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Madonna Inn Room Review: The San Francisco Room

February 24, 2021
Earlier this month, my family decided to celebrate our son's birthday by planning a surprise staycation at the Madonna Inn! Madonna Inn is a famous California boutique motel property where every room has a different theme, meaning no two rooms are alike! 

Now that the stay-at-home order has been lifted and back to a tier level, we felt that our son deserved something extra special. He missed traveling like we used to do when things were more normal and had always enjoyed staying at hotels so when Madonna Inn was advertising their weekday specials, we took advantage of it! We stayed at the San Francisco Room. The walls and ceilings were burgundy! Not pictured here were also 2 twin-sized beds that were perfect for my sons. Those were closer to the bathrooms. Therefore, there were 3 beds inside of the San Francisco Room.
Madonna Inn San Francisco Room
We checked-in on a Sunday because it was my son's actual birthday and coincidentally, he had a school day off the following day because his school was closed for Lincoln's Birthday! We're grateful for the good timing. We also took advantage of their pool area as well! Even though it was a bit windy, the hot spa kept us comfortable.
pool at Madonna Inn
Walking towards the pool's pathway, we got to take a nice stroll around and see more of Madonna Inn's beautiful architecture. 
Madonna Inn architecture
As a guest here, parking at the hotel was free, which is so nice. Many cities don't have the luxury of not charging hotel guests for parking. There are so many perks for living here in SLO county; and for travelers as well.

We also ordered from the Copper Cafe, Madonna's Inn famous Cafe and Bakery, twice during our stay. Since it was such a short walk within the property, we would just order ahead on the phone for take out and then walk there to pick it up. We mentioned that it's my son's birthday night so they gave us a free dessert. My son loves chocolate so we went with the Black Forest slice of cake. It was delicious and definitely big enough to share! We blew candles earlier that morning from a whole cake so I think he was just caked out. He had a few bites and was done so my husband and I devoured the rest! 
Free birthday slice from Madonna Inn for birthday\Black Forest cake from Madonna Inn
We were being rebels and ate dinner on the bed of the San Francisco Room as a family. My husband also stopped by the cellar that was downstairs from Madonna Inn's restaurants to pick up a bottle of Madonna Inn wine for our dinner as well. I really love their logo.
 Madonna Inn wine

The next morning, we ordered breakfast to-go from the Copper Cafe and ate on the bed again. Their breakfast portions were huge, even the kid's portion! Then, we checked out and upon check out, they let us pick a postcard to keep for free. Of course, we picked the San Francisco Room postcard for keepsake.

This is one of two staycations that I enjoyed at the Madonna Inn. Read about my staycation experience for a different room: Room 111 Antique Cars at the Madonna Inn.


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

Read About All of Our Travel Adventures and Reviews:

 

Dutch Bros Review in Arroyo Grande

February 24, 2021
Located on the same side of the Starbucks on Grand Ave., Dutch Bros is a refreshing alternative for getting coffee. The high-spirited staff will get you excited as you're greeted for ordering coffee with their mobile device! 
picture of Dutch Bros coffee from Arroyo Grande
The lines can get long but there were two lanes when I arrived yesterday in the drive-thru. There were four ladies walking around getting orders so it made the process of ordering so efficient and fast. If you don't know what you're going to order when one of them gets to your vehicle, they will definitely help you. The coffee cup pictured on the left is called the 911 and it has 6 shots of espresso so if you have a weak heart, please beware! For those who need this high caffeinated drink, it is a dream!
Dutch Bros Arroyo Grande SLO
Even before I made it to the window, my drinks were ready and someone walked to my vehicle and handed them to me. This is probably because it's their opening week and the place was fully staffed. I was so impressed with their energy and customer service throughout the whole experience. They have a rewards program you can join with their app. They give my husband a free welcome drink when he downloaded the app, but I'm not sure if they will always offer that. Address of Dutch Bros. in Arroyo Grande: 1259 E Grand Ave Arroyo Grande, CA 93420

Dutch Bros can also whip up a simple latte if their featured suggested drinks are not your thing. I've ordered a hazelnut latte here before and it was the best hazelnut latte I've had in all of 5 Cities. There are so many coffee shops in 5 Cities. Arroyo Grand is part of 5 Cities in San Luis Obispo County. See all of the coffee shops that I've visited in the Five Cities and SLO Area with beautiful coffee or latte art.

 

Early Learning Center Review in San Luis Obispo County

January 28, 2021
I cannot say enough good things about the Early Learning Center that my 4 year old is going to. Even during the pandemic, they are able to get the kids to come twice a week for 3 hours in the mornings. This has been our saving grace as my little one needed some social interaction and some experience with school before he starts kindergarten in the fall.

More information about Early Learning Centers in San Luis Obispo County.

Because they had different grants for this school year, you don't have to be a low income family to apply your kid for this free program. They are state funded and follow strict guidelines so I trust that my little one is getting what he needs that is appropriate for his age group. They also make sure they keep the kids wearing masks, sanitizing their hands and taking their temperatures.

Normally, the kids have to attend Early Learning Center, which we just call "school", 5 days a week, 3 hours a day but because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the kids are only going twice a week. We're happy for that. I know that these are some difficult times. Also, normally parents would need to volunteer twice a month but for safety and health precautions, the parents are not allowed in the classrooms so that is not mandatory right now. See all Early Learning Centers locations in San Luis Obispo County. There are locations throughout the county that include: Atascadero, Paso Robles, Grover Beach, Nipomo, Oceano and San Miguel.

You would need to contact them to learn more about the program and how to register. If you call them at the number that's noted on the Early Learning Center's website, they should be able to get back to you within a day or so, which was the case for us. The age criteria for your child to attend is they have to be between 3 - 4 years old when they enroll before the fall school year, however you can enroll them even after fall semester has started up until a certain point. They would also need to be completely potty-trained.

See a list of other preschool and childcare options in San Luis Obispo County.

Reading Suggestions:

Popular Preschool Supplies:

 

Christmas Season in SLO

December 16, 2020

There are many ongoing events around San Luis Obispo County, the 3 most largest light displays are:
See a list of fun family-friendly events in SLO.

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

 

The Pumpkin Patch in Edna Valley | San Luis Obispo

October 4, 2020

The Pumpkin Patch (actual name) in Edna Valley of San Luis Obispo is a really wonderful pumpkin patch where you can pick from pre-picked options or cut the pumpkin yourself, straight from the vine! They have white pumpkins, orange pumpkins, greens pumpkins, warty pumpkins and more! They are open seasonally from mid-September through all of October every year. I find that you get a better deal supporting this business than going to your local big chain grocery store!

Right next to pumpkins area is a corn maze that is also owned by the same farmers. You have to pay an entrance fee to enter, but it's pretty affordable compared to other places. It's a legitimate maze and a memorable way to have a little fun with the kids.

You can view my reel of the corn maze at The Pumpkin Patch in Edna Valley (SLO) via my instagram.

To see upcoming Halloween and Fall Events and a list of pumpkin patches throughout San Luis Obispo County, go to our Halloween & Fall Events in SLO page.

See our video reels on my instagram to see other pumpkin patches that we've visited:

IG Video reel of our visit at The Pumpkin Patch in Edna Valley

IG Video reel of our visit to the pumpkin patch at SLO Creek Farms

IG Video reel of our visit to the pumpkin patch at Tar Creek Ranch

IG Video reel of our visit to the pumpkin patch at Avila Valley Barn

Major Haunted Houses in Southern California for 2024

Living on the Central Coast, we're only a few hours drive from big haunted houses and attractions at major attractions. Here are ticket offerings for attractions that offer a Haunted House experience at night.

Universal Studios Hollywood Fall Experience

Universal Studios Hollywood in LA offers Discounted General Admission through arestravel. SUPER NINTENDO WORLD™ takes you into the world of Super Mario™. Battle Team Bowser on the groundbreaking Mario Kart™ ride. Play interactive games throughout the land and track your score with a Power-Up Band™. Dine at Toadstool Cafe™, meet Mario and friends, and grab exclusive merch at the 1-UP Factory™ store. Now open at Universal Studios Hollywood. Universal Studios Hollywood is a 2 hour and 56 minute drive south from SLO (if no traffic).
Haunted House Universal Studios See Universal Studios Hollywood Ticket Offerings
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Knott's Berry Farm Fall Experience

Knott's Berry Farm is southern California’s original theme park, bursting with attractions and entertainment. Guests of all ages love the park’s first-class roller coasters and thrill rides, elaborate stage shows, interactive entertainment, and family-friendly fun with Snoopy and the Peanuts™ gang Knott's Berry Farm is about a 3 hour and 54 minute drive from SLO (if no traffic). You can secure Knott's Berry Farm tickets online from arestravel.

Halloween Themed Supplies

 

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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