Slo down and savor some waterfall magic

Eden on the trail to Big Canyon Falls. Ryan McKay (CC) January is a magical time along the Central Coast, a time when the lumpy hills of the Coast Range turn from brown to emerald overnight and when streams swollen with rain morph from gentle trickles into raging torrents. Raging torrents produce waterfalls, of course, and three of the most accessible are produced by Big Creek as it flows through Big Canyon in the Santa Lucia Wilderness just north of Lopez Lake Recreation Area and 10 miles east of Arroyo Grande in San Luis Obispo County. Read more.

Martin resorts gives back

Dog-friendly Pismo Lighthouse Suites Planning a vacation in beautiful San Luis Obispo County with your favorite four-legged travel companion? We suggest checking out Martin Resorts. Martin Resorts’ collection of premier hotels and restaurants on the Central Coast includes four hotels that offer dog-friendly lodging: the oceanfront Pismo Lighthouse Suites, Best Western Plus Shore Cliff Lodge, and The Inn at the Cove in the classic vacation town of Pismo Beach; and the Paso Robles Inn in the heart of Paso Robles Wine County. Read more.

Enjoy a day of the slo life

Rusty hiking Bishop's Peak.Photo - Emdot The city of San Luis Obispo prides itself on surrounding open space where dog-friendly hiking trails dot the hillsides. The most popular and certainly the most rigorous of these day hikes is local landmark Bishop’s Peak. Tallest of the Nine Sisters, Bishop’s Peak is a 3.5-mile, out-and-back trek with an elevation change of more than 1,200. Named for the crown of volcanic rock that resembles a bishop’s miter, Bishop’s Peak was once used to quarry rock for the city of San Luis Obispo and for the First Presbyterian Church downtown. Read more.

Slo down already

Dogs on Pismo State Beach San Luis Obispo County on California’s Central Coast is as mellow for dogs as it is for humans. But while there are lots of off-leash dog parks and play areas in the vicinity of SLO town, there are just a couple of places in the sand-and-sea department where Dottie can frolic off-leash (provided, of course, she is socialized to the max, has an ultra-reliable recall and can be trusted not to steal beach-goers socks or picnic goodies).

Slo north coast paradise

San Luis Obispo County’s North Coast is a tail-wagging, 31-mile stretch of California shoreline on Highway 1. The route begins with a quick jaunt from San Luis Obispo west on Los Osos Valley Road to the coastal hamlet of Los Osos. Read more.