ALONG COMES MARY

While the sunny, warm weather we’re continuing to have here in California (85 today!) may not make it feel much like Christmas time is upon us, The Apple Farm Inn of San Luis Obispo isn’t letting that stop them from ringing in the most wonderful time of the year with festivities & adorable décor to be seen, had & ate (mmm….we’ll get into that!) at this cozy, lovely hotel.

When I was invited to experience all that The Inn has to offer, & check out their Holiday Open House, I didn’t hesitate one bit to accept. I drove up the coast for an overnight getaway last Friday & it truly was everything merry & bright from the moment I drove onto their grounds.

Whether you’re looking for a romantic getaway, a trip for the family, or even a solo road trip like moi, The Apple Farm Inn is such a perfect quick getaway from SoCal. Not in need of a place to stay? No worries. Everyone can experience something at The Apple Farm; boasting wine tasting, unique, one of a kind shopping & one of the best restaurants in San Luis Obispo, The Farm has it all at the ready to make your visit unforgettable & relaxing.

Famous for their gift shop, it felt like I had been transformed into a winter wonderland as I entered Saturday morning, shortly after their open house had begun. Despite the weather outside was anything but, er, frightful, this boutique felt like you could be in the snowy mountains of New England. Merry music playing, everything Christmas on the shelves, their staff quick to offer you some hot apple cider & even “snow” adorned on the stairs, this is such a comforting escape from the traffic & hectic streets you have in LA.

I decided to take some of my Facebook fans advice & plop down for breakfast at The Apple Farm Restaurant. With only about a 5 minute wait despite the hustle & bustle abound, I was extremely impressed that my waitress greeted & offered me a drink within moments of sitting down. An added perk? They offer SLO Roasted Coffee; a famous coffee brew on The Central Coast….an even BIGGER perk? The blend they have is my favorite from my old days living up north, Fog Lifter! Being the caffeine snob I am, I do admit I was concerned if it would be dark, strong & smooth, like I was taught to make it much too young. Guess what? It WAS! I think I am gonna like it here.

While they are not yet offering gluten-free entrees, I chose The SLO City Omelet which sounded very…peculiar….tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, avocado, cheese….& alfalfa sprouts. Hmm? Am I “hippy” enough to enjoy this, I thought?! But, I decided on it & it was DELICIOUS. Even if something sounds odd o the Apple Farm menu, trust me: trust them! All breakfast egg plates come with their home style potatoes (Oh, yeah) & not your usual choice of breads…but either a muffin (with a bunch of different flavors to pick from), scone or a biscuit & gravy….my boyfriend got an apple strudel muffin he said was great 😉 They serve it warm with their boysenberry jam…& if you happened to be there the other morning, I was the girl spooning it out of the cup!

Luckily, I finished my meal just in time to head back outside & catch The San Luis Obispo Civic Ballet previewing their upcoming production of The Nutcracker. With a cast full of young, smiling faces, the dancers were completely spot on & lovely; full of grace & poise.

All the jolly-ness & festive fun will be going on for the rest of the year. I hope you make it a point to stay, dine , shop or all of the above, at Apple Farm Inn. Next up, I will be sharing with you how staying at the inn made me feel like a Princess, literally 😉 xo

(*A huge thank you to The Apple Farm Inn for my overnight stay. All opinions, as always, are my own)