What's close to San Luis Obispo for Automotive fun

The wife and I are going there next summer for a wedding. I would like to sneak in an auto-themed distraction or two. Perhaps up to 2 hours drive from. We expect to be there for about a week and turn it into a vacation/anniversary trip for us.

Suggestions? (The answer is probably not Miata?)

Go visit Rob Torres at 2002haus in SLO. He always has a few interesting restos going on.

2002maniac wrote: Go visit Rob Torres at 2002haus in SLO. He always has a few interesting restos going on.

Interesting place there.

Any GRMers out there?

Laguna-Seca is three hours north. The Pacific Coast Highway are runs through there. two hour in either direction will yield some great views of the pacific.

Take the rental car over the road to Lake Elisinore..............great road and what car handles the best? A rental car of course.

The Peterson Museum is probably an hour from there.

     Tom

My hometown. Forget car stuff and enjoy the place. It is one of the nicest towns in the country. Beautiful scenery. Take a ride out Los Osos valley road toward morro bay and make a right on turri road. Six or so beautifully windy miles. Stop for lunch at Morro Bay wharf and get some fresh cod fish and chips and a pitcher of beer. Get some salt water taffy for the road. Go an hour or two up hwy 1. Stop at mill creek or jade cove beaches for a nice walk. Another shortish drive is see canyon rd from Los osos valley road to Avila beach. Go see Pete at British motors downtown. Grab a sandwich at Cisco's on the creek downtown by the mission. Get a chili cheese dog from Franks famous hot dogs (where big weenies are better). Get a beer at any one of a number of great bars on higuera st. Take a hike up poly canyon and look at the architect/engineering students wild creations. Tour the old mission. Did I even mention the wine?

If I could afford to move back, it would be hard to resist.

Oh, damn. So, if you are there on a Thursday night, go downtown for farmers market. It's cool live music, great food, people watching, etc. Don't miss Woodstocks Pizza, McClintocks for a steak bbq'ed Santa Maria style with their famous pinquito bean chile (alternatively, go to Shell Beach to their flagship restaurant, grab a window seat, and watch the sun set over the ocean while you enjoy a great steak and some turkey nuts. Ok, last one and I'll stop- if you have a spare evening, go to the Great American Melodrama and Vaudeville show in Oceano. It's about 30 minutes south of town, but grab a beer, hot dog, and just sit back and enjoy yourself like a 5 year old kid again. I have ALWAYS come out of there with a smile on my face.

IIRC, Hurst Castle is not far away, and it was really cool. My sister lived there, and now is in Paso Robles; if you're in to wine, lot's of wineries around there...

Big sky cafe is good for breakfast. Central coast brewing is one of the best brewers in california. I'd forget the Vaudeville show, I almost got kicked out and did get cut off from the bar, they kept doing some stupid ass greenbay fudgepackers stuff, and being a 9ers fan I was getting a little pissed off.

Check out morro bay, price canyon, PCH as mentioned.

Look, I drink as much (more than) almost anyone I know. If you're getting kicked out of anywhere, it's generally because you're being an shiny happy person. And I've been kicked out of more places than I remember, so as an shiny happy person, I believe I'm qualified to make that judgment. And I'm a Niner's fan.

All those are good ideas. Santa Maria especially if you like good food. Not far from Santa Maria is Solvang. Yeah a bit of a tourist trap but interesting anyway. Danish Bakeries, sidewalk cafes, German deli's plus a lot of craft shops to make SWMBO happy. You turn off of hiway 1 right a Pea Soup Andersons, split pea soup if you like that kinda thing.

I do know there are car events that happen but when & where I don't know. Don't live around there anymore. Grew up close to there though and don't go back often enough to visit family still there. Teh E36 M3 sounds like he spent some time in the area too.

Thanks for the suggestions. Here's my problem: wife's a vegetarian, doesn't care much for cars, and is not the arts n crafts wife you normally see at car shows at the "wifey" exhibits. She does like indie music, odd movies with subtitles, and sight hounds.