By Troi Hoffman

Where to Stay $ Rose Garden Inn – San Luis Obispo (easy off hwy 101) $$ Best Western Casa Grande Inn – Pismo Beach (pretty grounds) $$$ Avila La Fonda Hotel – Avila Beach (great amenities) $$$ Inn at Avila Beach – Avila Beach (ocean front / great sundeck) Tour Companies Breakaway Tours – San Luis Obispo (from 2 – 200 passengers) Grapeline Tours – San Luis Obispo (from 2-60 passengers) Where to Shop Downtown San Luis Obispo – home and fashion Old Town Arroyo – antiques and collectables Prime Outlets Pismo Beach – outlet mall Avila Beach Front Street – clothing and souvenirs Wine Regions San Luis Obispo Vintners Assoc Foxen Canyon Wine Trail Santa Barbara County Vintners Assoc Paso Robles Wine Country Farmers Market/Street Fair Thursday evening year round/ Higuerra Street in SLO What to Bring The annual temp is 73 degrees, pack a light jacket Walking shoes are a must Beach Blankets and chairs Camera for the breathtaking views

My high school girlfriends, Lori, Katie, Nancy and I try to escape from being business women, wives and mothers twice a year. We agreed on minimal travel time for this trip so the solution was overnight not far from our own garages in San Luis Obispo, California (SLO to its residents) located midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco.

The group elected our visit to be three nights so we opted to check into our hotel on Thursday afternoon. Our first stop after our check in was San Luis Obispo’s downtown mission. "Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa" founded by Father Junipero Serra in 1772, resides in the middle of SLO and is truly the theme of the town. Here we were able to tour the mature gardens, the various mission style buildings and the parish church that bring you a sense of peace as you meander. California missions draw you close to the local Indians and parish leaders who created our heritage centuries ago.

Our next stop was the icing on the cake! We walked out of the mission down a block to the largest Farmers Market and Street Fair in the county. Every Thursday evening crowds gather on one of the pulse streets of downtown for fresh fruits, vegetables, flowers, home cooked bar-b-que ribs, clam chowder and other mouth watering vittles. Strolling the block we ran into a gallery of local artists’ pieces. Pottery, paintings, jewelry and photographs all displayed on the street with the pride of the makers behind answering questions and signing purchased prizes. We decided this was the place to eat tonight, so we handled a couple ribs, some bar b que sandwiches and a corn on the cob as we trotted up and down the market to live entertainment, shopping the windows of store fronts under awning shade and refurbished buildings preserved for modern shops like the Gap, Express, Abercrombie, Victoria Secret, Banana Republic and Pottery Barn. SLO Town also offers a little collection of boutiques that are completely charming!

Bellies full and ready for a beverage we decided a pub or bistro was next up. San Luis Obispo is a college town; this means no lack of night life in its few square city blocks. We wandered over to a side street and found “SLO Brewing Company”; a local micro brew house. As the tender pulled a couple of the different ales offered a pool table captured our attention. After about an hour the girls started to feel sorry for the struggling students so we said our goodbyes and walked up the street to “Native”. Here guests can dance to today’s dance mixes, enjoy bottle service as well as buy VIP status which entitles you to a private room next to the dance floor. Plus we couldn’t miss the go-go dancers in fishnets on raised lighted blocks.

The following morning we tore into the famous Madonna Inn Café famished. The little Café takes you back in time with homemade pastries and the European atmosphere movie stars and politicians have been coming to since the 1920’s. The girls and I were seated in a bouquet of colors as antique depression glass ornamented each and every table in the room. Our goal was simple, fill up on French pastry!

After breakfast, a limo picked us up for a wine tasting tour. We glided in elegance to three different wineries in the Edna Valley Wine Region. Tasting the collection of wines offered to awaken our palates, we could see the beauty of the valley while the Coastal Mountain Range served as a backdrop to miles and miles of grapes. This area is noted for their pinot noir vineyards but there were chardonnay and syrah grapes growing in the afternoon sunlight too. What’s interesting is San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties are one of the largest growers of wine grapes in California. The limo company provided us a tasty picnic during our tour so after the final tasting we bought a nice bottle of local wine and rested at one of the many picnic grounds available on the wine trail.

Friday night we drove over to Oceano. A small beach community made up of migrant farm workers and recreational sand dune lovers. In the middle of the little town is a vaudeville group called the "Great American Melodrama". The local troupe stages various plays where you can boo and hiss the villain as well as cheer for the hero. The theater floor is made up of peanut shells and the actors are also your friendly waiters during intermission. We laughed hysterically over a pitcher of beer and hot dogs, soup and chicken salad. The lead actor was sure to include some of the audience in the vaudeville portion of the show and my friend Nancy was his muse for the evening!

Saturday was our last full day of our little trip so we decided the only activity missing was a spa day. Nekkid Day Spa was the choice spot. Located in the darling little beach town of Avila you get the wondrous view of the ocean among the peaceful world of pampering. Nekkid also offers organic clothing and accessory items mostly made by women’s co-ops in Africa and Cambodia. The bamboo shirts were my favorite. The fabric is so soft you want to take a nap in it. After we all received our treatments, and Katie even got a spray tan, we decided the beach blanket was calling us. Bronzed and ears full of family antics the girls found themselves completely relaxed. Lori rented a couple kayaks and some of us paddled out to the caves for a look at the sea lions napping on rocks as if they were made of down.

Dinner out Saturday night took place at Giuseppes Italian Restaurant located in Pismo Beach. Giuseppes is a great Italian stop for any one needing a good pasta fix. A medley of Italian and local wines and a knowledgeable server who can pair them with Guiseppes homemade cuisine turned our evening meal into a huge success. After our delectable food and fare we walked out to the Pismo Beach Pier to view the famous Central Coast sunset. The colors were so rich and warm you could feel the two meshing, sun and sea.

Sunday morning was rise and shine time to walk and chat! Back to Avila Beach where we each grabbed the aroma rich coffee of Joe Mommas Café on Front Street and a warm pastry for our troubles. Our little group breezed over to the Bob Jones Bike Trail for a little exercise. Overlooking the local golf course and the cottonwood clad creek, the Bob Jones Trail hosts many outdoor walkers, runners and bikers alike. The views of different wildlife here is plenty rich on the ground and in the air. It was the perfect ending to a memorable weekend we would talk about for years!

Troi Hoffman is a sixth generation native of California’s Central Coast and when she is not touring her local favorites she is raising her two boys with husband Matthew, riding quarter horses or jogging Pismo Beach!