Illustration by Bryce Snyder
Aryn Sanderson
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Looking for a quick fix of adventure, excitement and just-turned-legal empowerment? Find a friend with a car, and hit the road. Make some new memories just outside of San Luis Obispo with these one-tank road trips: local locations that only require one tank of gas to get there and back. With hidden gems so close by, you’re going to have to make some epic road trip playlists.
All I do is win, win, win
Destination: Chumash Casino & Resort
Round-trip Miles: 136.8
One-Way Travel Time: One hour and nine minutes
Is it a friend’s 18th birthday? Take them over to Chumash Casino — and hope they have Lady Luck on their side. Go for broke with blackjack, poker or penny slots (we’re not judging). Just one breath of the cigarette-smoky air drifting through the casino and you’ll know, Toto, you’re not in San Luis anymore. Chumash is open 24/7 and also hosts concerts. Past performers have included Willie Nelson and Florida Georgia Line.
Drive to Denmark
Destination: Solvang
Round-trip Miles: 134.5 miles
One-Way Travel Time: One hour and eight minutes
If you’re hungry or sick of campus dining, drive to Solvang: California’s Little Denmark. The quaint town is perfect for foodies — or just starving college students. With five authentic Danish bakeries, Solvang is “an orgy of pastry,” media relations director for the Solvang Visitors Bureau Laura Kath said.
“Once you’ve had an authentic Danish pastry, you’ll never settle for a regular, Starbucks pastry again,” she said.
Along with pastry shops, Solvang has plenty of restaurants that “feature the traditional Danish smorgasbord,” Kath said, along with an authentic Danish chocolate shop. To work off all your Aebleskivers (Danish pancake balls), Kath recommends renting group bicycles — which, she said, are “really a kick in the pants” — and exploring the charming town. With more than 150 different retail shops in just 2.2 square miles, there’s got to be something for everyone.
“We don’t allow chain stores in Solvang, so if you want to go to the Gap, don’t go here,” Kath said.
Elephant seals, Hearst Castle, oh my!
Destination: San Simeon
Round-trip Miles: 84.2 miles
One-Way Travel Time: 48 minutes
What do elephants, seals and castles have in common? San Simeon! Well, kind of. The small town of San Simeon is divided on both sides of Highway 1. On the west side are scenic ocean views and, during the right time of year, great migrations of gray whales or the famous elephant seal rookery. Watch the huge elephant seals (males weigh in at around 5,000 pounds) flip sand onto themselves to keep cool. On the east side of the highway is the famous Hearst Castle, known for its opulence.
Meet “The Rock”
Destination: Morro Bay
Round-trip Miles: 26.4 miles
One-Way Travel Time: 19 minutes
Morro Bay — home of the volcanic plug Morro Rock — is a prime destination for outdoorsy adventures. Morro Bay City Administrator Andrea Lueker recommends surfing, fishing, stand-up paddle boarding, kayaking or hiking Black Hill.
“It’s also kind of funny to say this, but I think the beach is a hidden gem because you can go from Morro Bay to Cayucos — which is over six miles — just on the beach,” she said. “You can walk or run, and there’s always places along the way with waves where you and your buddy can be the only ones out surfing.”
Close-by for concerts
Destination: Avila Beach
Round-trip Miles: 21.6 miles
One-Way Travel Time: 15 minutes
Many Mustangs forget that the close-by Avila Beach has more to offer than just a close-by beach.
“This town may be small and quaint, but there (is an) endless amount of things to do,” Avila Beach social media director Kacianne Knighton said.
She recommends: “stand-up paddle board rentals, bonfire pits, the Avila Wine Trail, mineral hot springs and the Harford Pier — one of the only piers that you can drive on.” For those with bikes — or even just feet — the Bob Jones Trail, an almost 5-mile flat, paved trail, is perfect for a sunny day cycle or long walk. And the Avila Beach Golf Resort often hosts popular outdoors concerts with hot contemporary acts. Just this summer, Damien Marley, Above & Beyond and The Dirty Heads made (sound) waves.
The best part of being outside in Avila?
“Because Avila Beach is nestled into a cove and protected from the wind by Port San Luis, Avila is almost always warmer and sunnier than surrounding beach towns,” Knighton said.