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Here's the post for a list of holiday events for Week 1 throughout San Luis Obispo County for December. For more details and to see other upcoming events, go to the Things to do Page.

As I'm getting more familiar with finding things that are gluten-free and dairy-free for a family member, I feel so fortunate that San Luis Obispo is so understanding on dietary needs at restaurants and grocery stores. I think if I were in a different town, in a different state, it would be very different and difficult journey.

Here's a list of grocery stores that I've found have gluten-free snacks in San Luis Obispo County so far:

1. California Fresh Market - This is my number one place. I feel like when I am looking up recipes for wheat substitutions, I can always rely on California Fresh Market to find random things like arrowroot powder and gluten-free pasta. These substitutions can be pricey, however.
   
   They also carry a lot of vegan options like vegan butter, and other vegan snacks for those who are on a plant-based diet. Pro-tip: find gluten free bread in the freezer section! Our favorite snacks there for our family member who has to stay away from gluten are cookies by a brand called Enjoy Life. 
2. VONS - Amazingly, VONS also offer an array of different gluten-free vegan snacks as well. Best of all, you can usually find one in most cities in San Luis Obispo County.
3. CVS - I know this seems like such a random place here on my top 3 places for gluten-free snacks but I've found this one particular brand called MADE GOOD that has these amazing granola snacks that are individually wrapped and I've only been able to only find them at CVS. It's free from nuts, gluten-free and organic. These are great to carry on the go. I find it very hard to find boxes of vegan or gluten-free snacks that have them individually wrapped inside. This is especially important if you want to make sure you're giving the correct snacks to kids who are allergic to particular food items.
   

I love the fall season when the pumpkin patches are open and I can order a pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks. I enjoy the cooler weather and how traffic is less around here from the summer travelers. Don't get me wrong. I love how our county attracts a lot of tourists and seeing happy people enjoying their vacations. I just don't like the car traffic that I have to endure to get around.

Around fall, many farms around here start planning really fun harvest events and pumpkin patches. (See my video reel at a beautiful pumpkin patch in San Luis Obispo.) Especially with kids, I enjoy the fall and Halloween season very much as they allow me to make fun memories that I didn't have the privilege to make when I was a kid. One thing about fall though that I dread and that is they almost always get sick right before or right after Halloween!

There is the mix of awesomeness and worry with fall. It's a very eventful season, especially around SLO County. However, I can't help but feel so bad for my little ones as the weather gets colder and they get sick. Sometimes we'd just be cooped up instead of going out and about. And for me, I'm okay with being cooped up and staying put when I need to because I get to recharge my battery at home.

With the exception of 2020, the first year of the pandemic, I could always assume that one or both of my kids would get sick and that I'd need to get ready to wash 3 or 4 loads of laundry every day as they get over it. Why so much laundry? Well, they'd get so sick that sometimes, I can't catch it all with a bag, if you know what I mean! Especially when they are bedridden, they can't run to the toilet fast enough or at all! It's one of the few times that I'm glad that I hoarded all of my old bed sheets. They come in handy this time of year! Because we were under stay at home orders starting March 2020 and throughout the holidays, we didn't go anywhere. No school, no events and no family visits so my kids were actually really healthy in 2020. 

Nonetheless, if the kids are not sick right before Halloween this year, I plan on taking them trick or treating on Halloween Day. There's a list of a week long of trick or treating opportunities throughout San Luis Obispo County this year. See the list of 10 family-friendly Halloween events on this link. It's nice to see that this year is getting more normal but still not completely normal, of course.

It's been a really fun season this year. We visited 2 pumpkin patches this fall season so far for 2021. See our video reels on my SanLuisObispoMom instagram handle:
Video reel of our visit to the pumpkin patch at SLO Creek Farms
Video reel of our visit to the pumpkin patch at Tar Creek Ranch

San Luis Obispo County has a lot of famous cities and attractions. One of them is Hearst Castle.

Hearst Castle is located in San Simeon city, a coastal town that's quaint and beautiful.

There's less than a dozen hotels in San Simeon but if you'd like to find a quieter part of California that's right at the coast, then San Simeon is the perfect getaway. Here's a list of hotels in San Simeon.

Cavalier Oceanfront Resort
This hotel is only 3 miles from Hearst Castle.

The Morgan at San Simeon Hotel
This is a boutique hotel that is pet-friendly.

Days Inn by Wyndham
Most affordable hotel rate in all of San Simeon.

Quality Inn San Simeon
This hotel is only 2 miles from Hearst Castle and has a pool.

San Simeon Lodge
This lodge has ocean view rooms as options.

Oceanpoint Ranch
They have ranch-chic style hotel rooms.

To see all hotel rates in San Simeon, click here. Many people stay in San Simeon or Cambria overnight to visit Hearst Castle. To see pictures of Hearst Castle that I took during my personal visit, click here.

Cambria, another beautiful and quaint California beach town is located only 3 miles from San Simeon. They have scarecrows on display throughout the town for the month of October every year! See all hotels in Cambria, California.

See pictures of hotels that I've personally stayed at in San Luis Obispo County for staycations.

If your kids are like mine, they usually crave to get more active by the 3rd day of any consecutive break. A few hours a day at a half day break camp can really help them have a more exciting break and still have time to relax at home.

There's a few regular places around the county that usually run break camps. Here's what I've found so far for Thanksgiving Break Camps. More will be posted as they are announced on the web.

1. Boys & Girls Club of South San Luis Obispo Fall Break Camp and it runs for 3 days from Nov 22 - 24, 2021. (Enroll between Nov 1 - 5, 2021.) More Details.
2. Youth Evolution Basketball Thanksgiving Camp for Paso Robles (Lev2/3) in Paso Robles for age between 5 - 12 years old. Dates: Nov 22 - 24, 2021 from 3:15PM - 5:45PM at Centennial Park run by the City of Paso Robles. More details.
3. Basketball Camp: Youth Evolution Training between Nov 22 - 24, 2021 at two different parks (Rancho Grande and Strother Park) in Arroyo Grande. There are 2 ages groups: 5 - 7 years old and 8 - 11 years old. It's 3 hours a day and you can pick from either 9AM - Noon or 12:30PM - 3:30PM. Cost is $100. You register through the City of Arroyo Grande's Recreation website. More details.
4. Youth Evolution Basketball Thanksgiving Camp for San Luis Obispo for two age groups: 5 - 7 years old (12:30 - 3:30PM at Santa Rosa Roller Rink Court) and 7 - 11 years old (12:30 - 3:30PM at Meadow Park in San Luis Obispo, California. Cost is $100. More details.