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Monthly Newsletter | March 2023

Welcome to the second edition of our Monthly Newsletter! 

March is upon us, and we can’t believe spring is almost here. This winter saw unprecedented storms rage throughout the county, and if the significant rain wasn’t enough we also saw snow in February! 

We are looking forward to the warmth and sunshine that March will bring, and hope this edition helps you find ways to get out and explore all the incredible places, people, and ways to experience SLO County. 

HIKE OF THE MONTH

IRISH HILLS

What better way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day than by hiking through Irish Hills? ☘️ 

Located at the south end of SLO, Irish Hills is a 720-acre open space with over eight miles of hiking and biking trails. The open space is organized into 15 trails, and can be combined in a wide variety of ways to create just the hike you want to complete that day.

That flexibility is one of the many reasons we love hiking Irish Hills. Over time we’ve hiked almost the entire open space (with the exception of trails that were closed), but the Sterling Trail is one of our favorite starting points.

To access this trailhead, park on Royal Way near Sterling Lane (there is no public parking on Sterling so do not park there). Walk roughly 1/10th of a mile up Sterling Lane, and the marked trail head will be on the left (east) side of the street. 

We like to start at the Sterling Trail because it connects to so many other great trails. For example, if we’re really looking for a challenge we will hike the Sterling Trail to the Mariposa Trail, which then turns into the Morro View Trail. It’s an incredibly fun out-and-back hike with excellent views, and a great way to spend the day. However, if a shorter hike is all we have time for, we’ll still hike the Sterling Trail to the Mariposa Trail, but take it in the other direction and connect with the King Trail to make a nice loop. 

To see more of our hike starting at the Sterling Trail check out our reel on Instagram, and get out and explore the beauty of Irish Hills during the month of March! 

Watch our Reel on Instagram

RESTAURANT OF THE MONTH

UMI SUSHI PACIFICA

St. Patrick’s Day is around the corner, and SLO County certainly knows how to celebrate. Whether you are looking for a delicious serving of corned beef and hash, relax with a Guinness, or wash it down with a shot of Jameson, you’ll find several restaurants and bars where you can do just that.

This month we’re going a bit non-traditional, and chose one of our favorite sushi restaurants in all of SLO County for March’s Restaurant of the Month: Umi Sushi Pacifica. 

Located in Grover Beach, Umi Sushi Pacifica opened in 1998 as a Teriyaki House with only three tables. In 1999, owner Young expanded the menu to include sushi, which the restaurant is known for today. 

All these years later Young continues to harness her creativity by highlighting the fresh, local ingredients through her sushi dishes, working every day with her family in the restaurant. 

It was the beauty and creativity of her dishes that initially drew us to Umi Sushi, and every visit since has never disappointed. Not only is each dish inspired by the traditional, but made new and exciting by the choices of Young. 

To learn more make sure visit Umi Sushi Pacifica’s website, and check out our most recent visit by watching our Reel on instagram! 

Watch our Reel on Instagram

BAR + WINERY OF THE MONTH

Paso Robles

TIN CITY

Where can you find over 20 tasting rooms for local wineries, a brewery, cider house, Michelin star restaurant, and ice cream all within a half-mile? Only at Tin City in Paso Robles, that’s where! 
At first glance Tin City may seem to be a collection of industrial warehouses, but at closer look you’ll find an incredibly talented group of local makers specializing in craft wine, beer, spirits, and specialty cuisines, and just as incredible a space where locals and visitors alike can explore some of the best SLO County has to offer.

We love going to Tin City because it always has something perfect that fits our mood: if we want to relax, grab a beer, play some corn hole, and listen to some live music we can head on over to Barrelhouse Brewery; if we want to sip on a cider and grab lunch at a local food truck we head on over to Tin City Cider; and if we’re looking for an easy way to visit multiple wineries there’s no better way than to park and walk between all the tasting rooms. 

And that’s not even talking about the food! In between your beer, cider, or wine! Tin City is also home Six Test Kitchen (the only Michelin Star restaurant in all of SLO County) that offers a 12-course seasonal menu available by appointment only; Negranti Creamery, a specialty sheep and cow’s milk ice cream shop; and Etto Pasta, a specialty pasta shop. Truly something for everyone! 

To learn more about Tin City make sure to visit their website, and definitely add this incredible space to your list of places to visit in March! 

CHEF’S CORNER

Irish Potato Candy

By Chef Candice Custodio

Originating in Philadelphia around the late 19th century or early 20th century, Irish Potato Candy is neither Irish nor does it contain actual potatoes!

But with its unique look, and minimal time requirement, this dish is the perfect no bake treat for any St. Patrick’s Day gathering. 

Print the Recipe

Chef Candice Custodio

A Cal Poly Alumni, Chef Candice Custodio is a Los Angeles native now permanently residing on the Central Coast. She has held various positions as an Executive Chef, Restaurant/Menu Consultant, Private Chef, and has been featured on the Food Network’s Chopped. She is currently the Chef at Kindred Oak Farm in Paso Robles.

NEW PRODUCTS

Over the last few months we’ve been working hard on designing 10 new images inspired by SLO, and are excited to announce an entire new line of products 🥳

In addition to our books Coloring SLO County and Luis is Lost, and our game Cards About SLO, we now have a clothing line AND home and living products! 

Check out all our new products by visiting our Shop, and find the perfect way to show your love of that SLO life!

EVENT CALENDAR

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NEXT MONTH

If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading our newsletter! ❤️

We’ll be back next month with even more ideas to hike around SLO County; a new bar, restaurant, and winery of the month; another extra special recipe from Chef Candice Custodio; and more special events you don’t want to miss! 

In the meantime you can follow us on our social channels linked below, and we’ll see you next month! 🐰

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We love San Luis Obispo County, and created this site as a guide for visitors and locals to explore everything this county has to offer.  Whether you are looking for beaches, wineries, mountains, great food and drink, fun, events, or sunshine, you can find it all in our small piece of paradise.

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