San Luis Obispo

Founded in 1772 by Spanish Franciscan Junípero Serra, San Luis Obispo is one of California's oldest communities & is now home to over 45,000 residents. Known as a college town, California Polytechnic State University’s (Cal Poly) student body is composed of more than 25,000 students. A large student presence drives this town’s economy & is highlighted by the downtown area’s shops and boutiques. One of the primary draws of this area for students, visitors, and residents alike is the plethora of outdoor sports such as hiking, kayaking, surfing, windsurfing, skimboarding, diving, sailing, and kite boarding. Surrounding & through SLO there are various hills that are noteworthy of long hikes & great nature views. San Luis Obispo experiences a cool climate, with typically warm and sunny summers, accompanied by frequent morning fog.

Winters are generally mild, though below freezing lows may be expected a few nights per year. During summer months, local residents and visitors congregate in the Mission Plaza for a free outdoor concert every Friday evening. The event is called Concerts in the Plaza. In addition, San Luis Obispo hosts a farmers' market every Thursday night; closing the street to vehicle traffic while vendors sell food and goods and various visual and music artists perform for the crowds.