Get Outside – Winter/Spring 2024
Year-around recreation Wildfires and wild storms are California’s new norm. We prep for these events and then we rebuild after they’re over. In this issue, we’re focusing on how our public land is being managed to prevent catastrophic wildfires from sweeping away acres of flora and fauna and the communities that exist within those spaces.…
Public awareness group Wolf Hybrid Adoption and Rescue is a discreet haven for wolf-dog mixes in Paso Robles
Get clued in Learn more about Wolf Hybrid Adoption and Rescue and its rehoming plans on Facebook and Instagram @wharwolfsanctuary. Donate to their relocation efforts at givebutter.com/wharwolves or by calling (805) 400-7473. Rural Paso Robles is home to the mothballed Paso Robles Juvenile Facility on Airport Road and the Conservation Ambassadors Zoo to You nonprofit…
Caltrans battles nature along the Big Sur coast
Highway 1’s expanse of pavement threads above cliffs, bluffs, and beaches between Cambria and Carmel, carving a breathtaking path that undulates between awe and fear—depending on the driver. Steep drop-offs and hairpin turns. Wild blue and teal water pockmarked by white surf and gray boulders. The Coastal Range in browns, beiges, and greens. But the…
The Switchback in San Luis Obispo is a great spot for used gear
New, old gear Visit The Switchback at 667 Marsh St. in San Luis Obispo. Find all the information you need for used-gear adventuring, selling, and more at theswitchback.com. Looking for a spot to get some high-quality gear for a more affordable price? Or a spot to find a new home for a great piece of…
The buzz on beekeeping
Busy Bees Stay updated on all the adventures, plans, and buzzing of the California Bee Company by visiting califroniabeecompany.com or following the company on Instagram @californiabeecompany. What’s fuzzy, tiny, and one of the Central Coast’s highest exporters of sweet treats? It’s the bee, of course. The familiar pollinator with a mighty sting is as hard…
Santa Maria’s loncheras
One of the best parts about living in Santa Maria is all the food trucks scattered throughout the city. To the untrained eye, they might all look the same: brightly lit trucks in parking lots advertising classic Mexican staples like tacos and burritos. But spend some time visiting them, and you’ll find a rich, diverse…
Oso Flaco Lake is a scenic spot with a dark legend
Get there Oso Flaco Lake is located about 6.5 miles south of Oceano off Highway 1. At the Oso Flaco Lake road junction, head toward the ocean until the road dead ends at the day use area parking lot. Day use fees are $5 per vehicle, and it’s open daily from sunrise to sunset, but…
The Bovine Classic brings competitive bicyclists from around the world to North SLO County
The grounds in front of Atascadero City Hall thrummed with the tinkle of hundreds of bike bells, the whir of chains passing over gears, and the singular peal of a ringing golden cowbell. That chaotic melody marked the start of the second annual Bovine Classic Gravel Ride on a chilly but sunny Oct. 28 morning.…
Trails to get that tail back into shape
Winter legs feel heavy on those steep inclines. They’ve been stuck indoors for too long, and sometimes those gams need a little light coaxing before they’re ready to start bagging peaks. Start slow and low, and you’ll be ready in no time. San Luis Obispo County has a lot of hikes, some of the them…
SLO County has bicycle shops everywhere you look
If you’re stuck on a bicycle somewhere in San Luis Obispo County and feeling desperate about your situation, there’s probably a bike shop near you that can fix your problem. On the coast, in a town, up in North County, down in South County. Wherever you are, there’s a bike shop close. They’re filled with…
Federal, state, and local fire agencies are using several mitigation strategies in the face of more extreme wildfire events and growing wildland-urban communities
Tepusquet Canyon residents Lilian and Dave Clary loaded their mules and other livestock into trailers and fled their home after receiving an evacuation order in 2017. “[Dave] left at 10 a.m., by 2:30 p.m. we could see flames on the western ridge of the canyon and watched the crews fighting fires, the helicopter drops, the…
Morro Bay’s oysters are a delicate, delicious treat
Find the bar Meet Grassy Bar Oyster Co. in Morro Bay at 1215 Embarcadero Road, suite D, where you can buy oysters whole, to go, or eat them there on ice, shucked and topped with a variety of delicious accoutrements. The retail store is open from noon to 5 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. Check out…
Three local zip-lining parks supply singular highs
This is the closest I’ll ever get to being Batman. About 400 feet above ground, I look below at some valley terrain, visible but mildly obscured by my legs—dangling wildly in the air—as I zip-line from point A to point B at Highline Adventures. Tucked away just outside Buellton’s city limits, Highline Adventures is the…
