While at The Village, be sure to cross the Arroya Grande Swinging Bridge to get to the Santa…read moreManuela Schoolhouse, which is to the left and nearby the park and residential. It swings so watch your step!

What a beautifully built bridge! We had fun crossing the swinging bridge, not at all dangerous,…read moreextremely well built! What a cool find in the small, sleepy town, well worth it when passing through the area!

Nice bit of history. Unfortuanatly you can not see the inside. Perhaps maybe they can post…read morepitcutres outside with the history of the buidling

I have to say this place is pretty well preserved. This was the first Protestant church built in…read moreSan Luis Obispo area and built in 1879 by the pioneers. It was restored and rededicated May 25, 1952. Its gated but when we went , it was unlocked. But the church itself was locked. I would love to see what it look like inside. It's at the corner of Airport Rd and Adobe Rd. Not to confuse with Estrella Rd. I like history and appreciate well preserved historical sites. There is also a small cemetery in the back of the church in the same premise.

The Ríos-Caledonia Adobe is a historic adobe house built in 1835 in San Miguel, California. The…read moreRíos-Caledonia Adobe is open to the public as a house museum and library. The original building was made of adobe, had a roof of hand-made tiles, and used strips of rawhide to tie the pine rafters in place. It is located directly across the street from Mission San Miguel Arcángel. It has had many different owners, and the property has been a a stagecoach stop with a hotel and tavern, as well as an elementary school and many other businesses. In 1923, the property was purchased as a tourist attraction, and the new owner added the gift shop. The County of San Luis Obispo purchased it in 1964 as the adobe had fallen into disrepair. In 1968, the Friends of the Adobes formed to preserve and restore the adobe. The site now operates as a county park with a history research library, museum, and gift shop. There are plenty of trees to enjoy a picnic or an outing. The Ríos-Caledonia Adobe is right off the freeway, and admission is free.

This is a nice little stop off of the freeway. Its literally across the street from Mission San…read moreMiguel Arcangel, and actually has a lot of history to it. The Rios-Caledonia Adobe is located on an old stage road, and served as a sort of halfway point between San Francisco and Los Angeles. Back in the 19th Century it was a functioning hotel and saloon. When the stagecoach days ended, and the days of the automobile began, the new owners installed a "visible" gas pump, and it served as an important rest stop on U.S. 101. In fact, the driveway you go down is actually a SEGMENT of the ORIGINAL U.S. 101 roadway ITSELF! Not to be missed if you are in the area! Go to see the history of travel before freeways.

Local Eval: Little did I know, that as a kid staying with my mom in a rustic dive motel in…read morePennsylvania, that 3,000 miles away, in the little town of SLO, was it's first ancestor....and that 1/2 century later, I would call the SLO/Pismo area home. The "Milestone Mo-Tel Inn" was built in 1925 [closed in 1991] & the main building is a historic landmark, which is possibly owned by next doors "Apple Inn". While there were plans to rehab this area, is still not redeveloped yet & is not open to the public. But one can still stop, just before the N101 ramp, & marvel at these testaments to early visionaries of what we have long taken for granted, for almost a century. While there are numerous local and national accounts, I do favor the one done by Smithsonian Magazine in DECEMBER 12, 2016, as follows: "The World's First Motel Was a Luxury Establishment, Not a Dive The first motel was supposed to turn into a chain, but it was quickly overtaken by cheaper competitors. By Kat Eschner SMITHSONIANMAG.COM The year was 1925. Across the country, thousands were touring in their cars. Auto travel was becoming normal. But on this day in San Luis Obispo, a town roughly between Los Angeles and San Francisco in California, something totally new was happening. An architect and developer named Arthur Heineman had spotted a niche in the market. His response: the Milestone Mo-Tel Inn. Heineman created a hotel designed specifically for drivers, writes Eric Zorn for the Chicago Tribune. It had small garages next to several dozen bungalows. Use of one cost a motorist $1.25 per night, about $17.00 in today's money. Heineman shortened "motor hotel" down to "Mo-Tel," and a term was born. It was luxurious for the 1920s, wrote Kristin Jackson for the The Seattle Times two years after the motel closed in 1991. "It cost $80,000 to build in its ornate Spanish-mission style, with a three-tiered bell tower, white pillars, and a tree-fringed courtyard," she wrote. "In those days most American car travelers still were staying in campgrounds or tiny wood cabins (some about the size and style of chicken coops) that were clustered by a gas station or general store." Up to 160 people could stay at the motel. According to David Middlecamp of the Tribune, units had modern conveniences like showers, central heating and carpet, he writes, and there were even rooms for chauffeurs. Jackson spoke to Marcella Faust, who as a young woman was one of the establishment's first waitresses. Faust described how the waitresses were dressed--"Spanish-style," including a vest and a "big hat with roses on it"--and their varied tasks, which included handing out brochures at the roadside. "We'd stand out there on the road in our big hats," she said. "My girlfriend would work the cars going north, I'd work the ones going south. They were Model A's and Model T's back then, so they'd have to go pretty slow up the steep hill there. We'd just stand there and wave and hand them the booklets as they went past." It wasn't long before the Milestone had competition from other motels. Heineman had originally planned to open a chain with 18 California locations, Jackson wrote, but he wasn't successful. The Great Depression meant that motel chains opted for less luxe styling, Zorn writes. The Milestone, eventually renamed the Motel Inn, closed in 1991 and then the site fell into disrepair. Even the word "motel" has been slipping out of favor, he writes. But across the country, motels remain part of American road culture. "Motels opened up the American road to those who were neither rugged enough for car camping nor wealthy enough to stay in 'real' hotels," Zorn writes. "In a way that's largely unsung, they aided our transformation to a mobile culture." Hopefully, one day, this wonderful landmark will be rehabbed into a fascinating & historic place to stay, minus Model T cars and chauffeurs!

Loved it in December ! It soooo beautiful ! The lights and photo opps were awesome!…read more Such a great place with a lot of holiday spirit. I love love love SLO during the holidays !

Quiet and unassuming hangout spot in SLO…read more I think Mission Plaza is the center of this college town with proximity to the coast and the area vineyards. The plaza sits on the doorsteps of Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, which hosts an active parish, and has a museum and its own outdoor quad, where you can sit and enjoy the shadows of the mountains. If you want to sit and chill at in the plaza, you can do so, there are plenty of places nearby to grab an ice cream, a gelato, or a drink, and just chill here. There are some covered tables, and quick access to restaurants and stores - so, the plaza is a great meetup spot, where you can launch your tour of SLO.

A must stop on your Hwy 101 trip just north of Paso Robles…read more Gorgeous interior with original wall paintings!! This mission is authentic from 1797. It is the 16th mission of the 21 California Missions. $10 every donation for seniors. Definitely worth the fee to help keep this mission intact.

A must see if you're in the San Miguel/Paso Robles area. Quaint California mission along the El…read moreCamino Real trail. Off the 101. Beautifully maintained condition 1 of 21 original California Missions. Active community and fully functional Catholic Church with weekly masses and functions for all to enjoy. Stop by. You won't be disappointed.

If you like a slower pace, Morro Bay is great. Small shops, ocean breeze, and that huge rock…read morestaring at you everywhere you go. It's not a big tourist scene, which I actually loved. The beaches are clean, people were pleasant & mellow, and the bay views are beautiful. We spent most of the time just walking around. Plenty of parking too. While strolling the pier, you can find numerous seafood and waterfront dining options. If you live in California, it's a 3-day weekend escape, including the hours on the road.

Love this quiet little sleepy beach town! Morro bay is such a hidden gem off the 1, and one of my…read morefavorite spots in SLO county. There are lots of adorable little shops and boutiques, dog friendly restaurants, seal / otter watching, and a great beach for surfing or relaxing. A great spot to get fresh seafood. Highly recommend also getting a kayak or stand up paddle board to explore the bay while enjoying the great bay weather or catching a sunset.

I appreciate the nod to the Filipino people! The rock/ plaque has been relocated to a better spot;…read moreI first visited in 1999. While the plaque could use some maintenance, it's still worth stopping by for a quick look.

Visited September 2024. The rock with the plaque/info with the history of the landing is closer to…read morethe lot before Coleman park between the bike and walk path. Brought my parents who weren't familiar with the history and they were pleasantly surprised. Very peaceful tourist site

The Lord told me about this place in a dream, and the upstairs is a temple. I been here 3x first 2…read moreI came it was closed but the third time I came they were open however to visit the temple upstairs you will need appointment in advance. I pray that this place will be preserved forever in Jesus name because the spirit of the LORD dwells here.

Much history here in China Alley. I used tio come here as a kid with my parents. They just…read morerecently had a fire in one of the buildings bt had minimal damage than goodness. But as I figured Id be there when the doors were closed. I strolled through and took some pics. It was fun.