Ask my husband - as we pulled into the main heart of the Village, I kept saying, "I want to live…read morehere!" The charming mix of unique architectural styles with varied textures and accents is reminiscent of many of the old Gold Rush-era towns in the Sierra foothills. I definitely prefer vintage character to contemporary glass and steel, so felt right at home. We grabbed a sandwich at Branch Street Deli, then wandered several blocks to check out the window displays and real estate postings. We even ventured out onto the swinging bridge, and noted the gazebo nearby. Free parking is also a plus. As we left the business district we cruised on several adjacent residential streets. It seemed like each cottage was cuter than the one before. The Village of Arroyo Grande is loaded with character. Can't wait to go back and explore more.

The Village of Arroyo Grande is always a pleasure to visit. Be it for the harvest festival, the…read morestrawberry festival, the farmers market, or ... Every time it is a fun stop and the stores and restaurants are so welcoming. Come on in and take a walk and enjoy

Dinosaur Park is stunning. Sadly after years of shopping happily at the art show, I just got…read moreconned out of $150.00. A jewelry vendor from Santa Barbara sold me a silver ring. After I got home I found because of its design, it slips around on the finger to an unattractive position. I located the vendor and she said she doesn't give credits or refunds, and I should bring in it and she would adjust it a second time. Next she told me she will won't be at Dinosaur Park until Easter day. When I said I would try to be there she said she actually won't be there at all this year. She suggested I take the ring to a jewelry store and try to use it towards buying something there since the price of silver is high right now.

The view is amazing! It's a perfect spot for taking younger kids, and I know that I really enjoyed…read moreit. Perfect photo op and amazing weather when we went. Such a fun place to visit, no matter how old, if you're in the area!

Want to visit a town that is proud of their danish heritage? Come to Solvang…read more Like how Bruges, Belgium is big on chocolate shops, here bakeries are everywhere with loads of tourist souvenir shops. There are free public parking lots. Ice cream, trolley rides and a miniature Little Mermaid statue are here. A few wine tasting rooms, restaurants and lodgings are visible.

GETTING HERE: Head…read moreNorth on the 101 and at the city of Buellton you'll navigate to the 246 East. REVIEW: ^^^^^^^ Once again, Yelp is not keeping the photos. There are several photos. I have attached that are visible on the.com but are not visible on the app. Oh, how I love Solvang! As a kid, I would come up here once a year and walk around and buy a piece of fudge for the drive home. As an adult, I cannot believe the amazing history that is held in this city! First and foremost, the Mission Santa Ines is a MUST see and do. Beyond that, the streets have historical-looking buildings and shops that will take you straight to Denmark: shopping, bakeries, restaurants, wine tasting experiences, etc. etc. It's an incredible environment to immerse yourself in that is a great way to take a quick "staycation" if you're in Santa Barbara, Ventura, or even Los Angeles Counties. Via a quick search on the G train, the city of Solvang was founded in 1911. Also see: https://solvangusa.com/ There is so much to do and see in Solvang! Check it out and be sure to get a piece of Solvang fudge! Enjoy!

Visiting SLO and my wife heard about this trail. I checked online on how to access...unfortunately…read morethe article was from 5 years ago and seemed to be outdated. Make sure you have plenty of time as there is quite a bit to see. We had a little over an hour and weren't able to see everything. We parked at the parking village drive parking garage, which was $10. There are 2 trails that head to the entrance arch shown in the picture..the first we ran across connected to the living quarters as was a narrow trail in the grass leading to the woods. This is a tad more challenging as the other trail is a gravel road with a slight incline and this route is a small path through the woods ( incline, decline, over branches and roots, etc). After about 14 mins it connects the gravel travel. To access from the gravel trail start from the parking garage opposite of the parking garage entrance there is a sidewalk path leading to a bridge, cross the bridge and you'll be on your way. Immediately, we saw some horses wandering around and crossing us on the trail. They were calm and a pleasant surprise. I won't post much of our photos, but there are lots of interesting structures that gave me a burning man feel. Lots of graffiti too, not sure if that is welcome or just vandalism. This was a nice change of pace trail and I would recommend.

If you've heard of the Architecture Graveyard, this is the way to get there! Other reviews have…read moregood directions but I highly recommend going on a weekend so you don't have to worry about finding parking. There's also a parking garage that isn't too far, in addition to the nearby staff lots. Trail is a fire road, and occasionally there are cars/trucks on it, so stay aware. You'll eventually come to a route to your right with a bridge for a hidden trail, but keep going to the left to get to the graveyard - plan to spend an hour or two if you really want to wander around and see all the structures. The trail itself is shady, but several of the projects are out in the open - take sunblock and water, and use common sense. For better or worse, most of the architecture displays are run-down, broken, and/or vandalized with graffiti - it lends a cool dystopian vibe to the area but it's a shame that the university let them get so damaged. Still cool to explore, though, stop by to take a look and get in some steps on a nice day!

This is a beautiful wind chime and sculpture near the entrance of Hans Christian Andersen Park in…read moreSolvang, the artwork producing a pleasant sound on a breezy Saturday afternoon. The area is peaceful, and there's a bench right next to the wind harp, making it convenient to spend a few moments here appreciating this unique piece and its history.

This wind harp is located at the Atterdag Village of Solvang care center where there's also a…read morenursing home. This originally topped one of the towers at the Danish Pavilion at San Francisco's 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition. After the expo was over, the buildings were demolished and this wind harp was transported to its current location in Solvang. It plays peaceful music when the wind blows but it's not something I would go out of my way to visit. I was in, took a couple pictures, and left within minutes.

It's basically what the name is. A small alleyway full of people's left over chewing gum and stuck…read moreto the walls. Guess something that crazy could make a big impact to have a spot in the city. It's similar to the one in Seattle's. Same concept obviously. It's right in the heart of SLO Town where it's among all the shops, restaurants and bars. Not big at all but decent. When we stopped by, it wasn't to crazy busy but people were starting to work their way there. All for pictures and to check out what the fuss was all about. Like anything, it's just some weird thing that happened to make a name for itself. Don't know how it all started but it left a lasting impression for it to be known in town. You literally can walk through it in 10 seconds or so. PS, just don't lick....lol...

We came, we saw, snapped a few selfies, and left. It's oddly fascinating, yet still a bit gross…read more But since it's considered art, it's worth checking out at least once!

It is always a pleasure to come to Pismo. The times we have come it is always clean and pleasant…read more Also, every time we come we find sea creatures or spices on the sand. This time we found a lot of by the wind sailor according to Google. And also some sand dollars. Last time were jelly fish, and the time before that were a lot of clams. I am always puzzled. I always have to walk barefoot on the beach for at least half an hour to an hour to recharge. You know science say that. Then depending on the time of the day we can lay down on the beach to wait for the sunset or go to the pier and find a bench and wait for it. This time we did the second. I took my book and enjoyed reading while waiting. It is very peaceful just to seat there read and enjoy the sound of the waves coming in and out. I am a sunset lover so I don't mind the drive from Fresno just to enjoy the beautiful time here in Pismo. Also the weather just perfect. If it's cold in Fresno it is warmer here. If it's hot in Fresno it is colder here. It's a win, win always. Highly recommend this beach for sunsets. Compared to Morro Bay that it's always gloomy. So, come and enjoy the views here in Pismo.

Pier is beautiful and flooring is stable af…read more Beach is Clorox clean. I swear!!! Visitors, locals, and staff really keep this beach clean. I didn't see any trash except in the trash can where it belongs. Weather was nice and cool. Locals are friendly and nice. We had a few of them give my ex gf and me some unsolicited conversations that made us smile. We had another local offer to take pictures of my ex gf and me with her phone. So nice. Wish folks were this nice and friendly in Los Angeles County . Male and female restrooms were clean when we needed them. Lots of places to eat and shop. Most are pricey. If you want souvenirs, definitely go to the outlets, a mile away from the beach. Biggest issue with beach (and any other beach) is available free public parking. We actually got lucky to find a nice spot while a person was leaving.

The Parade of Lights is surprisingly good. Santa Maria really shows up for this parade, the streets…read morebecome flooded with families. The parade itself is really nice, tons of local business support and the floats are amazing. Hot Cocoa is offered for sale through the local Key Club. Have one!

I never realized just how close I was to Avila Beach each time my husband and I would take…read moreroadtrips to Santa Barbara. I'd passed Avila Beach off the 101 countless times and never knew! Actually, I had never known about Avila Beach until one night, as I was scrolling through instagram, it showed up on my feed. Someone I was following had posted a short reel and I immediately took to how pretty it was. Anyhow, fast forward to just a few days later (and this is the part that seemed 'meant to be'), we were on our way to Pismo for a little weekend trip when I see an exit for Avila Beach just shortly before Pismo. "No way!" I thought .... This whole time it was just right there? And so, as we checked into our hotel in Pismo we quickly diverted our original plan - rather than Pismo it's off to Avila we go. Just a short 10min drive and there we were. Shops, restaurants, the pier .... Just beautiful. I have to say - that little discovery really made our weekend memorable. I don't know what it was but my family and I really enjoyed the afternoon that we'd spent here. There was something for everyone. I had my jolt of much needed caffeine from Kraken coffee (located right off the beach), my daughter got ice cream (husband did as well). The whole afternoon in this little newfound escape was perfect. The beach is beautiful, there are a few shops and eateries that offer both sweet and some savory. It's a lively place to hang out and relaxing enough to bum out too.

Avila Beach is a coastal town in San Luis Obispo County. And the town has a beach. So I always…read morewondered when referring ti the beach... should it be called Avila Beach's beach. Anyway, the beach is beautiful and family friendly. It had a less commercial retail vibe than Pismo Beach and pier. The waters are a bit calmer than other coastal towns due to the beach being within the San Luis Obispo Bay. They have old fashion steel swing sets on the on the beach (right side of the pier). Speaking about the pier. The pier was originally built in 1908. It's about 1685 feet long. It has been storm damaged many times and repaired, and is still standing. Though right now the far portion of the pier is not open due to retrofitting upgrades. Lots of folks fish off of the pier and take in the sights. I got pretty close to a sea otter enjoying a meal and grooming himself. He was floating right next to the pier. Totally awesome.

This is the fast-casual product of a hospitality family's second generation. The variety of foods…read morethey are able to offer from a tiny kitchen area is amazing, and the authenticity of their Sicilian foods is unmatched. Which is what you expect from the son of restaurant owners in the Bay Area, and the nephew of the founders of the famous Caffé Sport in North Beach. Jerry and his siblings owned Trattoria Siciliana in Berkeley-Michelin-mentioned, covered by Food and Wine--they know how to cook and how to care for customers. Family-owned, newish in the Village, this is everything you want in a fast-casual restaurant. The breakfast crespelle are delicious. The porchetta sandwich is life-changing. And the caponata is the perfect introduction to the intense, clean and fresh flavors of Sicily. Mangiare!!

Once again, my visit to Pismo area isn't complete until I visit this wonderful place…read more We had pesto pasta with shrimp, pork tenderloin with reduced wine sauce, tiramisu, Caesar salad and the sausage and pepper sandwich. Since it would be rude to lick the plates clean, we used bread instead. ;) Not only is the food delicious, staff and atmosphere are welcoming, too. It's a memorable experience you must have while visiting Arroyo Grande. Thank you, Luca's Deli and Wine!