Pismo Beach Quarantine

It's been a minute since I've posted here. Apologies! Thanks for stopping by, I think we can all agree that there's been ... a lot going on. 

One of those things going on was my BIRTHDAY! Now, I know I'm not the only one who celebrated a quarantine birthday, but we have a tradition of waking up somewhere else on my birthday. And while things are different this year, we’ve followed COVID-19 news and research closely, and decided that as long as we were careful and did our part to keep others safe, we should be able to continue this tradition.

Our target destination would have to be within driving distance, with no leisure stops along the way. Preferably it would be somewhere with minimal COVID cases, through rigid requirements on masks, social distancing and careful following of all state-mandated safety regulations to stop the spread. It would also need to have food options onsite or nearby that we could have delivered and eat in our room. Finally, the room itself must be somewhere we would feel very comfortable spending lots of time in.

That led us to two of our favorite spots in San Luis Obispo County, The Cliffs Resort & Spa and the Madonna Inn. Both were very concerned about safety (more on our Madonna stay later).

The Cliffs – only a 3-hour drive from Los Angeles – is a great option and is doing their part to keep their guests safe. That included modified housekeeping (increased room cleaning procedures and limited services during our stay, including refreshed towels left outside of our door), a maximum capacity of 2 in the elevators, and mandatory masks in common areas. 

We always arrive at The Cliffs just around sunset, which happens to be the perfect time to arrive, thanks to their ocean-view rooms. We received a text from The Cliffs prior to arrival, informing us that if we needed anything, there was no need to come down to the lobby or even pick up the in-room phone. Simply text that number with whatever it is you need and it will be addressed. This made check-in and check-out super easy!

With minor changes to the lobby, including plexiglass partitions between guests and front desk staff, 6-foot social distancing markers on the floor and sanitizer stations, we felt safe. But you can’t be 100% safe indoors in spaces where others have breathed, touched, and spoken, so we remained vigilant and made our time in the lobby brief.

We retired to our room to watch the sunset (after carefully washing our hands). We ordered room service for dinner and enjoyed it by the fireplace before retiring into a nice, warm bath before bed. (See what I mean about having an amazing room you want to spend a lot of time in?)

The next day, we woke up to a text from the front desk, just checking in to see if we needed anything. It was so thoughtful and after a brief text chat (reinforcing that there was indeed a real-life person on the other end), we went to visit the pool.

Not equating something is open with safety to enjoy it, we researched whether a pool day was okay a lot. The Cliffs did their part to help facilitate social distancing by removing about half of their pool chairs and requiring guests to check-in upon entry, with a 2-hour time limit. We found a couple of chairs far from the pool and other people (we had no interest in getting in the water, just relaxing in the sun). We even turned the chairs away from the pool so we could face the ocean.

To protect guests, towels were removed from the pool area entirely and guests were required to bring provided towels from their room to the pool, or collect clean ones from the front desk. All pool staff wore masks and gloves. They offered poolside food and drinks, so we ordered a celebratory margarita and enjoyed a couple hours on the deck.

Here's a tip for you! Lots of restaurants are offering menus you can view on your phone with a QR code, or providing disposable menus. The Cliffs didn’t offer this, so instead of touching or taking a regular menus, ask the host or whoever is taking your to-go order to hold it up while you take a picture of it. That way, you can step away and make a decision without having to touch something that has potentially been handled by unwashed hands.

After our lounge, we returned inside and paid a visit to David, one of the incredibly welcoming faces we always look forward to seeing when we stay at The Cliffs. Catching up with David is always a joy, and you'll notice pretty quickly that he's somewhat of a celebrity around these parts, as he welcomes everyone and makes them feel at home.

Following a quick change, we wandered down to the empty beach for more masked social-distancing fun. I wanted to live my Marilyn Monroe birthday dreams, so that's what we did! Splish splash!

Another in-room dinner by the fireplace and bath and we called it a night – just kidding, NO WE DIDN'T! We snuck down to the beach again to ring in my birthday at midnight. I spent the first moments of my new year wearing a 1930s kimono, stargazing and dipping my toes in the Pacific Ocean. It felt very special.

So did the next morning! We popped the bottle of champagne provided by The Cliffs (one of my favorite things about staying there) and ordered some in-room breakfast. I lived my morning Marilyn dreams sipping mimosas in bed and nibbling blueberry scones in my Dia Feliz robe. 

After a delicious Marísol breakfast, the day was just too beautiful NOT to go out and enjoy. So we did! This time, the pool area was at capacity (with social distancing in place, but with half the chairs gone, lounging was limited). Lucky for us, The Cliffs took those extra loungers and set them on the nearby lawn, facing the beach, creating another relaxation area. It was perfect! We could still order take-away drinks and snacks from the bar, although the chocolate-covered strawberries (also provided by The Cliffs and one of my favorite things about a stay at the beachfront resort) were the perfect mid-morning snack to enjoy by the beach.

After another front desk text asking if we wanted to check-out through text message, we packed up our things and tossed them in the car. All in all, our stay felt very safe, relaxing, and celebratory. Thanks so much to The Cliffs for providing a beautiful backdrop and health-conscious environment to enjoy my special day!