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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 a very different and difficult journey.

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

1. Grocery Outlet - The Grocery Outlet that we frequent is in Arroyo Grande and they have a whole side of an aisle dedicated to gluten-free products! I was so amazed and everything was priced right. You can find almond flour and other special flours for the best deals here. There were really cool products that I've never heard before that were gluten-free.
   
   Currently there are several Grocery Outlet locations in San Luis Obispo County and they are located in the following cities: Arroyo Grande, Atascadero, Los Osos, Paso Robles, and San Luis Obispo.
2. California Fresh Market - I feel that 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 here at California Fresh Market, however.
   
   They also carry a lot of vegan popular options like vegan butter, and other vegan snacks for those who are on a plant-based diet. Pro-tip: find more gluten free bread in their freezer section! At a couple of the non-freeze aisles, we enjoy looking through gluten-free snacks. Our favorite snacks there for our family member who has to stay away from gluten are cookies by a brand called Enjoy Life. There are currently two California Fresh Market locations in San Luis Obispo County: Pismo Beach and San Luis Obispo City.
3. VONS - Amazingly, VONS offer an array of different gluten-free vegan snacks as well. Best of all, you can usually find one in many cities in San Luis Obispo County. The one I usually frequent has been putting their gluten-free options at the very top rack in the snack aisle. I'm so appreciative of this. A lot of the items under this area are also vegan.
   
4. CVS - I know this seems like such a random place here on my top 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 always been able to find them at CVS. It's free from nuts, gluten-free and organic. These are great to carry on the go or on the plane. 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.
   
5. Target - Target is a really great and reliable place to find gluten-free and vegan food products and a convenient place if you're looking for other things besides groceries. What I especially like about Target is you can find many of these products online and have them deliver to your home! This makes it very easy when you can't get to the store, especially with a busy schedule. No physically scavenging around a whole grocery store required! There are 2 Target locations: one is San Luis Obispo City and the other is located in Paso Robles in San Luis Obispo County.
6. Walmart -  The Walmart that I frequent also has an area where I was able to find gluten-free alternatives in one area. It was so helpful and easy to find. They even had gluten-free hamburger buns. There are two Walmart locations in San Luis Obispo County: one in Arroyo Grande and the other one is in Paso Robles.
   

I love the fall season when the pumpkin patches are open and I can order a pumpkin spice latte from our coffee shops around SLO County. I also enjoy the cooler weather and how traffic is less around here as the kids are back in school and the summer tourist season is over.

Around fall, many of the local farms start planning really fun harvest events and setting up their 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. There are so many family-friendly events at farms around this area. 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. The kids bring home cute pumpkin crafts and we'd visit many pumpkin patches. Other times, we'll stay cooped up, especially if one of my kids catch a cold, watching family-friendly Halloween movies and shows, instead of going out and about. And for me, I'm okay with mixing it all up with being cooped up and staying put when I need to because we get to recharge my battery at home. The season is changing, and we'll all need a bit of a change up, when it's time.

You can find a list of trick or treating opportunities throughout San Luis Obispo County this year by going to our Halloween Events page.

See our video reels on my instagram to see pumpkin patches that we've visited:

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

Halloween Themed Supplies

• Halloween Animatronics
• Halloween Buckets for Trick or Treating
• Halloween Fun Party Favors

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.

All San Simeon Hotels

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

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.

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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 year round. Here's a list of places that I've found so far for 2025 that offer both Thanksgiving and Winter Break Camps. Usually in November, a selected organizations will post Thanksgiving Break offerings and then wait some time later to post the December Break camp information.

1. Basketball Camp: Youth Evolution Training are offered at more than one city in San Luis Obispo County. There are usually 2 ages groups: 5 - 7 years old and 8 - 12 years old. It's 3 hours a day. You register through the appropriate City's Recreation website. More details. 
2. Boys & Girls Club of South San Luis Obispo Fall Break Camp runs for 3 days and Winter Break Camp runs for 3 weeks according to the Lucia Mar District break calendar More details. 
3. Central Coast Gymnastics in San Luis Obispo are for ages 4 and up and they plan Thanksgiving and Winter Break Camps every year. They are amazingly organized. As a mom, I want to caution you about this place so I recommend googling "Central Coast Gymnastics" under the News section as something happened earlier this year in 2023. Please do some research, then make your decision. More details.
4. City of Arroyo Grande's Multiple Camp Options include Science, LEGO and Sports broken down by age groups and times. Click 'Youth' category. More details. 
5. Legacy Training Center in San Luis Obispo also has Thanksgiving day camp, Winter day camp and summer day camp for kids throughout the year. More details. 
6. Performance Athletics Gymnastics in San Luis Obispo has day camps during school breaks as well for ages 4 - 13 years old. You can pre-register for them online on their website. More details.
7. San Luis Obispo Repertory Theatre is having Thanksgiving and Winter ACT Theatre Camps with sessions separated by grade levels. More details.

There are 3 piers in Avila Beach but Port San Luis Pier is my favorite of the bunch. It's located on the farthest right if you're facing the ocean and driving into Avila Beach from the road. It's past the PG & E plant and lighthouse.


You'll see some campers parked there. Don't be discourage. Just keep driving and you'll see a free parking area. That is when you'll see the Port San Luis Pier. You can go fishing on this pier without a fishing license and also see sea lions from this pier. They like to hang out around here.

I really love coming here with the family. Like any fishing pier, it can smell fishy but if you love seafood, it shouldn't bother you. When it's cloudy, I feel like I'm in heaven as the fog hangs really close.


Here are more photos that I took from my walk on Port San Luis Pier on a sunny day last year. The restaurants were just opening again from the pandemic and we decided to come here as they have restaurant with an outdoor area to enjoy our meal.

See my video reel of Port San Luis Pier in Avila Beach on instagram.




A lot of boats were roaming around the bay. 


After walking around for awhile, we enjoyed a lunch at Mersea's, which is a seafood restaurant located right on the pier! I had their tacos while I enjoyed this fantastic view.

Port San Luis Pier/Harford Pier Address for GPS: 3950 Avila Beach Drive, Avila Beach, CA or you can GPS Mersea's Restaurant in Avila Beach and it'll lead you right to this pier as well.

All photos, even pinned photos from Pinterest are original from SanLuisObispoMom.com. Please give credit if you plan on using them. 

More about Avila Beach:
Avila Beach is located in San Luis Obispo County and is one of many beaches in the area. They have farmers markets, a lot of restaurants and shops and a great playground for kids. I've visited 5 different tasting rooms in Avila Beach. See pictures that I took at all of the wine tasting rooms that I visited in Avila Beach.

Avila Beach T-Shirts:

Avila Beach California Vintage Retro T-Shirt

Being outdoors can create such wonderful memories but it comes with a risk. Even if the sun seems mild, it's good to have kid's sunscreen, a pair of sunglasses and a sun hat to protect your skin. Swimming is always one great idea to improve your mood and get a bit of exercise if you feel bummed out for any reason so they are always great skills for kids to have.

To see other pictures of restaurants that I've visited in San Luis Obispo County, go to the Restaurants Page.

See more pictures of Avila Beach.