SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIFORNIA

This is my electronic photo album on San Luis Obispo, California. San Luis Obispo or SLO was recently named the "Happiest Place in the USA" by National Geographic author Dan Buettner (featured on Oprah). 

Conveniently located halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco along the Central Coast of California, San Luis Obispo is the geographic and figurative heart of California. SLO's warm community and small town charm offer visitors a breath of fresh air, cultural attractions, gourmet cuisine, award-winning wines, breathtaking beautiful hiking, soft sandy beaches and the world-famous Thursday evening Farmers' Market.

The earliest Europeans to land in San Luis Obispo were Spanish explorers led by Pedro de Unamono in 1587. In 1769, an overland Spanish expedition from San Diego and led by Gaspar de Portola explored the Central Coast of California. Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, the fifth in California's chain of missions, was established by Franciscan Fray Junipero Serra on September 1, 1772.

Following the independence of Mexico from Spain, the Central Coast entered the period of Rancheros where vast and prosperous Mexican ranches were established. In 1848, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the Mexican-American War and Alta California was ceded to the US. In 1850, California became the 31st state in the nation and San Luis Obispo became one of the original counties.

California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

 

 

 

Thank you for visiting my photo blog. There are so many California tourist attractions, it’s hard to know where to begin. From Sea World-San Diego in the south to majestic Mt. Shasta near its northern border, California is without a doubt a vacationer’s paradise. I hope that my photos have given you a glimpse of the immense beauty and wonder of the Golden State.