Avila Beach

Where the ocean meets the vines.

In May of 2008, we headed to Avila Beach for the first time. Gaga and the 3 boys piled into the mini-van for an adventure to celebrate Jeff and Kasey Hillier getting married. While Bryan and I attended to the wedding festivities, Gaga and the boys hung out at Avila Lighthouse Suites. That weekend, we felt so honored to be a part of such a special wedding and it was then that we all fell in love with Avila Beach.

When we visit Avila, we pretty much park the car and hang out. Between the resort, the park, the beach, and downtown, Avila Beach has something for everyone. There is a beautiful pool and hot tub in the center of the resort and the view from the pool is the beach. There is also an over sized checkers board and mini putting green on site. The kids love running around and playing all these games.

Right next to the resort is a park with a playground and basketball hoops. This provides hours of fun. The playground has a pirate ship and there are large swings right on the beach by the playground. At the beach, the kids play for hours. They boogie board, make sand balls, or build sand castles. Because our kids are varying in ages, all the activities make sure everyone feels like they have something to do.

One of our favorite things about Avila Beach is the downtown area. There is one block of shops, wine tasting, and restaurants. Our favorite restaurants are the Custom House and the Hula Hut. The kids enjoy seafood and trying new things. Bryan and I always sneak away for a bit to try the San Luis Obispo wines and the kids love shopping in all the custom shops.



The highlight of the trip is the Friday night Farmer's Market. All the booths offer amazing food, the locals come out, and there is usually a band. Usually, Bryan and I go out after the Farmer's Market to Rick's, where the band from the market will play into the night.

Since 2008, we have gone back to Avila every year except 2013. This year, Jackson requested that we go back to Avila for his 12th birthday. We brought his friend, Luke, and made some more memories. Here is a mini movie of our Avila trip. I think once you see the movie, you might see why we love this place so much.