outfits

Pismo Beach day 2

August 10, 2021 in General Fashion / Travel tagged hiking / outfits / Pismo Beach / summer 2021 / travel style / vacation outfits by Bay Area Fashionista

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

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

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

August 9, 2021 in Travel tagged casual style / family / outfits / Pismo Beach / summer 2021 / travel style / vacation outfits by Bay Area Fashionista

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

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 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

Chain details for fall

August 3, 2021 in General Fashion / Trends tagged casual style / fall 2021 / outfits by Bay Area Fashionista

Wearing: sunglasses / lipstick / white puff sleeve tee (under $50) / fall nail polish / IT bag with chain detail / snake buckle belt / fall jeans (under $100) / fall chain detail booties (currently on sale under $100) /

Chain chain chain! Do you hear the song going through your head? I sure do! As you already know, chains are everywhere! They were a hot spring/summer trend, and chains are blowing up for fall! We are seeing them all over everything! If you haven’t already invested in a chain detail item for right now, what are you waiting for?

As you know, there isn’t anything new or groundbreaking about chains. Chanel has been doing them forever, and designers everywhere have been trying to make chains their own for decades. That being said, Chanel will always be the Queen of chains. Of course, this doesn’t mean you have to rock the chain trend with an item from Chanel. After all, very few can afford a closet full of Chanel! Thankfully brands from all price points have made beautiful clothing and accessories with chain details, so all of us can rock this trend. Love!

I always eye a good IT bag, and Bottega Veneta’s chain pouch caught my eye, and gave me many sleepless nights until I pulled the trigger, and invested in one. I chose dark brown because it’s neutral, and I own too many black bags already. Although, can anyone really own too many black bags? Seriously, I don’t think that is possible. I expect more black bags in my future, but I digress. . .

You don’t have to indulge in the chain pouch to rock the chain trend. These fabulous and comfy booties are currently on sale for under $100. The price will go up in the middle of August, they are a fall item. So, if you love them too, snap up a pair while the price is good. I have already done a lot of walking in my pair, and my feet have been very happy. Love them!

Chains are popping up for fall on more than just shoes and handbags. Expect to find chain details on clothing and jewelry too. This is a chic and fun trend for the fall season which is bound to continue into 2022. Love that!

Shop my chain on chain outfit online:

What do you think of the chain trend for fall? Do you plan to rock it? If so, which wardrobe pieces do you plan to wear the chain trend?

Thanks for stopping by! Stay tuned for more fall trends this month!

XOXO
Cathy

Poly Canyon Trail aka Architecture Graveyard Cal Poly

Downtown San Luis Obispo

Cookie Notice