Shopping in SLO in not just a "chick" thing.  Guys are all over the place, checking out book stores, clothing, sporting gear, food, shoes and sometimes the opposite sex.  This college town features retro, funky, unusual, classic and cool and though there a lots of students, San Luis Obispo is also a family place, with many shops offering decorating items for affluent homeowners.  

Set along shaded streets and framed by beautiful mountain tops, you never have to get too hot. The Mission San Luis Obispo is part of the shopping region, as well, and part of the day can involve a stroll through the grounds.  Set on a hill that overlooks a river running through town (usually a trickling stream) that kids walk barefoot in, the mission has a staging area where concerts are held. Next door to the mission is an Art Museum. Walk over a shady bridge and you are at the small promenade where some restaurants offer outdoor dining and walkways lead to the shops.

Many of the downtown buildings are dated to the early 1900's and are kept in top condition. A Ross Store in an historic building is almost always packed with people and though its size provides constraints, it has atmosphere and  charm.. Unlike other Ross Stores we've seen that feel like the interior of an institution where they just as well add padded walls and lock the door, San Luis Obispo offers many shops, restaurants and specialty stores with the same quality of detail that makes you happy to be where you are. For retro-clothing styles and gifts, check out  Decades Vintage Clothing.  You'll find the store on the same side of the street as Bubble Gum Alley, a quirky attraction in existence for half a century or more.

A modern addition to the downtown is a plaza which includes Gap, Barnes and Noble Booksellers, Starbucks, The Limited and a movie theatre.

Unlike most cities in California holding Farmer's Markets during the day, SLO does things its own way with a Thursday evening gathering that includes outdoor tri-tip Bar-B-Q vendors selling sandwiches and meal plates, popular along the Central Coast.  Cooked over oak wood, the smell is wonderful and the aroma will make you drool, whether you eat meat or not.   

The next time you zip by San Luis Obispo on Highway 101, heading north or south between Los Angeles and San Francisco, there's a great place half way along the trip to take a break.  You have to exit the freeway on Marsh Street or several other marked turnoffs, with signs that lead to the shopping district. The mission, museums, a kid's museum and shops provide something for all ages.