"This field guide displays wildflowers that grow within about five miles of the City of San Luis Obispo... contains over 290 plant species."--P. 3.

San Luis Obispo was founded in 1772 as a mission in the foothills of the Santa Lucia Mountains on California's Central Coast. The city that grew from a rustic pueblo, with its scattering of adobe buildings, today has a wealth of architectural styles. From the simple barns of the outlying farm community, to the grand hotels and lively saloons kept busy by the Southern Pacific Railroad depot, and back full circle to the Mission Revival style edifices of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo's architecture has echoed its history. Motor travel brought the world's first motel to this half-way point on California's historic Highway 101, and the famously zany tourist attraction, the Madonna Inn.

The history of this California mission from its founding in 1772, through its development and use in serving the Chumash Indians, and its secularization and function today.

For a little village, a lot has happened in Cambria. It's on the road to Hearst Castle and the most scenic stretch of Highway 1, where you can see zebras roaming beside the freeway and elephant seals lounging in the sun. But it's also a destination in its own right, where a rare stand of Monterey pines meets the sea, and where dozens of lively shops and galleries lie nestled at the base of the green Santa Lucia foothills. Former Cambrian editor Stephen H. Provost takes you on a journey through the 20th century in Cambria, one of California's favorite places to relax, retire, and sometimes have a lively debate. Cambria Century is part of his Century Cities series, which he created to celebrate and preserve the history of midsized and smaller American cities from 1900 to 1999. It contains a wealth of anecdotes, some 150 contemporary and historic images, and details of familiar stories you thought you knew, all in an easy-to-read timeline format. Find out about the quicksilver mines and old saloons that made Cambria part of the wild, wild West. Learn about rodeos of the past and the birth of Pinedorado, Cambria's annual Labor Day weekend celebration. Visit San Simeon, at the doorstep to Hearst Castle, and Harmony, the town that's had 18 residents for as long as anyone can remember. Did you know Cambria once had its own movie house and (despite an aversion to national chains), a tiny park on Main Street, and an A&W drive-in? Cambria Century will take you to William Randolph Hearst's castle and Art Beal's anti-castle overlooking the West Village. You'll return to the Toy Soldier Factory, the Pewter Plough Playhouse, the Chuck Wagon, Exotic Gardens, Lyons' Red & White store, Comozzi's, the Rigdon Building, Bank of America, and the Bluebird Inn. And that's just the beginning. The pioneer years of the 19th century boom and recent developments in the new millennium hold many tales of their own. Cambria Century tells the story of what happened in between.

In the first book to identify demographically proven "happiness hotspots" worldwide, researcher and explorer Buettner documents the happiest people on earth and reveals how we can create our own happy zones.

Guide to 156 easy to moderately strenuous day hikes around San Luis Obispo County, ranging from bluff trails along the Pacific coastline to creekside canyon walks in the Santa Lucia Mountains, from city paths to wilderness retreats.

California Plants is an essential resource for outdoor enthusiasts. With his vibrant photographs and lively writing, Matt Ritter takes the reader on a journey through the Golden State's iconic landscapes and abundant plant life. This definitive guide features more than 500 species, along with detailed descriptions, fascinating natural history stories, and handy tree and wildflower color identification charts.