Things to do

We’ve collected these recommendations from a mix of sources: our own experiences, from friends who know the area well, and deep-dives on Reddit.

At the Madonna Inn:

There are so many things to do at the Madonna Inn itself! Ride horses; dance in the ballroom to live music; play pickleball, tennis or basketball on their pink courts; get a massage, or go for a hike. Check out their activities page.

If you’re into hiking, we definitely recommend hiking Madonna Mountain on the Cerro San Luis Trail.

Nature:

The Central Coast, the region where SLO is located, is famous for beaches, bird watching, sunsets, and sea-life!

Beaches:

  • Spooner’s Cove at Monte De Oro in Los Osos - this is one of the most beautiful places we’ve ever seen! It’s a drive on a winding road, but the view is SO worth it. There’s a rock you can scramble up for an amazing view and at low tide, there’s tide pooling.

  • Pirate’s Cove at Avila Beach - this nude beach requires a bit of a hike but is quite magical, and very good for swimming!

  • Morro Bay - this is a large beach with beautiful views of amazing rock formations, lots of otters, surfing and big waves. Definitely shark territory.

  • Pismo State Beach & Grover Beach - you can have bonfires AND drive your car onto the sand on parts of this beach!

  • Moonstone Beach - this beach is significantly farther away in Cambria, but is famous for its dramatic coastline and breathtaking views, with a boardwalk to stroll!

Bird Watching + Other Wildlife:

  • Laguna Lake, which is right near Madonna Inn, and even walkable, is great for bird watching. Apparently lots and lots of birds!

  • Sweet Springs in Los Osos, good viewing for water birds like egrets and such.

  • Morro Rock is home to burrowing owls and two nesting pairs of peregrine falcons! Morro Bay in general is a great birding spot. The local Audubon has an office in Morro, but they have weird limited hours, so check before you go. If they're open, that's a great spot to talk to some experienced birders and learn more about where to go.

  • Piedras Blancas is about an hour away and the place to go see Elephant Seals on the beach! August is in the middle of their annual "molting season," so you’re likely to see large adult males and juveniles resting on the beach to shed their skin and fur.

Sunsets:

  • Terrace Hill in San Luis Obispo.

  • The Walmart parkinglot in Pismo (According to Reddit!)

  • Dinosaur Caves Park (this is where we’ll have our welcome party on Saturday; there’s some good restaurants and takeout nearby if you want to stick around for sunset)

Hot Springs:

  • Sycamore Mineral Springs - Private outdoor mineral spring hot tubs nestled beneath sycamore and oak trees. Rent a tub by the hour for up to 8 people for $30/person on the weekends. Reservations recommended. Book here

  • Avila hot springs - Shared outdoor swimming pool and soaking tubs available for affordable day-use passes. Avila Hot Springs' source of mineral water is a geothermal spring emanating from deep within the earth's mantle. Check it out here.

Arts & Activities

  • CalPoly Architecture graveyard: There is a 3-mile relatively flat hike behind CalPoly where architecture students have built structures as part of competitions for the past several decades. Walk the trail and check out the old building projects. It can be dry and hot, so consider going at dawn or dusk, or with a parasol!
    Here’s the trail.
    Here’s more info about it (including a plea to not call it the “Architecture graveyard”)

  • Concerts in the Plaza: In the summer, on Friday evenings in downtown SLO, there’s a free concert. Apparently it’s the thing to do in the summer, and there’s music, dancing, and drink! Bands aren’t posted up yet, but take a look here.

  • Farmer’s Market: If you’re in town early on Thursday, apparently you’ve gotta check out Farmer’s Market. There’s lots of cooked food vendors, plus produce, music, and lively community vibes. If you don’t live in California, honestly we recommend just checking out CA produce; it tastes delicious! More info here.

  • Drive in Movie Theater: There’s a drive-in movie theater right near the Madonna Inn! What else is there to say really?!?!? Check it out!

  • Rent a Boat: You can rent a pontoon boat in Morro Bay; pack a picnic, eat it on the boat, and cruise around the bay looking at otters. We had the pleasure of doing this ourselves and it was so fun! Learn more here.

  • Drive ATV’s on sand dunes: Our dear friend and one of our officiants, Shelly, says this is her favorite activity in SLO! Apparently there’s an early bird special for early risers! This is the rental company she recommends.

  • Hearst Castle: About an hour or so away, this is a castle designed by a famous Bay Area woman architect, Julia Morgan! Apparently, when you drive nearby there’s a herd of zebras roaming free, who once escaped a rich person’s private zoo! Check it out and show us pics!

Food and drinks

The Central Coast is famous for tri-tip and linguica sausage!

The Madonna Inn has 2 restaurants:

  • Copper Cafe: A diner that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner with classic diner food and connected to their bakery which has very yummy baked goods, cakes, and pies!

  • Gold Rush Steakhouse: We love this super decorative Americana steakhouse! It’s a bit expensive, but can be really fun for steak, baked potatoes, and other classic steakhouse fare. We definitely recommend making a reservation in advance.

Other places to eat:

  • Goshi's: this is a Japanese restaurant the SLO subreddit seems to love

  • Bread Bike: Apparently some of the best bread on earth

  • Luna Red: Paella and tapas, this place is so yummy! And right near the plaza where Concerts in the Plaza is. Recommend a reservation.

  • Giuseppes: Anna’s coworker loves this Italian place. Recommend a reservation.

  • High Street Deli: Very good sandwiches

  • Petra Mediterranean Pizza and Grill: Recommended by our friend Matt

  • Zorro’s Cafe & Cantina: great brunch, and other meals right near Dinosaur Caves Park

  • Green Olive Pismo Beach: not amazing but totally decent mediterranean food out of a liquor store right near Dinosaur Caves Park