Sunday, August 6, 2017
Ventura County Fair (A Brief Review and Photos)
How many of you have ever gone to your local county fair? If you're from a big city, chances are less likely than if you live in the country. But, no matter where you live, a county fair is a great way to take in some local culture, see some incredible livestock, and enjoy a decent set of carnival rides. I took my kids today for our second year in a row. They had a wonderful time. I recommend bringing a lot of cash because everything is expensive and get there early to avoid traffic and crowds. Here are some pictures from our trip:
Wednesday, August 2, 2017
California's Central Coast--A 3-day Tour
I have been visiting the southern portion of the central coast of California since I was a toddler. So, when I had the opportunity to make my children the 4th generation in my family to enjoy the central coast and all its wonders, I took it. We drove up early in the morning and spent a few days just relaxing in this beautiful place. Highlights of our trip were Montana de Oro in Los Osos, Morro Bay, and Pismo Beach, where we found a decent hotel for the trip.
Pismo Beach is a cute little beach town about a 90 minute drive north of Santa Barbara. They have a lot of beach culture including surf shops, great food, and plenty of miles of beach for surfing, swimming, kite flying, and long walks. Before checking in to our hotel, we explored the downtown area and went to the beach. It was a gorgeous day and great weather for kite flying. The water, despite having a lot of turned up sedimentation, felt clean and refreshing.
We stayed at the Oxford Inn and Suites, which is a bit inland compared to some of the more expensive options in the area, but a great value for our family of 6. We were able to comfortably fit 3 adults and 3 children in a hotel room with 2 queen beds and 1 pull out sofa. The room offered plenty of space and was air conditioned. Free breakfast was offered. You also have the option of enjoying 1 free drink and appetizers during Happy Hour. The pool area is small, but nice. There is a hot tub, a regular pool, and a kiddie pool that's only 1 1/2 feet deep for the little ones. All pools were heated, which was also nice as it was a bit chilly outside, but the kids love swimming. The only downside to this hotel is that it's a little dated and slightly dirty. The beds were squeaky, but comfortable. The tables and chairs looked like they had been around since the '90s, as did most of the bathroom. All of this isn't really an issue though since we didn't spend that much time in the room and don't really care about aesthetics as long as it's clean. The problem, though, is that it wasn't that clean. The linens, floors, and counters were fine, but the window sill had dead bugs and what appeared to be mold growing out of the window frame. We had a similar experience with some of the shower tile. It wasn't so bad that we asked to be moved. We happened to have bleach wipes with us, so we just cleaned it ourselves. It was easier than dealing with the hotel, which seemed a bit understaffed. Overall, it was a good hotel with nice sized rooms for the price, but nothing too fancy and not the cleanest place I've ever been.
On our second day, we explored Montana De Oro, a state park located in Los Osos, a small town between Pismo Beach and San Luis Obispo. It's an older site and absolutely breathtaking, especially if you get there early and can find wildlife. We arrived around 9AM and were able to see deer, rabbits, a snake, ground squirrels, otters, many kinds of birds, and a plethora of tide pool wildlife. The Bluffs trail is easy for a family with small children. My old words of advice are to watch out for poison oak and spider wasps. You'll also want to go at low tide if you want an opportunity to explore everything there is to offer.
After lunch, we took a drive to Morro Rock in Morro Bay. This rock is the remnants of volcanic activity and known as the Gibraltar of the west. It was freezing and foggy, which is somewhat normal for the coast anywhere north of Santa Barbara. But it's an amazing site to see. The shops along the water also offer a variety of fun things to see similar to most California beach towns. My favorites are the ice cream shop and the shell shop.
On our final day, we took a drive down to Santa Barbara on our way home. Santa Barbara is more typical of southern California beach towns, but equally beautiful in its own way. We stopped at the wharf for lunch at Moby Dick Restaurant and took a walk along the beach. There were even some surprises along the way, like a mermaid sculpted in the sand. The water at the beach near the wharf is not the cleanest and our feet are covered in tar (we didn't even touch the water), but it's still a beautiful place to take in the sun and see the ocean.
Overall, it was a wonderful trip. My oldest son, 7, enjoyed all aspects, as did my 3 1/2 year old boy/girl twins. The adults on the trip had fun, too.
Pismo Beach is a cute little beach town about a 90 minute drive north of Santa Barbara. They have a lot of beach culture including surf shops, great food, and plenty of miles of beach for surfing, swimming, kite flying, and long walks. Before checking in to our hotel, we explored the downtown area and went to the beach. It was a gorgeous day and great weather for kite flying. The water, despite having a lot of turned up sedimentation, felt clean and refreshing.
We stayed at the Oxford Inn and Suites, which is a bit inland compared to some of the more expensive options in the area, but a great value for our family of 6. We were able to comfortably fit 3 adults and 3 children in a hotel room with 2 queen beds and 1 pull out sofa. The room offered plenty of space and was air conditioned. Free breakfast was offered. You also have the option of enjoying 1 free drink and appetizers during Happy Hour. The pool area is small, but nice. There is a hot tub, a regular pool, and a kiddie pool that's only 1 1/2 feet deep for the little ones. All pools were heated, which was also nice as it was a bit chilly outside, but the kids love swimming. The only downside to this hotel is that it's a little dated and slightly dirty. The beds were squeaky, but comfortable. The tables and chairs looked like they had been around since the '90s, as did most of the bathroom. All of this isn't really an issue though since we didn't spend that much time in the room and don't really care about aesthetics as long as it's clean. The problem, though, is that it wasn't that clean. The linens, floors, and counters were fine, but the window sill had dead bugs and what appeared to be mold growing out of the window frame. We had a similar experience with some of the shower tile. It wasn't so bad that we asked to be moved. We happened to have bleach wipes with us, so we just cleaned it ourselves. It was easier than dealing with the hotel, which seemed a bit understaffed. Overall, it was a good hotel with nice sized rooms for the price, but nothing too fancy and not the cleanest place I've ever been.
On our second day, we explored Montana De Oro, a state park located in Los Osos, a small town between Pismo Beach and San Luis Obispo. It's an older site and absolutely breathtaking, especially if you get there early and can find wildlife. We arrived around 9AM and were able to see deer, rabbits, a snake, ground squirrels, otters, many kinds of birds, and a plethora of tide pool wildlife. The Bluffs trail is easy for a family with small children. My old words of advice are to watch out for poison oak and spider wasps. You'll also want to go at low tide if you want an opportunity to explore everything there is to offer.
After lunch, we took a drive to Morro Rock in Morro Bay. This rock is the remnants of volcanic activity and known as the Gibraltar of the west. It was freezing and foggy, which is somewhat normal for the coast anywhere north of Santa Barbara. But it's an amazing site to see. The shops along the water also offer a variety of fun things to see similar to most California beach towns. My favorites are the ice cream shop and the shell shop.
On our final day, we took a drive down to Santa Barbara on our way home. Santa Barbara is more typical of southern California beach towns, but equally beautiful in its own way. We stopped at the wharf for lunch at Moby Dick Restaurant and took a walk along the beach. There were even some surprises along the way, like a mermaid sculpted in the sand. The water at the beach near the wharf is not the cleanest and our feet are covered in tar (we didn't even touch the water), but it's still a beautiful place to take in the sun and see the ocean.
Overall, it was a wonderful trip. My oldest son, 7, enjoyed all aspects, as did my 3 1/2 year old boy/girl twins. The adults on the trip had fun, too.
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