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This past Monday, we took our sons on a grand adventure to LEGOLAND California and SEA LIFE Aquarium in Carlsbad, California (San Diego)!

The weather was perfect and the kids had a blast! My sons are 5 and 2 years old. Because my younger son is still just 2, he got in for free at both LEGOLAND California and SEA LIFE Aquarium. We were happy to be able to take advantage of this! The distance from San Luis Obispo to LEGOLAND California is about a 4 hour and 30 minute drive, depending on LA traffic.

Although I've been to LEGOLAND before, this was both of my sons' first time! They knew about LEGOLAND from watching youtube videos online so when we told them we were taking them here, they were really excited! As we were driving towards the parking gate entrance, they were so happy to see the large Lego figures along the way. Parking is really expensive though. It was $25 just for regular parking per car (it may costs more now since we've traveled). I saw a lot of people being dropped off in front so that's something to consider. 

They checked our bags before we entered and that was a quick process. Because we had gotten tickets online ahead of time, we didn't need to go to the ticket booth and went straight to the entrance gate where our tickets got scanned. You can buy online tickets from legoland.com or a different travel site (sometimes cheaper than legoland.com site). If you're a veteran or military family, you can get a really great rate as well from a link through the LEGOLAND California's website. They will need to verify your military status information first. We did the veteran verification and it only took them a minute to send the link to buy the heavily discounted military rate. Link to the military discount page for LEGOLAND tickets.

We arrived at LEGOLAND California around 12:30PM and there were already a lot of people there but the lines went fast. It wasn't too bad! I think all the spring breakers went home already. There were some rides that my 2 year old couldn't get on so we would skip those and looked for the ones where the minimum height were either 36" or with no minimum height required. There were over a handful of rides that we were able to get on even though my little one is only 36 inches! We went on Cargo Ace, Fairy Brook (twice), LEGO CITY: Deep Sea Adventure, LEGO Ninjago the Ride and Lost Kingdom Adventure. There were a few other rides that my little one could get on too but we ran out of time! My kids also enjoyed the free video game rooms and multiple Lego building stations all around the park! In between rides, we would also take pictures with the LEGO stars who would be at photo opportunity spots. We got to meet Emmet! There are also games you can play to win prizes like this one below. 

 (video game room)

I think what made this experience at LEGOLAND even more special to our boys is because they've been playing with Legos ever since they were big enough to start playing with toys. My 5 year old has been building things from Legos for a few years already and it's a thrill for us to watch their eyes light up and laugh with glee as they go on the Lego themed rides. 

The last time I was at LEGOLAND was about 8 years ago (no kids yet) and seeing how much this park has grown since then is wonderful! There are more rides, now 2 LEGO hotels right in front and more dining options. For lunch, we ordered a pizza from Pizza Mania. It's fast and you sit outdoors under the patio to eat and then continue on with your adventure. For dinner, we decided to go for more pizza but this time at their Pizza and Pasta Buffet. It was $18.99 per adult and $9.99 for children under a certain age (prices may be more now). It was pricey but it was fast and easy. They had a salad bar included as well. The soft drinks were included in the pricing too. We were bummed out that Wok and Bowl Ramen was closed on the day we went but hopefully the next time we visit, it'll be open. 

We definitely made a stop at Miniland USA and saw all the cities built out of Legos! Notable ones for us were San Francisco and Las Vegas, among many!

SEALIFE Aquarium Experience

Around 4:30PM, we decided to go to SEA LIFE Aquarium to finish off our day. Our tickets included entrance to this aquarium but you can also buy tickets that only gets you into LEGOLAND, if the aquarium isn't your thing. We spent a good 1 hour in here. Luckily, the SEA LIFE Aquarium is also still open for another half hour after LEGOLAND has already closed.

Even though it's not a huge aquarium, there is a lot of different sections to look at. There were jellyfishes, sharks, fishes, starfishes, sea anemone, sea horses, sting rays, octopuses and lobsters.


The unique element of SEA LIFE Aquarium is you'll also see Lego figures and structures inside the aquariums as well! They also have a cafe once you exit so if you're hungry, you can get a hot dog or other snacks here. 

Many people brought their own strollers inside of the park but because we had so many bags to load in the car with us, we opted to rent one at the park. A single stroller was $14 and a double stroller was only $17. We got the double stroller to fit both of our boys and they loved it. It was really worth it because their little legs get tired and we can get them to our next destination a lot quicker. There were 2 cup holders and some mesh storage space which gave us free hands. We just parked the stroller to the side like the other strollers did when we were ready to hop in a line to get on a ride.

There were two rides that really stood out to us and they were LEGO Ninjago the Ride and LEGO CITY: Deep Sea Adventure. The LEGO Ninjago the Ride was like a video game at the same time. You're shooting lasers at the bad guys with your arms while wearing 3D glasses throughout the ride. The LEGO City: Deep Sea Adventure is a submarine ride with a screen where you click on an item as you see them through the ride. This makes it interactive and fun to search for things while you're also looking at the real fishes underwater!

This LEGOLAND California and SEA LIFE Aquarium trip was so special to us. We were all really impressed with everything and can't wait to take the boys back there again. We hope that this has encouraged them to continue on building things at home and in life and that we can make this an annual trip for us. Feel free to ask us any questions about our trip
. 

Find current discounted LEGOLAND California and SEA LIFE Aquarium tickets online. Depending on the time of year, they are usually a few bucks cheaper than buying from the direct website, even when you factor in the convenience fees. They also run exclusive deals for other tickets once in a blue moon.

LEGOLAND California Trip Planning Tips:

• Compare and find a hotel in Carlsbad to stay close to LEGOLAND California. I usually like to stay at one where breakfast is included at the hotel so you can start your day a bit faster.
• It's good to have sunscreen, a pair of sunglasses and a sun hat to protect your skin when you're outdoors at an amusement park. I usually get the kid's sunscreen that is for sensitive skin because my older son breaks out using the spray for standard ones.
• I stayed at the LEGOLAND Castle Hotel at a later stay! Read about my review for LEGOLAND Castle Hotel.

Discount LEGOLAND California Park Tickets
LEGOLAND TICKETS
Depending on the time of year, you can score cheaper LEGOLAND California Park tickets from other travel sites. Even with convenience fees, when you total everything at end, you could save money for your San Diego/Carlsbad LEGOLAND trip. It's worth taking the extra 5 minutes to compare before you buy. They also have ticket combos with LEGOLAND California and SEA LIFE Aquarium where you can visit for 2 days for only a bit more, but you'd have to make another reservation for a time on that 2nd day as well, which you provide that information through the check out process. Sometimes other agency's website is even easier to use than the attractions' website. See more tickets of LEGOLAND California and LEGOLAND California tickets online.

Lucky for SLO residents and tourists, there are many places that sell boba! Some of them are dedicated tea shops while others are donut shops or restaurants. Check out these boba places that I've visited below. 

(Pictured above a photo I took while enjoying a boba at MilkT Society in Pismo Beach when it was still open. Scroll down to read more details about this boba shop.)

Sweetie Cup Tea House

Located in downtown SLO on Churro Street is a true tea house with wifi and the works that you would expect at a tea house. They have ice cream, mochi and wontons!


This place is boba done right! It's high quality and our top choice for boba. Address: 1118 Chorro St., San Luis Obispo, CA, 93401

Blue Wave & Boba (Formerly PCH Shave Ice & Boba)

This boba shop also serves amazing Hawaiian Shave Ice and boba in Pismo Beach on Oak Park Blvd! Even though they are not walking distance to the beach, they are located within the Pismo Beach City zone, I really like their location as it's in the same shopping center as Ross, CVS, other restaurants and other stores so it would be very convenient for me to stop in here while running errands.

Big Wave Boba Address: 893 N Oak Park Blvd, Pismo Beach, CA 93449

Sequel Cold Brew Tea

They have take a spot at the Downtown San Luis Obispo Farmers' Market on Thursday evenings on the street! I tried them for the first time when they had their pop-up at Bings Bao Buns at the SLO Public Market and I love their interesting concoctions. After their pop-up, they later became a permanent boba shop there. Address: 3845 S Higuera St, San Luis Obispo, California 93401

The team at Sequel Cold Brew Tea is very friendly too. Address: At Downtown SLO Farmers Markets, Pop-Ups and Benny's Kitchen. See a video clip of one of my outings at the Downtown SLO Farmers Market by clicking on this page link.

220 Hinds Ave Cafe & Boba Tea (Formerly Fay's)

Located right by the Pismo Beach pier, if you're already at the beach here, you might as well swing by Fay's Fusion for some excellent boba. In 2024, Fay's Fusion sold their business to new owners so they do not have food there anymore, just boba. It seems that they are only open on the weekends.


220 Hines Ave Cafe & Boba Tea Address: 220 Hinds Ave, Pismo Beach, CA 93449

Brew-It Coffee & Tea

In Atascadero, near the Central Coast Zoo (formerly known as Charles Paddock Zoo), is a coffee and tea shack that also serves boba drinks! The boba (tapioca pearls) are round brown jelly-like things that are on the bottom of a tea drink and you suck it up with a large straw! It is fun to drink.

They don't have a sit down area so you'll need to drive thru it! They have standard favorites like Thai tea boba, Taro tea boba and more. Address: 6570 Morro Rd, Atascadero, CA 93422

MilkT Society (Now Closed in Pismo Beach, But Still Open in San Luis Obispo)

I visited this place in Pismo Beach when it was still there. It was located about a couple blocks from the water is MilkT Society (read my full review post about Milk T Society in Pismo Beach). I came on their opening day! Since they are so close to the Pismo Beach Pier, I typically make an effort to also stroll on the pier before or after my visit at Milk T Society in Pismo Beach. See a video reel of my Pismo Beach Pier stroll.
Although they are now closed at the Pismo Beach location, you can still visit them at the San Luis Obispo location.
MilkT Society Address in San Luis Obispo: 773 Foothill Blvd San Luis Obispo, CA 93405

Tiger Milk Tea (Now Closed)

(2025 Update: This Tiger Milk Tea is closed.) There's a Tiger Milk Tea boba shop located in Grover Beach! It replaced a different boba shop before. However, they've redone their counter inside and their service was very quick! There is no indoor seating but there are two picnic tables right in their patio for you to enjoy your drinks. I'm originally from San Diego where I've had boba since I was in middle school and this boba shop is legit! It's the real deal and they are pretty authentic to what I'm used to, as far as quality, efficiency and taste!
Tiger Milk Tea Address: 1800 E Grand Ave, Grover Beach, CA 93433

Golden Donut

Located in Pismo Beach near the highway 101 is a donut shop that also sells boba drinks! This donut shop has been around for awhile but now that PCH Shave Ice & Boba has opened in the same shopping center, there's tough competition.

This is a local family owned donut shop so you'll definitely recognize the mom and pop feel. Address: 863 N Oak Park Blvd, Pismo Beach, CA 93449

See a list of coffee shops and pictures of latte art that I've taken throughout San Luis Obispo (SLO) County.

See my instagram post where I created my own boba balls (tapioca pearls) at home.

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

Learn to Make Boba at Home:

• Complete Boba Kits
• Instant Tapioca Pearls (Boba)
• Fusion Select 5 Packs Taro, Mango, Honeydew, Strawberry Bubble Tea Kit Set With Extra Rich Tapioca Pearls, Straws

If healthy and abled, take advantage of the many hikes and cliff views of the beaches of San Luis Obispo County.

Cave Landing and Pirate's Cove
The parking lot can be really bumpy so if you don't have a 4x4, try to park close to the front of the entryway! You can't go wrong with any of the trails here. We took the main one where it takes you to the cave.


Watch out for this cave because it leads you to a cliff to the ocean of Avila Beach!

A short walk from the cave is the other end to Pirate's Cove. Pirate's Cove is a nice secluded beach which appropriately makes this one a nude beach as well. We took my 5 year old and 2 year old kids and only stuck to the trail going to the cave. Watch out for the little ones. Don't let go on their hand. The cliffs are bluffs. Cave Landing and Pirate's Cove trail parking lot address: Cave Landing Road, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

See more family-friendly things to do in SLO.

Avila Beach is a special beach city for us because my husband works in Avila Beach. Although a beautiful place, local residential housing options are very limited there. Right in the middle of a lot of businesses, is an entrance to the old public Avila Beach Pier, which is solely made out of wood and when we walked on it (currently still closed) with my 5 year old and 2 year old sons, they stumbled a few times. It's not as smooth as the Pismo Beach Pier but it's worth trying to walk on, if you are able. The views, not surprisingly, are phenomenal.


On one side, you see the pretty homes on the hills right above the water and on the other side, you see another pier but that one's private by Cal Poly. If you have excellent vision, you'll also see that there is a third pier in Avila Beach called Port San Luis Pier. Scroll down to see the link for the photos of the third pier. The third pier is open to the public and my most favorite pier of the 3 piers in Avila Beach! See videos of Port San Luis Pier, also known as Harford Pier, that I've taken.


We took advantage of the free beach trolley from Pismo Beach Outlets to get to Avila Beach! It was such a fun ride for the kids. They offer the free trolley on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays during the spring, summer and fall season. It's a great way to venture out without having to worry about finding parking. This is a great transportation system for tourists and locals!


If you happen to be coming to Avila Beach on a Friday during mid-spring through the summer, you can enjoy their farmers market that also has free music entertainment! Many locals bring their lawn chairs to enjoy the show. There are tents selling food and fresh produce and conveniently all located next to the Avila Beach Pier.

Even on a normal day without any events going on, hanging out at the beach in Avila Beach is very enjoyable with many restaurants to pick from nearby.


To see other free things to do with kids in SLO, go to the Family-friendly things to do page.

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

As mentioned earlier in this post, Avila Beach has a total of three piers. One of those piers is not open to the public and is owned by Cal Poly (our local university). However, the Avila Beach Pier (closest to the restaurants) and the far end fishing pier called Port San Luis Pier are both open to the public. See my blog post and pictures of Port San Luis Pier in Avila Beach.

Read about my staycations at the famous Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo.

2025 Update: The boa constrictor at CD's Pet Emporium has passed away. However, there are still many animals there to view.

A new favorite thing for us to do is visit the boa constrictor at CD's Pet Emporium in Arroyo Grande. It's so rare to find a boa constrictor in a pet shop so this is an amazing and unique attribute that this pet shop currently has. They have a large reptile area in the back that is dimly lit. All of the animals looks healthy and happy!

They also have 2 large parrots and other small birds towards the front of the shop! Right when you walk into the door of CD's Pet Emporium, you'll be firstly greeted by the guinea pigs and mice. You'll also see a line of fishes along the wall. 

So if you're shopping for a new pet for the kids, I suggest to make a visit to this local pet shop as well. It's located in the Smart & Final shopping center, which also has the Slice Pizza and Games so this shopping center has a lot of offer! 

Address of CD's Pet Emporium: 1402 E Grand Ave, Arroyo Grande, CA 93420. Arroyo Grande is a city located in San Luis Obispo County and right next to Grover Beach.

To see other free things to do in SLO and the nearby beaches, go to the Family-friendly event page.