Sunset Drive-In

1/26/2016

When was the last time you went to the drive-in to see the latest movie?

I was driving for Uber the other night, when I took a group of 20-something passengers Northbound on 101. As we passed The Sunset Drive in, the guy asked his 2 female friends, "have you been to the drive-in?". When their answer was "no", this sparked a friendly debate over the merits of experiencing movies at the drive-in as opposed to the fancy modern movie houses. By the time we reached the destination, the girls had come to the conclusion that their next outing would be to the drive-in.

This got me to thinking, when was the last time I had supported this local establishment. The answer was July of last year, for "Inside Out". We had a great time.

The experience is much better, especially for the kids, in my opinion. But I grew up with going to the drive-in. Back then, the experience wasn't the best....but let's be honest, I wasn't necessarily going to the drive-in for the movies as a teenager! Back then, you had to hang a scratchy-sounding, heavy, metal speaker in your window. If you were lucky, no one would park next to you, so you could almost hear the movie in stereo. Long gone are those days. The modern Sunset Drive-in uses your car stereo to broadcast the movie's sound track. This makes for an amazing audio experience, depending on your car's system.

I haven't even mentioned the best part of the drive in, the double-feature. In an era of $15+ per adult movie tickets, which only allows you to watch a single movie, Sunset charges $7 per adult ($2 for a kid!!). This makes the drive-in such an incredible value, you'll actually be able to afford snacks.

Most people love hitting Sunset's snack bar at intermission. Nachos, popcorn, pizza, pretzels, the usual snack bar fair. This is the one time our child gets to eat in the car, he loves it!

Between the minuscule cost, and the fact that they can get outside and watch a movie, this is the perfect way to take the kids to the movies.

Get out and support the Sunset Drive-in soon, or it will just be another business we say "goodbye" to as SLO evolves into the modern city it's becoming.

Money Talks

6/17/2015

By Lindsey Rapone

Do you want valuable information and free food? This summer, United Way of San Luis Obispo County is hosting two “Money Talks” workshops for young adults ages 16-22. Come join us for a free lunch and crucial financial advice!

Now is a perfect time to start thinking about your finances. Nearly half of all of American families spend more than they make, and even more are saving nothing for retirement. What's worse is that money stress destroys relationships and is harmful to our health! Education about debt, investing, credit scores, and budgeting is more important than ever – and these vital topics aren’t taught by most schools.

At United Way of San Luis Obispo County, we believe that financial literacy should be taught from a young age. Financial knowledge is an important building block for a person’s future success, and we are dedicated to instilling this knowledge in our youth.

We have teamed up with financial professionals to bring the “Money Talks” program to teens and young adults in SLO county. The “Money Talks” program was started by the University of California Cooperative Extension. It was created to improve the economic well-being of youth in America. The program is usually 5 class sessions, but this summer Mr. Ryan Caldwell from Wacker Wealth Partners will be teaching Personal Finance 101, a condensed two hour version of the material.

This fun, interactive class will focus on the most critical aspects of financial literacy for young adults: the emotion behind financial decisions, the mechanics of building and maintaining a good credit score, various forms of debt and how to stay out of trouble, basics of taxes, goal setting, saving, and investing.

Teaching young adults about their money personality - the set of ideas that govern spending, giving, and investment decisions - is a pivotal step in securing a strong financial future. Knowing their money personalities early on helps young adults understand what motivates their financial behavior, and allows them to make meaningful and lasting changes to create the financial future they want.

The teens and young adults will also learn about the importance of setting realistic and attainable money goals. One helpful strategy they will learn is to pay themselves first, establishing the habit of setting aside money into savings before paying bills or buying groceries.

We will illustrate how starting a savings plan early has a profound impact on one's ability to save towards long-term goals because time and compounding do some of the work for you! The class will also focus on the basics of using credit cards, bank accounts, investing, debt management, and credit reports. Understanding these basic financial concepts from a young age will allow the young adults to make wise financial decisions now and in the future.

There will be two Personal Finance 101 classes this summer: July 27 and August 21, both from 11:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. The workshops are free and lunch will be provided. Registration is required.

For more information or to register, visit our website, or call Rachel Cementina at (805) 541-1234. These workshops will be an invaluable experience for young adults ages 16-22.

Arroyo Grande Parks

6/10/2015

I feel, one of the many benefits to being a 5-cities resident are the many parks we enjoy throughout our communities. The parks are widely varied, in terms of what they offer. Some are tailored to tiny tikes, others are geared toward our four-legged kids, even adults looking to throw up a volleyball net, can find a great spot in our local parks. Many of our parks may be reserved for private events. Here's a few of our summer favorites.

Strother Community Park is located at 1150 Huasna Rd. This park offers two play structures, separated by age group. Nestled along the Arroyo Grande creek, this park makes a great gathering spot for groups. The barbecue areas are can accommodate large amounts of food, and are able to be reserved. Your group wil have access to horseshoe pits, basketball courts, softball field, pretty much anything your picnic could need on a summer's afternoon! For reservation, and other more detailed info, click here.

Elm Street Park is my dog's favorite spot in Arroyo Grande. Located at 1221 Ash st, this park offers a single ship-themed play area. This park has a large grassy area, with trees here-and-there (perfect for spending an afternoon reading our blog against). Elm street park is also gives us two penned off leash dog areas. One for large breeds, and one perfect for the little dogs. Your dogs will love you for taking them for a run, letting them exchange pee-mail, and sniffing every inch of this off-leash space. Another of this park's special features is it's proximity to Soto field. The barbeque space in Elm street park, can easily hold over 75 people. This makes it the no-brainer spot to reserve for the next team party. There is another small pedestal barbecue pit located in the park, and it's only available on a FCFS basis.

Many fellow Geocachers will have visited this little gem, due to the cache located within Hoosegow Park. At 150 LePoint st., you are situated just above old-town Arroyo Grande. This is almost small enough to be called a "parklet". Held inside the park, you'll find the old city jail (or hoosegow) which was built in 1910. This park just received a much needed renovation, leaving it an even better place to sit and contemplate life.

If you love to hike, but don't have all day to trek to and around SLO? The James Way Oak Habitat and Wildlife Preserve is the solution I offer. This preserve (off of James way, as the name implies) allows you to disappear into nature and return, in under 10 minutes. If you aren't on your lunch break, and want to take some time exploring, the trails are fairly extensive. Many trails weave throughout the scrub and oaks. Make sure to take water, and I recommend a natural bug repellent, as this is tick territory.

These are simply four of our personal favorite parks. There are so many more, we're blessed with. From the million-dollar view of Rancho Grande Park, to the fun summer nights listening to a band in the Heritage Square Rotary bandstand, we can't get enough of Arroyo Grande Parks!

Cupping Therapy on the Central Coast

5/8/2015

By: Sarah Simon

If we can remember last weekend there were a ton of festivities happening in San Luis Obispo. Between Barrels in Plaza, Art after Dark and the 2015 Central Coast Sustainability Festival it was definitely a tough call choosing how to spend the weekend. Sometimes the best thing to do though is something completely not mainstream; which is exactly what I decided to do.

It wasn’t that I didn’t want to spend the weekend being active in the community but that I knew I needed to surrender to self-effacement and spend my time focused on something that doesn’t happen quite often enough.

Healing.

Now, before I begin I want to acknowledge the fact that I totally get what you’re thinking. ‘Why the heck is she venting about healing?’ And friends, I’m talking with you about this today for a lot of reasons. The most important being that living in San Luis Obispo has healed me and I think that’s worth sharing.

When I moved to the Central Coast last August I had just started an acupuncture-healing regime related to a five-year-old college injury. I had been in an accident that left my eye struggling for sight and my mental state completely distraught. In the process of healing I focused primarily on my vision and completely neglected the rest of body that caused a lot of built up tension in my neck, shoulder and jaw area.

Around this time last year I decided to do a home acupuncture session due to some minor facial swelling which began an uprising of built up tension, emotion and misalignment I had neglected to care for over the last five years.

As I started to release I noticed more and more systemic progression. And for me, being the adventurous person that I am, I started experimenting with different forms of therapy to promote restoration.

I had read a little bit about cupping therapy but never thought too much about it. Yet as I went in for my biweekly acupuncture appointment my acupuncturist, Michelle Hamilton (who you should absolutely see at SLO Wellness for all your holistic healing needs) suggested we try it to release deeper uncovered tension in my back and shoulder area.

I trusted her judgment as Michelle is truly an expert at her craft and probably asked 100+ questions about the therapy before we began. Now, for those of you who don’t know Michelle she really listens and educates during her sessions (not to mention she always dresses super cute!) so I felt really comfortable moving forward with the therapy.

What it is is an ancient Chinese method of relieving pain and extracting toxins from the body. A vacuum is essentially created by placing heated cups on the skin that creates a suction and increases blood flow and energy to the treated area. It literally feels like the pain is being lifted out of the body through a tingling massage like sensation! What’s super neat about it too is that the treatment only lasts about three minutes and has serious long-term effects. I will warn you though, it will create some serious bruising, so don’t freak out when I show you the end result.

Are you ready?

Wait for it…

Wait for it...!

Cupping Bruises

Ah!

Are you shocked? Don’t worry! The bruises went away after about a week and my back has never felt better!

But that’s not even the best part! The best part about the treatment is that I cannot even begin to tell you how many people have inquired about my experience. What does it feel like? How is it done? Where did you go? Were you scared? Can I see more? I couldn’t believe it! All these inquires right here in our little community!

The following day I had a little pain and soreness but nothing like what you might assume from the picture. My purpose here though is not to tell that you that you should or shouldn’t do this treatment because frankly it’s not for everyone. What I’m here to tell you is that this therapy is available right in your own backyard. The Central Coast is filled with alternative therapies for those who live an active lifestyle or are interested in experimenting with more holistic remedies. We’re very lucky to have so many unique forms of healing in our little bubble and the fact that so many people expressed interest in my story is why I’m sharing it with you today.

If I can share the magic, and the power, and the opportunity that the Central Coast has to offer than my mission is complete. I’m here for you and I know you’re here for me and that’s why the Central Coast is the ultimate place to be.

SLO County Volunteers

4/30/2015

Our friends at the San Luis Obispo chapter of United Way have made volunteering easier, more rewarding, and even funner! Yesterday they introduced us to VolunteerSLO.org.

This social network allows people seeking volunteer opportunities in the county, to be connected with the perfect organization to volunteer for. Not only are there companies seeking individuals, but groups of people will also find a way to contribute. This comes in handy for clubs or organizations such as fraternities or sororities, or even the local high-school club with a mind toward community service.

We had a couple staff go through the process of signing up, and we all had the same reaction, "that was so easy". In order to begin surfing through San Luis Obispo volunteer jobs, we simply completed 5 steps. After that, we had our own "wall" created for us (slighlty reminiscent of FaceBook circa 2005). The "wall" displays our updates, and hours worked (which can auto-populate, depending on the listing you respond to.

After poking around for a bit, we noticed perhaps the feature with the widest appeal/need in our community. You are able to add more details on your profile, which will enable you to help out in a major crisis. The details they ask for, will be added to a database, which is accessed in an emergency. This is in order to quickly bring together residents with particualr skills that may be in need. There is more than just "are you a doctor or a mechanic?" type of question about your skills. Everyone from cooks, to executives, teachers and landscapers can find a way to be included in this vital list of designated volunteers.

If you want to know more, you can read the United Way's press release, or simply head on over to VolunteerSLO.org to get started helping out in our community right away! Volunteering is aNOTHER perfect way to embrace San Luis Obispo County's motto - "NOT FOR OURSELVES ALONE"

SLO YMCA Adult Flag Football

4/24/2015

-San Luis Obispo, CA SLO YMCA has a way to make us feel like kids again! They are introducing an adult flag-football league to San Luis Obispo. Now you can don ribbons and chase each other around like you were 10 years old, all over again!

Sign-ups have already begun, and are available by visiting the SLO YMCA website. You have the opportunity to register any time prior to April 30th, so don’t hesitate putting together your team. The games will be held at Los Ranchos Elementary School, in SLO.

Teams may consist of 10 players maximum (matches are 6-on-6). Put together your co-workers, best friends, or your family. This is a great team-building opportunity, not to mention a great way to get outdoors. Each team should designate a captain to register their team (here), but each player will be required to sign in at game-time. All players need to be at least 18 years old to play.

The costs involved to register, goes to support the San Luis Obispo Chapter of the YMCA. Registration is $325 per team (once again, up to 10 people). Teams are required to be in matching Jerseys/T-shirts for the games. T-shirts are available locally from J. Carroll Screen Printing. You may want to purchase a mouth-guard as well, but it is not a requirement (this is a friendly game, but accidents happen). You can find the complete rules here.

If your company is unable to participate, but would still love to support SLO YMCA through sponsorship, we have those opportunities. Sponsorship has many benefits, a few being that you will be seen on the website, and also appear on the winning T-shirts. Sponsorships start at $250, but you may donate more if you choose. If you would like to simply volunteer as an individual (or group) to help put the event on, you can register through the United Way’s Volunteer SLO website. Sign-up is quick and easy, and will connect you with the appropriate people/organizations.

We hope to see the whole community at Los Ranchos Elementary on June 6th and 7th, for our Annual Adult Flag Football Tournament!

Life After Dead

4/17/2015

Life After Dead: An Evening with Dark Star Orchestra
by Sarah Simon

Vina Robles Amphitheater kicked off 2015 last Friday with a stellar opening performance from the group dedicated to keeping the Grateful Dead experience alive, the one and only, Dark Star Orchestra. What’s super cool about this band is that they play actual set lists, song by song, through an instrumental and vocal arrangement specific to the era of the original Grateful Dead performance.

I was fortunate to receive complimentary tickets and could not have been more excited to show off my tye-die and floppy hat while dancing freely in the open air. Ironically, the only aspect I was slightly skeptical about was the outdoor venue.

As a former resident of Boulder, CO, Red Rocks Amphitheatre in

Morrison, CO has always been my top concert spot. Although now that I think about it, I was being a little too judgmental when comparing VRA to the venue with an insanely large vertical rock formation to the right of the stage that looks out on the city of Denver. Talk about picturesque!

But as I approached VRA my preconceived notion quickly fluttered away. Retrieving the tickets from will call was a breeze and security was light and friendly. Upon entry I immediately loved the layout. Clean floors, clean lines, clean design and a seriously spacious dance floor with a sonically gorgeous sound system. The dining options were delectably atypical; definitely not your standard concert fare. Mouthwatering pulled pork sandwiches, local wines and craft beers were just a few delicacies my husband and I enjoyed on the grassy hill overlooking the stage.

We relished in our divine eats while watching the sun set over the venue. The vibrations were perfectly mellow and the crowd filled in with toddlers, gray hairs and everything in between. At one point I saw a young mother cradling her flower child for an entire song as they listened, swayed and loved and as we finished our first round I heard the sound of magic.

Dun, nah, nah, nah, “Picture a bright blue ball just spinning, spinning free.” Dun, nah, nah, dun. “Dizzy with eternity.”

Time to get funky.

We lost ourselves in the sights and sounds of the band’s delicately unique harmonies as they performed my all-time favorite Dead jam and as the night creeped to an end I stopped to savor in the joy that radiated around me. On the left was a collection of free spirits interpretive dancing with their arms and legs extended above the stars and on the right, a group of bohemian beauties frolicking in circles as a gentleman in a wheelchair zipped and glimmered through the gaps.

It was undoubtedly one of the most beautiful sights I’d ever seen. To see that kind of love and light so purely encapsulating the energy and experience of the Grateful Dead era was absolutely incredible.

The intimacy Dark Star Orchestra delivered as they waved goodbye was one loving as they expressed that the performed set was originally showcased by the Dead on June 14th 1985 at the Venture Fairgrounds in Ventura, CA.

Still in awe, hearts full and glasses empty, we waved back with tears in our eyes and nothing but love in our hearts.

Indians Campground

11/25/2014

Fort Hunter Ligget

Approximately 1.5 hours north of San Luis Obispo, lies a granite playground to explore. By going across the Fort Hunter Liggett training grounds, you will access some pristine swatches of the Los Padres National Forest.

At one time, shortly after 9/11/01, you had to pass through a security checkpoint to access this natural wonder. These days they've done away with the pat-downs, allowing you to pass by tanks firing, troops organizing, even a mini Baghdad (with flipped over cars, like a movie set) unimpeded by security forces. While you're passing through the Army base, you'll also have the opportunity to see Mission San Antonio de Padua, but that's for another article.

San Luis Obispo YMCA Moonlight 5K

11/10/2014

What are your plans for Saturday, December 6th? We hope to see you at the inaugural SLO YMCA Moonlight 5K fun-run. Participants are asked to sign up prior to November 30. This race is sure to be a great time for people of all skill levels and anyone over 6 years old! Dads and Moms, feel free to bring your strollers.....but leave your four-footed, furry kids at home (no dogs).

The race itself will begin just after sunset (around 5pm). Upon completion, participants will be invited to stick around to enjoy the sense of community only the San Luis Obispo YMCA can bring together. Dancing, food, dancing, music....you know, a good time! Your entry fee helps San Luis Obispo YMCA, but also includes glow sticks, glow paint stick, a raffle ticket, snacks, and a glowing event T-shirt!!

For $35 ($30 for current SLO YMCA members) you can help a great cause, get a little exercise on one of San Luis Obispo County's best trails/golf courses, and walk away with a shirt to remember all the fun. Get a group of friends together (contact the YMCA for a group discount) and head out to Avila Beach on Dec 6 for the SAN LUIS OBISPO YMCA 5K FUN RUN!!

find the San Luis Obispo YMCA on social media @sloymca

SLO YMCA 5k

SLO YMCA Flyer, click it to go to their website

San Luis Obispo Blog

Regular Writers

Sarah Simon
Lindsey Rapone
Von Odermatt

About

We look to provide ideas to get folks away from the couch, and out exploring California. We aim to provide day-trips. We want to provide suggestions of things to do, in a single day. Whether you're from out-of-town, or looking to get to know the our magnificent section of California (and beyond) a little better....we want to inspire you to explore.

If you have an article you would like published, feel free to send your ideas to patron@slocounty.info, for consideration.

We are currently looking for a dedicated writer. Please email us for details.

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