Feature: The BLM works with Native American tribes to protect Painted Rock, Carrizo Plain
Find peace and solitude To learn more about the Carrizo Plain National Monument and Painted Rock, visit blm.gov. The visitor’s center is located at 17495 Soda Lake Road in the California Valley. Call the monument’s information line at (805) 475-2035. Prairie falcons, barn owls, and great horned owls nest on top of the only rock…
Feature: Long-time Orcutt resident Kathy Brodie opened up her 43-acre property to the community
Kathy Brodie’s legacy lies in the Orcutt Hills. Throughout her life, she’s seen Orcutt shift from a small oil town in the ’60s to the expanding community it’s become. “This is my history, I went up into those foothills to visit my relatives in little oil field houses. No one had electricity,” Brodie said. “We…
Get Outside – Winter/Spring 2023
Year-round recreation One of the great things about the Central Coast is its weather. Even when the temperature dips or storms wreak havoc with heavy rains and strong winds, locals know there’s sunshine and warmth on the way. It makes for a full year of outdoor activities, including hunting, hiking, drinking wine (yes, that’s an…
Trailblazing: Bored with traditional wine tasting? Try out these more active vineyard experiences
Central Coast wine country is home to some of the most beautiful natural landscapes in the world. And yet, for most wine tasters, these areas are experienced indirectly through car windows, driving from one winery to the next. But it doesn’t have to be that way. There are companies in San Luis Obispo and Santa…
Trailblazing: I hit up Joshua Tree for my 24th birthday
Plan it Learn more about Joshua Tree National Park by visiting the National Park Service website, nps.gov, and/or downloading the National Park app. I always thought Joshua trees looked like something out of a Dr. Seuss book: short bodies bent at strange angles with spiky leaves poking out. The Lorax could pop out from behind…
Feature: Disco Golf at Dairy Creek offers day and night options
Hit ’em with your best shot An open-to-the-public pro/am tournament—The 2023 SLO Disc Golf Open—is scheduled from May 3 through 6 at various locations from Templeton’s Whale Rock Disc Golf Course to Santa Maria’s Waller Park. Visit here for details. Disc golf is one of the fastest growing sports in the U.S. and the easiest…
Gear Hub: The Santa Barbara County Fire Department offers outdoor safety tips
Safety starts with knowing where you’re going, what you’ll be doing, and what you’ll need in order to prevent injury on the trails, Santa Barbara County Fire Capt. Scott Safechuck said. “We have a lot of hiking emergencies up here. [When] hiking trails, people can have the misperception of hiking. They are right here and…
Trailblazing: Three local hikes that will test those legs
Most of the front-country trails in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties are short enough that the initial inclines only burn for a moment. The pain is over relatively quickly, and the elevation gains are more gradual than relentless. But there are some trails that will make you regret your decision to tackle them.…
Gearhub: Prep yourself and your pup for a wild time
My pit bull has backpacked in Big Sur and beyond, rafted the Owens River, kayaked and snowshoed in the Sierra Nevada, and car camped and hiked all across the Western United States. I’ve made a lot of mistakes and acquired a cupboard full of dog gear in the last 12 years, from life vests and…
Gearhub: Five phone and watch apps to enhance your time outside
While so many of us look to the outdoors for a break from our phone and computer screens, there’s no denying that some amazing innovations have come at the intersection of the fitness and tech worlds. Countless devices and apps can now track your movements, heart rate, altitude, and more. Finding out which of these…
Outdoor Kitchen: Carlo Overhulser crafts artisan salt with some help from the Pacific Ocean
A rogue wave near Rocky Creek deposited its leftovers in a glass beer bottle as it washed over Carlo Overhulser’s head. Freezing and wet on a winter day in 2015, he was in awe of the 30-foot-tall calamity that just soaked him. “We get the big storms through here, and I like to go watch…
Outdoor Kitchen: Comfort food in the great outdoors
Recent years have brought forward a ton of glamping trends, and that includes camp-side cuisine. TikTok video after TikTok video show dry-rubbed filets, ever-so-carefully smushed garlic bulbs, and freshly picked herbs all coming together in the great outdoors. Gone are the days of PB&Js your mom slapped together before loading everyone into the station wagon.…
Cover: A rush to curb wild pig prevealence in California leaves conflicting groups speculating about the animal’s future
Camped on the undulating hills of Bradley, professional hunter Chad Wiebe and his outfitting group raced against the clock. Clad in earth tones and armed with monoculars, handheld radios, and guns, they were on a quest for feral pigs. It took all afternoon on Dec. 20. Wiebe drove roughly an hour into the southern Monterey…
Outdoor Kitchen: SLO Based Cattaneo Brothers celebrates 75th Anniversary
Grab a snack Snag some Cattaneo Brothers jerky by visiting The Mercantile at 950 Chorro St. in San Luis Obispo. Follow @CattaneoBros on Instagram for more information on special promotions or events celebrating the company’s 75th anniversary. Running a family business has always been about celebrating legacy and community for Katelyn Kaney. “It all comes…
