6 reasons SLO beats a big city

1. Friendly faces on the public transportation.

no shoving, pickpockets, or dirty talking. No gypsies or homeless trying to win your pity, leaning in your face asking for money. The worst you’ll find on the transportation here is a grumpy bus driver.

2. Seeing the stars at night (no, I’m not talking about Hollywood Blvd.)

If I look out my window on a clear night, the sky is ornamented with tiny twinkling constellations. Trip up the steps in the Paris metro and you might see stars too. But let’s face it– it’s pretty cool to live in a place where the Big Dipper greets you every time the sun goes down.

3. All that green.

Hills, grass, flowers, and beautiful parks. No, not central park. Not Golden Gate. Not even Griffith. I’m talking the national parks that run all along the central coast surrounding SLO. Montana de Oro, Los Osos Reserve, and Big Sur. Now there’s a place to do your morning jog.

4. Not having to pay a $20 cover charge at the bars and clubs.

Clubbing in Hollywood is not cheap. DV8 and Highlands charge at least $20 just to get in, let alone sky high prices on watered down drinks. Exchange dollars to euros in Paris and your weekend outings are costing more than that deposit on your 10×12 ft. apartment above the karaoke bar.

5. Quiet nights

Living in a city, I got used to the nightly humdrum of police sirens, car alarms, loud music from the nightclubs, and construction outside. My first night back in SLO, it was so quiet I could literally hear crickets. I’ve grown to appreciate the tranquil nights here and the occasional coyotes- instead of falling asleep to fire trucks and waking up to construction workers. For those of you that think drunk college students are a nuisance at night, try living above a karaoke bar for four months.

6. There’s always a private beach waiting for you

Look for any beach along the West side of LA- littered with trash and crowds of tourists. Go to Spooner’s Cove here, and the most company you’ll find is a hungry seagull and a family picnic. Shell and Avila beaches are really the only beaches that get crowded– so take those popular days and find a different beach- Pirate’s Cove  perhaps?

7. where else can you take it SLO?

Love where you live, because you can’t find a place like this anywhere else.

Where did you go?

I know it has been a while since I’ve posted last! For the past few months I have been living and experiencing an entirely new type of terrain– the grand city of Paris.

If you’re curious what life in the city of lights is like, follow me here at : uneaventureparisienne.tumblr.com

Otherwise, expect central coast outdoors to get started up again in early spring!

Until then,

-Allie

A list of Catalina Musts

Recently I spent a weekend with some of the most rad people ever- Scuba Club- on Catalina Island.

I’ve already shared with you pictures from catalina island, but i’ve yet to divulge all of the secret (and not so secret) must-do activities while visiting Avalon, Catalina.

Before I do, here’s how you get to the island: pick a date and reserve a spot on the Catalina Express either out of Long Beach or San Pedro. Then mark your calendar and get REALLY excited. In between that and boarding the ferry, take a motion sickness pill- just in case.

If you’re planning on staying more than a day-trip’s worth, I recommend  hotel La Paloma Las Flores. Quaint, relatively inexpensive, and located in the heart of Avalon. Or skip the hotel and get a spot at the campgrounds!

For divers, there is a tank fill truck right at the dive park- Catalina Divers. There is also ScubaLuv in Avalon. Both charge $7 per tank fill.

So, now that you’re on the island, here’s a list you can start experiencing for yourself.

1. hike to Wrigley Memorial- $0

2. find the pet cemetery- $0

3. dive the dive park- and while you’re there, find the Jacques Cousteau and memorial plaques and the sunken glass-bottom boat – $7 tank fill

4. get Big-Olaf’s ice-cream. – $4

5. freedive/ snorkel Lover’s Cove – $0 (if you bring your own mask, snorkel and fins. Otherwise you can rent them right at Lover’s)

6. go on a night dive at the dive park and shut off your dive light for a minute at the bottom to see the bioluminescence -$ 7 tank fill

7. search for buffalo – $0

8. rent a tandem bike with a friend and cruise around town for an hour – $10

9. scuba at Descanso Beach – $7 tank fill

10. go to VONS, get some fixings and have a picnic on the beach – price depends on how hungry you are!

11. go inner-tubing at Descanso – $5/ hr.

12. rent some kind of boat, kayak, or paddleboard and ride around the harbor

13. dive the Valiant, just outside the dive park (get permission from harbormaster first!)- $ 7 tank fill

14. look in the harbor waters for Julia Roberts’ wedding ring

15. get Big Olaf’s again…seriously, do it. – $4

finally convinced…

I finally convince my roommate (we’ll call her L) to go hiking in SLO, and what trail does she choose to start with? Bishop’s. Gung-Ho!

Bob Jones City to The Sea Trail

Walked this path with a group of friends last week; it’s a fun, easy way to get outside. The entire path is paved and wildlife surrounds either side of the trail. It is flat the whole way, with no hills, so this walk was relaxing but still got me exercising and outside in nature.

The end of the trail also crosses through a golf course. There were people with strollers, cyclists, and others rollerblading or running, but most people I saw were simply walking the trail, enjoying the sunshine. The end of the trail also crosses through a golf course.

 

The trail is a mile and a half each way, going from a parking lot located near Avila Barn and opening up at Avila Beach, just before the Sea Life Center.

 

From SLO, we took the 101South, exited right at Avila Dr., and turned onto Ontario Rd. where signs led to the parking lot. There are bathrooms located in the parking lot, at the restaurant found about halfway into the trail, and at Avila Beach.

http://www.slotrails.com/showtrail.php?id=bobjones

Afternoon Hike up Bishop’s Peak

Class was canceled today, so spent a few hours this beautiful Tuesday afternoon hiking up Bishop’s for the first time! Parked the car at the top of Highland and began the hike from there. The scenery was breathtaking the entire time, and while the switchbacks towards the top were never-ending, the gorgeous view kept our eyes occupied. Bishop’s is a playground of rocks; we found plenty of spots for climbing along the way. Also loved climbing around on the rocks at the top, though the wind sure did get strong up on the peak! Here’s my pictures from the day:

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My introduction to SUP – the latest coastal craze

I’ve been wanting to try stand-up paddleboarding for some time, and today my roommate and I thought it might be fun to give SUP a try with Morro Bay’s Central Coast Stand-Up Paddleboards! We were right- it was ridiculously fun!

really- could I ask for a better location?

The shop is right on the water, and the owner, Matt, was really friendly and we could tell he knew what he was doing when it came to SUP. It cost each of us $20.00 for an hour rental which included all the equipment (board, paddle, leash) and an introductory lesson before getting in the water.

When we first walked in the little shop, he explained that the current conditions in the bay were not ideal for learning, and there was a really strong southbound current with a lot of wind chop. If we tried going out right at the dock behind the shop, as beginners we would probably end up in Los Osos within the hour.

So, Matt decided to try out something new. We hopped in his car with the paddle boards on the back, and drove up Embarcadero towards Morro Rock until we got to Coleman Beach. This protected, calm little area also known as Mother’s Beach allowed us the perfect spot to get on our boards and ride the current down the bay until we reached the shop. After a brief lesson, we got on and started our first journey gliding through the water, paddles in hand, Morro Rock at our backs. Meanwhile, Matt got back in his car and drove back to his shop so he could meet us back at the dock.

The water was cold and kept splashing up onto my board, but I barely had to paddle with the current. Most of the time I stayed on my knees for fear of falling in with the rough conditions, but towards the end of our ride when the water was sheltered by docks we managed to stand up on our boards. It was a blast riding along the bay, looking at all the boats and shops on either side of me. It was easier than I thought carrying my camera with me, but I didn’t take very many pictures before the housing lens fogged up (gotta get more moisture munchers!).

We also were greeted by a curious sea lion along the way, who swam fairly close to each of our paddleboards.

The water pulled us along so fast that it only took 30 minutes to get back to the dock, so Matt let us practice standing in the calm waters next to the dock, and then offered us half our money back because we didn’t use the full hour.

The experience worked our muscles, as I am sitting here writing this my thighs are already sore, and I’m sure that after an hour of standing up the entire time, I would safely be able to say that SUP’ing is a great core workout.

I was sad to step onto land back at the shop, but excited for my next chance to get back in the water.  SUP’ing is such an awesome water activity on the rise along the California coast.

Sunny Days at Avila Beach

Usually I spend my beach days at Pirate’s or Olde Port (especially during bonfire season!!) but I still love a good sunny day at Avila Beach.

On the weekends, this beach is bustling with people. The beachfront town has such a summery feel, and there is lots to do besides the obvious “sand n’ surf” activities…

For starters, you can walk along or find shade under Avila Pier, visit the Avila Sea Life Center and discover what animals live in Avila’s bay, or just grab a snack and enjoy the sunshine. At the northern end of the beach are some tidepools, but there isn’t a whole lot of life to find in the rocks.

I love most though to just sit on the swings here and bury my toes in the sand.

oh the places your slackline can go….

Friends playing around on my gorgeous purple slackline:

Thinking about making a tutorial video on how to make your own slack line kit and set it up. Stay tuned!

Spooner’s Cove Montana de Oro

Having spent a good amount of time this past weekend celebrating the sunshine at Montana de Oro (and loving it!) I feel compelled to encourage fellow seashore-lovers to visit Spooner’s Cove in Montana de Oro.

Just a few miles past the entrance of the park and after driving under a canopy of eucalyptus trees, we found the parking lot of Spooner’s Cove on the right side of the road.

enjoying my "perch" above the waves

This beach is not particularly sandy, but is instead composed of small rocks and pebbles. No worries though, it’s still plenty comfortable to recline on a towel and take a relaxing nap.

The first day I came here, it was later in the afternoon and the beach was practically empty. The tide was rapidly rolling in, but we still played on the giant rock structure in the middle of the cove and searched the edge of the water for unusual rocks and shells.

The following day we decided to come prepared with swimsuits and towels.

We started by laying out our towels, kicking off our sandals, and splashing in the creek

The creek on the right side of Spooner's Cove

that runs along the right side of the cove.  It empties out right next to a fun little cave that makes for good exploring during low tide.

the cave

Walking a little more to the left, the tide was low enough so that we could (carefully!) walk out onto the rocky platform and admire the tide pools. I saw a crab or two, some anemones, and lots of algae.

The seagulls are very bold on this beach, and I literally had to chase one for my keys, phone and textbook (yes, I even got some studying in!) before we climbed onto our towels and basked in the mid-afternoon sunshine. Among us were scattered groups of families, other students, and couples also enjoying the pleasantries of Spooner’s Cove.

Word on the street is that Spooner’s is also home to some fantastic diving when conditions are good. I guess I’ll have to grab my gear and find out for myself. But that will be for another day!

Enjoy Spooner’s Cove!