Oso Flaco and Guadalupe

See all that empty sand? That's the southern end of the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area—the only part of an otherwise chaotic park that's blissfully car-free.

Because Oceano Dunes is best known as the only state beach you can drive on, nature lovers tend to stay away. It was the last place I would have thought to go for a quiet stroll on the beach, but Shantel insisted it was worth seeing.

As usual, she was right. We hiked the short boardwalk path across the quiet, mossy Oso Flaco Lake (named for the 18th-century Spaniards who killed a "skinny bear" after crossing the Santa Maria River), past sand dunes dotted with soft grasses, to a beach where we walked for an hour without seeing a single human footprint.

On the way there, we stopped for lunch in Guadalupe at La Simpatia Cafe, a 1940s Mexican diner that hasn't changed much over the decades (even the cash register looks like the original). La Simpatia serves up enchiladas and rellenos that are worth the trip alone.

With one of the nation's largest migrant farmworker populations, Guadalupe is one of the few parts of the Central Coast where you'll hear more Spanish than English. It was the perfect place to kick off our travel-at-home adventures.

A project is born

Even when you live in the best place on earth, it's easy to get stuck in a rut. I tend to bike the same trails, run the same paved loops, eat at the same restaurants (well okay, there aren't that many choices close to home).

The solution to temporary boredom used to be grabbing my passport and hopping on a plane, but I'm a bit less mobile since I had a baby last year. There's no time for boredom anymore, but I still crave new experiences that don't involve a diaper bag.

And so I made a pact with my most adventurous friend. We promised to dedicate at least one day each month to a Central Coast activity that wasn't on our standard list of diversions.

With travel prices soaring and the economy slumping, we figure we're not the only SLO locals seeking close-to-home fun. Hence, this blog. We hope our explorations will help you bust some ruts of your own.

Finding home

I fell for San Luis Obispo in 1993, on the way home from a spring break camping trip in Oregon. We were too tired to drive all the way back to LA, and someone in the caravan suggested that we stop at Montana de Oro State Park, just outside of SLO.

We got there late and set up camp in the dark. I was the first one up in the morning, and I went for a walk on the bluffs just after sunrise. The hillsides were covered in poppies and mustard, fog clung to the peaks, and waves slammed the rocky coves, blasting mist onto the trail. I decided I had to live here some day.

Nine years and several cities later, my husband and I finally made the move. We're avid travelers, but there's no place in the world we'd rather live. It's good to be home.

Escape From the OC

Six years ago I decided I'd had enough of life in the bubble known as Orange County. Being a farm girl from the Midwest, I never really fit the mold in SoCal and after spending a month in the ultra laid back world of the Kiwi's (New Zealand) I realized I wasn't willing to even try any longer. I began my search for a new place to call home in earnest and had originally planned to find a small community close to San Francisco. After every resident in Half Moon Bay assured me it really is foggy most of the time I took the advice of some friends and made a trip to SLO.

I was immediately taken with the charming downtown and the helpful, friendly locals. SLO felt comfortable...it felt like home. San Luis Obispo has the strong sense of community I remember from my childhood. It's the type of place where friends gather for an impromptu potluck on a random Tuesday and morning coffee at Uptown Expresso can turn into an all-day rotating reunion.

Even with all of the wonderful qualities SLO has to offer, I've been getting the itch to explore a new place. Then it hit me...I haven't really explored things in my own backyard, so Kim and I decided to set aside one day a month where we go off in search of adventure. I have to admit seeking out the obscure has been great fun. Hopefully you enjoy visiting these off-the-beaten-path spots as much as we have!