been the heart of a community, connecting and supporting the town’s core values with residents and visitors. Since 1979, Carroll Leslie and her staff at Volumes of Pleasure has been a real treasure for Los Osos locals and visitors! They are the very anchors of authenticity, and serve our town in ways that can’t be replicated online. Their contributions are invaluable; they are the purveyors of knowledge, discourse, thought, civility and contact. They carry new books and a wide assortment of gifts, jewelry and clothing and they will special order too.

More cool stuff in Los Osos

Bridge Bear Sculptures, for over 20 years, iconic and the life-size bridge bears, designed by well-known sculptor Paula Zima, have welcomed locals and visitors to Los Osos. The are at the entrances to Los Osos along Los Osos Valley Road and South Bay Blvd. Paul lived in Los Osos for many years before locating in New Mexico where she is a full time sculptor and painter, and raises and trains horses.

Kayaking on Morro Bay, bring your own kayaks or rent in Morro Bay, but watch the tides because at low, low tide, there isn’t any water. 

Walks

Walk along Cuesta Inlet, about 100 yards from the Green Cottage. Herons and egrets often search for food there. Colorful kayaks, canoes and sailboats line the shore and create artful reflections in the water. A nice walk in the morning and late afternoon with your camera.

Walk to Baywood from the Cottage (we have a map for you) and stop at the Audubon Sweet Springs Nature Preserve on Ramona Avenue. It’s 32-acres of scenic beauty and trails and only about an 8-minute walk. This is a great spot for bird watching. You will see many species of birds and you can sit quietly and watch the tide flow back and forth in the estuary. Baywood is about another 5-minutes along 4th Street. Once in Baywood be sure to walk along 3^rd Street. Definitely stop for coffee and a croissant at the Back Bay Cafe and visit with the world’s only Cow-Bear, “Udderly Osos.” Then, turn left after the Merrimaker (Google “dive bar”) onto El Moro Avenue and walk along the bay. It’s a beautiful walk and includes beach access, a labyrinth perfect for photography and meditation, and a small beachfront park with benches to enjoy the view. The use of a labyrinth goes back to ancient times. The one in Baywood is open to the public for you to enjoy. Labyrinths are found worldwide and in Native American cultures. This one is behind the Back Bay Inn (near the Cow-Bear) and was built by the Inn’s owner, Bill Lee. He welcomes people to use it. It overlooks the water and was built for visual enjoyment and contemplation, and is located between Santa Maria Avenue and the bay off 1^st Street.

Morro Bay

Coalesce Bookstore, a charming independent bookstore in downtown Morro Bay has a variety of new, used and vintage books as well as cards and specialty gifts. 

Sunshine Health Foods, Market and Shine Café, provides healthy alternatives to the people of the Central Coast. Shine Cafe is the reflection of that healthy lifestyle mantra in the form of an exquisite, locally sourced vegan menu.

Sea Otters: this is the best place on the Central Coast to observe wild sea otters in their natural habitat especially, moms with pups. You will often see them grooming each other, looking like they are snuggling up with each other. There are a number of places that provide excellent opportunities to see them. The otters can be seen near the South-T Pier and in the bay near Morro Rock in front of Target Rock, the small rock south the giant one. There are usually 30 or more otters in the bay. The City makes it easy for people to watch the otters’ antics from the many public viewing docks along the Embarcadero or while strolling or biking along the Morro Bay Harbor Walk out to Morro Rock. If you’re up for a real adventure in “cuteness” rent a kayak or paddleboard and you can get closer, but not too close! The otters are super adorable but they are wild animals. Swimmers, paddle boarders and boaters who venture onto the water should give otters at least five kayak lengths of space. Keep voices down to avoid disturbing the otters. Most people don’t know sea otters are fairly nocturnal eaters and get most of their calories at night and in the very early morning. So daytime is nap time. Another cool way to see otters is to plop down a beach chair near Coleman Beach or by Target Rock and just hang out and watch them as they float right in front of you.

Cayucos

Brown Butter Cookie Company, owned by two sisters and made famous by Oprah Winfrey. Every cookie is hand made. You can watch the cookie-makers daily, and get free samples. 

Harmony

The tiny town of Harmony, with its population 18, was once a large diary farm cooperative. Now it is a quiet oasis right off Highway 1 with artisan shops and studios, a winery and udderly awesome ice cream. 

Harmony Headlands State Park is right across the highway. It’s an undeveloped 748-acre park with trails through the marine terrace grassland and dramatic panoramic views of the ocean.

Cambria

The Hidden Kitchen is a 100% gluten free cafe featuring all-organic and locally-sourced fare. Try their gluten free blue corn waffles and smoothies at a walk-up, open-air café. 

 

Unique places and unusual things, some a bit wiggy or weird or fun, depending upon your point of view:

Los Osos-Baywood

“Udderly Osos” is the world’s only cow-bear. She was part of the 2016 International Cow-Parade and is one of the 101 cows that were sponsored for that event. The local business improvement district sponsored her and artists David and Kyle Doust created her. Celebrate Los Osos, a local non-profit raised over $5000 to rescue her from going to auction and she now has a permanent pasture (albeit very small) in Baywood by the public pier. She has caused quite the controversy. Most people think she’s funny and wiggy, just like the people who live here. A few believe she’s “not really art” and should go away. Visit and see what you think. Located 601-639 El Moro Ave, 

Cambria

Nitt Witt Ridge is a house built with recycled, stolen, and found materials and is known as the poor man’s Hearst Castle. The builder, Art Beal, worked on the construction crew for Hearst Castle and some of the materials used in building his house were purloined from the Hearst project. Nitt Witt Ridge is comprised mostly of stone, cement, abalone shells, wine bottles and beer cans. I knew Art when I was in college. What a character he was! Located 881 Hillcrest Drive, Cambria. 

San Luis Obispo

Bubblegum Alley is (unfortunately) one of our local tourist landmarks and the most talked-about site to see. Started in the 1950’s, it is 65-feet long and 15-feet wide, and has an impressive amount of gum in various configurations. Feel free to be creative and leave your own deposit behind, everyone else does. Located between 733 and 734 Higuera Street, downtown San Luis Obispo.

Cal Poly Architecture Graveyard is an outdoor experimental construction laboratory and is now deserted. It is an interesting hodgepodge of unconventional structures designed and built by students. Located in Poly Canyon. 

The Iron Road Pioneers is a large bronze sculpture by Elizabeth MacQueen, and honors the 20,000 Chinese immigrants who helped with the superhuman task of constructing the Transcontinental Railroad. The workers were sometimes called “silent spikes.” Located at 1011 Railroad Avenue, San Luis Obispo. The nearby Café Roma has excellent food and is a local fixture. 

The Madonna Inn and restaurant are a great example of architectural kitsch, best described as a “pseudo-Swiss-Alps” exterior with over the top interiors, and lots (and lots) of use of the color pink! Be sure to check out the men’s bathroom, although they are a bit dated now. When I was in college it was quite the thing. Men used to stand outside the bathroom door to “guard” the bathroom while women snuck in for a peek. Upstairs, the men’s and women’s very upscale clothing section often has great sales. The men’s section has original Frederic Remington bronze sculptures. Who would guess? Located 100 Madonna Road, San Luis Obispo 

Avila Beach
The Bob Jones City-To-The-Sea Pathway

You can enjoy this paved multi-use pathway that follows the Pacific Coast Railroad right-of-way along the San Luis Obispo Creek to Avila Beach from Highway 101. This trail is great for walking, skating, biking and running. The trail will take you through lush landscapes and gardens as it follows a meandering stream, and eventually through a golf course into Avila Beach.

Presently there are 4.9 paved miles, out and back, on a Class 1 pathway completed. Eventually, there is an additional 4.5 miles starting in San Luis Obispo and connecting with this portion of the trail. Bob Jones, an environmental pioneer spent his life protecting the natural habitat and environment of California and this area specifically. The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo is working with the City of San Luis Obispo, the County and a number of agencies and property owners to help facilitate the completion of this project.

Pismo Beach
Pismo Preserve — Hiking, nature and fabulous views of the Pacific Ocean

The Pismo Preserve, an 880 acre natural area is open to the public. It has exceptional recreational opportunities and provides views that extend from the Irish Hills on the west to Point Sal on the south. High on a hilltop the Preserve overlooks Pismo Beach. There are 11-miles of multi-use trails that meander through oak woodlands, rolling grasslands and open out to stunning Pacific Ocean panoramas. Outdoor enthusiasts who enjoy hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding and trail running, will all enjoy this newly opened preserve. The Pismo Preserve is located off exit 191B from US Highway 101 in Pismo Beach. The entrance and parking lot are located on the east side of the freeway at the very southern end of Mattie Road.

Just south of Pismo in Oceano, a secret, squatter utopian community existed among the sand dunes during the depression and until WWII. Called “the Dunites” the group consisted of artists, writers, mystics, intellectuals and hobos who tucked themselves away in shelters along the dunes. Novelist John Steinbeck and photographer Ansel Adams were just a few of the more notable guests. You can find information at the Oceano Train Depot, 805-489-5446.

Santa Margarita

Rinconada Mercury Mine with old defunct machinery is funky, fun and interesting. For nearly 100 years mercury was one of the driving forces in the development of San Luis Obispo County, until 1968. At one point there were over 150 mercury mines in all. As you would expect there were environmental and pollution issues and the mines were eventually closed. At Rinconada there were surface and underground workings and there is one known shaft. Like all abandoned mine sites hikers should use caution, but the area has great views and enough abandoned equipment to make the trip fascinating. This site was cleaned up by the EPA many years ago and the left-over rusty and now painted machinery is fascinating. Located 2480-2688 W. Pozo Road, Santa Margarita. Most GPS devices will accept this as a destination. 

Wildflowers — Shell Creek
With heavy rains come very green hillsides, then wildflowers. Some years are good, some years are epic. Shell Creek Canyon is located about 25 miles southeast of Paso Robles near the eastern edge of San Luis Obispo County. Named for the many fossilized shells that are found in the exposed strata of the bordering hills, this area is famous for spectacular springtime wildflower displays. There is an etiquette to wild flowers however: 1) stay off private land 2) don’t travel down closed roads 3) Don’t trample wildflowers 4) don’t take nature with you (which includes picking wildflowers) and 5) Take your trash with you when you leave. Contact the Bureau of Land Management’s automated hotline for conditions before you drive out there: 805-475-2035.

The very best places for wildflowers in San Luis Obispo County are: Shell Creek off Highway 58 east of Santa Margarita; Whale Rock Reservoir above and east of Cayucos; See Canyon Road, near Avila; and, Montaña de Oro State Park, near the Green Cottage in Los Osos.