Last weekend we took off on a 3.5 hour drive south to San Luis Obispo (aka SLO) for a short home exchange getaway. I suppose some places are better than others for fun quick road trips over the weekend. But for me there’s always something nice about getting out of my home and experiencing a few days somewhere else, where I can live like I would at home (cooking meals, staying in a neighborhood rather than a hotel, etc.) but in a completely different place. Sometimes there’s even a magical rainbow over your vacation home (or at least across the street from it).
Morning rainbow across the street from home exchange in San Luis Obispo
This exchange was proposed by the folks in SLO, who wanted to spend some time in San Francisco. The exchange house was a very cute one bedroom, just a few blocks from downtown.
San Luis Obispo (locals say San Louey Obispo) is a town I’ve driven past a ton of times going up and down the coast. This first visit didn’t disappoint: super cute, with a small downtown area filled with good food, local beer, coffee shops, and a surprising number of ice cream places.
Vegan food and chess (I lost) at Bliss Cafe
Although SLO isn’t directly on the ocean, the coast is very close, just a few miles away. And nearby there are lots of good hiking and biking trails.
On the path to Avila beach
The folks we swapped with were equally pleased with their visit to San Francisco so I’m looking forward to doing this again. Once a home exchange becomes a repeat event I like to think of it as having a new vacation home. Sort of like a time share, but without all the hassle and cost, and we’re not locked in to a set amount of time we need to use each year.
If you haven’t explored home exchange yet, check out my overview and review your options for website membership.
