An easy drive from the Bay Area, why not take a vacation on the Central Coast. San Luis Obispo and the surrounding region offer tons of family fun. Whether your family is outdoorsy, adventurous or artsy, there are options from beaches and elephant seals to zip lines and waterslides to iconic architecture and an amazing immersive 35-acre light installation in the Paso Robles hills.
You can head south on themore direct route on Highway 101 or the scenic coastal route of Highway 1, which, while beautiful, is not recommended for kids prone to carsickness. Either way, consider making your first stop at San Simeon on the county’s north coast, about four hours south of San Francisco.
There, you can take a paid tour of one of California’s most famous landmarks, Hearst Castle (hearstcastle.org). Newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst’s opulent hilltop estate, designed by architect Julia Morgan, is a marvel, with 165 rooms, two famed pools and even a herd of more than 100 zebras.
But if fancy architecture is not your family’s cup of tea, San Simeon is still worth a stop to see its 17,000 massive elephant seals (elephantseal.org). Adult males weigh up to 5,000 pounds – as much as a small truck – and can be as long as 16 feet. The seals are present year-round, but the best times to view them are in January, near May 1 and in late October, based on the animals’ breeding and life cycles.
Free viewing is available from a public boardwalk where docents are generally available to answer questions between 10am and 4pm. There is also a Friends of the Elephant Seal Visitor Center in a separate location with indoor exhibits.
Also nearby is the Coastal Discovery Center (montereybay.noaa.gov/vc/cdc/welcome.html), a partnership between the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and California State Parks, with interactive exhibits and programs focused on marine ecosystems and conservation. The free center is open 10am-4pm Thursday through Sunday.
Another iconic spot – Morro Bay’s 576-foot rock – is about a half-hour south on Highway 1. Morro Bay is a great spot to kayak or paddleboard through its calm estuary waters. It also has a Museum of Natural History in Morro Bay State Park (centralcoastparks.org/portfolio-item/morro-bay) as well as the Morro Bay Maritime Museum (morrobaymaritime.org) with a historic submarine and tugboat. This charming coastal town is also a fun place to window shop or grab a bite.
Head to San Luis Obispo
From there, it’s a short drive inland to San Luis Obispo. Best known as the home of California Polytechnic State University, or Cal Poly, this cute college town hosts the popular Downtown SLO Farmers Market (downtownslo.com/farmers-market) every Thursday night year-round on Higuera Street (which is also home to the infamous Bubblegum Alley, which has been covered in chewed gum for decades). The Thursday market is not just a produce market but a street fair with food vendors, arts and crafts, and live entertainment.
Downtown also boasts lots of restaurants, some with scenic patios along San Luis Obispo Creek, and the historic Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa (missionsanluisobispo.org), which offers docent tours and a museum while still operating as a church. Families with younger kids should check out the San Luis Obispo Children’s Museum (slocm.org), with three floors of hands-on activities including science, pretend play and an outdoor space. It’s free the third Thursday of each month from 5-7pm.
On your way back out to the beach, the Madonna Inn (madonnainn.com) is worth a stop to see this over-the-top, pink-clad hotel. Each of its 110 rooms is decorated differently with unique touches – from rock walls to waterfall showers to spiral staircases. Even if you don’t stay the night, you can eat at its steakhouse or more casual Copper Café, grab a sweet treat from its bakery or just wander around the public spaces to gawk at the ornate décor.
Next Stop: Avila Beach
The small and charming town of Avila Beach, purported to have the warmest beach on the Central Coast, is a great place to stay with kids. Everything is walkable, from the calm beach on Avila Bay to its tidy row of shops and restaurants to the seaside pirate-themed Avila Park and playground.
The Avila Lighthouse Suites (avilalighthousesuites.com) has the perfect set-up for families, with two-room suites, a heated pool and outdoor games just across the street from the beach. If you tire of beach and pool time, there’s also the small Central Coast Aquarium (centralcoastaquarium.org), home to over 75 different species of local marine life in aquariums and touch tanks. On your way there or back, consider a stop at the Avila Valley Barn (avilavalleybarn.com) for famous pies and ice cream.
Just down the coast, Pismo Beach is another great stop for family fun. You can stroll the promenade and pier, head to the wide sandy beach or visit the 11-acre blufftop Dinosaur Caves Park with its ocean views and unique play area. The SeaCrest Oceanfront Hotel (seacrestpismo.com) is a favorite with families. Even though it sits on a bluff above the beach, which can be accessed by stairs, it has a heated pool with panoramic views, three cliffside hot tubs, lawn games, fire pits and complimentary bike rentals. A free trolley runs between Avila and Pismo beaches in summer months.
To the north, there are tidepools at Spyglass Beach and to the south is the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area (ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=1207) where you can ride all-terrain vehicles off road among the dunes. Several local businesses rent ATVs; check websites for age and height restrictions.
For the Adventurous
Adventurous families may also want to check out Vista Lago Adventure Park (vistalagoadventurepark.com) just inland in Arroyo Grande, which boats an aerial obstacle course and three zip lines, two of which soar over the lake. The City of Arroyo Grande also has the state’s only Swinging Bridge, a 171-foot span suspended 40 feet above a creek.
For your route home, consider heading inland and staying at least one night in Paso Robles so you can see the magical light installations of Sensorio (sensoriopaso.com), one of the state’s largest immersive art exhibitions. Originally opened in 2019 with artist Bruce Munro’s “Field of Light,” with 100,000 color-changing fiber optic lights spread across 15 acres, Sensorio has grown to include many more exhibits by Munro and other artists that incorporate light, music and more. Food and drink are available for purchase, and there is live music most nights.
On your way there, you may want to stop in Santa Margarita for ziplining, nature or e-bike tours or even an escape room at Margarita Adventures (margarita-adventures.com) or at the Central Coast Zoo (centralcoastzoo.org) in Atascadero, home to about 100 species of animals, as well as a park with play equipment, walking paths and a lake with paddleboats. Paso Robles is also home to the seasonal Ravine Waterpark (ravinewaterpark.com), with slides, a lazy river, wave pool, kiddie pool and more.
With so much to do in San Luis Obispo County, the hardest part of a vacation to the Central Cost is simply deciding where to start.
Janine DeFao is an associate editor at Bay Area Parent.
