How to Spend Two Family-Friendly Days on California's Central Coast
Explore tide pools, feed farm animals, watch elephant seals, and make time for local wine and coffee for the adults
Over the last few years, it has become clear that people will get excited for anything coastal, from Coastal Mediterranean restaurants to Modern Coastal decor, so California’s Central Coast is well positioned to be the vacation destination of the moment. And even if you couldn’t care less about the unquenchable coastal thirst of the internet hivemind, a California getaway to the Central Coast is an ideal trip for families of all ages and sizes.
The region is ruggedly gorgeous and topographically diverse — there are jagged coves and sandy beaches but also the rolling oak-dotted hills of wine country, foggy thickets of pine and cypress, and vast swathes of farmland that produce some of the best vegetables in the state (and, therefore, the country). On a kid-friendly visit to the area you can get into all kinds of nonsense, exploring shipwrecks and tide pools, feeding animals and picking produce at a working farm, and more.
Who I am: A native Angeleno, and a nearly lifelong Californian, with family and friends up and down the state. I’ve spent enough cumulative hours crisscrossing California by car, bike, bus, boat, and on foot that I could navigate the state blindfolded. I’ve been writing about the region for nearly 15 years, and have been on staff at Thrillist since 2022.
Before you go
Getting there: The Central Coast is no misnomer — it runs right through the middle-west of California, about equidistant from San Francisco and LA. The roughly three hour drive on the 101 and the 1 is pleasant from either side and full of great places to stop, up from LA through Santa Barbara and wine country, or down from San Francisco through fertile ranch towns known for artichokes, garlic, and more. If you’re going to fly, it’s probably a little easier to come through LA, though you can fly directly into San Luis Obispo, Monterey, or Santa Barbara.
What to pack: Weather stays on the chilly side of moderate year round, from foggy summers through cold — but rarely freezing — winters. Bring a jacket, but you probably won’t need your parka. Most of the fun stuff to do in the area involves getting out and about in nature, so do bring comfortable shoes and some of your finest athleisure-wear.
Take this home: I never leave the Central Coast without several bottles of local wine, maybe from Cambria’s Parr Collective, or another of the many outstanding wineries along Highway 46, which runs directly between the coast and Paso Robles. But for something a little more kid-friendly, look into anything made with Cambria’s collective obsession — the tart blackberry-rasperry hybrid called olallieberries. Stores in town sell all sorts of olallieberry products, including pies, syrups, and jams, all of which make good souvenirs.
Where to stay
Two Family-Friendly Days in California’s Central Coast
Day 1: Local produce, local wine, and the largest local residents
Morning
- Enjoy a blue corn breakfast: Grab breakfast in Cambria or Cayucos at the Hidden Kitchen, an exuberant cafe that specializes in massive blue corn waffles loaded with either savory or sweet toppings, and Technicolor smoothies that look like dupes for Erewhon. There’s a charming, casual patio with plenty of space for the kids to frolic off their maple syrup and fructose-induced wiggles.
- Head to the market: The Central Coast has some of the best farms around; indulge in all that great produce at one of the excellent local farmers markets. The Saturday morning market in San Luis Obispo has some 50 vendors, including a ton that you will recognize from the best restaurant menus across California, and prepared foods like the stellar pies from A-Town Humble Pies. If you’re not here on a Saturday, there are other farmers markets in Cambria, Avila Beach, Morro Bay, Arroyo Grande, and more throughout the week.
Afternoon
- Seal the deal: Cruise north on Highway 1 to San Simeon, a tiny coastal town with some very large residents — a herd of elephant seals. Piedras Blancas Rookery is one of few easily accessible places to see the massive animals in the wild, and the free parking lot is right off the highway. Emerge from your car to their honking cries, and stroll the windswept bluff to look down at the rocky beach where dozens of elephant seals lounge, bark, and occasionally flop their incredible bulk about.
- Tour the legendary Hearst Castle: The other major attraction in San Simeon, this former estate of William Randolph Hearst is now a museum, a State Park, and a National Historic Landmark. The thoroughly unusual castle houses a large collection of art and esoterica, two very cool swimming pools, and a herd of zebras that graze in the pastures along the highway. Tours are available and designed for a variety of physical abilities and attention spans.
- Prep for a picnic: Just across the highway from Hearst Castle, there’s a tiny road that loops around by the pier and the beach. It’s a brief, pretty detour, and it’s also where you’ll find Sebastian’s General Store, a historic landmark that’s still a cute little shop with a sandwich counter called Seaside Foods. Pick up some chips, maybe a glass of wine, and a Coastal Cubano sandwich, and post up on the picnic tables out front.
Evening
- Sip wine next to sheep: The giant, kid-friendly outdoor space at the Parr Collective is a happy place for the whole family. The combined tasting room of Phelan Farm, Stolo, Brij Wines, and Scythian Wine Co is named after founder Rajat Parr, and each label makes wine from organically farmed vineyards. The space is rustic, casual, and fun.There are an array of picnic tables on the large grassy lawn, so kids have plenty of space to run, and there’s a neighboring barn with chickens, sheep, goats, and a pair of very large dogs.
- Discover a local favorite: Head back into town to the impossibly charming restaurant Brydge for dinner. It’s set in a Victorian-era home that’s as cozy-chic as it gets, with a hyperseasonal menu that includes interesting vegetable-forward starters and big shareable suppers. Service is warm and welcoming; staffers were over-the-top kind to my kids, encouraging them to pick a few plums off of the tree on the patio, and remaining unbothered when they grabbed as many plums as they could hold.
Day 2: Scottish cows, sea anemones, and the Central Coast’s best parking lot party
Morning
- Perk up for the day: There are plenty of coffee shops in the area, but aficionados will probably want to head into SLO proper to get the best of the regional scene. Field Day Coffee, an excellent local roaster, also features beans from some of the best specialty coffee roasters around the world, including Sey and Dak. Pop in for a pour over and a pastry on your way to your next adventure, and pick up a cool bag of beans to take home. If you happen to be there in the afternoon, duck in to Field Day Bottle Shop next door for snacks, natural wine, and maybe a food pop-up.
- Alpacas!!!: After a very civilized coffee experience, it’s time to get a little more rustic with the kids at Avila Valley Barn, a working farm with a shop, a restaurant, and a small zoo where kids can feed goats, sheep, alpacas, donkeys, an emu, and a miniature Scottish Highland cow named Georgia. There are fun seasonal activities year-round, like holiday markets and Christmas trees in the winter, and pony rides and pick-your-own fruit days in the warmer months. The pies are excellent, the grounds are fun, and it turns out feeding whole heads of lettuce to small farm animals is pretty endlessly diverting for kids of all ages.
Afternoon
- Lunch chowder with a view: From Avila Valley, head out to the coastline for a great lunch in a dramatic setting at Mersea’s Restaurant, right about at the end of the Port San Luis Pier. There are some tables inside, but you’ll want to grab one of the seats on the pier itself for a view of the bobbing boats docked in the ocean. They do very solid renditions of a variety of fried sea creatures, a blackened fish sandwich, and clam chowder in either white New England or red Manhattan varieties.
- Explore the pools: Check your handy tide tracker and head to Estero Bluffs State Park in Cayucos at low tide to explore a multitude of tide pools, with all kinds of ocean life like sea stars, crabs, anemones, and more. The free (and unpaved) parking lot just off the intersection of Ocean Ave and PCH sets you up for a short walk across the cracked and dry bluffs, leading to a quick scramble down a gravel trail and a couple hops down to the beach. There are seaweed-rich tide pools across the cove, and if you’ve timed it right the wreckage of a commercial fishing vessel will also be available to explore. But even if the tide is a little too high to make it out to the boat, you can see its mast protruding out of the ocean just offshore, which is a perfect backdrop for splashing and adventuring.
- Collect a sweet treat: After playing in the shallows, pop back into Cayucos for a stop at the justifiably famous Brown Butter Cookie Company. Taste a few of the rich, super-buttery shortbread-style cookies, and take home one of their gift boxes to bring to the folks back home.
Evening
- Take a moody beach stroll: Many people who come to Cambria choose to stay at Moonstone Beach, and it’s little wonder why — it’s gorgeous, with sandy beaches, tidepools, and decent surf breaks. It is also often socked in with fog, which makes a stroll along the famous Moonstone Beach Boardwalk a moody evening activity, and a different, but no less evocative, beach experience.
- Pre-dinner “tailgate” at a local legend: Kick the vibes back up to rowdy with a stop at the Sea Chest, a 50-year-old institution just across the street from the beach. It’s cash only and doesn’t take reservations, so regulars (both locals and the many visitors who make a point to eat here on every trip) know to line up way in advance of opening to get in for the first seating. The parking lot becomes one big hangout — the Sea Chest line is as close as you’ll get to a tailgate around here. The party keeps going once you make it inside, with a warmly rowdy atmosphere; that is to say, no one will care (or notice) if your kids make a racket. The old-school menu of seafood is full of bangers from top to bottom, but stick to the classics like Clams Casino, or order off the chalkboard specials menu. There are simple pastas on the kids menu, and they will repeatedly refill your basket of sourdough bread if your kids are into that.
If you have three days
All of the above, but add…
- Hop on Highway 46 and head inland, through the gentle golden hills of wine country and down to Paso Robles for a fun afternoon. Wine is the main attraction in town, and fortunately many wineries like Eberle or the legendary Tablas Creek welcome kids with large open spaces, a mellow atmosphere, and big picnic tables. To get the best of it all in one go, head to Tin City, a collection of tasting rooms in a large industrial park, including spots for Desperada, Giornata, Union Sacre, and Hubba. But Tin City also has tasting opportunities for the whole family, including a combined cheese store and bakery, the lovely pasta shop and casual restaurant Etto, and the excellent sheep’s milk ice cream shop Negranti Creamery.
- If your family is the adventurous type, and if the kids are big enough to do it, there’s no better way to see the coast than by leaving it — by which I mean getting out on the water for a kayak tour. You can pick these up in most of the towns in the area including Avila and Pismo, but I had a great experience with Mandy from Wildheart Coastal Adventures in Morro Bay. If you’re water-averse, Mandy can also guide you on a hike to show you the region and explain its flora, fauna, and topography.