Pismo Beach day 2

  • Pismo Beach sign near the pier

wearing: sunglasses / lipstick / earrings / puff sleeve tee (under $50) / cross body bag / bracelets / fall nail polish / linen joggers / espadrille mules /

On our second day in Pismo Beach, we decided to check out Cal Poly and their famous hiking trail known as the Architecture Graveyard. We woke up early, grabbed breakfast, and then by 8:30am, we were in our car heading up to Cal Poly; which my oldest daughter was excited about since it is one of twenty schools she is interested in attending next year. I am pretty sure we cannot visit them all, but I digress. . .

Poly Canyon Trail aka Architecture Graveyard Cal Poly

  • Entrance to Cal Poly Canyon
  • Description of work on trail
  • Architectural artwork
  • Example of bathroom
  • Information placard
  • Building on trail
  • Me on the Cal Poly campus ready to hike

wearing: sunglasses / workout tee / fall nail polish / cardigan / cross body bag / wide leg leggings (old, also love this pair) / hiking boots (old, also love these) /

The Architecture Graveyard is located on the Poly Canyon Trail. This trail begins as a service road, and roughly one mile in, you will find the entrance to the College of Architecture and Environmental Design’s trail.

This trail features work by Architecture and Engineering students which dates back to the 1960s. It’s interesting to see how architecture has changed from mid-century modern to now. One thing we found disappointing was the amount of graffiti and vandalism on many of the projects. It’s sad that people would come in and harm projects students created. Despite the vandalism, we could still picture the original intent of the projects, many of which would translate extremely well into real life. Of course, some are merely artistic.

Hiking on this trail was fantastic with the kids. They were having fun checking out the works, and didn’t notice how much hiking they actually did! Our round trip hike was well over two miles; much more then I get my kids to hike on a regular hiking trail. Love that! I highly recommend checking out this trail if you visit the area.

Downtown San Luis Obispo

  • Asian Chicken Salad at Firestone Grill
  • Inside the mission

After our hike, we were hungry! We headed over to Downtown San Luis Obispo and to Firestone Grill for lunch. This restaurant was recommended by the valet at our hotel, Vespera Resort on Pismo Beach. He steered us in the right direction! They had delicious lunch options which were all generous in size. The side of fries alone could feed a family of five! We were very full after lunch. I highly recommend checking this place out when you are in SLO. It’s delicious and reasonably priced. Love!

With our bellies full, we took a short walk around downtown, and then did a self-guided tour around the mission; which is beautiful. I recommend checking out this important part of California history if you visit SLO.

When we were done touring downtown, we headed back to Pismo Beach, and rested for a short bit in our hotel. Then, we headed downstairs for dinner at the Somerset Grill in our hotel, which was delicious! I enjoyed a salmon dinner with lentils and mushrooms. Yum!

  • Salmon dinner at Somerset Grill, Vespera Resort on Pismo Beach

After dinner, we walked around the beach and pier. We discovered there was a height ruler on the edge of the “P” of the Pismo Beach sign by the pier. We had fun seeing our heights with shoes on. I love how shoes add a couple inches. We all felt so tall! haha

Shop my Pismo Beach day 2 outfit and hiking look online:

Day 2 in Pismo Beach was a great day! We got some exercise, checked out a college, and relaxed by the beach. Love!

Stay tuned for more coverage from Pismo!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy

  • Ruler on the edge of the Pismo Sign by the pier. I’m taller with shoes on! Love that!

Pismo Beach day 1

  • pismo beach pier family vacation california road trip ideas
    Pismo Beach view from pier

School starts mid-August this year, so we decided to take one last quick trip before our schedules become full of school-related activities; especially since we have a senior, and an 8th grader this year! It will be very busy!

Pismo Beach is one of the those places we normally stop at for lunch or brunch on our way to Southern California. We decided it would make a relaxing and easy road trip for a few days. After all, it’s a beautiful beach town, and since we have a senior, it’s a great place to stay while checking out Cal Poly SLO for our aspiring engineer! College tours can be fun for the parents and siblings too!

We arrived early, before check-in at our hotel. Our hotel was Vespera Resort on Pismo Beach, which is part of the Marriott family of hotels. It was right on the beach with ocean view rooms, a pool, and a family-friendly deck and atmosphere. They were very accommodating, and held our luggage, as well as stored our car, until our room was ready. They even got our room ready a little bit early since we had arrived well before check-in. Loved that!

It was right before lunch when we arrived, so we took a walk around town and found Cool Cat Cafe. It had a casual and retro vibe which look appealing for lunch, so we put our names in for a table. The wait was only fifteen minutes and we were seated inside by a window. The staff was friendly and the food was delicious! I enjoyed a vegan burger with mushrooms and onion rings. Yum!

  • My Beach bag on the dresser inside our hotel room
  • Casual travel outfit for driving down to Pismo
  • Vegan burger and onion rings, Cool Cat Cafe in Pismo
  • Our chic hotel room at Vespera Resort on Pismo Beach

Travel outfit details: sunglasses / lipstick / stripe tee (under $50) / bracelets / fall nail polish / stripe cross body bag / linen jogger pants / Gucci sneakers / Beach bag /

After lunch, we walked down the pier and checked out the view, took silly photos, and started to feel relaxed and ready for fun! Then, we headed back to the hotel and played cornhole on the hotel deck. It was fun! After an hour, our room was ready, so we settled into the room and planned the rest of the day.

Since the hotel was on the beach, it was easy to head down to the beach for an hour before getting ready for dinner. I highly recommend this hotel if you stay in Pismo. It’s very convenient! After the beach, we got ready for dinner, and headed over to Oyster Loft, which is on the other side of the pier from our hotel and on the second floor of a corner building.

The Oyster Loft had a beautiful view of the ocean and a great menu. They also had a few menu options for kids; which was perfect for my son who enjoyed chicken strips and rice. The food was delicious, we would love to go back someday!

  • Casual dinner outfit
  • Dinner at Oster Loft Pismo Beach

Casual dinner outfit details: sunglasses / lipstick / puff sleeve tee (under $50) / snake buckle belt / jeans / bracelets / chain pouch / fall nail polish / espadrille mules /

After dinner we took another walk along the pier and then settled back at our hotel. The hotel has fire pits on the deck overlooking the beach. I brought my favorite evening tea from home and made myself a cup so I could enjoy it while watching the sunset. From our angle, we couldn’t see the actual sun, but we could enjoy the sunset colors over the beach. It was beautiful, and again, very relaxing!

Well, that was day 1 at Pismo Beach! It was an arrival day for us, so we got settled into our room and explored the area while getting a little bit sandy. Love!

Shop my travel outfit, and casual dinner looks online:

Stay tuned for more coverage from Pismo Beach!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy

  • Sunset colors over the ocean as seen from our hotel room balcony

BAF Weekly IT List

fall 2021 street style trends

BAF Weekly IT List from top left: black puff sleeve top (on major sale) / fall nail polish: Dior, light grey, brown / chain pouch (hot IT bag) / light blue sweater (on major sale!) / ’90’s style hobo (hot IT bag) / chain detail booties (on sale under $100) / grey satchel /

It’s starting to look a like like fall! At least, inside the stores, and on retail websites, it looks like fall! Outside, well, that’s a different story. Despite all these new mask mandates, I am hopeful that the fall season will be business as usual around here!

That being said, I think you are excited about fall too! Not just for the cooler temperatures, but for the prospect of attending a football game, watching kids trick or treat, and everything else we love about the fall season. I know I am looking forward to these fall activities we missed out on last year!

Since fall is highly anticipated, it’s no wonder fall merchandise is flying off store shelves! Fall nail polish is hotter than hot, and these dark neutrals are highly on trend. Puff sleeves and chain details are huge for the autumn season, as well as slouchy handbags and structured ‘90’s hobos. Since it’s too warm to wear coats and heavy clothing, we can all add a little fall to our wardrobes right now through handbags, nail polish, and puff sleeves! Love that!

Looking for some deals on basics for fall? The Nordstrom sale is going on until August 8, 2021. Then, prices go back to regular retail. If you have been eyeing something, snap it up now! You can check out my favorites from the sale here.

Shop the BAF Weekly IT List online:

What are you excited about for fall?

Stay tuned! My recent road trip to Pismo Beach will hit the blog next week, as well as fall trend coverage.

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy