Category: North Coast

It’s BBQ Season! Get Your Grill On!

Summer Days – Summer Glaze! Summer is among us and to me summer days means it is time for barbecues and friends!  Barbecuing can be so fun and rewarding and you can do it in so many different places – the beach, the lake, your home, the park, even on the back of a tailgate…

Have You Tried HARVESTLY?

In our household it is a rarity for my husband and I to disagree on things. However, our weekly conversations on what food to buy and meals to make, occasionally are a heated topic. While I am the kind of person who would be fine on a diet of mostly veggies, my other half doesn’t…

Great Eats in Los Osos – The Olde Ale House

If you are ready to grab a great bite out and try somewhere new to eat, check out the Olde Ale House in Los Osos! Located next to Rexall’s on Los Osos Valley Road on the way to Montana De Oro State Park, this is the perfect stop for a local beer after a long…

Wine 4 Paws – Drink Wine and Support Homeless Pups!

Spring is here! The weather is changing, and it’s about time to enjoy the outdoors. Want an opportunity to drink wine and help Woods Humane Society? Well now’s your chance! On April 10-11 you can help the animals at our local shelter either online, or in person by wine tasting while also supporting over 75…

Help Support Woods Humane Society this Holiday Season

The Pismo Beach Homes Team loves our furry friends and one of the most important organizations that supports animals in need on the central coast is Woods Humane Society. Opening your heart and home to a homeless dog or cat is one of the most wonderful things you can do. Pets have been shown to…

Love Fish? You’ll love this…

Although the final results of the COVID-19 induced economic shutdown will not be fully understood for months to come, the immediate impact on the restaurant industry has put a spotlight on the ripple effect of shutting down that segment of our local market. Nationwide the restaurant industry employs 11 million Americans. Beyond that however are…

North Coast Tide Pools

Since the shelter in place order we have all found ourselves wearing a new hat or two. Parents are now teachers as well as full-time entertainers in sometimes tight quarters – so we can all identify with trying to find creative ways to safely keep busy! With three active little boys at home, I’ve found…

Central Coast Restaurants Open During COVID-19 Crisis

As the Shelter at Home order began to take effect across the Central Coast in mid-March, restaurants were having to decide whether to stay open in a limited capacity or shut down for the time being. Given that most folks in the community a) love to eat out b) want to support local businesses c)…

Real Estate in the Pandemic Environment

A message from Pismo Beach Homes on Real Estate in the Pandemic Environment: As the past week has shown us, our current “new normal” is unpredictable and rapidly changing. In an effort to quiet our clients’ anxiety I thought we would offer some convenient ways to continue your search for real estate, or if you…

Local Landscape Photography by Michael Ambrose

This winter, on our way to Yosemite, my family stayed at the world-renowned Tenaya Lodge. On a side note — this grand hotel in our own backyard is so well-known they welcome guests from all over the world — and will be the subject of a future blog post so stay-tuned. Anyhow, Tenaya Lodge has…

SLO COUNTY RESTAURANT MONTH

CALLING ALL FOODIES! Sound the alarm! There are just two weeks left to take advantage of SLO County’s “Restaurant Month!” This is a fantastic opportunity to enjoy a three-course fixed menu at many participating restaurants around the county for the low, low price of $30 per person! Plus, many restaurants also offer a wine pairing…

Winning with Race Rugrats!

Sarah Hawkins is the founder and owner of Race Rugrats, a childcare company dedicated to caring for and entertaining children during various races not only locally but around the State. I interviewed Sarah and asked her some questions to learn more about this amazing company and what they are all about! What is Race Rugrats?…

STAX Wine Bar & Bistro

My Team, my husband, my friends and family – we all work hard, and we like to unwind. Our favorite type of atmosphere is one that feels a little cliché – a bar where “everybody knows your name.” When we find it, we tend to become their best customers. It’s our go-to spot for a…

Elephant Seals of San Simeon

Elephant Seals of San Simeon Winter months are an exciting time at one of the Central Coast’s most outstanding State Parks, Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery. Located just 5 miles north of Hearst Castle State Historical Monument in San Simeon. The viewing areas are open 365 days a year, are wheelchair accessible and free to all…

Pfeiffer Beach Keyhole Arch

The Central Coast is a magical place, full of natural beauty — some obvious and impossible to miss and some rare and fleeting. One of my favorites is only available for a limited performance during the late Fall/Winter. During the few weeks of Winter Solstice at Pfeiffer Beach, a breathtaking phenomenon occurs that attracts photographers…

Farmers Markets: Offering Local Fare and Fun!

  Growing up on the Central Coast one of my favorite things to do was to go to the local farmers markets. Where else can you sample cuisine from multiple local restaurants, listen to a variety of local musicians, and get your grocery shopping done all in one place? Make it a family or friend’s…

Cambria Christmas Market

Three years ago our family discovered the magic that is the Cambria Christmas Market and it immediately became a family tradition. Designed with traditional German Christmas Market’s in mind, this is truly a fantastic event. There are local musicians, from classical trios to acoustic guitar to trendier tunes – something for everyone. Vendors sell hand-crafted…

Cambria Scarecrow Festival

Where Whimsey Runs Rampant If you are looking for something fun, free and fantastic to do this month I highly recommend taking a drive to Cambria for their annual Scarecrow Festival. The whole town — including San Simeon and Harmony — take part in the festivities for the entire month of October.  Stroll through the…

Cambria Christmas Market — Now a Christmas Tradition!

The Central Coast is a magical place during this time of the year. We do California Christmas right with beautiful sunsets as our back drop for paddle-boarding angels, palm trees engulfed in lights and Christmas Parades in every town with a population of 1000 or more. In fact, we have so many events that highlight…

Seaside Painting Co. – 45 Years of Experience

With over 45 years of combined experience in Real Estate, our Team has had the opportunity to interact with many sub-contractors over the course of helping our buyers and sellers repair, upgrade and remodel their homes. We consider our referral contractors an extension of ourselves and so we are careful about who we recommend. And…

New Art Gallery on the Central Coast

If you find yourself in Avila Beach taking in the beautiful sights and sounds of the Central Coast, be sure to stop by the Chris Burkard Art Gallery. You’ll find surfers catching waves among the glaciers and skies painted with colors you’ve never seen before. Your appreciation for nature will be taken to a whole new level…

The Healthiest Community in America

According to a study published by USA Today, the San Luis Obispo metro area (from Paso Robles to Arroyo Grande) ranks as the healthiest community in California and the 4th healthiest community in the nation. This news comes just a few years after Oprah proclaimed that San Luis Obispo is the “Happiest City in America”. If you would…

The Central Coast Critic – Kathy Marcks Hardesty

With over thirty years in the food business, Kathy Marcks Hardesty provides great information about our local Food & Wine businesses here on the Central Coast. She loves writing about great food and wine, entertaining your senses and placing you on the edge of your seat as you look forward to trying the next great new restaurant…

The Galley Seafood Grill & Bar

The Galley Seafood - Scallops

We found ourselves playing tourist in our own backyard a few weekends ago and decided to try a few new things. While we waited for our standup paddling reservation at Central Coast Standup Paddling we found ourselves with time to kill on the boardwalk in Morro Bay. So we did as we do and looked up restaurants we…

Central Coast Standup Paddling – Morro Bay

Phone   (805)395-0410 1215 Embarcadero Morro Bay, CA 93442 slosup@gmail.com Find Central Coast Standup Paddling Online: Two years ago our family took a fantastic vacation to Roatan, an island in the Bay Island chain off the coast of Honduras in South America. We rented a beautiful private home on the beach in West Bay and…