The Best of Downtown SLO: Mission, Bubblegum Alley and a Tiny Chinatown

(63 reviews)

San Luis Obispo, California audio tour: The Best of Downtown SLO: Mission, Bubblegum Alley and a Tiny Chinatown

This is a 1.2mi walking tour

It takes an average of 90 mins to complete.

San Luis Obispo, California

The United States

$9.99

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About the Tour

Journey back in time with this best of San Luis Obispo walking tour. Join Rob Wickens founder of LoveoftheCentralCoast.com as he guides you to what is often ranked the “Happiest City in America” where the features of yesteryear will come alive. On this Downtown San Luis Obispo tour, you'll almost be able to hear the gunfire and smell the dirt streets of the 1700s. I'll show you real structures built back centuries ago and share tidbits that even locals rarely learn or stumble across.

So before you take your picture in the grossly-unique Bubblegum Alley, grab your smart device and let’s step back in time by visiting the World’s Smallest Chinatown, visualizing historic flooding, and seeing Higuera Street where rough saloons marked this as the last town of the Wild West. There are so many things to do in San Luis Obispo and with this tour, you take the journey at your own pace.

Highlights include:

Visit the historic Ah Louis store which was the center of a bustling Chinatown from 1874 through to the 1930s.
Learn how the San Luis Obispo got its name
See the 1875 home of the city's first coroner who was overworked due to local gunfights
Walk through the old Creamery and enjoy new treats.

Allow 90 minutes to get the most out of the tour. Please be aware that some businesses on the tour may not be open at night or on weekends. The walking tour is intended to be enjoyable without the need to enter historic buildings or various points of interest. This tour gives an overview of Downtown San Luis Obispo and is a great starting point to further explore our great city on the Central Coast of California.

Tour Producer

Love of the Central Coast

1 tour

Hi, I'm Rob Wickens founder of LoveoftheCentralCoast.com. After years traveling the world with ESPN as a videographer, photographer and storyteller we've returned to my college town of San Luis Obispo on the Central Coast of California. Looking forward to sharing stories about the vibrant area none to locals as SLO.

Preview Location

Location 30

Flooded San Luis Obispo History

Stop here for a moment on the corner.

Although California has droughts, the area also experiences periods of excessive rain.

There have been many floods in the last 100 years but the flood of 1885 is the worst on record.

Okay, now turn left and carry on along Osos St... Read More

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How VoiceMap Works

Focus on your surroundings, not the screen

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Follow a route with turn-by-turn-directions

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Major Landmarks

Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa
San Luis Obispo Museum of Art
History Center of San Luis Obispo County
San Luis Obispo Children's Museum
The Creamery Marketplace
Gum Alley
Fremont Theater

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Getting There

Route Overview

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a set starting point. It’s how we give turn-by-turn directions and tell a story greater than the sum of its parts.

Start location
800 Palm St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401, USA
Total distance

2km
Final location
888 Morro St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401, USA
Distance back to start location

129.43m

Directions to Starting Point

Parking available at Palm Street Parking Garage - 842 Palm St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401. The tour begins near the parking garage exit facing the Palm Theatre across the street.

San Luis Obispo's downtown is very hard to find parking in, there are multiple parking garages and this one on Palm Street is the perfect spot to start our tour in as it's steps away from our first location.

This is an audio tour, don't forget your headphones or ear buds so you can put away your phone and enjoy the walk with me.

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Tips

Places to stop along the way

Lots of opportunities for snacks and beverages. SLO Brew, Frog & Peach Pub, Novo Restaurant, The Creamery shops, McCarthy's Pub, Granda Hotel and more.

Best time of day

Daytime is ideal for this tour. There are museums, restaurants, and other retail locations that are open during daytime hours. 3 museums are passed by during the tour with history discussed but museum visits are not part of this tour. Some of the museums and other places of interest close early during the week and closed on Sundays. If you'd like to include them on your tour, then please check their opening times to avoid disappointment.

Precautions

Beautiful San Luis Obispo has it's share of homeless people that tend to hangout near the mission and creek. If taking the tour into the evening or night the areas are well lit but please be aware of your surroundings.

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App Store Review

“Great app. walk around at your own pace, stop where you want, move on or speed up when you want. Read the script before you go or during the commentary, speed it up or replay it. Repeat the tour whenever you like.”