Winter in San Luis Obispo

Hi Folks. I am currently in Ireland and not looking forward to the impending winter gloom so I was thinking of spending the winter months in a central coastal area. My choices are narrowed down to the Monterey area, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara. I understand that it is the rainy season from November to April but all things relative (being from Ireland), the sunshine and warmth would counter the raindrops.

So, I humbly ask:

What%26#39;s the weather really like during the winter? (I have the stats from weather.com but was hoping for a local report)

Is there much to do in the area from December to April?

Would you recommend the area to a 40-year-old, whose criteria is a walkable, crime-free (or almost crime-free), plenty of coffee/book shops community?

I will also post these questions on the SB and Monterey forums.

Thanks in advance for your time.

Winter in San Luis Obispo

Another Bump-

Winter in San Luis Obispo

Another Bump-

I live in San Luis Obispo County. Fall season right now. Bring a light rain coat or umbrella for any of the areas you mentioned, but so far we have just had a few sprinkles. Renting a car would be your best option as there are so many quaint towns to visit, but one once you get to them you%26#39;ll want to walk.

San Luis Obispo-college town but charming with a creek running through middle of downtown, Mission also next to creek. Becoming a little Santa Barbara with a lot of expensive chain stores like Victoria%26#39;s Secret, Banana Republic, Gap, etc.

Morro Bay-a fishing town west-north of San Luis Obispo with great restaurants, not too expensive, and fun to walk around. Look for Morro Rock, you can%26#39;t miss it, and a great walking beach, the Embarcadero (can walk along the small harbor), Montana de Oro..a great open natural coastal preserve with walking and mild to strenuous hiking paths above cliffs on the ocean. Need a car to get here.

Cambria-a charming little town about 25 miles north of Morro Bay. Lots of art galleries and great restaurants. Rocky beaches. One mile board walk (literally) right next to the beach. San Simeon is another few miles north.

Highway One is the scenic route from San Luis Obispo to Monterey. Worth the drive and some of the hair raising turns and curves and most incredible view of the Pacific Ocean in the world. (Look it up on the Web.)

Pismo Beach and Arroyo Grande Village are about twelve to fifteen miles south of San Luis Obispo. Pismo has a sandy beach, pier, surfers, good restaurants, and you can drive on Grover Beach, south of Pismo. Butterfly Preserve is inbetween with great walking paths, sand dunes, small golf course. Great board walk through the sand dunes.

Santa Barbara is beautiful but very over-priced. Wonderful for walking downtown, along the ocean, many parks, restaurants, gorgeous botanical gardens. Shoreline Park above the cliffs where one can watch sail boats and Santa Barbara Harbor.

Rather than rent a car, I would go to a used car dealership and buy a car with the agreement that at the end of your trip they buy it back from you at a slghtly reduced price, say $500 less than what you paid for it. I have had many relatives that did that when coming for an extended stay. Or, just rent a car when you want to go somehwere for the day and the rest of the time use the SLO bus system, it%26#39;s pretty convenient and reasonable if you get a monthly pass.

The beach is nice to visist no matter what time of year you%26#39;re there, a few reasonably priced golf courses around. Wine tasting, hiking, shopping, bookstores and coffee houses can be found all over.

SLO can be pricey as far as housing goes. Do you plan on staying in a hotel/motel? Renting a house? Renting a room, or...?

Hi Dedalus,

I live in Burbank, CA - the north end of Los Angeles County - about a three hour drive south of San Luis. Generally, we get less rain than the Central Coast. But, we are all having an unusally dry winter. The southwest of the US is arid - so yes, the ';rainy season'; is a relative term here. But, you will get more rain if you are right on the coast and also more fog. Inland, the climate changes according to altitude. The valleys can be generally warmer, although the temperture drops considerably once the sun goes down (typical desert climate - it can be hot during the day and almost freezing at night.) The mountains get snow - right now the snow levels have dropped down to 2000 ft - even here in the Southern California ranges.

San Luis is a nice town - more simple than Santa Barbara which is closer to LA and is more expensive because of its proximity. (Also, I find the UC Santa Barbara students a bit rowdy. Cal Poly students at San Luis are less annoying. By the way, I%26#39;m a college professor.)

I think you might find the Central Coast more relaxing while providing the stimulation of being in a college town. The beaches are a few miles drive away - but, so lovely there.

Kate Cannon

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