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Seacrest Oceanview Hotel(Pismo Beach)

The Hotel is located on the Central Coast and a few minutes away from the Pismo Beach Pier. It is situated on a cliff with direct access to the beach via a flight of stairs. The hotel provides different selections of guest accommodations such as the Deluxe signature oceanfront, Coastal view, and standard rooms. Some of the hotel amenities are 3 gas BBQ grills, 3 outdoor hot tubs, an outdoor heated pool, free wifi complimentary continental breakfast, and many more.

It took us 4 hours drive from San Francisco via US 101 to Pismo Beach. The drive was very relaxing and passed through a lot of beautiful wineries. We reserved and stayed at a Coastal View room with two queen beds. Our room (#211) had a view of the Pismo Beach Pier and a partial view of the ocean from our private balcony. It was one of the best views that we experienced and it felt like we were in Hawaii. We took the private stairs to the beach and had a picnic. But it was a challenge and got tired of going up the flight of stairs. (LOL) We bought bottled water and snacks in our backpacks. On our last day, it was a low tide so we were lucky enough that we visited the small caves and tide pools along the beach. We even walked for about 20-30 minutes to Pismo Beach Pier and bought some souvenirs at the gift shop near the public restroom. We also took a family picture on the 7-foot neon sign of Pismo Beach.

Overall, we enjoyed and loved the gorgeous views from the Hotel lawn and from our room’s balcony especially during sunrise and sunset. We enjoyed and maximized all the Hotel amenities such as the complimentary continental breakfast, lots of parking, onsite restaurant (Willow), private beach access, swimming pool, hot tubs, fire pits, complimentary teas, coffees, and hot chocolates and they even have an ice cream cart in the lobby which they sell ice cream.

Tips: The hotel provides a water dispenser near the lobby where you can refill your empty water bottles and save money. We also ate at ADA’s fish house and bought the famous cinnamon bun at Old West Cinnamon Bakery. They are about a 10-15 minutes drive from the Hotel. The strawberry-glazed cinnamon bun is very good and delicious.

Let me know if you have any questions and what you think about the Seacrest Oceanfront Hotel after your visit in the comments below. And kindly share our family travel blog site with your friends and family. Or even include our travel blog website address when you post your pictures on social media. Have fun and stay safe. Thank you.

Click here to find a hotel at SeaCrest Oceanview Hotel or its surrounding area in Pismo Beach.

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Meritage Resort and Spa (Napa Valley)

Address: 875 Bordeaux Way, Napa, CA 94558

The Meritage Resort and Spa along with Vino Bello Resort a timeshare property opened its doors in July 2006. The Meritage Resort is located in Napa Valley which is known for its wide-ranging mix of charming B&B’s, chic luxury hotels, restaurants, and a wide variety of wineries. The resort offers a high-end 322 room property located in the business with free bottles of wine. Some of the rooms have a patio with an amazing view of the outdoor swimming pool, underground cave, and the vineyard situated on the hill.

It took us about 1 hour and 10 minutes (53 miles) to drive from San Francisco to Meritage Resort and Spa via I-80 East, CA-29 North/Sonoma Blvd, exit 19 from CA-37 West. We were surprised to see that they also have a unique, and vintage dining car restaurant on the premise. Some of the Hotel’s amenities are a spa treatment on an underground estate cave called Spa Terra, a winery vineyard, heated outdoor vineyard pool, bowling alley, farm-to-table restaurant Olive and Hay, fitness center, and a wine tasting room.

Upon our arrival, we were greeted by a friendly front desk attendant and was checked into our room. I contacted the hotel a few days earlier and asked them if they can set up something for our Wedding Anniversary. I let my wife and daughter open the room and were surprised, happy, and speechless to see a complimentary plate with a wide variety of cheese, crackers, and a free bottle of champagne for our Wedding Anniversary. Our room had a really nice Tuscan style decor with an outdoor patio overlooking the beautiful vineyard, underground cave, and the clear blue water outdoor pool. There was even a complimentary slice of delicious chocolate cake with a note saying “Happy Anniversary. Our room was moderate size with a very relaxing and cozy ambiance.

After we checked in our nice room, we went out to check most of the property amenities. The one that caught our attention is the “Spa Terra” which is the world’s first underground spa. We didn’t get a chance to go inside the cave but were informed that it has soaking pools, water walls, steam grottos, and private treatment rooms. We then proceeded upstairs or up the hill that led us to the 9 acres, a sloped vineyard located on top of the underground spa cave. My daughter’s eyes widen as she saw the two large outdoor heated pools with private cabanas. We passed through a few corn holes along the walkway closest to the outdoor pool by the vineyard.

The best part was when we visited the “Crush Lounge” with 6 luxurious bowling lanes, foosball, pool tables, and shuffleboard games. We ended up playing bowling and ordered a few food items on the bowling alley menu. My daughter was surprised and danced when they turned on the disco lights in the bowling lanes which made it exciting. The food that we ordered was good and was delivered into our lane.

Overall, we enjoyed our short stay at the Meritage Resort and Spa which is a hidden gem in the Napa Valley area. It was a one-of-a-kind experience for my family to sleep inside a genuine train caboose with modern amenities in a rustic setting. It was fun waking up in the morning with the stunning view of an underground cave, swimming pool, and a vineyard. The gardening landscape was very colorful due to its colorful flowers. It’s a great unique and romantic place to stay with your family and loved ones while enjoying tasting wine. It was a fun and memorable experience to celebrate our Wedding Anniversary in a luxurious, Tuscan Themed style resort in the heart of Napa Valley.

Tips: The resort’s vineyard on the hill is a good spot to watch the sunset. There were several fire pits with outdoor seatings available throughout the property. The resort is about a 15-minute drive to Oxbow Public Market, Napa Valley Train, Napa River Inn, Morimoto Restaurant, and a wide variety of local restaurants. There is also a premium shopping outlet located near the Resort. And don’t forget to visit the “Grape Crusher” sculpture located on top of the Vineyard on the hill. Vista Collina Resort is located adjacent to the Meritage Resort. There is a farm-to-table restaurant located at Meritage Resort called Olive and Hay.

Let me know if you have any questions or what you think about the Meritage Resort and Spa after your visit in the comments below. And kindly share our family travel blog site with your friends and family. Or even include our travel blog website address when you post your pictures on social media. Have fun and stay safe. Thank you.

Click here to find a hotel/room at Meritage Resort and Spa or around the area close to the Resort.

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Holiday Ice Skating Rink at Meritage Resort and Spa (Sonoma County)

Address: 875 Bordeaux way Napa Ca. 94558

The Meritage Resort and Spa along with Vino Bello Resort a timeshare property opened its doors in July 2006. The Meritage Resort is located in Napa Valley which is known for its wide-ranging mix of charming B&B’s, chic luxury hotels, restaurants, and a wide variety of wineries. The resort offers a high-end 322 room property located in the business with free bottles of wine. Some of the rooms have a patio with an amazing view of the outdoor swimming pool, underground cave, and the vineyard situated on the hill.

It took us about 1 hour and 10 minutes (53 miles) to drive from San Francisco to Meritage Resort and Spa via I-80 East, CA-29 North/Sonoma Blvd, exit 19 from CA-37 West. We were surprised to see that they also have a unique, and vintage dining car restaurant on the premise. Some of the Hotel’s amenities are a spa treatment on an underground estate cave called Spa Terra, a winery vineyard, heated outdoor vineyard pool, bowling alley, farm-to-table restaurant Olive and Hay, fitness center, and a wine tasting room.

Since we didn’t want to drive back to San Francisco late at night. We checked in at one of the nice and quieter rooms at Meritage Resort and Spa. After checking in at around 4pm we immediately proceeded to the Ice Rink and Christmas Tree Lighting area which is located across the street of the Meritage Resort and Spa. The place was like a Winter Wonderland with a 40 foot Christmas Tree, Carolers singing, Mimes entertaining the guests, vendors selling their holiday items, Famous Disney Characters such as Elsa, Kristoff, Olaf, Tinker Bell, and Santa Claus walking around taking pictures with children and families. It was a very festive atmosphere with lots of visitors and happy families.

The Christmas Tree lighting happened at around 5:30 pm and it was such a magical moment when the 40 foot Christmas Tree was lighted with colorful bright lights and holiday ornaments and decorations. All the visitors happily cheered loudly during the Christmas Tree Lighting. We enjoyed the fun performances on stage by the local caroler and local band entertainer. The Ice skating rink was situated in the middle of the lawn area facing or adjacent to the beautiful lighted Christmas Tree. There were a few VIP fire pits and special igloos for rentals available surrounding the ice rink area. We had to reserve a time slot online for a 1 hour and 30 minutes skating experience. There was a long line of excited skaters on the ice skating registration booth. The line was moving quickly as they have a lot of available staff to help with the registration and skate rentals. My wife and daughter enjoyed the awesome experience and took nice pictures on the ice skating rink facing the Lighted Christmas Tree in the background. There were lots of staff members that facilitate or watched over the skaters for safety precautions.

The best part was when we ate a late dinner at the “Crush Lounge” with 6 luxurious bowling lanes, foosball, pool tables, and shuffleboard games. All the food that we ordered was good and delivered promptly on our table. Our host server Lizabeth was very attentive, fast and helpful in serving our table. We ordered Buffalo Wings, Cheese Nachos, Fish tacos and chicken quesadilla. My daughter had the delicious Oreo Milkshake while my wife had a Margarita cocktail drink. All the bowling lanes were already reserved that night so we end up not bowling. But we had the opportunity to play bowling during our first stay in the resort.

Overall, we enjoyed our short stay at the Meritage Resort and Spa which is a hidden gem in the Napa Valley area. It was fun waking up in the morning with the stunning view of an underground cave, swimming pool, and a grape vineyard. The gardening landscape was very colorful due to its colorful leaves. It’s a great unique and romantic place to stay with your family and loved ones while enjoying tasting wine. It was a fun and memorable experience to celebrate a Holiday Christmas Tree Lighting, Ice Skating and Wine Tasting in a Tuscan Themed style resort in the heart of Napa Valley.

Tips: The resort’s vineyard on the hill is a good spot to watch the sunset. There were several fire pits with outdoor seatings available throughout the property. The resort is about a 15-minute drive to Oxbow Public Market, Napa Valley Train, Napa River Inn, Morimoto Restaurant, and a wide variety of local restaurants. There is also a premium shopping outlet located near the Resort. And don’t forget to visit the “Grape Crusher” sculpture located on top of the Vineyard on the hill. Vista Collina Resort is located adjacent to the Meritage Resort. There is a farm-to-table restaurant located at Meritage Resort called Olive and Hay.

Let me know if you have any questions or what you think about the Holiday Ice Rink at Meritage Resort and Spa after your visit in the comments below. And kindly share our family travel blog site with your friends and family. Or even include our travel blog website address when you post your pictures on social media. Have fun and stay safe. Thank you.

Click here to find a hotel/room at Meritage Resort and Spa or around the area close to the Resort.

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Railroad Park Resort and Dining Car Restaurant (Siskiyou County)

Address: 100 Railroad Park Rd, Dunsmuir, CA 96025

The Railroad Park Resort and Dining Car Restaurant was built in 1968 and is located in the town of Dunsmuir, California. Dunsmuir is a union pacific “Train Town” that was a thriving railroad community during the golden era and located in the Shasta Cascade. In 1968, the Park Railroad owner started the Caboose Hotel business in Northern California. The old and authentic caboose or rail cars were collected and preserved during the Rail era. The old, antique rail cars were all converted into a unique, and comfortable units for visitors to stay in.

It took us about 4 hours and 20 minutes (274 miles) to drive from San Francisco to Railroad Park Resort via I-5 North towards Mt. Shasta. The Railroad Park Resort is situated on 50 acres of land and each caboose is separated from the other. The Railroad Park is the only hotel in Dunsmuir that offers 23 cabooses, RV hook-up sites, tent campsites, and vintage cabins. We were surprised to see that they also have a unique, and vintage dining car restaurant on the premise. Some of the Hotel’s amenities are a dining car restaurant, free Wifi, free parking, game room, vending machine, hot tub, outdoor pool (closed during winter), gift shop and campsite.

Upon our arrival, we went directly into the main office and also a gift shop to check in. I already contacted the Hotel a few days earlier and asked them if they can set up something inside our caboose for my daughter’s birthday celebration. A friendly front desk lady greeted us with a smile and walked us towards our reserved caboose which is located across from the main office. Our reserved train caboose was colored bright yellow and had to ask my daughter to open the door. She was surprised, happy, speechless as she opened the door and to see the caboose was filled with colorful balloons, a “Happy Birthday” banner, cupcakes, and free birthday gifts. We stayed at Caboose #1 with one King bed, twin bed, air conditioning, full bath, toiletries room, refrigerator, coffee maker, microwave, clan foot tub, climb up cupola, free Wifi and can accommodate a maximum of 3 people. We even parked our car right on the side of our caboose which was easier for us to carry and load our belongings inside the caboose. The inside of the antique caboose cars were all authentic and original with a rustic feeling but equipped with modern-day comfort. My daughter enjoyed going up and down the cupola which is a small windowed projection on the roof of a caboose with an elevated seat that the crew uses to inspect the train from this perch.

Overall, we enjoyed our short stay at the Railroad Park Resort and a hidden gem in the Dunsmuir area. It was a one-of-a-kind experience for my family to sleep inside a genuine train caboose with modern amenities in a rustic setting. It was fun waking up in the morning with the stunning view of Castle Crags. And we were able to watch the beautiful, and bright stars in the sky at night. It’s a great unique and romantic place to stay with your family while enjoying the great outdoors. It was a fun and memorable experience for us to stay in one of the vintage train cabooses and experience life in the Railroad Era.

Tips: Make sure to eat at the unique, vintage, one-of-a-kind dining Train Themed Restaurant which is an 1893 Wells Fargo Car or Pullman “Club Car”. Take a picture and visit the 1927 Williamette Steam-driven locomotive that is parked inside the property and located close to the train restaurant. The restaurant is a museum itself full of unique and original parts. There are a lot of nice places to visit within the area such as the famous Mossbrae Falls, Hedge Creek Falls, Lake Siskiyou, Castle Lake, Shasta Lake, Castle Crags, Trinity Alps, Dunsmuir Botanical Garden, and many more. There is also a popular restaurant place called “Yak’s on the 5” that serves one of the best BBQs I had ever tasted.

Let me know if you have any questions or what you think about the Railroad Park Resort and Dining Car Restaurant after your visit in the comments below. And kindly share our family travel blog site with your friends and family. Or even include our travel blog website address when you post your pictures on social media. Have fun and stay safe. Thank you.

Click here to find a hotel/room at Railroad Park Resort or around the area close to the town of Dunsmuir.

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Albion River Inn

Address: 3790 CA-1, Albion, CA 95410

Albion River Inn is a romantic inn with stunning ocean and river view rooms. It is situated on a bluff top with a view from your own private deck. The Albion River Inn has 22 elegant rooms with spectacular cliff views, an onsite restaurant, and a good wedding venue.

It took us about 5-6 hours drive to get to Albion River Inn from CA-1 scenic route. It was a beautiful day as we drove through the coast with our rental convertible car. We already noticed and saw the beautiful Inn from a distance while we were on the Noyo River Bridge. We had to check in to the main office to get our actual room keys and had to park our car in our reserved parking space. After we opened our room door, we were in awe of the picturesque view of the Noyo River and the Ocean views from our private deck area. The room had a classic room theme with a queen bed, a roll-out bed, wood fireplace, wall heater, mini-fridge, wifi access, and no TV. Since the place is catered to romantic couples and promotes tranquil and a peaceful place to relax and unwind.

We only stayed at the Albion Inn in room#6 for one night. The restaurant on site was fully booked since they only have an outside tent due to Covid restrictions. So, we ordered our food to be delivered to our room. We were surprised as our food arrived within 20 minutes with an extra plate included for us to transfer our food. We ordered the famous Like & Ginger Grilled Prawns (6 pcs), Pan-Roasted Pacific Rock cod, Indian Style Chicken Curry, Cheesecake, and Coconut Banana Cream Pie.

We brought out a table outside our private deck and transferred all our food onto a plate that the restaurant had provided us. We ate our delicious and savory dinner outside with gorgeous views of the Noyo River and the ocean while we watched the beautiful sunset.

Overall, it’s a very classic and romantic Inn with a wonderful ocean view, cozy rooms with a wood fireplace, and your own private deck area.

Tips: The Albion Inn provides wifi access but it doesn’t have a TV in our room since it’s supposed to be a tranquil and romantic place. Right across the Inn is a Llama Farm Ranch where we took a picture of a Llama. Book early as the Inn only has 22 rooms and a very popular Inn. Some rooms even have your own private hot tub.

Let me know if you have any questions or what you think about Albion River Inn after your visit in the comments below. And kindly subscribe, share our family travel blog site with your friends and family. Or even include our travel blog website address when you post your pictures on social media. Have fun and stay safe. Thank you

Click here to find a hotel close to Albion River Inn in Mendocino.

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The Village Lodge Mammoth Resort

The Village Lodge Mammoth

Address: 1111 Forest Trail, Mammoth Lakes, Ca. 95346

During our trip to Mammoth Lake, we stayed at The Village Lodge Mammoth resort on the 5th floor in 2 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms with a view of the pool, jacuzzi, and the Mountain. The Village Lodge is a very nice resort surrounded by restaurants, retail shops and It is within a walking distance from the hotel. Our resort accommodation package came in with a free Gondola ride ticket. They normally offer concierge, bellhop, and shuttle service but those services were not available during our stay due to Covid-19 restrictions.   And all the restaurants and shops have limited hours too due to Covid-19. The resort is about 10-20 minutes from the Devil’s Postpile Ranger Station, Minaret Vista Point, Earthquake Fault, and Mammoth Mountain Gondola ride facility. Overall, we were satisfied with our stay and service.  

The guest’s garage is located in the basement and is only accessible with your room key.   I forgot and left the car trunk slightly opened all night but nothing was missing. And if you like to drink beer I would recommend trying the IPA-395 and the food at Gomez’s Restaurant in the Village Center. My daughter also bought some good chocolates and candied apples from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. The resort has an arcade room, restaurant, and room service. The resort is even popular during the winter season where you can rent a variety of winter equipment to use in the snow.

Let me know if you have any questions, comments or what you think about The Village Lodge Mammoth Resort after your visit in the comments below. Please share our blog site with your friends and family. Or even include our travel blog website address when you post your pictures on social media. Thank you.

Click here to find a hotel close to Village Lodge Mammoth Resort.