Back to Nature

Why not start your day with a morning stroll along one of California's most breathtaking landscapes, the Rancho Guadalupe Dunes Preserve? The Rancho Guadalupe Dunes Preserve (9 miles west on Main Street, Guadalupe, 805.343.2354) is part of the 18-mile stretch of coastal dunes on the Central Coast and is the second-largest stretch of dunes in California. This strip of coastline has the highest beach dunes in the western United States, with Mussel Rock Dune reaching a height of 500 feet. Learn more about the dunes complex by visiting the Dunes Center (1055 Guadalupe Street, Guadalupe, 805.343.2455). The center features historical information, stunning photos, replicas of dunes mammals, artifacts, hands-on activities for children, and even a computerized virtual reality tour of the dunes.
 

Drive north on Highway 1, through Guadalupe and turn west on Oso Flaco Road. A cooperatively managed Nature Conservancy/State Park parking lot is located three miles down this road. Once you are there follow the hiking trail south through State Park property to the preserve. Oso Flaco Lake (Oso Flaco Road, 805.343.2455) is one of a dozen freshwater lakes in the dunes. Discover amazing diversity, including a marine beach, marshland, forest, grassland, chaparral and desert dunes. Oso Flaco Lake is ideal for picnics, whale watching and hiking. You may want to take a guided walk for a more informative experience. Walks are offered four to five times each month. Call the Dunes Center for a special events calendar and walk schedule.

Continue your drive north on Highway 1 to view thousands of beautiful monarch butterflies (Highway 1, near Grover Beach, 804.773.4382) which appear each year from October to February, clinging to their chosen trees as thickly as leaves. Their beautiful colors, unusual clustering habits, and fascinating flight patterns make this annual phenomenon a popular subject for wildlife watchers.

For lunch, head north on Highway 101 to F. McLintock's Saloon and Dining House (750 Mattie Road, Shell Beach, 805.773.1892) for authentic ranch-style cooking and an atmosphere teamed up with high-spirited service and genuine western hospitality. Their legendary BBQ steak was voted "Best Steak" 14 years in a row by a local newspaper, The New Times.

 

Continue driving north on Highway 101 to Diablo Canyon Power Plant (6588 Ontario Road, San Luis Obispo, 805.546.5280) for a tour of the Exhibit Center. You'll see pictures and videos detailing what happens at the power plant. The exhibit center is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Call for details.

What about exploring the coast from the sea in a kayak built for two? Or enjoy watching California Gray Whales from December to March every year as they pass within sight of the coast on their way between Alaska and Baja, California. The Gray Whale's heart-shaped spouts are visible for quite a distance. A good vantage point is from the cliffs along Shell Beach. However, the best way to see these magnificent sea creatures is to take a charter boat.

End your day with a performance at the Great American Melodrama and Vaudeville Revue (1863 Pacific Blvd., Highway 1, Oceano, 805.489.2499). Enjoy the comfortable atmosphere of cabaret tables with sawdust on the floor, and honky-tonk piano music in the air. Here, professional performers from all over the United States gather to present top-notch productions of classic comedies, melodramas and thrillers. Don't miss their annual Christmas Show -- it's spectacular!