PCW Virtual Experience

One student is giving abother a piggy-back ride. They are standing with their backs to a dark night background. The lights of the city can be seen at the bottom of the image.

Terrace Hill (night view)

Terrace hill loop - san luis obispo, ca 93401

Andy Lim | he/him/his | 1st year | Computer Science | Korean American Student Association

Terrace Hill is an open space hill located 10 minutes (driving) away from campus. If you are looking for a high hill overlooking the city, this is the place you want to go because the hike is very short. Even though San Luis Obispo doesn’t have the best nightlife, city lights and occasional passing of the train make this place a great watch place both day and night. I personally think that going at night is very peaceful for stargazing and just taking a break from school. You can park in a nearby neighborhood and there is no cost involved!

A group of 4 sits on a bluff above the ocean at sunset.

Pirates Cove 

1618 cave landing rd. san luis obispo, ca 93401

Bethany Tsukamoto | she/her/hers | 2nd Year | Nutrition | Epic Movement 

I highly recommend going to Pirates Cove, especially at sunset! It’s only a 20 minute drive from campus and is the perfect spot for pictures. If you’re looking for a chill hike, or just a place to hang out with your friends, this is the place for you! My friends and I spent hours just enjoying the scenery and taking a break from studying. This is by far my favorite place to go to in SLO. Just be careful when you go because the cliffs are really narrow and steep!

A group of students sits on a terrace overlooking the cal poly campus.

P Mountain 

1 grand ave. san luis obispo, ca 93401

Estevan Hurtado | he/him/his | 2nd Year | Construction Management | Gamma Zeta Alpha

The P Mountain is a fairly easy hike (depending on your hiking experience) which is very fun and easy just to go up and find a peace of mind after a long day of studying. Going up to the P for sunsets is beautiful and you might even be able to capture some awesome pictures! The picture shown is from my own group during WOW almost 2 years ago so it definitely is a good place to go and relax with some friends. 

An image of a crowd of people filling a street the has food and produce tents on either side.

Thursday Night Farmers Market 

Higuera st. san luis obispo, ca 93401

Estevan Hurtado | he/him/his | 2nd Year | Construction Management | Gamma Zeta Alpha

The Thursday Night Farmers Market in SLO is a must go event at least sometime during your freshman year. They sell different kinds of homegrown produce, foods, and other neat things. Going on a Thursday night with some friends is a perfect pre-weekend event considering a lot of students may not have classes on Fridays! The farmers market also introduces you to the Downtown area of SLO and you may be able to find some of your favorites locations in town then!

Image of a large hill in the middle of a bay.

Morro Rock in Morro Bay

san luis obispo county

Estevan Hurtado | he/him/his | 2nd Year | Construction Management | Gamma Zeta Alpha

Morro Bay is a beautiful place to go in SLO county and is only about 15 minutes away from Cal Poly’s campus. This is the perfect place to go with friends for the day on a weekend or even a mid week trip to help relieve some of the stress from a busy week. It is personally one of my favorites spots to go to within SLO county and you can even go kayaking near the Morro Rock which is a really fun experience! Nearby is also the Morro Bay beach which is perfect for some beach volleyball or spikeball!

Image of a group of students sitting underneath some string lights at night.

Madonna Inn 

100 madonna rd. san luis obispo, ca 93405

Shawn von Chance Stutler | he/him/his | 3rd year | Animal Science | Japanese Student Association

Madonna Inn is a historic motel that is a 5 minute drive away from campus and is well known for its restaurant and their delicious cakes & desserts in their bakery. Next to the inn is a scenic trail that leads to the base of Cerro San Luis Obispo, more popularly known as Madonna Mountain. This mountain has a nice 4.3 mile loop trail that gives you a great view of San Luis Obispo at the top and is a hike I’ve personally done many times. During the winter, the people at Madonna set up lights at the top of the mountain which makes this loop even better for night hikes and a prime spot for photos.

Image of a pizza and a pice of naan bread with various dips to the side.

Petra 

1210 higuera st. san luis obispo, ca 93401

Emily Lo | she/her | 2nd year | Business | Committee Head

Shown above is pita and baba ghannoush. Baba ganoush is similar to hummus but it calls for grilled or roasted eggplant instead of chickpeas. The pita was perfect - soft and tears apart easily. Added bonus: there are freshly house made hot sauces, salsas and condiments, they are a nice compliment to the meal. 

Petras is a pretty well known mediterrian restaurant in san luis obispo! I definitely recommend trying!

Image of a takeout container filled Pad Thai with chicken.

Thai Boat 

3212 Broad st. #140, san luis obispo, ca 93401

Emily Lo | she/her | 2nd year | Business  | Committee Head

Shown above is take out Pad Thai with Chicken. The dish was very flavorful! Noodles were cooked to perfection and weren’t rubbery. 

I have been here a few times and employees are always so kind and willing to suggest delicious new dishes to try. Other dishes I recommend trying are pad cashew nut, pad see ew, pineapple fried rice, and mas sa mun curry.

Image a small pan filled with biscuits and gravy and other food items.

Bon Temps Creole Cafe

1819 osos st. san luis obispo, ca 93401

Emily Hsu | she/her | 2nd year | Business Admin | Chinese Christian Fellowship

If you are near the downtown area or want brunch before taking the train home, Bon Temps is the place to go! They have nice presentation and their food is very filling. Their price ($12.50) is reasonable considering their large portion size. I was able to eat this dish, Bon Temps Breakfast, for two meals.

Image of a bowl of ramen and a plate of sushi and rice.

Haha Ramen & Sushi

1065 olive st. san luis obispo, ca 93407

Emily Hsu | she/her | 2nd year | Business Admin | Chinese Christian Fellowship

If you’re looking for a bento lunch deal, Ha Ha ramen is yummy and affordable. It is only about a mile away from campus and has a variety of options to choose from. The image here is the spicy ramen lunch special. I ordered spicy tonkotsu ramen with spicy tuna roll and karaage for the sides. Go check out this hidden gem and see for yourself!

Image of a bowl of ramen.

Raku Ramen

1308 monterey st. san luis obispo, ca 93401

Emily Hsu | she/her | 2nd year | Business Admin | Chinese Christian Fellowship

In my opinion, Raku ramen is the best place for ramen and rice bowls near Cal Poly. Featured here is their Chasu Don, so flavorful and filling. I also recommend their Tonkotsu ramen. It's a walkable distance since it’s located on the edge of downtown. I go here whenever I’m craving some good Japanese food. They are on the heavier and more meaty side so make sure you come with an empty stomach!

Image of a plate of raw meat in the center of smaller bowls containing vegetables, sides, and dips.

Sizzlin Gogli

1841 s broadway st. santa maria, ca 93454

Emily Hsu | she/her | 2nd year | Business Admin | Chinese Christian Fellowship

Sizzlin Gogi is the closest AYCE KBBQ place you’ll find in the area, located in Santa Maria. It’s worth the 40min drive for cravings. I’ve had a great time coming here with friends. If you’ve never had KBBQ before, this place is worth a try! I got the Course A option, which is the cheapest option for AYCE, but still had so much variety and was still delicious. 

Image of a bowl of ramen.

@bites

195 N. santa rosa st. san luis obispo, ca 93405

Nicholas Nguyen | he/him | 3rd year | Civil Engineering | Thai-Vietnamese Student Association

@bites is an over-the-counter Vietnamese restaurant right off of Foothill and Santa Rosa (10 min walk from campus). This was the first time I've ever eaten here. I had their beef pho and it tastes just like the food I'd order back in Westminster. I paid around $14 after tax, which is really expensive compared to back home. I'd go again if it were a special occasion or if I'm really craving pho. Would recommend if you're fixing to get Vietnamese food in SLO.

Image of a neon sign that says "bobastop"

Boba Stop

578 california blvd. san luis obispo, ca 93405

Alexa Marquez | she/her/hers | 4th year | Aerospace Engineering | Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers

Boba Stop is an accessible boba place not too far from Cal Poly’s campus. It is about a 15 minute walk from the Spanos Stadium and the drinks encompass a variety of flavors including milk tea, snow bubble, smoothies, and regular tea. The toppings range from boba to lychee to aloe vera and many others! I have been here several times because it is relatively cheap ($3-$5 for a tall cup) and apart from drinks also has yummy crepes and other desserts. The drinks are a little quicker and less extravagant than places like Milk N It but it is enough to satisfy the boba craving! I’d recommend the crepes or popcorn chicken and the snow bubble drinks, although my favorite is the simple almond coffee milk tea drink.

Image of a stone arch over a path leading to the hills.

Architecture Graveyard

poly canyon rd. san luis obispo, ca 93405

Adriana Villicana | she/her/hers | 2nd year | Nutrition Major | Lambda Sigma Gamma Sorority Inc.

It is a pretty nice trail at the beginning before hitting the entrance at Arch Graveyard. It is approximately a mile to reach it and once you pass the arch, there are the abandoned projec ts from the architecture majors. They are pretty spaced out and it is a hike to see all of the projects. There is a map near the entrance and it will show you where the other buildings are at, I recommend to go during the evening since the sky looks amazing at night (because of the stars C:).

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