Pismo, Morro & Sensorio

Day 1 – Coastal Train Ride, Pismo Beach

We set out from our departure points this morning aboard a deluxe motorcoach and travel to downtown Los Angeles’ Union Station to board Amtrak’s Coast Starlight train for a memorable, five-hour rail journey along California’s spectacular coastline and through its fertile valleys to San Luis Obispo. We’ll travel along Point Conception and through Vandenberg Space Force Base where you’ll see the launch complexes and beautiful undeveloped coastline which is only visible by train. We’ll enjoy an included boxed lunch onboard along with a snack bar selling snacks and drinks. Enjoy the relaxing ride in your reclining seat or check out the view from the observation car featuring windows that stretch up to the ceiling offering unparalleled and expansive views. Upon arrival in San Luis Obispo, we’ll reboard our motorcoach and continue the short distance to Pismo Beach, the classic California beach town featuring a famous stretch of surf and sand and iconic views of the Pacific Ocean. Enjoy a relaxing two-night stay in a AAA Four Diamond full-service resort that celebrates the best of classic California beach culture – a laid-back beachy feel combined with beach house-inspired designs. This beachfront resort that sits directly on the Pismo Beach Boardwalk is just steps away from the Pismo Beach Pier and Pier Plaza which were unveiled in 2020. Enjoy the resort’s heated pool, deck and hot tub overlooking the ocean, swanky lobby and an outdoor bar and lawn with fire pits. Enjoy dinner on your own at the resort’s restaurant or one of the downtown Pismo Beach restaurants within walking distance of the resort. While your deluxe hotel room features a city view, an oceanview room with balcony or veranda is available (based on availability) as an optional upgrade for an additional $175 per person/double occupancy; $350 per person/single occupancy payable at the time of booking. (Lunch)

Day 2 – Pismo Beach, Morro Bay, San Luis Obispo, Sensorio

Following an included breakfast, we’ll travel to Morro Bay and visit the Morro Bay State Park Museum of Natural History. Sitting on a hill overlooking the Morro Bay Estuary, the museum features state-of-the-art displays and interactive exhibits about the history and natural areas around Morro Bay. Enjoy time at leisure for lunch on your own and browsing the charming boutiques and galleries in downtown Morro Bay, the charming, seaside fishing village that sits in the shadow of the famous, 576-foot high, dome-shaped Morro Rock, known as the “Gibraltar of the Pacific.” This afternoon we’ll return to our Pismo Beach resort with time at leisure to relax or explore downtown Pismo Beach, the Pismo Beach Boardwalk and the Pismo Beach Pier – all within walking distance of the resort. This evening we’ll travel to downtown San Luis Obispo to enjoy dinner on your own at one of the restaurants or at the downtown Farmers’ Market and street faire (weather permitting). Enjoy strolling amongst four lively and historic blocks filled with just-picked produce for sale, local restaurants selling a variety of barbecued specialties and entertaining local performers. As the sun sets we’ll arrive at Sensorio – internationally-acclaimed artist Bruce Munro’s largest artwork to date – located in a valley between rolling hills just east of downtown Paso Robles. Field of Light is an enormous, walk-through installation comprised of nearly 60,000 spherical fiber-optic “flowers” that gently illuminate the landscape in subtle blooms of morphing color. As you stroll along the flat, lit trail at your own pace, you’ll be amazed by this stunning display of “solar flowers” that create a living kaleidoscope of color. Light Towers is a stunning light installation that celebrates Paso Robles’ wine heritage with colorful 6-foot-tall towers composed of more than 17,000 wine bottles illuminated by glowing colorful optic fibers morphing to a moving musical score. And now on display are two new installations: Fireflies, a whimsical work made up of close to 10,000 flickering points of light and Gone Fishing, a playful representation of the contemplative act of standing by a stream. Just added in 2024 is Dimensions featuring large-scale metal sculptures that explore the relationship between light and music, shadow and pattern, environment and form, creating an immersive audio-visual experience created to transport visitors to another world. Should inclement weather prevent us from visiting Light at Sensorio, an included lunch or dinner will be substituted. (Breakfast)

Day 3 – Santa Barbara, Journey Home

After an included breakfast and a late morning departure, we’ll head south and travel the backroads through the picturesque Santa Ynez Valley to Santa Barbara. Downtown Santa Barbara features a kaleidoscope of boutiques, galleries and tantalizing eateries amongst palm-lined thoroughfares and beautiful Spanish architecture. Enjoy time at leisure for browsing and lunch on your own at the variety of restaurants along State Street and at Paseo Nuevo – the Mediterranean-style shopping district. We’ll return to our drop-off points this evening with many fond memories of our time exploring California’s charming Central Coast on this fun and memorable getaway. (Breakfast)

While we make every effort to operate our tours as outlined in the itinerary, we ask for your patience, understanding and flexibility and to retain a sense of adventure while traveling with us. Situations may arise that necessitate changes to the itinerary. Should we need to adjust the itinerary either prior to or while on tour, these changes will be communicated to you and only done when absolutely necessary.