AnaF

My husband, my 3-year old son and I are planning a short trip to California's Central Coast for mid-August. We've heard that SLO would be a nice, relaxing place to stay with a toddler. We only have 3 nights to spend there and we'd be driving from Orange County. We've been to Santa Barbara many times before but we're not familiar with any other areas. We're looking for a kid-friendly place, where we can relax at the beach, eat good food, do some sightseeing and even taste some good wine. Any advice on where to stay (even other cities in the area), things to do, restaurants, etc. would be much appreciated. Thanks!

Mademoiselle

Hi,
I was trying to reference a previous post about Santa Barbara that I wrote in regarding San Luis Obispo.

I sent an email to a coworker about goign to SLO when his family was driving from Los Angeles to the Bay Area with a stop in SLO, will post the bulk of it here:

SLO is a really good place for kids.

I'm not sure what the hours of the Children’s Museum are, and maybe they are closed for construction, I can't tell, maybe you can call or email them, the SLO info is as follows:

Children's Museum: http://www.slokids.org/index1.html
SLO Visitor's Guide: http://www.visitslo.com/
SLO Mission: (Sunday service is beautiful, if you cannot attend and the gift shop is closed, the gardens in the rear of the Mission are beautiful, peaceful, and best of all, FREE!) http://www.missionsanluisobispo.org/

If you arrive between 6am - noon on a weekend, you can have breakfast at Linnea's Cafe, I love this place. Try the "Expresso Eggs" which are eggs cooked from steaming, expresso style, and of course the "Rice Pudding", I would ask for it with steamed milk, yum!! An Expresso Cookie Bomb is awesome too. It is located on Garden Street http://www.linnaeas.com/index.html

If Linnea's isn't your vibe, then my other favorite breakfast/lunch places are as follows:
Big Sky (the kids will like the decor), but it's really cool for adults
Cisco's for a casual sandwhich
Gus' a bit away (only about 7 short blocks and you pass a nice park with a playground for small children (aged 1-6?) on the way, called Mitchell Park, located on the corner of Osos/Pismo) from downtown but great sandwiches and a nice place to hang out


For more food stops in the general area (even Santa Barbara in case the kids get hungry before you drive the additional 100 miles to SLO): http://www.chowhound.com/topics/354124

Afternoon tea is a great experience if you are interested: http://www.jhenrymanor.com/index.html

If the kids are antsy from the driving, then I would recommend that you take the family to Firestone Grill (corner of Higuera and Osos). All of these places are in the main downtown center, which is compromised of two parallel streets, both are one-way streets: Higuera and Marsh: http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserR...alifornia.html

More SLO attractions: http://www.virtualslo.com/attractions/index.php

J_Correa

If you want to be on the coast, I would go to Pismo Beach or Morro Bay. SLO is a nice town, but it is inland a bit. If you don't mind driving a little bit to get to the beach, then I think it is a good choice.

trippinkpj

It's easy to get from Pismo Beach to SLO (15 minutes I think), so either spot would be fine. Morro Bay in on an inlet, so there isn't a beach in town (an easy drive to one). So if you want to walk to the beach, stay in Pismo.

traveler24

I love Linnea's--tiny back courtyard-with home made pond-fountain and leaffy arbor.
If you are there on a Thursday evening--great Farmer's market AND kind of "street fair" Streets closed to traffic-crafts,booths, good food. Sometime will be a music group or Puppet show. Also "cable car type" shuttle that has a round trip route to some motels.
As you can tell I love SLO as it is known to the college kids.*(my grand-dau goes to school there)
Note: it can be warm in SLO abd drive west to Morro Bay --maybe fog!!! and breezes..

mowmow

Gus's has FAB sandwiches. We like to stop there before heading for Avila beach. Firestone grill is overpriced and had so-so reviews lately.

Avila is very kid-friendly. You can walk out on the pier and see pelicans and sea lions, and the sand is nice and clean thanks to the big cleanup project.

Don't miss bubble gum alley, off Higuera between Broad and Garden street.

Mademoiselle

Firestone is always packed and can get a bit crowded for my tastes, but they do have a tasty veggie burger, my sole purpose for eating there (and the seasoned fries) =D

willis

slo is a great place to stay. if you're there on thur, you'll enjoy the farmer's market. madonna inn is a good for brekkie and do visit the restrooms downstairs.
avila beach has a walking beach and also a playground. the hula hut is a choice place for lunch.

willis

i like apple farm restuarant/motel in slo. there are lovely gardens, a water wheel, homemade ice cream, beautifully decorated rooms, good service, good restaurant.
more upscale is sycamore hot springs/spa near avila. good restaurant. mineral springs hot tubs, yoga classes, hikes/walks. located among our gorgeous california oaks. in avila there is a marvelous playground for children. fun restaurants (hula hut,custom house), lovely beach and a near by pier.