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AJ Spurs is Great for Families and Steaks in Grover Beach

May 29, 2021
My collage below is a collection of photos taken by me at AJ Spurs in Grover Beach, California.

AJ Spurs is located right off Highway 101 so it's a quick exit in Grover Beach. It's pricey, quirky and great for a special occasion.

We've actually dined at the AJ Spurs in Buellton (part of Santa Barbara County) before we dined at this Grover Beach location (in San Luis Obispo County). The decor is similar but I feel like this place feels much bigger! The parking situation is much easier as well.

We're in a pandemic when we came here for the first time and it was very easy to get seated. After the pandemic, business here seemed to have picked up a lot. The place feels dark inside as it should as it's meant to have an old western vibe with a lot of taxidermy!

The portions were very big! The kids seemed to enjoy looking around in their seats. There's a whole lot to take in. Desserts came with the entrees that we ordered and you could pick from a float or a sweet alcoholic shot of the day. This place is definitely different. Be ready to spend 30 - 40 dollars for a nice steak entree but you will definitely not leave hungry!

Here's how the inside looks:

See other restaurants that I've dined at with my family in San Luis Obispo County under the Restaurants page.

AJ Spurs Address: 1760 El Camino Real, Grover Beach, CA 93433

Reading Suggestions:

To see other pictures of restaurants that I've visited in San Luis Obispo County, go to the Restaurants Page.

See 16 restaurants that I've visited in Paso Robles.

Read about my date night in Pismo Beach.

 

La Quinta Inn in San Luis Obispo Downtown Review and Dinner at 1865 Craft House

May 26, 2021
We did a staycation at La Quinta in Downtown San Luis Obispo about a year after the pandemic started.

It was a short 18 hour staycation. Our main motivated was we wanted to be able to use our 1865 Craft House & Kitchen gift card that we've been hoarding and since it's located right next door from the La Quinta Inn in Downtown San Luis Obispo, we decided to have a relaxing tourist experience as locals as well. Since traveling far was not advised during the pandemic, we opted for staycations instead and my family really enjoyed this nice relaxing Sunday dinner and relaxation afterwards. 

Dinner at 1865 Craft House, Next to La Quinta Inn San Luis Obispo Downtown

Here are pictures of the food that we ordered from the 1865 Craft House & Kitchen Restaurant below. They seated us outside and our table had a fire pit. We had dined at 1865 Craft House before so we knew to expect creative drinks and delicious food with excellent service. They have a lot of patio space and indoor space. I ordered the salmon, shared the wings and enjoyed one of their pretty cocktails. My kids enjoyed the mac and cheese and a side of sweet potato fries.
risotto with salmon from 1865 Craft House & Kitchen
picture of wings appetizer from 1865 Craft House
picture of Mac and cheese from the kid's food menu from 1865 Craft House
sweet potato fries picture


The service was great and the food came out fast. The food quality was top notch and the kids enjoyed their selection from the kid's menu!

One Night Stay at La Quinta Inn San Luis Obispo

After we had a nice dinner at 1865 Craft House & Kitchen, we walked back to our hotel.

It was too cold to dip into the pool but my sons and I still took the elevator up to the 4th floor to check it out and look at the view. It's so awesome. I really didn't expect a rooftop like this at a La Quinta. 


In the morning, they had grab and go breakfast bags for free for guests so we grabbed a couple and enjoyed some local Edna pastries, breakfast bars, orange juice and water. They charged me $10 for parking, which is fair and I didn't need to put any ticket on the dashboard so that saved me a trip back-and-forth because normally, I'd do this after checking in at a hotel to make sure no one would tow it.

One thing I want to note is that every room has a mini-fridge but the mini-fridge is located inside of the closest, not the cabinet. I thought that was strange but maybe it's for sanitary reasons! I had a hard time finding it at first.

One complaint: Even though check-in time was 3pm, when we arrived there at 3pm, our room was still not ready and we had to wait another hour. We booked a deluxe double queen, which has a balcony so there were only certain rooms with that feature. I thought that was a real bummer to have to wait but they said they were so busy the night before. In retrospect, I think they should have just upgraded me to an available suite so I didn't have to wait. Anyway, they gave me a coupon for 2 free cocktails or appetizer for the restaurant next door, which we had planned on dining at anyway. I'm not sure if they gave every guest this 1865 Craft House & Kitchen coupon or only if they are trying to step up their customer service when needed.

All and all, I would definitely return here and recommend my friends.

Note: This staycation was not sponsored in anyway and they did not know that I am a blogger. Therefore, like 95% of my content here my website, this review is not biased.

Staycations at other hotels around San Luis Obispo County:

To see other pictures of restaurants that I've visited in San Luis Obispo County, go to the Restaurants Page.

 

Summer Camps in San Luis Obispo County - List of 28 Options

May 13, 2021
Here's a list of summer camp options for kids that are usually available in the summer throughout San Luis Obispo (SLO) County below. Most places don't post information until a couple of months before summer break begins.

2024 Summer Camps for Kids in San Luis Obispo County Availability

  1. Summer Experience at multiple schools in San Luis Obispo County for grades: 1st through 12th. Times and schedule vary by grade groups.

  2. Summer School Camp from City of San Luis Obispo Youth Services They call it KidVENTURE! They have weekly themes for ages 5 - 12 years old, separated by 3 groups. They usually don't post information until a couple of months before summer break. Full Day Camp is Monday - Friday between times: 7:30AM - 5:30PM

  3. Summer Blast Program by Lucia Mar Unified School District for TK - high school kids under the Lucia Mar Unified School District. Student would attend from 8AM to 2PM for free. Registration and more information will be available on March 25, 2024. They will also have After Summer Blast Care between 2PM - PM as an option. More details and registration info from Lucia Mar Unified School District.

  4. Avila Bay Athletic Club & Spa in Avila Beach is having a weekly Summer Camp from 9AM - 3PM, Mon - Fri,  for members and non-members (rates are different). Each week includes tennis instruction, water activites, art projects, instructional gardening, soccer, kids fitness, kempo, obstacle courses, science experiments, and much more! This year each Friday will have a fun, special theme! Kids must complete a swim test.

  5. Oceano Dunes Junior Lifeguards Program in the summer offers two sessions. Each session is $275 and the dates are: Session I 2024: June 10 - June 28, Session II 2024: July 8 - July 28. The program runs Monday through Friday 10:00AM to 2:00PM. The kids need to try out for this in order to be be admitted. Registration will open in April 2024 and you would have to go to the registration information tab for more information on ReserveCalifornia.com to register. Once registered, you would meet at 25 W. Grand Ave, Oceano 93433

  6. Monarch Hills in San Luis Obispo is offering 3 sessions of summer camp in 2024 for kids who are between kindergarten and 6th grade. Kids area learning the Waldorf way, which is a farm based education program. The capacity is 15 children for each week. 

  7. Boys and Girls Club South County SLO They have summer camps for elementary aged kids with pods by age groups for a really affordable rate per week. This is in South County area of San Luis Obispo. Full Day Camp is Monday - Friday between times: 7AM - 6PM. 

  8. Pacific Flips Gymnastics Summer Camps in (Grover Beach) are for for kids ages 4 - 14 years old. You can choose between half day or full day. Half Day is 9AM - Noon and Full Day is 9AM - 3PM. You can pay by the week or by the day, with discounts if you book more days out of the week. They would occasionally host a Pajamanastics which is fun play for kids in the evening in their pajamas.

    Many parents have enrolled their kids at a Pajamanastics event at Pacific Flips so the kids can have fun while the parents go on date night or run errands.

  9. Summer Camps at Playtime Discoveries in Atascadero Summer Camp here has different weekly activities and varies by age groups. 

  10. Youth Summer Program by City of Arroyo Grande has Summer Camp with weekly plans. Full Day Camp is Monday - Friday between times: 7AM - 6PM.

  11. Youth Evolution Basketball Summer Camp has four different locations to pick from: Arroyo Grande, Atascadero, Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo. They are from Monday - Friday for 3 hours a day by age group.

  12. Summer Camp at Centennial Park in Paso Robles by YMCA is for kids in grades K - 6th. It is a weekly cost. Full Day Camp is Monday - Friday between the times: 7:30AM - 5:30PM.

  13. Summer Camp at Baywood Elementary by YMCA (San Luis Obispo) are for kids in grades K - 6th grade. It is a weekly cost. Full Day Camp is Monday - Friday between 7:30AM - 5:30PM.

  14. Summer Camp at Bellevue Santa Fe Charter School by YMCA is for kids grades K - 6th grade. It's a weekly cost. Full Day Camp is Monday - Friday between 7:30AM - 5:30PM.

  15. Central Coast Gymnastics Summer Camp in San Luis Obispo are for kids ages 4 - 13.5 years old with weekly themes. Half Days are from 9AM - Noon and Full Days are from 9AM - 3PM (depending on how many days a week the child is attending, rates for the week varies).

    My kids have attended their camps before and I'm always impressed by how organized they are.
    (2023 Update: As a mom, I want to caution you about this place so I recommend googling "Central Coast Gymnastics" under the News section as something happened in 2023. Please do some research, then make your decision.)

  16. Performance Athletics Gymnastics in San Luis Obispo has Summer Camp with a different theme every week. You can pick from 8:30AM - 5:30PM Mon - Fri or 9:30AM - 2:30PM Mon - Fri. This is for ages from 4 - 13 years old.

  17. Legacy Training Center in San Luis Obispo has Summer Camp for half days or full days and you pay by the week or by the day. They offer a sibling discount. This camp is for ages 4 years old and up. Half day hours are from 9AM - noon or 12:30PM - 3PM. Full day hours are 9AM - 3PM. 

  18. Camp Natoma is a screen-free program under the stars and making new friends from June - August. This is a true camp where they sleep in sleeping bags. Location is West of Paso Robles.

  19. Keshet Lavoux Childrens Art Studio is offering 5 weeks of Summer Camp with weekly themes in South Atascadero. Camp is for ages 6 - 12 years old.

  20. Central Coast Aquarium offers Summer Camp from June - August for half day (9AM - noon) and full day (9AM - 3PM). Sessions are broken down by age/grade groups. They are located in Avila Beach. They usually focus on Spring Camp first and then they would publish the summer info after.

    See more pictures that I've taken during a past visit at Central Coast Aquarium.

  21. SLO Classical Academy is located in San Luis Obispo, California for preschoolers through 8th grade kids. There are 3 different sessions. Preschoolers and kindergartener are put in a group together while the older kids get grouped together.

  22. Summer Camp at Central Coast New Tech in Nipomo by Nipomo Rec Office. Summer Camp is for 1st - 6th graders from 7AM - 6PM Mon-Fri and includes: games, arts & crafts, swim days at the NHS pool, field trips and more. Rates are affordable for half day and full day. Register at the Nipomo Rec Office or call 805-929-5437.

  23. Cuesta College For Kids & JR Camps are two summer programs that are run by Cuesta College. The College for Kids Program is for ages 10 - 15 years old and the Cuesta College JR Camp is for ages 5 - 9 years old. Their programs are from Monday - Thursday. You can register online or call their office at 805-546-3132. 

  24. Morro Bay Little Guards is a daily 3 hour program during the summer (Mon - Fri) for ages 6 - 9 years old in Morro Bay. You can choose from the morning session or afternoon session. Morro Bay is a beautiful and iconic location in San Luis Obispo County. See pictures that I've taken in Morro Bay.

  25. Summer Camp at Camp Ocean Pines (cabin stay for 6 days or 13 days) in Cambria. Activities include target sports, arts & crafts, performance, science & nature, social, food and other outdoor activities. 

  26. Creative Kids Performing Arts Musical Theater Camp at Pismo Beach Vets Hall from 9AM - 1PM for kids ages between 8 years old - 14 years old. There are 4 summer sessions.

  27. Summer Camp at The Pad in San Luis Obispo is for kids between the ages of 6 - 14 years old. You pay the week. Every day is packed full of topics such as climbing techniques, route setting, belaying, knot tying, yoga, and more. Of course, there’s all the good stuff of a day camp, too: fun games, crafts, new friends, but with the bonus of developing a love for climbing.

  28. Super Charged Science Summer Camp from June 24 - 28, 2024 for ages 7 - 12 years old offers fun educational activities and the kids will build over 40 hands-on science projects that they will get to take home.
(Note: This is a growing list so come back to check for updates.)

Reading Suggestions:
Find Suggested Things To Do for Teens in SLO County

Find a List of Kids Night Out or Parents Night Out Events throughout San Luis Obispo County

Read About My Experience with the Lucia Mar Summer Swim Program at Arroyo Grande High School for the Kid's Swim Lessons During Summer Break

Read About my Cabana Experience at Mustang Waterpark in Arroyo Grande (Only Open Between Late May - Early Sept Every Year)

Read About my Ravine Waterpark Experiences in Paso Robles (Also Only Open Between Late May - Early Sept Every Year)


Read About My Chaperoning Tips and My Experiences with Chaperoning on Field Trips

Being outdoors in the summer can be so fun but it comes with a risk. Even if the sun seems mild, it's good to have sunscreen, a pair of sunglasses and a sun hat to protect your skin. Staying active improves your mood and you'll get exercise that'll help you stay healthy.

Suggested Activites for the Summer:

 

Second Pfizer Vaccine Shot Gave Me the Chills and Headaches

May 9, 2021
A couple of my friends had both shots of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine and they told me that besides a sore arm, they didn't have any other symptoms. I wasn't so lucky.

Yesterday morning, I went to my appointment to get my second Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine. I felt great until maybe 8 hours later, my left arm (where they gave me the shot) started getting sore. No big deal. I felt like that was very bearable. I went to bed and then, the next morning, I felt more than just a sore arm. I got the chills! 

This morning, I decided to shower to see if I would feel better. I started getting kind of tired and a couple of hours after that, I started getting a splitting headache as well. I've never had a migraine before but this splitting headache was something I've never experienced before so maybe I had begun an onset of migraines! I'm in my late 30s and haven't gotten sick in probably 4 years. My body has been going baloney all day long.

After doing some googling, a few sites mentioned that women typically get more side effects than men after getting the second shot for Pfizer. The bright side is, if I'm getting symptoms, then my body is fighting like it should and creating anti-bodies that will protect me against future infections.

In the afternoon was when I was feeling my worst. My husband offered me 2 ibuprofen pills, which I hesitated at first but since my headache was bothering me, I took 1. I think that was not a good idea. Maybe it would've been better to let my symptoms run its course.

Update: Thankfully, I felt much better 2 days after.
 

Playing Shop Play Win Monopoly with VONS

May 7, 2021
Every year, I always look forward to playing Shop, Play, Win Monopoly through my local VONS. Other grocery stores like Albertsons, Tom Thumb and probably about a dozen others also participate around the U.S. This year, my store isn't doing the paper game board so everything can be claimed online. I like it better this way because I don't have to lick anything this time because they were like stamps before.

Things You Can Win
I really enjoy playing Shop, Play, Win to win freebies. I'd win free grocery items like O Organics Animal Cookies, bread crumbs, loaves of French bread, hamburger buns and other canned goods. You can also win discounts like $1, $5 or even $10 off your groceries and enter sweepstakes for thousands of dollars! I've never won any sweepstake though.

However, I broke my own record this year. I won over 80 free items from Shop, Win, Play! 36 of them are refreshe water in 16.9 oz sizes, which my local VONS does not always have them available in singles. I finally took the courage to talk to a worker there about my free waters and they were very accommodating in helping me out. She pointed me in the direction of where the single waters are and she also at that point realized that there were none. However, I know where to look now. They are near the check out stands!

Some other cool things I won this year includes: Free Kinder Joy Candy, Free Signature SELECT Aluminum Foil and Free O Organics Canned Tomatoes.

(Screenshot below is from my Account)


How to Win With Shop, Play, Win
You could win a few ways. You could win instantly by opening your ticket and you'd see a message with a code that tells you exactly what you won. If you don't win, you could get a second chance play and enter a code on the Shop, Play, Win website and try to match 3 of the same items. If you get lucky, you win that very item! So as you can see from my screenshot above from my account, I have instant wins and match 3 wins. If you win tokens, you can use those tokens to redeem particular items or enter sweepstakes so if you're super lucky, you can win any of their amazing sweepstakes, which could be vacations, money or gift cards.
 

About Me


San Luis Obispo Mom Originally from San Diego, California, I'm a San Diego State University alumna, veteran's wife and mom of two kids who were born two years apart. After living on the East Coast for 6 years, we now reside in San Luis Obispo County and here, the exploration continues. In between work and momming it, I like to exercise.
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All photos (except for ads) on SanLuisObispoMom.com including: homepage, 'Family-Friendly Things to do' page, 'SLO Restaurants' page,'Mom Groups & Childcare' page, and 'blog' page were taken by me so they are my original content and belong to this blog/website.

To find family-friendly activities in the SLO area, go to the 'Family-Friendly Things To Do' page.

Some of the links are just useful local information that I'm sharing for free and some are commission-based products that may help me earn a small commission for each sale to upkeep with the fees of running this local blog.



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