Even the SLO life gets old sometimes. Here are 12 cool things to do in 2024

You’ve hiked Bishop Peak. Kayaked Morro Bay. Sipped local wines. Oohed over monarch butterflies, elephant seals and the superbloom.

Hearst Castle? Been there!

Ax throwing? Done that!

Farmers market? Every Thursday!

Those are all good things, but If you’re on the prowl for some new adventures in SLO County, Tribune staffers have a dozen suggestions, ranging from monolith hunting to knitting. And if it’s food and drink you’re after, we’ve got you covered there, too.

So have fun, be safe and don’t forget the sunscreen (or the knitting needles).

Hit the ‘cider trail’

Just like that, hard cider is a thing, which makes sense.

There are plenty of apples in SLO County, so it’s logical that cider would take off here. Hence, there are several local cideries — yes, that really is a word.

Some host special events — SLO Cider Co. has karaoke on Tuesday nights and open mic comedy on Thursdays; Two Broads Ciderworks in SLO has hosted a writers group, a clothing swap and queer trivia night; and Bristols Cider House in Atascadero frequently has live music.

Please note: This is by no means a comprehensive list. Google San Luis Obispo cideries for more fun places to try. One final word: If you are new to the world of hard cider, do not be intimidated. Cider folks are the opposite of snooty.

Find the monolith in Atascadero

Back in the waning days of 2020 during the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic, mysterious silver monoliths appeared in random places around the world, including at Stadium Park in Atascadero.

The installation, which popped up one morning in early December, delighted residents, some of whom hiked to the top of Pine Mountain to see it.

As suddenly as it arrived, however, the monolith was gone, after a band of troublemakers from Southern California drove up, ripped it out and replaced it with a wooden cross during a overnight raid.

Undeterred, the artists who erected the monolith came forward and created a newer, stronger version, anchoring it with 720 pounds of concrete, and it remains there today. The monolith, which can be reached via the Pine Mountain Loop trail, is now a favorite selfie spot in Atascadero.

Haunt the ‘ghost boat’ near Cayucos

You can spot the beached fishing boat at Estero Bluffs State Park north of Cayucos.

The ill-fated vessel ran aground in June 2017. Some claim the owner fell asleep at the helm, though a Coast Guard incident report says a deckhand took ill and went below, leaving the captain to manage things alone.

Unfortunately, the propeller caught on a crab pot line, the captain cut the engine to untangle the propeller and — oops! — the boat drifted ashore and sailed into local lore. Today, the boat remains stuck on the rocks, where it can be reached at low tide.

Cruise Morro Bay in a Venetian gondola

You can now ply the waters of Morro Bay in a elaborately carved Venetian wedding gondola serenaded by a professional gondoliere and opera singer Stephen Anastasia.

This is a splurge; a one-hour cruise costs $130 for two, plus $25 for each additional guest. (The gondola accommodates up to six passengers.)

But hey, if you can’t make it to Venice, at least you can get a little taste of Italy — especially if you follow it up with a nice plate of pasta.

Take in a movie — at the Sunset

Sure, you’ve driven past the Sunset Drive-In thousands of times. But when’s the last time you actually treated the fam to the full drive-in experience?

If it was “Snakes on a Plane,” you’re overdue.

If you still need convincing, consider this: There are only 300 drive-ins left in the entire country, and just 16 in California that operate on a regular basis. And we’ve got one in our own backyard!

A word of warning: the business is cash only, so hit the ATM before you go.

Discover a new-to-you breakfast spot

You may already have one or two faves, but there’s nothing wrong with adding a couple more to your rotation. Here are some suggestions from The Trib team:

Arroyo Grande: Village Cafe (Home of humongous cinnamon rolls with weird pink frosting.)

Pismo Beach: Honeymoon Cafe (Hippie/surfer vibe.)

San Luis Obispo: Coastal Peaks Coffee (SLO bagel is among the best things on the planet.)

Morro Bay: Top Dog Coffee Bar (Bring your doggo!)

Cayucos: Hidden Kitchen (You had us at savory waffles.)

Atascadero: The Nest (You gotta hand it to a restaurant that slaps peanut butter and jelly on a fully loaded ham-and-egg sandwich.)

Paso Robles: Joe’s Place (Traditional, stick-to-your-ribs breakfast fare. Don’t be put off by the number of cars in the parking lot. There’s lots of seating.)

Go mountain biking at Pismo Preserve

The Pismo Preserve is one of the best spots to mountain bike in SLO County thanks to its variety of trails across 880 acres of ocean-facing open space.

The 11 miles of trails are open to hikers as well, so you don’t need a fancy off-road bike to enjoy the views.

For the fullest experience, whether on bike or foot, try the 5.2-mile Discovery Trail, which makes a big, meandering loop of the entire property and provides access to a short spur path to Lover’s Point, an overlook at 780 feet that offers panoramic views of the coastline from Avila Beach to the Oceano Dunes and beyond.

Walk (or run) every street in your town

We all know walking is good for us, but taking the same route every single day? That gets old fast. Change things up by walking every street in your city, town, or neck-of-the-woods.

If you live in Paso or Atascadero or SLO, that’s going to be more of a challenge than walking every street in, say, Shell Beach, but this isn’t a race. You’ve got plenty of time. If you need help getting started, you’ll find plenty of advice, apps, even dissertations online. Just Google “walk every street.”

Walk (or run) every beach in the county

See above.

Check out Guadalupe

This is a bit of a cheat, since it is technically not in San Luis Obispo County. But it is just over the county line — so close that if it weren’t for the “Welcome to Guadalupe” sign, you might not even notice that you’ve left one county and entered another.

Guadalupe is home to the Dunes Center, which is devoted to nature, the environment, art and history — it even has a display of some of the artifacts from Cecil B. DeMille’s “Ten Commandments” set, filmed in 1923.

The other major attraction? Food. People used to come from miles around to dine at The Far Western steakhouse, but that’s relocated to Orcutt.

There are still plenty of other restaurants, most of them specializing in Mexican cuisine. Those include a hidden gem — Romo’s Market at 728 Guadalupe St., which earned a well-deserved 4.5 stars on Yelp. Tacos and burritos are made to order at a deli counter in the back of the market.

Tour a beaver pond

Looking for an outdoor adventure? The SLO Beaver Brigade offers free tours of beaver ponds in Atascadero and Oceano.

The brigade restores beaver habitats and educates people about beavers in SLO County. Tour guides teach guests about why beavers build damns, “how they help remove carbon from the atmosphere, how they help during wildfires, how they provide resiliency during multi-year droughts, how they improve water quality and so much more,” according to the group’s website.

The tours are free, and the brigade offers some wheelchair accessible tours and a Spanish language tour. The organization also offers private tours to groups larger than five. . Go to the Beaver Brigade website to sign up.

Learn to knit

Hailed as the “comeback craft,” knitting is having a moment. Even Ken (AKA Ryan Gosling) does it! You know you want to do it too, so stop putting it off.

There are several classes in San Luis Obispo County, at knitting shops, through adult education programs and even via private, online classes. Or try YouTube tutorials. Start now, and you might have a sweater finished by Christmas.

Alternatives: Learn a new language. Take up yoga. Sign up for ballroom dance lessons.

Or take a hike. Maybe it’s been a while since you’ve done Bishop Peak?