Central Coast Trip

We had a wonderful 5-day (4-night) vacation in Grover Beach this New Year's.  My panniers weighed about 26 pounds.  The raingear was not used, but rain was in the forecast so it was good we had it just in case.  The most valuable items were the windbreaker, yoga pants, and a zip-up hoodie.

It was easy to catch the Amtrak from Glendale.  The Holiday Inn Express provided continental breakfast, of which we used to make lunches of peanut butter & jelly sandwiches.  This helped keep the cost of our trip low.  Our walks and bicycle rides were completely free.  We considered seeing a movie, but there wasn't anything we could agree upon.

I am providing our modest itinerary and detailed packing list for our own documentation, but also I would hope it would help you consider what you would bring if you had to carry everything.  There are things I missed, but I used everything I brought.  It felt really good to simplify our lives if only for a week.

It was really fun to be able to take the bus.  The 5-cities transit was awesome!  We bought a $5 all-day pass for the day we went to San Luis Obispo, since we took two different bus lines.  Even though we were early for the bus (which runs only once per hour) we took the opportunity to do some "Bus Stop Calisthenics." Analogous to my favorite passtime, "Train Yoga."  When you consider the urban landscape one big playground for adults, and stop caring what people think, life can be more fun!

Itinerary

Day 1: Fri. Dec. 30

Boarded train at 3:17pm
Arrived at 7:54pm
Biked to hotel
Dinner at Carl's Jr

Day 2: Sat. Dec. 31

Bike ride to Grover Beach beachfront
Viewing of Monarch Grove
Bike tour of Pismo Beach downtown
Walk to 5 Cities Center, Branch Street
Bus ride back to K Mart
Dinner at AJ Spurs

Day 3: Sun. Jan. 1

Bike ride to Avila Beach
Walk to Grand Avenue
Dinner at Round Table Pizza

Day 4: Mon. Jan. 2

Bus ride to San Luis Obispo
Tour of Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa
Shopping at Phoenix Books

Day 5: Tue. Jan. 3

Lunch at Station Grill
Boarded train at 1:55pm
Arrived at 6:50pm
Biked home

Packing List

Outerwear Raingear + Stocking cap Light jacket + Windbreaker Sun hat + Cycling cap Scarf + Headscarf Bicycling gloves	Underwear Undershirts (1 camisole, 3 t-shirts) Long sleeve cycling jersey Boxers or panties (5+ pair) Socks (5+ pair) Bras (1 sports and 2 regular)
Tops Hoodie (zip up) Sunglasses + case + cleaning cloth Bicycle helmet Safety vest	Bottoms Hiking pants (Convertible) Yoga pants Dress pants Cycling shorts
Toiletries Face wash, lotion, eye cream, serum Toothpaste/toothbrush Contact lens case/solution Chapstick, face SPF 50, body SPF 30 Comb, headband, tampons, medication	Electronics Phone + Charger GoPro + Charger Lights + Charger Computer + Charger Music player + Charger
Other Swimsuit Resort Dress	Footwear Cycling & Walking shoes  Flip-flops