Showing posts with label Pismo Beach. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pismo Beach. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

Trip Report Tuesday: California Day 8 // Disney's Grand Californian Hotel and Spa



This trip report is bittersweet to share as it concludes the first half of our vacation spent exploring the stunning state of California.  It was a dream road trip and a true treat to recap and share with you, friends!  While I'm sad to see that part of the trip concluding, I'm delighted to begin sharing all the magic of our week at Disneyland!  Who's ready for a the second half of these trip reports?  Plenty of pixie dust awaits! 


Day 8 - Saturday, September 17, 2016

Saturday morning we woke to a foggy farewell to our time at Pismo Beach.  Jason and I enjoyed relaxing on our private patio while the girls got up and ready for the day.





Our hotel offered complimentary breakfast and had charming ocean view seating with fire pits to warm guests on this cool morning.


After breakfast we took our final beach stroll searching for seashells and enjoying the waves as they washed in.










I love animal prints, whether in the sand or on Disney pavement. ;)  These were too cute!


Princess with a handful of ocean gems.













The time had come to wave goodbye to the ocean and make the last journey of the trip, to our final destination, Disneyland!







Palm tree lined roads.  Yes, please!



At last!



Our home for the next week!

Jason dropped Little One and I off at Disney's Grand Californian Hotel and Spa.  Then he and Princess headed to the airport to return our rental car. 


Meanwhile, my littlest sweetie pie and I rocked and rolled into our first Disney shop of the trip!


Would you care for a tour of our one bedroom Disney Vacation Club villa?


Our room had a full kitchen with a refrigerator, stove, microwave, dishwasher, and was fully stocked with small appliances, dishes, and anything needed to cook and serve a meal.



Just past the kitchen a hall leads to a bathroom complete with shower, a closet with washer and dryer, and then on to the master bed and bath.



Princess unpacked the seashells she found that morning and got to work cleaning them in the girls' bathroom.




I was a bit busy swooning over our very Californian Master Suite!  



I am so glad that we spent the week before adventuring all over that diverse state!  Prior to this trip when I heard "California" I thought only of palm trees and beaches.  After spending time in places like Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks I had a much greater appreciation for just how "Californian" themed this hotel truly was!










The master bath was beyond gorgeous!












Isn't this Pinocchio wallpaper in the master bath so sweet?!

I'll show you a little more of the dining and living room areas...









Our private deck with this entry from the living room and a sliding glass door from the master bedroom had a pool view, but it was more like a scaffold view during construction.  Jason, putting a positive spin on it said, "At least it's private." 




This couch also made into a bed.




Art featuring this fabulous hotel

Hidden Mickey Finding Time!











First Disney Dinner of the Trip
Jason found his way to White Water Snacks downstairs and grabbed us dinner to be enjoyed in our room. 
















A little relaxation and we called it a night!




Big Disney adventures straight ahead!



Blogging Break Notice & What's Next:
I am taking some time off for an extended weekend with family over Easter.  My Trip Report Tuesday series will return two weeks from today, April 25th.  I look forward to bringing you a whole lot of Disney history and a magical (first) meet up with my blogging bestie in that next trip report!  You won't want to miss it!



Sometimes snapshots just don't do things justice!  Be sure to check out the video footage from this day and more on my family's YouTube channel, 
Eat, Sleep, Dis, Repeat!


Tuesday, April 4, 2017

Trip Report Tuesday: California Day 7 {Part 2} // Elephant Seal Vista Point and Pismo Beach



We bid farewell to Monterey and drove on toward our next day's destination, Disneyland!  First, we'd make an overnight pitstop at Pismo Beach.  When we planned our itinerary for this trip, Pismo Beach was merely to be a place to rest our heads overnight before moving into the second half of our trip.  Little did I know then that our night at Pismo Beach would be one of my favorite evenings of this vacation.  I can't wait to share more about it in today's trip report!

Day 7 - Friday, September 16, 2016

The drive along Pacific Coast Highway from Monterey to Pismo Beach is nothing short of breathtaking!  



We stopped along the way to take in the beauty properly.  Those were moments of awe where I did my best to memorize my surroundings, knowing this would contend for some of the most gorgeous glimpses of God's masterful creation I'd behold in this lifetime!




The color of the water was unreal.  Almost more picturesque than a photo could fully capture!





Elephant Seal Vista Point
Jason was really hoping to see elephant seals in the wild during this trip.  It was hit or miss as to whether or not we would as this was the time of year they begin to migrate.  He had said, "I'll be happy if we even see just one or two."  All the way there I was so curious how this would turn out!




Much to our delight we found a beach filled with elephant seals!  


















Photos don't begin to accurately depict the massiveness of these mammals!  Check out these stats...




Wide eyed and happy hearted we hit the road again...





You may recognize this bridge from countless movies and tv series.  If one comes to mind share in the comments below! ;)



A view doesn't get much more gorgeous than that!




















Pismo Beach, California

Jason read that this area of beach was great for finding seashells, so we stopped to search for some treasure before heading to our hotel for the evening.
















I spy a natural Hidden Mickey!


SeaCrest Oceanfront Hotel
This place was an absolute gem of beachy goodness!









Check out that view from our private balcony!










One of the best parts of this hotel was the beach below!  A beautifully lit stairway from the resort gave easy access, giving it the feel of a private beach.








A look up at our hotel from the beach















My sweet girlies with bags full of seashells that had just washed ashore






The stairway from our hotel to the beach











This was to be our last sleep outside of Disney property this trip.  What an incredible journey this road trip across California truly was!  It exceeded my expectations far beyond what I could begin to express!  I haven't stopped gushing about my love of California since.  It's been such treat recapping it for you, friends!

Next trip report I'll be taking you along as we make our way back to L.A. and check in for our week stay at Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa!


Sometimes snapshots just don't do things justice!  Be sure to check out the video footage from this day and more on my family's YouTube channel, 
Eat, Sleep, Dis, Repeat!