Day 1 · Sat
Day 2 · Sun
Day 3 · Mon
Day 4 · Tue
Day 5 · Wed
What it is
Largest swap meet on the Central Coast
Sat + Sun, opens 6 AM, closes ~2 PM
Hundreds of vendors — new, used, produce, antiques, tools, plants
Strategy
Arrive 7-8 AM for the best stuff
Bring cash — most vendors cash-only
$1-2 parking
Bring a fold-up tote bag for finds
Famous for
Local produce — strawberries, avocados, citrus from growers direct
Tool deals — Nipomo is known for the cash tool vendors
Between Pismo and Oceano — quieter coastal town
Nature
Quieter beach access without the Pismo crowds
Tide pools at low tide
North of Pismo Beach — dramatic cliffs + sea caves
Things to do
Walk the clifftop path (connects Margo Dodd → Eldwayen → Dinosaur Caves)
Stairway down to Pirate's Cove area (long staircase, dramatic)
Tide pool hunting at low tide
Nature
Sea caves carved into the bluffs
Harbor seals + sea otters visible from the cliffs
Tide pools — best at low tide
Sheltered south-facing bay — warmest water on the Central Coast · includes Olde Port Beach + Harford Pier
Nature
Sea lions on the pier pilings
Sea otters in the bay
Calm tide pools at Olde Port Beach
Warmest swimming water on the Central Coast (sheltered south-facing bay)
Famous for
Mersea's Seafood — fish & chips, clam chowder, on the end of Harford Pier (the destination meal)Avila Beach blue swirl umbrellas (the photo)
Cleanest beach on the Central Coast (massive 1990s cleanup after Unocal oil leaks)
College town + historic downtown — "SLO" or "Happiest Place in America"
Famous for
Firestone Grill — tri-tip sandwich, line out the door"Happiest Place in America" (Oprah Winfrey called it that, it stuck)
High Street Deli — sandwiches, Cal Poly favorite
Movie locations
To Live and Die in L.A. (1985) — California Men's Colony, SLOMy Blue Heaven (1990) — SLO + Atascadero + Paso RoblesMurder by Numbers (2002) — SLO Courthouse + Mission PlazaI Know Who Killed Me (2007) — Fremont Theater + City Hall + SLO High SchoolDestination Wedding (2018) — Apple Farm Inn + Mission San Luis Obispo + SLO Regional AirportThe Lady from Shanghai (1947) — Orson Welles, scenes in SLO + Morro Bay
Cal Poly / celebrity connections
John Madden — coached Cal Poly football before NFL careerTimothy Olyphant — Cal Poly alumnus (Justified , Deadwood )Alex Trebek — had Central Coast ties
Thrift / vintage (for the girls — SLO is a Cal Poly thrift goldmine)
Trivia
Mission San Luis Obispo founded 1772 — one of the oldest continuously inhabited European settlements in California
Home of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Fremont Theater (1035 Monterey St) is one of California's best-preserved Art Deco movie palaces, 1942
Landmarks
110 individually themed rooms — Caveman, Daisy Mae, Cabin Still, Yahoo, etc.
The all-pink dining room (Gold Rush Steak House)
The hot pink + green chairs everywhere
Olympic-size pool with rock cabanas
Things to do
Get the famous pink champagne cake from the bakery
Stop in for coffee + dessert at the Copper Café
Walk through the lobby + Wine Cellar (don't drink, just look)
Cocktails at the Silver Bar
Souvenir shop with all-pink everything
Famous for
The waterfall urinal in the men's room — must-see (motion-activated faux waterfall instead of a regular urinal)Themed rooms — each one wildly different, photos online
Pink champagne cake (since 1958)
Pink everything aesthetic
Trivia
Opened December 24, 1958 by Alex + Phyllis Madonna (no relation to the singer)
Started with 12 rooms, expanded to 110 themed rooms
Boulders used in construction came from San Luis Mountain (Cerro San Luis next door)
The "Caveman Room" has a stone waterfall shower
The Flintstone Room sparked a 1983 lawsuit from Hanna-Barbera
A 1975 New York Times article by critic Paul Goldberger elevated its national reputation as a kitsch landmark
Pop culture status
Atlas Obscura, PBS SoCal ("Kitsch Castle"), and design press all treat it as a defining piece of California roadside Americana
Frequent filming location for music videos and TV — its instantly recognizable look makes it a favorite for stylized visuals
Landmarks
One of the last operating drive-in theaters in California
Original 1950s-era screen
Classic snack bar
Things to do
Watch a movie under the stars (FM radio audio through your truck speakers)
Pack pillows + blankets — kids in the truck bed style
Concession stand hot dogs + popcorn
Usually a double feature (two movies for one price)
The details
Admission: $13 adult · $6 kids under 12 · free under 4Cash only at the gate (ATM on-site)Open 7 nights a week
Gates open 7:30 PM
Movies start at dusk (~8:45-9:00 PM in June)
What's playing Jun 7?
Drive-in only posts their schedule about 1 week out — what's playing Jun 7 won't be known until late May / early JuneCheck sunsetdriveinslo.com or their Facebook page
Or call 805-544-4475
Todoist reminder set for May 30 to check + decide if you want to stay for the show
Etiquette
Don't honk — turn lights off when entering
Park, don't idle
Tune FM radio to listed station for audio
Working fishing harbor + iconic 576-ft Morro Rock
Nature
Sea otters in the harbor (rafts of them)
Harbor seals on the rocks
Peregrine falcons + ravens nest on Morro Rock
Heron rookery in Morro Bay State Park
Famous for
Giovanni's Fish Market — fish & chips on the EmbarcaderoThe Galley — seafood with bay viewsHofbrau — beer garden, French dip sandwiches, since 1971The three power plant smokestacks (decommissioned but still standing — local landmark)
Movie locations
The Lady from Shanghai (1947) — Orson Welles + Rita Hayworth, the pivotal swim scene filmed at Morro Rock Beach The Monster of Piedras Blancas (1959) — Morro Rock + nearby CayucosPatriot Games (1992) — Harrison FordMurder by Numbers (2002) — Morro Bay Yacht ClubI Know Who Killed Me (2007)Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) — brief aerial shot of Morro Rock
Trivia
Morro Rock is a Chumash sacred site — climbing it is prohibited (cultural + legal)
The town was first sighted by Spanish explorer Juan Cabrillo in 1542
Common mix-up: Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds (1963) was NOT filmed here — that was Bodega Bay, much farther north. Morro Bay just has the same Hitchcock-looking vibe.
Quirky / weird
Nitt Witt Ridge — "the poor man's Hearst Castle" — house built from junk over 50 years by Arthur Beal "Captain Nitt Witt." California Historical Landmark. Tours by appointment.
Famous for
Linn's Restaurant — famous olallieberry pieMoonstone Beach — known for moonstone agates washing up
Gateway town to Hearst Castle (next stop tomorrow)
Sleep — Fireside Inn on Moonstone Beach
Thrift / vintage (East Village cluster)
Movie locations
Arachnophobia (1990) — Downtown Cambria + Coast Union High School. The opening sequence has a driving shot down Moonstone Beach Drive The Strawberry — filmed entirely in Cambria, starring Mike Farrell, featuring Doug Jones (who vacations here)Commando (1985) — final sequence filmed near the San Simeon pier (10 min north)Dark Honeymoon (2008), The Dead Kid (2012)PBS's Big Blue Live , Food Network's Best Thing I Ever Ate
Trivia
One of the highest-rated small towns in California
One of the few places on Earth with a native Monterey pine ecosystem
Sunset June 7 ~8:14 PM — walk straight from the inn onto Moonstone Beach
Tomorrow morning: Hearst Castle is ~25 min north up Hwy 1
NorCal Coast Run · Day 2 · Jun 7, 2026 · Tap any place name to navigate