Hotel Directory > United States Hotels > California Hotels > San Luis Obispo, CA Hotels

This is the current conditions weather report for San Luis Obispo. The report was made 66 minutes ago, at 03:56 UTC. The wind was blowing at a speed of 8 miles per hour / 13 kilometers per hour from the northwest (320°). The temperature was 50°F / 10°C, with a dew-point at 50°F / 10°C. The temperature felt like 46°F / 8°C. The atmospheric pressure was 30 inHg / 1017 hPa. The relative humidity was 94%. The skies were partly cloudy.

San Luis Obispo (Spanish for St. Louis, the Bishop) is a city in California, located roughly midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles on the Central Coast. The city, referred to locally as SLO or "San Luis," is the county seat of San Luis Obispo County and is adjacent to California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly).

Because of San Luis Obispo's location halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, it has long been a stopping point for travelers. In fact, the word motel was coined here when the Motel Inn of San Luis Obispo was established in 1925. Since then, the pleasant year-round climate, pretty scenery, and well-preserved, walkable downtown have made the city a tourist destination in itself.

Downtown San Luis Obispo is centered around the carefully restored Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, originally built in 1772. It is one of the best preserved examples of Spanish Mission architecture and among the oldest buildings in California. Its bells are unique in that, unlike other California missions, the bell ringer stands in the bellroom with the bells when ringing the cadences. The downtown area also boasts many eclectic shops and boutiques.

Another big tourist attraction is Hearst Castle, the vast estate of publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst, 43 miles to the north of San Luis Obispo. The Madonna Inn is another famous local landmark. Established by Alex Madonna in 1958, the inn is a famously eccentric building known for its generous helping of pink, wildly kitschy decor, themed guest rooms, and a waterfall urinal in a men's restroom.

One famous tourist destination is Bubble Gum Alley. Since about 1960, people have been sticking their chewed gum on the walls of this alley located on Higuera Street, between Broad and Garden streets. Bubble Gum Alley has even appeared on national television.

Another big attraction is the development of Edna Valley into a well-known wine region. Just south of the city, people can spend an afternoon wine tasting several wineries in the area with a very short drive. Some of these wineries have won awards and acclaim for their vintages. The wine region extends north beyond Paso Robles (30 miles north) and Santa Ynez (70 miles south).

One of the main draws is Farmers' Market, a large festival held downtown on Higuera Street every Thursday evening year-round from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.. About three-quarters of a mile of the street is closed to cars.

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