Top Reasons to Visit Apple Farm Inn

• Apple Farm Inn has 104 rooms, but it feels more like a small-town bed and breakfast—it has country decor and comfy common areas; outside, there are shady sycamore trees, flower gardens, and views of the Nine Sisters mountains.
• Each of the rooms is individually decorated, but they all have a common countryside theme, with bright colors and plenty of sunlight. Most of the spacious rooms have gas fireplaces.
• You can relax in the heated outdoor pool and hot tub.
• Adjacent to the hotel is the Apple Farm Restaurant & Bakery; it’s a favorite stop for locals, who come for the homestyle pies and pastries. The restaurant also serves market-fresh seafood, such as herb-crusted rainbow trout and seared salmon.
• The property is just a short drive north of wine country and William Randolph Hearst’s castle. Just a little farther away are the spectacular cliffside beaches of Big Sur.

San Luis Obispo, California: Historic City Close to Hiking and the Pacific Coast

Founded in 1772 as a mission community, San Luis Obispo is one of the oldest towns in California. Nicknamed “SLO,” it’s located halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles and has a thriving downtown. Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa is its centerpiece. It was the original mission of the city, and has been completely restored and now houses a museum. Near the mission, you can wander through posh boutique shops and dine at upscale restaurants.

San Luis Obispo is almost perpetually sunny, with more than 300 rain-free days every year. The city is bisected by a string of hills known as the Nine Sisters, and six of these are open for climbing, hiking, and mountain biking. With the Pacific coastline and beaches 10 miles away, many visitors flock to the area to go windsurfing, kayaking, surfing, and kiteboarding. Also nearby is the resort town of Avila Beach, famous for its hot mineral springs.

San Luis Obispo made international headlines in 1990 when it became the first place in the world to ban smoking in all public buildings, including bars and restaurants. This action sparked worldwide antismoking laws, and today, it’s a citable offense to smoke in public at all in SLO. Considering the city’s famously strict health codes, it’s a delightful surprise that Bubble Gum Alley exists here. Locals and visitors have been sticking their chewed gum on Bubble Gum Alley’s walls since about 1960, and in turn, the alley is now a massive, mosaic-like public artwork that’s at once beautiful and grotesque.

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