TRAVEL GUIDE: SAN LUIS OBISPO

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Made it to the happiest place in America! San Luis Obispo has been at the top of my list for some time now. I have a thing for cute, quant towns. There’s just something about going to a small town after living in such big cities your whole life. Loved everything about SLO. The vibe, the architect, the food, and the people. Head to my SLO highlight HERE to see even more of our trip.

WHERE TO STAY

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Photo from MadonnaInn.com

Photo from MadonnaInn.com

We stayed at the famous Madonna Inn. Which is a must at least once in your life! Open since 1958, Madonna Inn has 110 unique rooms and when I say unique, I mean unique. Each room has it’s own theme, and I’m very into it. It’s quirky, it’s fun and it’s very extra. We stayed in the “Barrel of Fun” room, which features it’s own entryway and balcony, sequin walls, and a rock bathroom and shower. Check out our full room tour HERE! It’s EPIC. The hotel also has a stunning pool and easy to access hiking trails at Madonna Mountain.

It’s more than just a hotel. They have several dining & bar options. Gold Rush Steak House features pink circle booths and chandeliers and really fits into that “extra” vibe. There’s even a hotel room exact to this design! We also had breakfast at the Copper Cafe and couldn’t leave the hotel without trying the infamous bakery. The Pink Champaign cake is famous but while we were on line, we were told the Toffee Crunch is the best one. We opted for both and they did not disappoint!

WHERE TO EAT/DRINK

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lap floral dress / urban outfitters belt / gold hoops / gorjana coin necklace / gorjana solitaire necklace / bucket bag

We went for a long weekend and let’s just say that wasn’t even close to enough time. I’ll include some recs we had the pleasure of trying and some recs from the @sweatinsd fam.

Granada Hotel and Bistro: the first night we went to visit some friends that were staying at the Granada Hotel downtown. We had a drink at the bar next door and then went to eat at the restaurant. The menu is small but oh so good. We had the Jidori Chicken, Steak & Frites and Maitake Ravioli but we heard the menu changes often. They also had half off wines under $100 on Wednesday’s!

Farmhouse Corner Market: literally every corner of this place is instagrammable. It’s a restaurant & organic market that features so many local brands. We had the Chiliquiles & Ahi Bowl and they were bomb! They also had many gluten free options in their menu & bakery. It’s definitely more than just a restaurant and I would even just go for some ice cream or a coffee and walk around. SO MANY PHOTO OPS. Wrote a whole Instagram post with more photos HERE!

SLO Brew: for brews & bites! They also now have canned wine and their distillery will be opening soon. We had the opportunity to get a sneak peek of the space and it’s such a vibe.

Big Sky Cafe: a huge hit for their pozoles!

High St. Deli: for subs!

Scout Coffee: so many people raved about their lattes & pastries!

Firestone Grill: Known for their Tri Tip Sandwich. This was the number one recommendation by far! Having major regrets about not going but this will be my first stop my next trip there for sure.

Luna Red: delicious red sangria and tapas.

Giuseppe's Cucina Rustica: because who doesn’t love Italian food

THINGS TO DO

Downtown SLO Farmer’s Market is definitely one of my highlights! SLO is very into supporting local and it’s truly amazing. The farmer’s market features amazing food from local restaurants, fresh produce, lots of ice cream and dessert, live entertainment & more! We walked around for about an hour before going to dinner downtown. It’s the perfect activity for before or after dinner.


Hiking: We didn’t have time to hike but that’s at the top of the list for our next trip. Bishop Peak was definitely the most recommended. If you’re staying at the Madonna Inn, the M Trail is a great option. It’s one of the shorter hikes and can easily be accessed from the hotel. Find more hiking options here!

SLO PACKING LIST