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The beautiful ocean, clean sand and peaceful setting of Pismo Beach makes one feel like they are in a dream. This is the epitome of the California dream and we're living in it. My kids and I took a stroll yesterday in PB "Pismo Beach" and here are the pictures I took from my regular Samsung phone, unedited. It is amazing here!


When I was living in San Diego, I would hear the Visit California commercial say "Where the mountains meet the sea" and here, in SLO, in Pismo Beach, they really do meet. It's incredible to finally see this after all of these years. 

The Pismo Beach Pier is very well kept. Strollers are allowed here on the pier and the wooden floors are not too bumpy for the strollers. I have a regular Graco double stroller, not a jogger, and it was a pleasant ride for my 2 toddler boys. 

The boardwalk from Pismo Beach Pier is also a nice stroll for the kids. Although the pier does not allow dogs on it, the boardwalk and beach are dog-friendly. 

See my short video of the Pismo Beach Neon lights and the Christmas lights at the end of the pier in December below:


View my long walk on the Pismo Beach Pier on this video reel on my instagram page.

Even though, people rave about the gigantic PISMO BEACH neon lights by the pier. My favorite neon lights is from the St. Jude Pedestrian Tunnel in Pismo Beach that is located a few blocks uphill from the pier. See my video clip of my walk through the St. Jude Pedestrian Tunnel below.

All photos were taken by SanLuisObispoMom.com.

Pismo Beach Restaurants

Read my review for the following Pismo Beach restaurants that I've personally visited.

• Oyster Loft
• SeaVenture Restaurant
• The Rooftop at Inn at the Pier
• Kanpai Sushi
• Ventana Grill

To see free things to do in the SLO and the beach areas here, go to: http://www.sanluisobispomom.com/family-friendly-events.php.

Read about my staycations at the famous Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo.

Our first library adventure in SLO took place at Arroyo Grande Library in Arroyo Grande, CA. They have a children's area with LEGOs, computers for kids, puzzles and a little private area in the back. Here are the photos that we took from our library visit below.

The kids really enjoy the LEGOs, although it seemed too close to the main area where everyone could hear them building. The loud plastic clangs that came naturally from the shuffles of the LEGOs can sound disturbing a bit to maybe some. Nonetheless, the boys loved it! 


They have weekly story times here for the little ones. See the free story time schedule here for Arroyo Grande Library and other libraries in San Luis Obispo County.

The address of the Arroyo Grande Library is: 800 W Branch St, Arroyo Grande, CA 93420. You can come here and then visit the playground just a couple minutes drive away.

Aside from free story times, this public library in Arroyo Grande is very active with planning events year round. We even went to a Pokemon Party here during Spring Break.

My kids were able to meet other Pokemon collectors from all over the county and trade cards. It was so cute to watch how cordial and kind they were to each other. See our Pokemon Party experience at Arroyo Grande under Day 5 of my Spring Break blog entry.

As locals, we like to go to San Luis Obispo Children's Museum's "Moonlight Hours" where anyone could come visit that night from 5pm - 8pm for FREE (Now, they've shortened this to 5PM - 7PM)! Here are the photos that we took from our free San Luis Obispo Children's Museum visits below. They usually have the Moonlight Hours event every month so check out their website to see when their next one is. 



With three floors, my 4 year old and 2 year old sons were so excited and thrilled! We started with the 3rd floor via elevator and worked our way down. The top two floors were great for babies and toddlers and the first floor was very appropriate for bigger kids (like elementary age). They also have an outdoor area as well for some musical fun and other things to build!


To see the many structures that's available for the kids to play with, see my instagram video reel of my visit at San Luis Obispo Children's Museum. The architecture of this building is pretty fantastic.

When the next free Moonlight Hours are announced, they will be listed here on the Family-Friendly Events list. Address of the San Luis Obispo Children's Museum: 1010 Nipomo St., San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

To see other kid-friendly things to do in SLO, go to: http://www.sanluisobispomom.com/family-friendly-events.php.

See my video reel of my visit at San Luis Obispo Children's Museum during Father's Day week on instagram.

Reading Suggestions:

• Read my review for Paso Robles Children's Museum located in Downtown Paso Robles.
• Read my review for Exploration Discovery Center located in Grover Beach.

Popular Things To Do with Kids in San Luis Obispo County:

• Charles Paddock Zoo -- Read my blog review
• Hearst Castle -- Read my blog review
• The Ravine Waterpark -- Read my blog review (only open for Summer)
• Mustang Waterpark -- Read my blog review (only open for Summer)
• San Luis Obispo Children's Museum -- Read  my blog review
• Central Coast Aquarium -- Read my blog review
• San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum -- Learn more
• Paso Robles Children's Museum -- Read my blog review
• Exploration Discovery Center -- Read my blog review
• Museum of Natural History -- Learn more
• Avila Valley Barn -- Read my blog review

While researching on affordable preschool programs for my little boys, I stumbled on a brief information on the Tiny Tots Enrichment Program that's organized at the Grover Beach Community Center.

The Tiny Tots program is run by the Parks & Recreation Department of the City of Grover Beach. I placed my little one in the program in May 2021 when they re-opened from the pandemic and my 4 year old absolutely loved it. It's well structured and they do crafts every day as well as do a lot of learning. They have a small outdoor playground in the back, which you can't see from the entrance or parking lot so it's away from drive by eyes.

We paid $143 a month and my preschooler went twice a week for 3 hours each day (this rate might be higher now). The requirement is the child is at least 3 years old but less than 5 years and 11 months old. The preschool is held at the Grover Beach Community Center and they follow the latest safety guidelines. You can pick the Mon & Tues program or the Wed & Thurs program. You drop your child off and they get to interact with other kids while they learn. You could run errands and then come back to pick them up at their pick-up time.

For more information, please contact the Grover Beach Parks & Recreation Department at (805) 473-4580. Address of Tiny Tots Location: 1230 Trouville Ave, Grover Beach, CA 93433. Here is the registration link for Tiny Tots in Grover Beach. 

Other Preschool Reviews
Read my other blog entries about preschools in the SLO County area, including the Kindergarten In Training (KIT) Preschool Program Review in Arroyo Grande. I had placed my older one in the KIT program when he was a preschooler as well.

To see other preschool and childcare options in San Luis Obispo County, go to the Mom Groups & Childcare page.

Here are my recommended Asian Restaurants in San Luis Obispo County from my experiences:

Kuma

Located in Los Osos, the name of this sushi and ramen house is perfect. Kuma in Japanese means "bear" and Los Osos, the city, means "bear" in Spanish. I'm kind of obsessed with their intentions when naming the restaurant! We came here for lunch and were blown away by the quality and price of their lunch special! I got a sushi roll and a small ramen bowl for only $20. We had options to pick from to, like the type of broth, meat and the selection of sushi. It instantly became my favorite sushi spot, even though it's farther away from me when comparing the list of Japanese restaurants on this list. However, it is the perfect after-hike meal when I'm going hiking at Montana de Oro. The Montana de Oro hike and Kuma are located in Los Osos, part of San Luis Obispo County.

I also ordered their complimentary hot tea so if you're a hot tea fan, don't forget to order that as well. Kuma Address: 2011 10th St, Los Osos, CA 93402

Kumi Ko

Located in San Luis Obispo that's a couple of blocks from the SLO airport is Kumi Ko, a Japanese restaurant with sushi and other Japanese dishes. It's my favorite place to eat Japanese food when I am in San Luis Obispo City. The sushi is fresh, the bento boxes taste delicious and the service is reliable with good standards. You can them ahead to order take-out but it will take about 45 minutes. I prefer to dine in.



My bento box came with 2 options for a half roll of sushi and I glad picked spicy tuna with the spicy pork entree. Address: 3830 Broad St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

Mee Low Heng Noodle House

Located in downtown San Luis Obispo, Mee Low Heng serves noodle soups and stir fry noodles.

Try their dumplings as an appetizer. They put it in a hot and sour sauce that's delicious! The place is small but the building is uniquely 2 stories and reminds me of the medieval Chinese era. Many order take out as well. Address: 815 Palm St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

Fay's Fusion

Located in Pismo Beach, near the Pier, is a boba shop called Fay's Fusion. This place is legit! Boba is done right with the quintessential popcorn chicken with dried basil.


They also have noodle dishes and rice dishes! It's a small mom and pop type place with a lot of pride. I usually get the Thai Tea boba with the popcorn chicken. See a list of boba shops that I've visited in San Luis Obispo County. Fay's Fusion Address: 220 Hinds Ave, Pismo Beach, CA 93449

Kochi Korean BBQ & Shabu Shabu

Located in Atascadero, California (still part of San Luis Obispo county) is a large Korean restaurant that serves amazing Korean BBQ, where you traditionally grill it yourself! You can also have shabu shabu, sushi and other delicious dishes.


Best yet, they have a special kid's room for kids to play in, while waiting your food. This is a super bonus! Address: 6900 El Camino Real, Atascadero, CA 93422. See other places with kid's play areas in SLO. 

Sushi 805

They have sushi, hot Japanese dishes and amazing Korean food like hot seafood tofu stew! Just check out the photos below from my recent visit! I was so impressed.

Portions at Sushi 805 were big, sushi was fresh and I feel like I was not being ripped off. This place is a must go in Grover Beach if you're into hot, spicy Asian food done the authentic way.

They also have an all-you-can-eat system for ordering for a flat fee as an option. Address: 460 W. Grand Ave., Grover Beach, CA 93433

Raku Ramen

Located in San Luis Obispo, this ramen shop gets super busy. They have different kinds of broths for ramen with even an option to order size small, instead of the regular size! They also have rice bowls, appetizers and other dishes.There's a patio area so it may be okay to bring your dog.

Raku Ramen Address: 799 E Foothill Blvd Ste A, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405

Kanpai Sushi

Located in Shell Beach, Kanpai serves fresh, great quality Japanese food. It's a great place for sushi, ramen, hot, sizzling dishes and some wine or beer! Prices are kind of high but the quality and service make up for it. Each sushi roll is a great size!  

They also offer a great kid's menu for kids 10 and under! Read my full review on Kanpai Sushi and see more pictures. Kanpai address: 2665 Shell Beach Rd, Shell Beach, CA 93449

Oki Kohl Espresso Bar

In San Luis Obispo is a coffee and mini-mart that also serves dim sum! They sell buns that are bigger than the palm of my hand and deliciously steamed shu mai! I love the items they have for sale.


They have a sit down area with wifi so you can hang out for hours while dining and drinking here. Address: 2252 Broad St Suite 130, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

Poke Morro

Poke Morro is a small poke restaurant in Arroyo Grande Village and located close to other shops, restaurants and businesses.

They used to have a location near the Regal Movie Theaters in Arroyo Grande but that one closed down. They still have a location at The Village in Arroyo Grande though. If you're craving a Hawaiian style raw fish bowl, this is a great place for it. You can customize your bowl and pick your sizes. Address: 121 W Branch St, Arroyo Grande, CA 93420

Red Dirt Coffee House

They serve good coffee and Hawaiian lunch plates! In a very casual atmosphere in Arroyo Grande, Red Dirt Coffee House has couches, tables and chairs and a very tropical decor inside and out. They used be located on Grand Ave in Arroyo Grande but now they've moved to a bigger shopping center where the Wal Mart is located in Arroyo Grande (AG). Look out for daily specials like adobo and Hawaiian favorites like spam musubi!



Red Dirt Coffee House Address: 1142 W Branch St, Arroyo Grande, CA 93420

Pacific Umi Sushi

Sushi and Japanese food in Grover Beach done right!

It seems a bit more upscale than the other sushi restaurants in the Grover Beach area but the quality and portions are large. Address: 1319 W Grand Ave, Grover Beach, CA 93433

Noi & Doi's 2nd Street Cafe

This is one of the best Thai Food in San Luis Obispo county and it's located in Los Osos!


Try one of their curries or noodle dish. Actually, everything is good here! If you want an appetizer, try their fried calamari. They have a cute outdoor seating area. 

It's also a dog-friendly place. Noi & Doi's Address: 1325 2nd St, Los Osos, CA 93402

Sushi Kokku

Located in a shopping center in Pismo Beach, Sushi Kokku is a casual sushi spot. The sushi here is significantly cheaper than surrounding areas. You order at the counter and then they'll bring the food to your table. Sushi 

Sushi Kokku Address: 581 Five Cities Dr., Pismo Beach, CA 93449