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Pet Emporium in Arroyo Grande

April 16, 2019

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!
Pet Shop in Arroyo GrandePet Emporium Arroyo Grande
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! 
Pet Shop Next to Dollar Tree Arroyo Grande
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.
 

Avila Valley Barn Review & Pictures For Fall and Halloween

April 16, 2019
The best part about Avila Valley Barn is that it's free to visit the farm animals here! There are dozens and dozens of goats! There are also chickens, ponies, cows, sheep and other animals! You can buy some lettuce to feed at their store to feed the the goats and this made it a very wonderful experience for the kids. 
Avila Valley Barn Pictures Avila Valley Barn Free Animal Visits Avila Valley Barn Market
We also took advantage of their pony ride, extra fee, for the kids. It's a short ride but my 2 year old thoroughly enjoyed every second of it! 

If you're hungry, you can also buy some bbq like a tri-tip sandwich, hot dog, etc. I was curious after I have bought my tri-tip sandwich if the chips and drink were supposed to come with it, because I didn't grab them. It wasn't clearly stated on the menu so double check if you're wondering as well. They also have an ice cream shop on property. 
Avila Valley Barn Pictures and Review

There are also a lot of baked goods and fresh produce inside of the market. The line to buy can get really long unexpectedly and it could be 30 minutes later that there's no one in line at all. It's like they come in waves.

During the fall season, they'll have pumpkins and a fun fall backdrop for a nice photo opportunity with your family! See pictures that I took during my visit at Avila Valley Barn in October below or go to my instagram reel to see a video of my pumpkin patch visit at Avila Valley Barn.

Pumpkins at Avila Valley Barn Fall at Avila Valley Barn
Is Avila Valley Barn Worth It

See a list of 10 Pumpkin Patches all over San Luis Obispo County.

Avila Valley Barn is so kid-friendly and fun! We can't wait to come back again. Address of Avila Valley Barn: 560 Avila Beach Dr, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405

To see other family-friendly things to do in San Luis Obispo county, go to: http://www.sanluisobispomom.com/family-friendly-events.php.

Popular Things To Do with Kids in San Luis Obispo County

 

Paso Robles Children's Museum Pictures and a Day of Wine Tastings

April 3, 2019

Paso Robles Children's Museum

Paso Robles Children's Museum was having a free day for everyone so we took advantage of this opportunity to also explore Paso Robles a bit. Many locals who live in Paso Robles with little ones come here quite often.

Paso Robles Children's Museum is 2 stories full of kid's activities and an outdoor area with more play as well! There are a lot things to build with and climb on. They also have a ball pit!
Paso Robles Children's Museum Picture
The museum offers military discounts so do mention that if your family is military! During the festive seasons, this museum host special events for the family.

Address of Paso Robles Children's Museum: 623 13th St, Paso Robles, CA 93446;



Justin's Winery Tasting Room

Since the Paso Robles Children's Museum is located in downtown Paso Robles, we decided to meet a friend afterwards at the Justin's Winery Tasting Room that is also conveniently located right across from the city park in Downtown Paso Robles.
City Park in Paso Robles Picture

At Justin's Downtown Tasting Room, you will immediately be wowed as you enter. Whoever designed this tasting room deserves an award. It is modern, sleek and what I like to call it, posh!
Justin's Tasting Room in Downtown Paso Robles
I immediately felt like we didn't belong because we had two kids in their double strollers. Well, the staff made sure we didn't feel out of place and luckily, our friend is a member so as his guests, we were able to try the tastings for free. Seating were also reserved for members only. Address of Justin's Downtown Tasting Room: 811 12th St., Paso Robles, California 93446

Read about another tasting room in Downtown Paso Robles that I tried called Alpha Omega Collective.

Bianchi Winery

After having a small taste of fine wine, we decided to continue on and find a place where the kids can roam around more freely.
Bianchi Winery Paso Robles
Having heard that the Bianchi Winery has boats that the kids can use remote controllers to run, we decided to check the place out. Although they no longer have boats with remote controllers or any boats at all, the koi fishes in the pond were enough to entertain the kids.
Koi Fishes at Bianchi Winery
They offered fish food for free to feed! The kois are very well taken care of. They're beautiful and large. I'd say there were at least 50 of them. If that's not enough to entice you, wait until you see the views from where you're standing! It's breathtaking as you take in all the vineyards on the hills and it's nice to feel disconnected from the hustle and bustle of city life for just a moment.
Seating at Bianchi Paso Robles
I am not at all surprised to learn that many people get married here. The architecture of the tasting room, the views, koi fishes and spacious outdoor areas are all romantic and elegant. I totally think it's worth a visit.
Bianchi Winery Paso Robles Review
Inside of Bianchi Tasting Room
Address of Bianchi Winery: 3380 Branch Rd, Paso Robles, CA 93446

Justin Winery and Bianchi Winery were just two wine tasting rooms that I visited on this particular day for this blog entry. Over the years, I've visited over 50 local wine tasting rooms. See my personal reviews for my top 10 favorite local wineries in Edna Valley and Paso Robles (both wine countries are part of San Luis Obispo County).

Some of my most favorite gifts from my husband are experiences, like a local hotel stay in a nice boutique hotel or a nice stress-free cruise on a Carnival Cruise, Royal Caribbean or Princess Cruise. Read more of my blog entries to read about my local and travel adventures.

Reading Suggestions:

Popular Things To Do with Kids in San Luis Obispo County:

 

Dinosaur Caves Park Cliff Views and Pictures

March 15, 2019
Dinosaur Caves Park Review
Located in Pismo Beach and Shell Beach is a beautiful public park called Dinosaur Caves Park. It has a large playground for the kids and amazing cliff views. There are many climbing structures.
Dinosaur Caves Park Pictures
Dinosaur Caves Playground Pictures
There are multiple viewing points with benches and it's so easy to take beautiful pictures. I call this place heaven on earth. The kids love the playground here and I'm hesitant to let them go near the cliff so I will only walk over there with them if they are strapped into their stroller. Here are the pictures I took of Dinosaur Caves Park.
Picnic at Pismo Beach Dinosaur Caves Park View
Central Coast View of Cliffs in Pismo Beach Shell Beach Cliffs Views
Dinosaur Caves Park in Shell Beach Pictures Dinosaur Caves Park Trail
Dinosaur Caves Park Picture Views
Throughout the year, the City of Pismo Beach hosts many free events for the community here. Events that I've attended here included a Halloween event, Easter events and more.
Pismo Beach Easter Egg Hunt Pictures
Easter Egg Hunt Dinosaur Caves Park
I always enjoy walking around here. The views just gets better and better as you follow along the nice trail going west. This area is also dog-friendly. Address of Dinosaur Caves Park: 2701 Price St, Pismo Beach, CA 93449

Another playground that my kids and I like to go to in Shell Beach is Spyglass Park. It's a smaller park but I can always count on it to have less people so that I could find parking. See my pictures of Spyglass Park.

To see other things to do in Pismo Beach, go to: http://www.sanluisobispomom.com/family-friendly-events.php

Go to my instagram to see my most recent beach pictures and videos that I've taken as a local.

@sanluisobispomom

 

Free Preschool Program For All Families in San Luis Obispo (SLO) County

March 14, 2019

First 5 Preschools are all over the San Luis Obispo County (8 different schools) and they're free to the public.

First 5 Preschools, also known as Early Learning Centers are funded by the San Luis Obispo First 5 Children and Families Commission so that is why it is FREE to the community.
> Open to preschool children between 3 to 5 years old. 
> Priority to 4 year olds who will be entering kindergarten soon. The free preschool programs for ages 3 - 5 are held at six different schools in San Luis Obispo county including: San Gabriel Elementary, Nipomo High School, Marie Bauer Elementary (Paso Robles), Grover Beach Elementary, Oceano Early Learning Center and in San Miguel.
> This program is a 3 hr. per day, M-F, program following a school year calendar
> Free to all families with low or moderate income and recently, higher income families may enroll as well as they have another grant that can be used for families of any income!

More info on this free preschool program for ages 3 - 5 years old can be found at: https://www.slocoe.org/divisions/educational-support-services/early-learning-and-educational-support/early-learning-centers/

Here is the locations list for the free Early Learning Program: https://elc.slocoe.org/centers/. There are 8 different locations.

Read my review after one of my kids attended one of the locations of the of Early Learning Centers: http://www.sanluisobispomom.com/blog/early-learn-center-review-in-san-luis-obispo-county

Popular Preschool Supplies:

 

Are you planning on relocating to San Luis Obispo County from a different place?

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About Me


San Luis Obispo Mom Originally from San Diego, California, I'm a San Diego State University alumna, veteran's wife and mom of two kids who were born two years apart. After living on the East Coast for 6 years, we now reside in San Luis Obispo County and here, the exploration continues. In between work and momming it, I like to exercise.
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All photos (except for ads) on SanLuisObispoMom.com including: homepage, 'Family-Friendly Things to do' page, 'SLO Restaurants' page,'Mom Groups & Childcare' page, and 'blog' page were taken by me so they are my original content and belong to this blog/website.

To find family-friendly activities in the SLO area, go to the 'Family-Friendly Things To Do' page.

Some of the links are just useful local information that I'm sharing for free and some are commission-based products that may help me earn a small commission for each sale to upkeep with the fees of running this local blog.