Car-Free Road Trip… Greener, Cheaper, and Less Stressful!

Really, who doesn’t like a road trip? You get away far enough to feel like you’re on vacation, but close enough that you can come home quickly if need be. You can leave on spur of the moment, let’s be spontaneous notice. You get to sit in traffic surrounded by honking horns amidst gridlock rush hour, spend an arm and a leg on gas, only to pay up the wazoo for parking at your destination location. Why did we choose to go on a road trip instead of flying somewhere? Oh yeah… airports have their own sack full of stress. Really, the easiest, most convenient, least stressful, dime-saving way to travel these days is the road less traveled- by track. Train tracks that is.

I’ve always romanticized traveling by train. Whenever I arrive (by car) to local road trip destinations, I see the idyllic stations and wish I had decided to go that route. Yes, I know full well that trains tend to be a slightly longer trek than driving myself, but I love the idea of arriving at the station 10 minutes prior to departure, boarding, sitting, and then having the luxury of looking out the windows along the cliff side that drops into the ocean, passing through farmland and watching the pickers clip the most perfect berries that will then be sold at farmer’s markets that weekend, or even the ability to pull out my computer and work. So I decided to stop dreaming and start doing! I was going on a car-free road trip from Los Angeles to San Luis Obispo and taking my girlfriend Julia along! What a perfect girlfriend getaway! Come along for our ride….

Amtrak
The Amtrak was as calming as I imagined. We arrived a mere 15 minutes before our train let the station. Parked our car maybe 50 feet from the track, and walked right on the train. No stress. Our car was filled with other spirited travelers who apparently made frequent trips up the coast on the rails. We had coffee from the dining car, plugged in our laptops and casually worked while gazing out the windows at a more rural side of Southern California than we were used to seeing. The train made several stops at those idyllic little train stations.

Destination: San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, California, also known as SLO (not just for its initials) is a small city situated between Southern California and the Bay Area known for its agriculture, festivals and eco attitude. You can take a trolley through its historic downtown, bike through the rolling vineyards, hike the surrounding mountains, kayak along the coastline, or take a day trip in a Fun Ride to nearby Hearst Castle. Notice the many modes of transportation listed? That’s because SLO has created a car free initiative by partnering with San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District car-free, care-free transportation to and around town in helping to preserve clean air, promote community and individual responsibility for air quality, and to promote economic and community well-being.

Hotel: Sycamore Mineral Springs
Oh, this is so much more than a hotel. In fact, they call themselves “an integrative retreat centre.”
Beyond the 74 guest rooms and suites each with a private outdoor soaking tub (you can choose between rooms with normal water or mineral water), are the sulfur mineral springs which are pumped into private outdoor redwood tubs doting the hillside, each discreetly tucked into the trees. Since 1897, these sulfur springs have been considered healing waters, used to soothe muscle aches and pains. It was no wonder why my muscles ached after a day of hiking the resort’s trails, of course choosing the steep inclines instead of traversing the gradual gradient both leading to the same ocean-viewing spot, then riding bikes along the flat path leading to Avila Beach and back. Yeah, those muscle (and mind) numbing springs were welcome reprieve.

Afternoon on the Farm: Avila Valley Barn
This is a must-stop market known for its fresh local berry pies, homemade jellies and pickled veggies, house made fudge (yum!) and… random, but great for the kids- goats, emus, sheep, turkeys, and ponies. It’s a blast! It's so close to Sycamore that we rode our hybrid bikes (we rented them for the weekend from Wally's bikes... they deliver- gotta love car free service ;). We brought home a pie that somehow made the trip back on the Amtrak despite many moments of almost folding and digging in!

Hourly Ride: Fun Ride
If you do need a car for a portion of your trip, there are options! I rented an hourly FunRide Hybrid car, the perfect option for car-free road trippers who want to take a trek a little off the beaten path. Register online and you will get a fob key that gives you access to your FunRide car of choice (you pick it online or by phone). Seriously so easy. The cars are parked at several close locations called “pods.” Just walk up to the car, swipe your personal fob, the car unlocks and the keys are found inside. When you’re done with the ride, just leave the car where you found it and walk away. Not taking a trip to SLO, there are about 50 car sharing programs operating across the United States… find one. Their fantastic!

Wine Tasting: Chamisal Vineyards
Chamisal winemaker Fintan du Fresne gave us a private tour of the gorgeous cover-cropped vineyard and expansive winery, plus a barrel tasting of wines (using my favorite tool- the "wine thief") in various pre-bottling phases- many of which were already so complex and food-pairing perfect with bursting notes of red berries and spice, followed by a traditional wine tasting in the tasting room. Chamisal, like several other SLO wineries, is Sip certified. The Sustainability in Practice (SIP)™ Certification program isn’t just about the use of chemicals in the wine-making process, it is about the overall vineyard’s commitment to environmental stewardship, protecting both natural and human resources addressing the whole farm system including the worker, soil fertility, cover crops, wildlife, native plants, irrigation, habitat conservation, energy efficiency, pest management, water conservation, economic stability, and human resources.

Eating: Novo Restaurant (in town) and Custom House (beachside)
In Downtown San Luis Obispo, one of the best restaurants is Novo, a creek-side Brazilian, Mediterranean and Asian melded tapas-heavy Restaurant known for intense spices and big flavor. Try the Singapore Chicken Satay, insanely tasty Salmon Bisque, and Red Curry with Vegetables and Tofu. Ask your server to pair your dishes with locals wine. It’s a real treat!
Prefer to stay a bike ride away from Sycamore? Take the Bob Jones Trail to Custom House on Avila Beach. It’s pretty much the place for locals on a nice night out and visitors who want to dine beachside. Love the Ahi Tuna Tempura Roll and the Custom House Cioppino (which is HUGE).

Exploring: Farmer’s Market
The Thursday night SLO Farmer’s Market is one of the hands down best, biggest, busiest I have ever visited. It just keeps going and going, closed off streets and streets of local farmers, restaurants, and vendors purveying their goods. Some spot are clearly known commodities with half-block long lines of fans waiting their turn. Locals and tourists alike descend on these blocks creating a palpable energy.

Adventuring: Kayaking
We hopped in the FunRide to Morro Bay, about a 40 minute drive from SLO, for a kayak tour with Central Coast Outdoors. The 3 hour tour was just beyond gorgeous, not to mention a pretty decent workout! We saw harbor seals, sea lions and otters, and crazy amounts of birds. But beyond the wild side, was the calm. For once in a long time, we had the chance to just stop, sit in total silence in the completely open, yet calm ocean waters, and exhale… before paddling back to the shore and heading to the Amtrak station. Time to go home.