SLO's Second Chance

I recently stayed in San Luis Obispo......wait, let me rephrase that. I tried to stay in San Luis Obispo and was so not impressed that I moved my trip north to Paso Robles. Well, San Luis Obispo got a chance to redeem itself this weekend and let me tell you (and I will), it did just that.

SLO seems to hold on to, like most of the central coast of California, the mindset that we should give local shops, establishments, restaurants, a chance. I agree. So here is my guide to what you MUST check out if you happen upon SLO. I'm going to start your day in Morro Bay, which is a quick 15 minutes West from SLO. Just trust me on this one.

EAT  |  DORN'S ORIGINAL BREAKERS CAFE

Best pancakes I've ever had. I'm a big supporter of Cracker Barrel's pancakes and yes, I still do love them. But Dorn's might have just taken the cake. The restaurant has been around a while and sits perched above the docks at Morro Bay, so almost anywhere you sit, you have a view of the bay and Morro Rock. It's a great way to start the day off and with breakfast going until 1p, you could potentially roll out of bed at 12:30 (if you're staying in Morro Bay) and be knocking back pancakes in 15 minutes. By the way, there were 4 locals, at the bar, by 1pm. They're my heroes.

DRINK & SHOP  |  KREUZBERG

This book store/coffee shop is one of my favorites hands down. They have excellent coffee, a real homey feel and one of the most eclectic assortments of seating. Ever. Couches, armchairs, those chairs that look like they belong in MARIE ANTOINETTE and a seating area in each of their two large bay windows....but it looks like a brothel in those windows...so...ok. The BEST thing about Kreuzberg is that along the walls are hundreds, maybe thousands of used books. From Harry Potter to Eugene O'Neill, it's a used book version of THE STRAND. Here is the best part: you buy a book, you get a free 8 oz coffee. Um. Ok. Sold.

SHOP  |  BOO BOO RECORDS

The record store is right around the corner from the coffee shop and it's a place where if you love music and you love hard to find, reasonably priced CDs then this is exactly what the doctor ordered. I bought, among other things, a Sinatra CD, only available in Great Britain, with 50 tracks for a mere $14. Not only do the have a great used and hard to find cd collection, but they have just the same in vinyl. Elton John Live in Australia, The Social Network Soundtrack (yes, on vinyl), rare Beatles records. You name it they've probably got it.You want a Beatles alarm clock? They have that too.

STAY  |  INN AT MORRO BAY

So, if you are going to stay the night, which you really don't NEED to (you can totally make this a day trip), you should stay at The Inn At Morro Bay. Nestled in a state park, smack dab on the coast, is one great Morro Bay-specific hotel. With a bit of East Coast charm and some recent renovations, this hotel is a definite bang for your buck. But don't worry, they don't skimp on the amenities. Full service breakfast in the mornings, fireplaces in all the bay view rooms, fantastic customer service...they've really done a great job here. Their standard rooms can start around $55 a night and with ample free parking and being only a block from the Morro Bay State Park Golf Course, this one is definitely a no-brainer.

-J.