Harmony is well worth the search. Photo by Elyse Lopez, edited via Instagram

This charming little town between Morro Bay and Cambria is worth the stop.

The whole town can be seen within a single glance. There is a post office, a cafe, a couple of art studios, a chapel and two or three residential homes clustered together in a plot of land the size of a park.

Harmony is a tiny reminder of the past with its sprawling green hills and wooden architecture housed with artisans.

Life is slow here. The cows graze peacefully, and chickens peck the dirt along the main road. A tiny brown dog in a purple sweater guards the street and postoffice by keeping a watchful eye on pedestrians. A black cat roams the crooked cobblestone path to and from the different store fronts.

Harmony Glassworks, the glassblowing studio, was quite fun to browse. While I debated whether or not to buy a blown glass pen (easy writer bait),  I watched an artist giving a glassblowing lesson to a couple of boys.

Across the street from the center of the tiny town is a giant barn with an arch across the driveway reading: Harmony Cellars Winery and Tasting Room.

A visitor’s first instinct will not be to go inside the barn, but to look out at the view surrounding it. The winery is on a small hill with just enough height to see into the valley. It’s quite beautiful and quaint with the town in the foreground.

Upon entering the winery, tasters are greeted with warm and smiling faces. It took less than a minute to be greeted and once decided upon the tasting, wine is poured immediately.

Erin Martin has worked for Harmony Cellars for six years, she said. She is the Market and Human Resources Director at Harmony Cellars Winery.

Harmony Cellars has been present in the San Luis Obispo County’s wine industry for 24 years, she said.

by Elyse M. Lopez

The winery is owned by Chuck and Kim Mulligan. Kim’s great-grandfather, Giacomo (James) Barloggio was a founder of the old creamery cooperative in downtown Harmony. He also used to make homemade wine down in his basement, Martin said.

“Today’s winery sits on a part of Giacomo’s original land holdings, land that’s been in Kim’s family for four generations,” Martin said.

Read more about Harmony–and touring SLO County’s wine country–at Elyse Lopez’s blog Sipping in SLO.

It was the perfect location for a five mile there-and-back run. When you park at the trail head you are sure to see at least ten other cars. It is a bike trail that takes you along Avila Creek, passed Avila Village, through Avila Beach Golf Course, and to Avila Beach itself. When I ran this trail for the first time this morning, there were families walking or biking along the pathway, bikers, runners enjoying the many sights the trail brought. There aren’t too many hills so its a pretty easy run.

Directions from 101-S:

1. Take the Avila Beach exit
2. Turn right on Ontario Road
3. Drive 0.3 miles and the parking lot is on your left
4. Trailhead is across the street
5. Enjoy a perfect trail for running, biking, walking, or even rollerblading

Read more about this run at Ashley DeVriend’s blog “The Lost Runner”

Photo courtesy of GoPetFriendly.com

Residents of San Luis Obispo County love their pups and enjoy taking them out and about. There are many options and places to play all over the area for dogs who like to get out in SLO!

When Fido is looking for some fun, try one of these local doggie hot spots.

El Chorro Dog Park, San Luis Obispo   

El Chorro Regional Dog Park features a fenced-in area separated for big dogs and small dogs, as well as hiking trails and a botanical garden for you to enjoy. Click here for more information.

Laguna Lakes Dog Park, San Luis Obispo

Laguna Lakes Dog Park has enough space for your pup to play fetch and roam. There is a disc golf course, playground, hiking trails and lake views for both you and your dog to enjoy. Click here for more information.

Bishop Peak, San Luis Obispo

Mild steep hills provide leashed dogs and their humans incredible views of Cal Poly and all of downtown San Luis Obispo. Click here for more information.

Sherwood Dog Park, Paso Robles

Sherwood dog parks provides over an acre of separated play areas for big dogs and small dogs. Additional features include a swim area in the big dog area for dogs to take a splash, picnic tables and park benches, as well as an arbor-style shaded structure. Click here for more information.

Elm Street Off-Leash Dog Park, Arroyo Grande

This park is separated into two different sections for big dogs and small dogs, and features water hoses, fire hydrants, trees and benches. Click here for more information.

Heilmann Dog Park, Atascadero

Heilmann offers dogs and their owners a shade structure, water, picnic tables, lots of shady oak trees, a patio and even a doggie spa. Click here for more information .

Dinosaur Caves Park, Pismo Beach

This 11 acre park provides scenic ocean views for both pups and their humans. Click here for more information.

Fisherman’s Beach, Avila 

Well-behaved dogs are allowed to run through the surf and have fun in the sun at Fisherman’s Beach (located next to Hartford Pier). Click here for more information.

Cambria Dog Park, Cambria

Fenced-in dog park north of Main Street. Click here for more information.

Jody Giannini Family Dog Park, Morro Bay

Located inside Del Mar Park, this dog park offers plenty of shade, large green open space and two different sections for large and small dogs. Click here for more information.

Nipomo Dog Park, Nipomo

This park under the pine trees, provides water for both you and your dog. Click here for more information.

Vineyard Dog Park, Templeton

 This park is about one acre and is separated into play areas for big dogs and small dogs. It features water, shade trees, picnic tables, park benches, dog bag dispensers, dog toys, and wading pool (summer time only). Click here for more information.

Fall in San Luis Obispo brings plenty of fall & Halloween entertainment for your kids and pups too! If you’re looking to put yourself in a fall mood, consider one of these local events.

Halloween at SLO Children’s Museum

Saturday, October 27 | 10am -5pm

Children are invited to the Children’s Museum to make spider hats, participate in a Halloween seek & find and receive treats. They can wear costumes and bring a friend for free. Click here for more information.

Farmers’ Market, Downtown SLO

Thursday, October 25 | 5pm

Children and their families are invited to enjoy festive Farmers’ Market events. The Downtown Trick-or-Treat kicks off at 5 p.m.  All visiting children in costume will receive a bag and map of participating businesses that will provide candy.

Children between the ages of 0-12 are invited to come out in their creative costumes to compete for prizes. Sign-ups begin at 5:30 p.m. at the corner of Chorro and Higuera, with the contest taking place from 6:16-8:00 p.m. The contest is broken up into several age groups: 0-2, 3-4, 5-8, 9-12 and pairs. The pair category allows siblings and friends to dress up as their favorite duo.

The 1st Annual Munchkin March is presented by SLO County Parks and Rec & Mindful Mothers. Families can meet at 5 p.m. in Mission Plaza before parading through Farmers’ Market at 6 p.m.  All parade participants are asked to bring a food item or cash to donate for the Food Bank Coalition of SLO County. For more information, please click here.

Howl’oween at Sherwood Dog Park, Paso Robles

Sunday, October 28 | 10:30am – 12:20pm

Dogs and their families are invited to celebrate the holiday at Sherwood Dog Park. A pet costume contest will be held at noon with prizes for the winners. Holiday family photos will be available for a $10 donation with all proceeds benefiting the Sherwood Dog Park and Parks4Pups. Rain cancels. Click here for further information.

Dogtoberfest & Weiner Dog Races, Atascadero

Sunday, October 21 | 10am – 3pm

This rain or shine event includes weiner dog races and the new Weiner-Wannabe division (open to all dogs under 25 pounds), a pet costume contest with cash prizes, raffle drawings, animal adoption groups, Elks BBQ and vendor demonstrations. Click here for further information.

Photo by Elliott Johnson

By Get Out SLO
March 19, 2012

Cal Poly football opens spring drills April 2, and the Mustangs will play their annual spring football game on April 28 in Spanos Stadium. Admission is free and open to the public.

Cal Poly is moving to the Big Sky Conference this fall with an 11-game slate that includes five home games, eight conference games and a game against Wyoming from the FBS.

The Mustangs’ home opener will be against San Diego on Sept. 1, and the four other home games will be against new conference foes UC Davis, Northern Colorado, Portland State and Idaho State.

Portland State will be the Homecoming game while Northern Colorado is the Parents Weekend game.

Montana and Montana State were Big Sky co-champions last fall. The Mustangs do not face either team this fall.

Cal Poly’s only other non-conference game will be at Eastern Washington, which edged the Mustangs in three overtimes last year.

Here is the complete schedule of home games:

• Sept. 1: San Diego
• Sept. 22: *UC Davis
• Oct. 13: *Northern Colorado (Parents Weekend)
• Oct. 20: *Portland State (Homecoming)
• Nov. 10: *Idaho State

* Big Sky Conference game.

Cal Poly closed out its tenure in the Great West Conference last year by posting a 6-5 mark and claiming its fourth conference title, more than any other school in the Great West’s eight-year history. The Mustangs ended the season ranked No. 10 among the 124 NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision teams in the Jeff Sagarin rankings published in USA Today.

For more information on the football team, go to Mustang sports website.

Elizabeth Haslam / Flickr

Get Out SLO
March 15, 2012

Hundreds of people show up each Jan. 1 to kick off the New Year by jumping into the cold waters of the Pacific Ocean off Cayucos as part of the Carlin Soulé Memorial Polar Bear Dip.

No wetsuits are allowed, and most participants wear swimming suits. But others come in costume, including pirates and ladies in fancy hats, or with accessories, including sombreros and a wedding dress, to make the event feel like a Halloween party on the beach.

The Jan. 1, 2013, event will be the 31st annual. The festivities begin at 9:30 a.m., with the mass run into the Pacific Ocean at noon, though some people typically jump the gun.

And, yes, the New Year’s celebration is as zany as it sounds.

Courtesy of Ron Bez photography, www.ronbez.com

By Get Out SLO
March 6, 2012

The 20th annual Zinfandel Festival will bring wine tasting, food pairings and a wine-related auction to the Paso Robles area on March 16-18.

More than 150 participating wineries will offer barrel tastings, winemaker dinners, vineyard tours, casual barbecues, live music and other events on the festival weekend.

The main event is the Zin Tasting & Wine Country Auction on March 17 at the Paso Robles Events Center, which will offer the wine tastings from 40 wineries and gourmet bites, plus an auction of wine tasting retreats, winemaker dinners, VIP tours and special large bottles signed by winemakers.

Tickets are $60 to $85, and ticket buyers must be at least 21.

Through the weekend, more than 150 wineries in the Paso Robles area will host their own special events.

For details, visit the festival website.

Photo by Larry Darling / flickr

By Get Out SLO
Jan. 31, 2012

Country music star Dierks Bentley, who has had a string of chart-topping singles, will headline the Pozo Stampede on April 14.

The stampede, San Luis Obispo County’s premiere music festival, also will feature the Eli Young Band and Wade Bowen. Bentley and the Eli Young Band, which had a No. 1 hit with “Crazy Girl” last year, are on the Country and Cold Cans Tour.

Sixteen singles from Bentley’s studio albums have made the country charts, with eight reaching No. 1, starting with his debut single “What Was I Thinkin’” in 2003. Other well-known hits include “Come a Little Closer,” “Settle for a Slowdown,” “Every Mile a Memory,” “Free and Easy (Down the Road I Go)” and “Sideways.”

The performances will be on the grounds of the historic Pozo Saloon off U.S. 101 in Pozo. Gates open at 11:30 a.m., and the show starts at noon. The show goes on rain or shine.

Fans are advised to bring a low-back beach chair or blanket for general admission seating. Outside food and beverage are not allowed. Pets are prohibited, and there are no in-out privileges. All patrons are subject to search.

Get details of the festival and buy tickets at the event website. Tickets range from $38 to $80.

Learn about more than 1,000 other events along the Central Coast from the getoutslo.com calendar.

Photo by Alan Fagen / flickr

By Get Out SLO
Jan. 31, 2012

Beer lovers can sample extreme beers produced locally and elsewhere at the SLO Xtreme Beer Fest on March 10.

The festival organizers describe an extreme beer as “beers the brewers have taken to an extraordinary level, away from the norm. Some are extra hoppy, some contain high alcohol, others are sour. They may be barrel-aged or brewed with exotic fruits or spices.”

Admission, which is $35, includes unlimited beer tasting in two-ounce samples, and food is available for purchase. The event is for 21 and older only, and participants are encouraged to drink responsibly. The venue is the San Luis Obispo Veterans Hall.

There also will be beer and food pairings and beer seminars.

Entertainment is TBA.

The festival is sponsored by the Vintage Bicycle Association of California and benefits bells4bikes and Pints for Prostates.

Get details of the festival and buy tickets at the event website.

Learn about more than 1,000 other events along the Central Coast from the getoutslo.com calendar.

Photo by CiscoSP360 / flickr

The Doobie Brothers will top the bill for the 19th annual Avila Beach Blues Festival on May 27. Also performing will be Tower of Power and the Taj Mahal Trio.

Gates at the Avila Beach Golf Resort will open at noon, and the show will start at 2 p.m.

No outside food or beverages will be allowed, and ice chests and picnic baskets are prohibited. Sealed plastic water bottles are OK. Blankets and low-back lawn chairs are permitted in the general admission area.

The concert will go on rain or shine. All participants are subject to search. Cameras are allowed but not video cameras.

There will be barbecue, snacks, vegetarian dishes, beer, wine and cocktails for sale at the event.

Parking is located on the 10th fairway of the golf course just off Avila Beach Drive. Parking is $5 a car but is free if there are 4 or more people in a vehicle.

Tickets are $40 to $85, and a child under 7 is free with each paid general admission ticket.

Get details about the show and buy tickets at the event’s website.

Learn about more than 1,000 other events along the Central Coast from the getoutslo.com calendar.