SAN LUIS
OBISPO Nestled among lush rolling hills and shadowed by ancient volcanic peaks, San Luis Obispo is rich in history, architecture, and small-town friendliness. Founded in 1772, the town began as Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, the fifth in a family of 21 California missions. Parishioners continue to gather daily for services at the Mission. Today, a delightfully lively downtown clusters around the beautifully landscaped Mission Plaza. San Luis Creek meanders through the Plaza, making this a perfect location for quiet solitude and reflection. The progressive Art in Public Places project has generated an explosion of beautifully crafted labors of perfection throughout the county of San Luis Obispo, with special pieces displayed in San Luis Obispo in the Creek and Plaza areas. Tree-lined streets welcome visitors to a charming shopping district filled with an array of stores, outdoor cafés, and coffee houses. On Thursday evenings, an open-air Farmer’s Market fills four blocks of Higuera Street. An ever-changing selection of performers entertain, arts and crafts booths line the street, and just-picked produce and a variety of barbecued specialties from local restaurants await families and friends for an evening of guaranteed enjoyment. Throughout the year, San Luis Obispo hosts many festivals, events, and celebrations. Visitors schedule the annual Botanical Garden Festival, I Madonnari Italian Street Painting Festival, and Open Studios Tours as times to return. From wine festivals and music concerts to car shows, San Luis Obispo visitors always have an event or two to select from during their stay. For a bit of history, visitors can experience the captivating Victorian gardens and renovated, traditionally decorated Jack House, a historic treasure built between 1876 and 1880 located on Marsh Street. The Dallidet Adobe, built in 1853, is a gracious state historical monument with various original trees and shrubs in its Mediterranean garden; it is located off Santa Rosa Street on Pacific.
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