For my staycation in San Luis Obispo California, I am trying to re-experience some of my favorite…read moredestinations and discover new ones. On Saturday, I was treated to a tour by a docent who speaks French and is in my French Meet Up group. We met in the Youth Center behind the Mission, and were regaled with an informative talk in French on the history of this mission, the fifth in the series of missions up and down the state of California, or Alta California as it was then called. Our tour took us outside to the front garden of the mission, and we learned that the SLO mission is the only one to still ring its bells everyday. The Coat of Arms above the entry door shows the unity between the Franciscan brothers and the indigenous Chumash who lived in the area. The painted walls and archway inside the mission are fully restored, and the statuary and paintings along the walls create a peaceful atmosphere. It is an active parish, and is often visited by its parishioners. The parish cat, a descendant of the original cats kept to ward of pests, made an appearance too! We also walked out to the back garden, where the original mission bells are on display, along with a recreation of a Chumash style oven. The fig tree and grape vines are reminders of the original crops grown in and around the mission. The tour was a revelation of the history and meaning of a place I know well, and added depth to my understanding of my town! I am looking forward to more adventures on my summer Staycation!

Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa is a beautiful and peaceful historical site tucked right into the…read moreheart of downtown SLO. It's the fifth of the 21 California missions, and the grounds and church are pretty well-preserved and full of history. Inside, there's a small museum, and the church itself is still active. Here's your fun fact (like all of my other reviews): this is the only mission named for a bishop, Saint Louis of Toulouse. That said, parking is a pain. It's downtown, so street parking is limited, and public lots fill up fast, especially on weekends, since the plaza outside is a popular local gathering spot during events and market days. Also, the area directly around the mission, particularly near the creek, is not the cleanest. There was quite a bit of trash, and it has unfortunately become a hangout spot for the local homeless population. It didn't feel unsafe, but it did take away from the peaceful atmosphere you'd expect at a place like this. Definitely check out the garden courtyard, it's the highlight. It's full of native plants, flowers, and shaded benches. A great place to both start and end your mission tour. Still, the mission itself is worth seeing if you're into California history or working your way through all 21 missions.

Friday night date, 8/16/24, SLO Tigers scrimmage - GO TIGERS!!!…read moreWe have been proud parents of alumni since 2012. Both graduated to D1 colleges. Whilst attending SLO High we parents were very much involved in students academics, athletics and social construct. It made for a very successful experience and outcome for my boys. ALL staff were and are fantastic. SLO High School is a wonderful school with great opportunities and facilities. Parents please stay involved with your child, their curriculum, teachers, counselors. It makes for their successful outcome.

Sitting on the school bleachers during the school rallies made my ass crump, have never been the…read moresame guy ever since. There's also a bunch of seagulls that surround the lunch area that'll end up shitting on your head or even on your food that already tastes like garbage.

School grounds are nice. Great indoor gym. Sunday 3 Ball Basketball Program is great.read more

this place exceeds all expectations--hard to understand how a school can be so much like a family,…read morebut their reaction to this Covid mess is a great example of the way that happens!

This is a review for the daycare/preschool programs at SLOCA. Our experience has been phenomenal…read more My daughter started in Tiny Wonders during the pandemic and is finishing her first year in the preschool program right now. From start to finish, developmentally, she has flourished. We saw a noticeable change in her language as soon as she started, and since then, she has learned to share, use her words to talk about her feelings, work through conflict, put on/take off clothes, independently eat her lunch/snack, and more. She has developed friendships and relationships with the teachers. SLOCA is not only incredibly competent curriculum-wise, but they are amazing human beings. They are truly a family. When my dad died, I was greeted with hugs and tears and was told that I did not need to complete my volunteer hours that semester. My daughter's teachers even came to her third birthday party. All of the staff, teachers, and admin are warm and caring. And the children feel this! Huge shoutouts to Miss Alana, Miss Debbie, Miss Sutton, Mrs. Molly, and especially the program director, Mrs. Eades. Incredible incredible humans. I have so much love for SLOCA and am excited for my son to start there in the fall!

This school is awesome! All of the staff, especially the teachers, are really kind and are always…read moreready to talk to a student if they are having a problem. The school is very educational and fun. The small class sizes make it more interactive for the students and allow them to really connect with the subjects. What is great about the school is that you only go on campus 2 or 3 days a week! The other weekdays you spend doing homework at home! Highly recommended school! :)

SLO City Church is...AWESOME! That is the easiest way I can explain it, it has something for…read moreeveryone, it is a group of extremely friendly and genuine people, and it spreads hope for everyone. Sunday service at SLO City is amazing, the worship warms your heart up so that you are all ready for the message. Someone almost always shares their own story. Brent walks us through scripture and gives real practical connections. Outside of Sunday there are all kinds of gatherings and parties. Real people making real relationships and together making a real difference. I would highly recommend!!

I've only been attending for approximately the last three weeks, but there are some things that…read morereally stand out to me. They're very involved in our community, provide many opportunities for community with other believers in the church, and the messages and worship have been just what I needed. Looking forward to church on Sunday.

I've been coming to Calvary SLO for years now. I am proud to call it my home, and the congregation…read moremy family. Consistently I am fed by the message and caught up in the worship. There is a lot of God-given speaking, and musical talent within this family. There are also plenty of opportunities to connect outside of Sunday mornings via community groups, college, and young professional groups. As well as trainings to better equip Christians navigating our modern culture.

Been enjoying pastor Bryan's talents for around 15yrs now, we're really blessed to have someone…read morewith his enthusiasm for the Word, and for presenting it in a clear, intriguing, thought provoking manner. Congregation size is right up my alley, as I prefer a smaller group to workship with (as opposed to the 5000+ in service when I was at Calvary Abq), and there's really no excuse why not to go, with two services, and occasional sunday evening services, easy parking, and you can shop at Trader Joes right after service! :)

We hoped to find a spiritual home at St Stephen's but it became clear to us it would not. Their…read morerelation to alcohol seemed to be more important to those at the top than much anything else. When we left after more than a year of being there I didn't even get a phone call or text from the priest in charge. Nor from anyone on the Vestry. Pretty much a "good ridden" My husband and I have never had such a bad experience at any church. As far as being welcoming to LGBTQIA+ I would say they did welcome us but that is not enough anymore. We now attend a wonderful church that is affirming.

Recently went to a funeral here (St. Stephens), I'm FAR from a god-fearing citizen but I have to…read moresay the people here are really professional and I didn't feel uncomfortable or anything. Plus I have to admit the inside of the church is really cute and traditional.

Great gospel centered teaching and warm and inviting multigenerational group of people. Love their…read moreheart for the ministries they offer. Great family friendly church

At this church,, the theology is sound, it's bible- centric, and the preaching is good…read more However, you really don't want to go to this church for marital counseling. Unless you want to destroy your marriage. I've been at this church for 22 years. The cult like behavior didn't rear it's ugly head until 2012. My wife and I had marriage difficulties. The pastor at the time of our "Five Cities Campus", Ben Collins, instructed my wife to submit to a 'marriage counselor" named Mark McKinney. Mark identified (after taking $175 an hour) as a "sex addiction therapist". Not in any way a marriage counselor. He hangs in his office a "Stanford" in degree which I was told is deceipt. At best, he took one online class at Stanford. That is not near nor enough to qualify as graduating from Stanford. But he saw it was fit for me to submit to a lie detector test of everything I considered shameful from the time I was 4 years old. $175 an hour, $400 an hour for his friend that submitted us to then lie detector test. So, to the point. He told my wife that she was a victim of sex addiction. Even though we hadn't had sex in 6 years. At $175 an hour. He convinced her that the only way our marriage could survive would be for her to submit to a lie detector test to all of the shameful acts since 4 years old. At no time did he tell us that it would be equal and fair for her to submit to the same process. Only me. A wise person at the time counseled me at the time... that anything between me and God since four years old, as a child, was between me and God. They were right. Several doctors along the way:My psychiatrist. My psychologist.. my therapist...my family, my friends, my mother, my father... warned me that this would not be constructive to my marriage....but Mark McKinney, the person that SLO Grace referred us to... Was Mark McKinney. He made arguments to my wife that this is the only way to save my marriage.. and .the only hope of saving my marriage was to submit to the lie detector test. So what happened next? They forced me into a lie detector test. How? By threatening our marriage. He convinced my wife to not submit to the the lie detector, only me! Due to his influence, and directions my wife told me she would divorce me if I didn't go through the (eventually destructive) lie detector test. To reiterate, As a result of this "church" programming, she informed me that under the advice (that Ben Collins and Mark McKinney) that she should divorce me if I didn't submit to the lie detector test. I sought the advice of professionals, and they were overwhelmingly unanimous that this wouldn't be constructive to my marriage, but rather, destructive. Mark McKinney also convinced my wife that I was not to touch my penis except to urinate. I'd gone to Bible school from Kindergarten through High school, so I knew the scriptures. I knew all of the verses he was quoting in our session, he inserted curse words into then Bible. Becoming a "sexual addiction therapist", I would later learn, takes only a few weeks of online education. Anyone can become one, No real education required. So....I submitted to the lie detector test. The result? I became so stressed out during the lie detector test that my heart rate elevated to 200 beats per minute ( the norm is 65). I had to go the French Hospital ER and incurred a $9,000 bill. And what of Mark McKinney? He admitted that he had no training/experience to save a marriage (only to blow it up) to help us. He couldn't counsel us anymore after his buddy got a $400 kickback on the lie detector test. And after he'd taken us for over $1,000. He also refused to see me as a client anymore because and I quote 'My wife wrote a successful book" and I don't need to see clients anymore". So before you seek marital counseling from this church, be very, very careful. I've been seeing an actual professional psychologist since this ridiculous "Mickey Mouse" episode at Grace SLO. He had an obvious question: In the interest of equality, why didn't your wife also submit to the same lie detector test about all shameful things since she was 4 years old? The answer: The charlatan Mark McKinney makes far more money convincing wives they are innocent of all in a relationship, and instead indulge in a husband taking a ($400) lie detector, and $175 per hour to comment on the whole thing.

Before moving to the SLO area I touched base with TNS. Immediately I was connected to a long time,…read moreactive member who quickly welcomed me to his home to meet his family. We were introduced to many members of the synagogue. My daughter started attending religious school at TNS just weeks after we moved when she was 3 y/o. TNS is a small and warm community. We have felt welcomed and supported by numerous members. My daughter has been receiving a good Jewish education appropriate for her age. I appreciate that TNS encourages parent participation in the religious school. We are looking forward to attending our first Tot Shabbat next week.

This is a great synagogue. I've been going to TNS for high holy days since I started at Cal Poly…read moreand also attend Hillel events there. Everyone in the congregation is so welcoming to Cal Poly students and actually say hi when you run into them around town. I kinda like that services are run by the congregation, but it's also nice that they can bring in a guest Rabbi when they need to.