Weekend Getaway: Atascadero/San Luis Obispo (Part Two)

On our recent weekend getaway to Atascadero we were only gone for two nights, but we packed so much into our three days away that it felt much longer. Our drive down started with a stop in Pinnacles National Park for a hike through some caves, followed by an afternoon in Paso Robles and an evening at the San Luis Obispo Thursday Night Farmer's Market. Our second day was our only full day in the area and we planned to spend it primarily in San Luis Obispo and Avila Beach. Our original itinerary was a little aggressive with a morning hike, followed by a visit to a local U-pick farm, the beach and wine tasting. The reality was that we did not end up pealing ourselves away from the front porch of our rental home until after 10am and that pretty much eliminated any chances of a hike and wine tasting. I think it is important to keep a flexible plan (especially when traveling with kids) and we were all enjoying our leisurely morning so much that we just embraced it.

My husband and I have always lived in older homes, and we both have a strong appreciation for the character and sometimes quirky aspects of these types of properties. With that said, I pretty much immediately fell in love with our 1914 Colonial Cottage that we were renting. If you have ever fantasized about sipping your coffee while sitting in a rocking chair on the front porch, then you will understand my enthusiasm for this place. The girls woke up the first morning with so much energy and couldn't wait to run out the front door and play in the yard. We enjoyed our coffee on the front porch while the kids alternated between dancing in the grass, coloring on the steps and playing with the neighborhood kittens. Even if it was just for one morning, it was nice to slow things down and be able to appreciate something as simple as our morning cup of coffee and watching the kids play together.

A very serious lecture on how to be quiet in order to attract the kittens.

And now they eagerly await...

Our first stop of the day was the much anticipated Avila Valley Barn. This is one of those stops that is mostly for the kids, but the amount of pure joy that they get from the visit makes it one of my favorite places to go. For $1 you can buy a bag of animal food (left over lettuce and celery) and feed a wide range of farm animals. Both of our girls just went crazy for this. There are so many animals to choose from that they ran from one to the next, holding out their lettuce and celery and then squealing in delight when the animal chomped it out of their hand.

The farm also offers pony rides (check hours here) which was probably a highlight of the trip for the girls. They came home and told everyone about how they rode a pony. The rides vary in length depending on how long the wait is, but despite what was a pretty short jaunt around the corral on this past visit, the kids were extremely enthusiastic and thrilled with the experience. There are also free hay rides out to the fields where you can pick your own fruits (fruits vary by season) as well as a farm stand to purchase all sorts of gifts and produce as well as an ice cream parlor and sweet shop. You really can't go wrong with a visit, and although it can feel a little gimmicky, the kids love it and the entertainment is really reasonably priced.

Just a couple of miles further down the road is Avila Beach. The area has a couple of blocks of restaurants and shops as well as a nice beach area and playground. It can get a little crowded, so if possible, I would try and plan your visit on a weekday. We spent our time at the beach playing in the sand and chasing the waves.

We timed our trip to the beach so that the kids would sleep on the drive back to Atascadero, which worked out perfectly! We didn't have any big plans for the evening, but the weather was so nice that we decided to head back to San Luis Obispo for their concert in the plaza (every Friday during the summer). I am so glad we made this last minute decision to spend more time in SLO. The city has such a great energy and I was definitely left wanting more after our previous evening at the Thursday Night Farmer's Market. We sat in the grass and enjoyed a beer from the local Firestone Brewery, and listened to the live music while the kids chased each other on the lawn.

Someone has an ice cream sandwich in their hand!

Afterwards we split an ice cream sandwich from Batch and walked along the creek that runs through the center of the downtown.

Have you been to San Luis Obispo County? Any suggestions for future visits to the area?

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Details: Avila Beach is about a 25 minute drive from Atascadero (10 minutes from SLO). Pony rides: $5/kid, Beach was free, but parking in the lot is $5 if you can't find free parking on the street. The Concert in the plaza in SLO was free, and beers were $5, ice cream sandwiches were $4.

Weekend Getaway: Atascadero/San Luis Obispo (Part One)

On our recent trip to the Central Coast, we had originally planned on staying in one of my favorite California college towns, San Luis Obispo. Due to a last minute cancellation however, we had to scramble to find a new place to stay and settled on a 2 bedroom cottage in nearby Atascadero. It turns out that it wasn't settling at all! The home was exactly what we needed...a charming 1915 craftsman with a picket fence and plenty of outdoor space for the kids. It was simplicity at it's best, and definitely made both me and my husband realize how nice it is to take things a little slower than normal.

We wanted to make the most out of drive down to Atascadero, so we planned a couple of stops along the way to give everyone a chance to stretch their legs. After a fun hike at Pinnacle's National Park (see post here), we made our way down to Paso Robles for our second detour of the day.   We arrived in town in the early afternoon, and headed straight to Kiler Ridge Olive Farm. The farm is set on the top of a hill, with beautiful views of the surrounding valley and olive tree orchards. As we pulled up we were greeted promptly by the owner's dog, who was a huge hit with kids. We settled in at one of their outdoor tables and had a picnic while we took in the views and enjoyed an informative olive oil tasting. I love that the tasting was done outdoors where we could enjoy the views and the kids could have a little space to run around.

Our next stop was a quick drive down the road to Barrelhouse Brewing. If I lived in Paso Robles, this would definitely be a regular stop for me. The beers were tasty and refreshing (we had the Sunny Daze and IPA) and the brewery was really kid friendly. There was a large lawn to run around on and free pretzels, which pretty much sealed the deal for the kids.

One of the unexpected benefits of staying in Atascadero was the proximity to both Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo. After spending a little time in Paso Robles, we took the short drive to our rental home to check in and get settled (some showers were in order after hiking earlier that morning!) We got all cleaned up and then hopped back in the car to head down to San Luis Obispo for their famous Thursday night Farmer's Market.

I absolutely love San Luis Obispo. It has a small town feel, but with a surprisingly happening downtown and a nice mix of college students and families. The weekly farmer's market is a huge event for the city in which over 120 local vendors set up booths and six blocks of the downtown area are closed to traffic. Despite the crowds, however, there was still plenty of room to move around and explore the shops and vendors that line the streets. Most of the food offerings center around BBQ (apparently it's big in the Central Coast!), so we joined the crowds and had some tri-tip sandwiches, cornbread and baked beans at Old San Luis BBQ.

After dinner, we walked the streets, checking out Bubblegum Alley and then made our way to my favorite coffee shop in the area, Scout Coffee Co. We stumbled upon this gem on our drive home from Santa Barbara last year and it definitely left an impression on me. The decor alone is enough to draw me in, but the coffee and treats are what keep me coming back! The kids split an ice cream shake, and we treated ourselves to an affogato (which is quite possibly the greatest dessert ever invented).

We spent the rest of the evening perusing the stands at the Farmer's Market, people watching and enjoying the live music.

Check out part two of our weekend getaway here.

What are your favorite spots to visit in San Luis Obispo County? 

Details: San Luis Obispo is about a 3.5 hour drive from Berkeley. Olive Oil Tastings at Kiler Ridge Olive Farm are $5 (free with yelp check-in when we visited) and the fee is applied to any purchase of $25 or more. Pints at Barrelhouse Brewing range from $5-6. Dinner at Old San Luis Obispo BBQ was under $20 (we supplement the kids meals with food we bring along, but you can definitely get full for less than $10/person). Affogato and Ice Cream Shake at Scout Coffee was $9 (again, we shared).

Pinnacles National Park

In planning our recent trip to San Luis Obispo (post coming soon!), my husband and I were a little stumped about how to approach the drive down. We had already decided to take Highway 1 on the way home,  but what about the trip down on Highway 101? I wasn't particularly excited about any of the stops before Paso Robles, and that was a solid 3.5 hour drive from our home in Berkeley! Not something I wanted to tackle with two kids in the backseat. It wasn't until the morning before our departure that we realized we would be passing by (sort of) Pinnacle's National Park! It was already on my list of places to explore and it was the perfect midway point on our drive.

We had been warned that it gets really hot in this part of California, and that the middle of summer was a risky time to attempt hiking. I made the naive mistake of checking the weather in Soledad (the nearby town that we would pass through when we got off the 101) and was relieved to see that the high for the day was only mid-70's...totally acceptable! What I didn't realize is that during the 10 mile drive from Soledad to Pinnacle's, you are traveling inland and the temperatures can easily rise 15-20 degrees. When we got off the freeway, it was a cool 70 degrees, and 15 minutes later we were parking the car in 85 degree weather and it was just after 10 am (ooops!).

After researching the different hikes here,  we decided on the Balconies Cliff-Cave loop. I was particularly excited about the portion that takes you through "caves" that have been formed from large boulders that rest on one another to create a cave-like feeling. With the exception of a short incline at the beginning of the Balconies trail, the hike is level and easy. 

A little over a half mile into the hike the trail splits and you have the option of continuing up the hill along the Balconies trail or going directly to the caves. We had read that approaching the caves from the back end (via the Balconies trail) was the easiest way to make your way through the caves. Since we had two young kids with us, we figured the easier route was probably the smarter choice. Taking the Balconies trail first was also good because this portion of the hike is completely exposed and we wanted to complete it before it got even warmer.

We arrived at the entrance to the caves and were thrilled to find a spot in the shade to have a snack and some water before our cave hike. It was easily 90 degrees by this time and we are all complete wimps when it comes to heat. After scarfing down some grapes and water, we got our flashlights out and our homemade headlamps and continued on our way.

The first portion of the hike involves climbing up some large boulders to get to the entrance of the caves, at which point the trail takes you through a portion that is completely dark and requires a flashlight or headlamp. This part was so much fun! The kids loved it, and with our flashlight and headlamp (made by attaching a bicycle safety light ($3.99 at the hardware store) to an old headband of mine) we were easily able to see our way through the darkness.

The portion that is completely dark is very short (a couple of minutes) and ends with a steep (but short) climb out of the darkness (pictured above). This portion is why it was recommended that you approach the caves from the back entrance, since climbing down into the darkness is more difficult than climbing up.

We were a little apprehensive about doing this hike with small kids, but we saw a handful of other families with toddler aged kids going through the caves as well. Our 4 year old had no problems at all, although there are definitely portions where a kid could get hurt if they were to fall off the rocks, so you will want to monitor closely. Our 2 year old definitely needed to be in our ergo carrier for safety reasons.

The entire hike took about 2 hours, and by the time we were back to the car it was a sweltering 95 degrees. Definitely not a hike to do in the middle of a summer day, but absolutely worth the effort if you can get there early, or visit during a cooler season.

What are your favorite stops on the way to Central/Southern California?

Details: Pinnacle's National Park is about a 2.5 hour drive from Berkeley. Admission to the park is $10. Get there early to avoid any crowds and the heat! Also remember to bring water, snacks and sunscreen.