By Alyssa Torres

The town of San Luis Obispo (SLO) is filled with a rich history, particularly about its Native Americans heritage. SLO also happens to be a college town, home to California Polytechnic San Luis Obispo. I got the opportunity to interview a Cal Poly student, who shared his college experience in SLO.

My boyfriend and I started our road trip to San Luis Obispo, California early in the morning, leaving at 6:30 a.m. and arriving at 10:30 a.m. Following the four-hour drive, we started our day at SloDoCo Donuts, a 24-hour donut shop. The moment I stepped in, I was overwhelmed by the amount of options to choose from. I finally decided on a Caramel Coconut Old Fashioned and an iced vanilla latte, and it was honestly the best donut I’ve ever had.

Post-breakfast, we headed downtown to shop and explore. We started at an outdoor market with local vendors selling their products, then continued our walk downtown. After walking around for a few hours, we made our way to Morro Bay Beach. It was one of the nicest beaches I’ve ever seen. On one side of the beach, there were small sand dunes you could walk through that looked incredibly cool. Across the beach there is a small downtown area filled with local businesses. At the end of the street you could walk to the waterfront where you could go sailing and kayaking. We even saw a group of seals swimming and sleeping.

While going back to the car, we stopped for lunch at GiLLiGAN’s Sandwich shop. They offered various kinds of sandwiches, soups, salad’s and pizza. We each got our own sandwich, and it was delicious. Next on our list was Cal Poly SLO, a large campus surrounded by hills you can hike. It has everything a normal campus offers and more. One of the most shocking things I found was an arcade and bowling alley available to students. To end our trip, we returned to downtown for dinner and ate at Urbane Cafe, which offer healthy foods like salads, chicken bowls and more.

There was many things I loved about SLO but the community was definitely one of the best parts. It is clearly a college town, given the number of young people there are, but it is also home to retirees and families. It is remarkably welcoming compared to other towns or cities where people are often rushing and can be rude at times. Here, everyone keeps to themselves while still offering a smile. No one seems to be in a rush; it is definitely a slow-paced atmosphere which I personally love. SLO is known for being a quiet, small town, and certainly lives up to its reputation.

There is so much small town charm to it. For starters, the shops are mostly small businesses, which I adore. For those who love to thrift, I saw several different thrift stores. Besides shopping, there are many options for food, such as restaurants, cafes and dessert places. They also have chain stores, like Barnes & Nobles, Sephora, and more. Downtown literally has a bit of everything.

Beside small businesses and downtown shopping areas, there’s an abundance of outdoor activities. The beach is just 15 minutes from downtown, and with several to choose from. There are also lots of hills, volcanic plugs and regional parks to visit. You can hike and even go camping. Kayaking, sailing, surfing and more are available. For dog owners, pets are very welcomed in the area. I saw numerous amounts of people walking their dogs in downtown, around neighborhoods and even playing fetch with them at the beach.

Another notable aspect of SLO is that it is a small college town, so Cal Poly SLO plays a big role in the community. The campus is where most students live. While it is primarily for students, it is also open to the public. For instance, they have a large recreation center that the public can use and many community members take walks on the campus. A large amount of former Cal Poly students reside in SLO after graduating, or they return to live there at some point in their lives.

Like much of California, SLO was built on indigenous land. The community is aware of the history and are extremely respectful of it. Cal Poly dorms are named after words in the Indigenous people’s native language, and streets have names connected to the Indigenous people. Rather than taking pride in SLO for being built on stolen land, the community is extremely thankful and respectful to the people and the land. To add on, because of its indigenous history people speculate that the area is haunted. You can take ghost tours downtown to learn about SLO’s history and their hauntings. About 5 minutes from downtown resides the Madonna Inn, also a famously haunted hotel.

Overall, SLO offers something for everyone. There is a variety of outdoor activities to chose from. You can shop and eat from local businesses, with many available options, such as the local farmer markets that are hosted every week. You can even hunt around for ghosts. SLO has a rich history that anyone interested can learn about. It’s also a wine country, so wine enthusiasts can enjoy tours.

During the trip, I had the opportunity to interview Emmanuel Franco, a second-year Cal Poly SLO student. Franco is originally from the Inland Empire but during the school year lives on campus. I asked him about his experience in SLO and got a good sense of the community from the perspective of someone who lives there.

When I asked about his favorite part of SLO, Franco told me the beaches, elaborating that they are different from the ones back home. While beaches are his favorite places in general, he loves how close and relaxing the ones in SLO are. I completely understood what he meant after visiting Morro Bay.

This led to a discussion about what he loves about SLO. Franco appreciates its small beach town vibe, reminding him of those seen in movies and TV shows. He also enjoys the variety of food options and how close everything is. He believes these factors make SLO special and different from most places in California.

When asked if he could see himself living there permanently after graduating, Franco said he would love to eventually move to SLO for good. We also discussed how different SLO is from the LA and IE areas. For starters, there is much more wildlife to see.Not only can see wildlife around SLO, but you can even see them on campus. Franco shared that sometimes you might spot groups of wild turkeys chasing students around.

Another thing we both noticed was the air quality in SLO. The air is so clear compared to home that it almost looks like there's a camera filter on in the air at home, when in reality it is just pollution. In conclusion, Franco loves living in SLO and prefers it to most places.

My Guide to SLO:

Start the day at SloDoCo Donuts for delicious donuts and coffee.
Head to Morro Bay Beach for a stroll, then explore downtown and watch the seals. For the adventurous, kayaking and sailing are available. Finish your Morro Bay visit with lunch downtown, where you'll find many options.
Take a walk around Cal Poly SLO, explore the campus, and maybe even take a hike up the nearby hills.
End your day in downtown SLO, where you can explore a variety of stores, restaurants, cafes and dessert places. You'll have plenty of dinner options to choose from.

The Hidden Gem of Southern California