Mission San Luis Obispo

A few weekends ago, my family took a short weekend trip to the central coast once again, this time to visit the sights of Morro Bay and San Luis Obispo.  We stayed at the Hampton Inn Arroyo Grande, just south of Pismo Beach.  The hotel was nice enough for the price and offered a free breakfast every morning.  The views weren't anything spectacular, but for a single night, it was one of the better options in the area on short notice (booked only 1 month ahead and it was during a surfing competition weekend in Pismo).

Mission San Luis Obispo is in the heart of old town and surrounded by beautiful buildings from across the centuries.  Riverwalk nearby offers some great options for dining, though with young children, we didn't really have the time or resources to explore this foodie haven.

The mission itself is small, but well-maintained.  There is no admission fee, though people are encouraged to donate a small sum to keep the mission running.  The museum offers a look at some of the texts of the time, branding irons and other equipment from ranching days, and artifacts of American Indian life.  Outside, there is a beautiful little garden that entices you with the sweet smell of grapes hanging over the arbor.  There, you will also find the bells so common to all California missions.  Overall, this was a great little piece of history to explore, the third mission on my son's quest to see them all.

Morro Bay is located west of San Luis Obispo along the coastline.  My family have been long-time visitors.  In fact, my mother has pictures of my grandfather standing in front of the very shell store that we explored on our trip.  Morro Rock was our real destination though. We took a moment to walk out around the rock, exploring some of the wildlife in the area.  Morro Bay is one of those true gems of the coast.  It's not so popular that all of America visits, but the locals, college kids from nearby Cal Poly and other post-secondary schools, and generational visitors know it well as a quaint little fishing village all grown up.  Yet, despite growing with the times, it also feels very much like you're stepping back into a simpler time when the world was just a little less intense.