Summer in SLO has so much to offer -- you are spoiled for choice when it comes to finding fun things to do!
We love the summer Concerts in the Plaza, held each Friday from 5-8pm. The music brings out the best of the diversity and festive atmosphere that characterizes downtown SLO in the summertime. The bands are so much fun. We saw the Molly Ringwald Project, an '80s cover band -- they're a blast! We recommend reserving a patio table at Luna Red, where you can enjoy the best of both worlds, the concert and the restaurant. Luna Red is one of our go-to spots in downtown SLO. Don't miss their ceviche options, bacon wrapped dates and assortment of tacos! Their craft cocktails are a perfect complement to your tapas!
July took us not once but twice to another of our go-to spots -- Korbel at Blue -- once for happy hour and once as our après concert stop. We consider Blue to be our "local" in downtown SLO. It offers a cozy bar to meet friends and family and a romantic restaurant for a date night or special occasion with your favorite 'plus one'. The food and drinks are top shelf, and the bar and wait staff are excellent. Don't miss their carpaccio appetizer -- so good!
Biddle Ranch Winery hosts a monthly summer concert series at their lovely winery from 5-8pm on a Thursday (the next one is on August 10th). This summer's events are benefitting Jack's Helping Hand, a wonderful charitable organization. The event we attended on a perfect July evening showcased their BRV pinot grigio wines! Catering was provided by The Cruiser, who served us outstanding burgers, lobster rolls and mac and cheese to compliment the evening. Music was presented by Graybill -- it fit the evening and the beautiful scene perfectly! Graybill's bio reminds us that "thinking deeply and having fun are not mutually exclusive"! His Jack Johnson singer/songwriter vibe just works! We will definitely be back for more of this series.
For my daughter's birthday we booked a very special evening at Mistura, a Peruvian restaurant in The Creamery in downtown SLO -- a wonderful blend of adventurous dishes in a modern decor. Whether you're after sushi, vegan, steak or seafood you can find something to satisfy your taste buds. Do NOT forget to save room for dessert! Florencia Breda is the in-house pastry chef, and her creations are simply outstanding, some of the best we've had anywhere!
I chose the Zambo Cavero, a black squid ink risotto with clams, mussels, shrimp, calamari and scallops -- a perfect blend of tastes! My husband enjoyed the Seco de Cordero, the New Zealand free-range lamb shanks served with Golden Yucca and Tacu Tacu. It's not always easy to find lamb this good! A must stop for foodies!
One lazy afternoon we ventured out with our pups to the estuary at Morro Bay to walk around the boardwalk near the marina and then along the path running from the Natural History Museum toward town. This short walk is great for birders. We saw more herons, egrets and cormorants than we could count as we strolled along the edge of the Heron Rookery Natural Preserve.
Another must see near SLO is Hearst Castle. We took our young adult kids and took the Grand Rooms tour, which is recommended for all first-time visitors. This tour includes the outdoor Neptune Pool and the remarkable indoor pool. There are a nice variety of other tours offered. While reservations are recommended during the summer and holiday periods, it was not crowded on our 9:40am tour. The Castle and its surrounding gardens are a truly beautiful spot, especially when you can see all the way to the ocean from the top! Whenever we go to the Castle we often go further up Highway 1 (about 4 miles) to see the elephant seals, and almost always go across the highway from the Castle entrance to visit the restored San Sebastian Store, where you'll find super good deli sandwiches and shopping. The meatloaf sandwich is one of our favorites!
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Great July blog! Definitely love the meatloaf sandwich at the San Sebastián Shop and a weekend full of SLO must-sees! Awesome recommendations.
Love all this info…makes me want to get to SLO, fast!! ;)