1) Places to Eat

Splash Café: OK, we’re a bit biased on this one, but Splash Café in Pismo Beach is one of the longest-standing restaurants on the Central Coast. A popular destination since 1989, and one of the busiest restaurants on the coast, we serve more Clam Chowder at this location in one year than other seafood restaurants serve in their lifetime—over 40,000 gallons per year! Our Pismo Beach location is also a certified landmark and the place that truly represents Classic California. We are also a true artisan bakery, featuring freshly baked breads, pastries, desserts, and custom cakes for all occasions. 

Attention parents: You can also send your students (or yourself!) Splash goodies, like Clam Chowder and Special Occasion Cakes and Desserts with FREE nationwide shipping through Goldbelly.com!

SloDoCo: At SloDoCo, you can pick from over 100 different donuts. Every. Single. Day. 24/7. With a wide variety of options, they truly make something for everyone. Vegan? No problem. Gluten-free? They got you. Craving chocolate overload? Hey, that’s their specialty! Can’t choose just one? Don’t worry—they have a dozen-sized box with your name on it!

McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams: For innovative, indulgent flavors that are 100% certified organic and made from scratch, head to McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams in Downtown SLO. Each and every scoop is made with organic, grass-fed dairy and features organic cookie and brownie inclusions made in McConnell’s on-site Bake Room. 
Also from The Bake Room at McConnell’s Family Dairy, their new House-Baked Cookies are the same top-quality cookies found in McConnell’s ice creams and scoop shops, but flash-frozen and ready to serve after heating in the oven for a few minutes to achieve the melty, gooey interior McConnell’s cookie fans know and love. Packaged in one-of-a-kind, novelty ice cream pints, the McC’s House-Baked Cookies come in three delicious flavors: Chocolate Chunk, Brownie Cookie, and Peanut Butter Crunch.

2) Family-Friendly Activities

Battle Axe San Luis Obispo: Battle Axe SLO is one of the newest venues in the area to provide a fun and exciting experience unlike any other! They offer eight indoor ax-throwing lanes that are the perfect idea for your next night out with friends, date night, or event. The only indoor ax-throwing facility in San Luis Obispo and Santa Maria. Join them for some rockin’ tunes and high-energy fun! Ax throwing is a great activity for all abilities.

BA Start Arcade: This is the Central Coast’s premier barcade! A family-friendly venue, BA Start Arcade offers 40-plus retro and modern arcade games, basketball hoops, air hockey, ping pong, and 12 pinball machines. There’s also a full-service bar for the 21-plus crowd, as well as a calendar of events that includes live music, DJ battles, arcade and board game tournaments, weekly drink specials, weekly trivia, and so much more!