We need to escape this cold and fog. I have said that a number of times over the years along with its companion during the summer--we need to get out of this heat. Where do you go to escape the cold of winter and the oppressive heat of summer? My overwhelming favorite is San Luis Obispo County on California's Central Coast of the Pacific Ocean. It just doesn't get any better.
We left Merced on New Year's Day on a very cold and overcast January afternoon. It was time to get out of the dampness and into some sunshine. The three and a half drive is well worth it, just to see the sun again. Three days of being away was ahead of us, and so was two rounds of golf.
Our first stop in San Luis Obispo County was at the James Dean Memorial located around a huge oak tree in the parking lot of the Jack Ranch Cafe. James Dean was killed at the intersection of California State Highways 41 and 46, a few miles from the memorial. You may know that he was a young actor that starred in three movies--Rebel Without A Cause, East Of Eden and Giant--and was killed just after Giant was completed. The memorial is simple but compelling. There are many rumors and stories about James Dean that persist today, including the details of the crash in the Porsche that killed him. After a brief stop, it was on to San Luis Obispo.
San Luis Obispo is one of my favorite cities. It is home to California State Polytechnic University San Luis Obispo, otherwise known as Cal Poly SLO. Downtown is home to Mission San Luis Obispo, one of the twenty one missions founded by the Spanish in early California. The mission is number five in the chain and was founded by Father Junipero Serra, one of the original nine that he personally founded. I enjoy walking downtown and enjoying its quaint charm and feel taking in the shops and restaurants.
You just can't go to San Luis Obispo without stopping downtown and checking out a good book at Barnes and Noble or having a fantastic bread bowl of chowder at Splash Cafe, both located at Downtown Plaza off Higuera Street. Splash's chowder is perhaps one of the best chowders in the world. Try to be downtown on a Thursday night and roam the downtown Farmer's Market where Higuera Street is closed off and filled with booths where growers sell fresh produce grown in the area along with other vendors selling other wares. Many of the area restaurants have booths as well where you can savor a meal.
We stayed downtown for a bit and realized it was getting late, time to go to our hotel to check in and get settled in for the two nights we were going to stay. Our home for the two nights we were in San Luis Obispo County was The Embassy Suites Hotel, located just off Hiway 101 and Madonna Road.
I enjoy staying in an Embassy Suites Hotel. The rooms are two room suites and have all the amenities a great hotel could offer as well as being quite cozy and comfortable. The hotel includes a cooked to order breakfast buffet each morning to guests as well as a complimentary guest reception each night between five and seven o'clock. These two features come in very handy as it eliminates the guesswork of where to have breakfast in the morning, especially at the start of a full and hectic day. The evening reception is a great way to unwind before going out to dinner at night. After ordering fast-food at the nearest "In And Out" Hamburger location and bringing it it back to the room we ate, watched some TV and then turned in as we knew we had a full day ahead of us tomorrow. A round of golf at Morro Bay Golf Course in the morning seemed very appealing tonight.
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| San Luis Obispo Downtown Plaza |
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| The James Dean Memorial at Jack Ranch |
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