Greetings from SLO:

Smokler on February 7, 2007

Hearst_castle

Time: Evening

Place: San Luis Obispo, California. Two Hours north of Los Angeles

How I got here: In a fury of 5 hours worth of driving. I made great time.

Some things I’ve learned:

1. San Luis Obispo looks a lot like Portland–overcast, wide sidewalks, lots of ranch houses–but quieter and less flannel.

2. Hearst Castle is nowhere from nowhere. 5 hours from either San Francisco or Los Angeles in the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it town of San Simeon then 5 miles by bus up a giant hill surrounded by ranch land and cows.

3. Somewhere between the Castle and SLO is the town of Harmony, California, population 18.

4. Most of the towns between say Gilroy and Paso Robles on Highway 101 have Spanish names. So, after a little research, I now know what esperanza (“hope”), mariposa (“butterfly”) and obispo (“bishop”) mean.

5. The sink in my hotel room’s bathroom roars slightly when you turn on the hot water, like there’s a baby lion trapped in the piping.

Reader interactions

4 Replies to “Greetings from SLO:”

  1. James McNally February 8, 2007 at 10:02 am

    I thought you were in Slovenia! I made a similar entry when we were about to leave for there back in the fall. SLO is the three-letter code you see on bumper stickers in Europe for Slovenia. Oh well, enjoy more of your California, and one day, check out the other SLO!

  2. James McNally February 8, 2007 at 10:02 am

    I thought you were in Slovenia! I made a similar entry when we were about to leave for there back in the fall. SLO is the three-letter code you see on bumper stickers in Europe for Slovenia. Oh well, enjoy more of your California, and one day, check out the other SLO!

  3. Moira February 8, 2007 at 2:47 pm

    If you’re a wine fan, check out Paso’s wineries – they’re phenomenal, and the vintners are generally much friendlier than those in Sonoma and Napa. It’s about 30 min from SLO, on Rte 46. I’d recommend Linne Colado, Four Vines, Gelfand (call ahead), Turley, etc. Good stuff. Here’s a link – http://www.pasowine.com/wineries/profiles.php

  4. Moira February 8, 2007 at 2:47 pm

    If you’re a wine fan, check out Paso’s wineries – they’re phenomenal, and the vintners are generally much friendlier than those in Sonoma and Napa. It’s about 30 min from SLO, on Rte 46. I’d recommend Linne Colado, Four Vines, Gelfand (call ahead), Turley, etc. Good stuff. Here’s a link – http://www.pasowine.com/wineries/profiles.php

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