Sunday, November 30, 2014

Of Missions and Madonnas

Last weekend my husband and I took a trip up the coast to Paso Robles. One of the happy problems with taking a road trip through this neck of the woods is that there is so much, perhaps too much, to do on the way up. On our first day we visited the Santa Barbra Mission and the Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo. You will see from the pictures below that in true Hello Katie Girl fashion my outfit was a perfect fit for both locations.


As I stated, the first stop on our "adventure" up the coast was the beautiful mission Santa Barbra. Since I am not a native Californian, I missed out on all of the fun that 4th graders get to partake in here in California, which is the "mission project". Apparently this involves learning about and reconstructing one of the numerous missions found throughout the state. Luckily, my husband is a history fanatic and has taken me to about a dozen missions, plus described what he did for his 4th grade mission project in vivid detail, so I probably know more about missions than your average 4th grader! (I guess that's not saying much!)




The mission also has a beautiful rose garden on its grounds that just happened to be the perfect backdrop for my skirt! (I swear I didn't know about this!)




The inside of the Mission Santa Barbra is as beautiful as the outside and the grounds. Here are a few glimpses from the interior of the mission. 







You'll certainly see plenty of images of Madonna at the mission, but we continued our adventure up the road to a very different Madonna: the Madonna Inn, which is named not after the Virgin Mary, but after its founder, Alex Madonna. The hotel was built in 1958 and as you will see they have a definite "style" when it comes to decor.



When you walk through the doors of the Madonna Inn you will discover...


Everything is pink! 



Not to mention opulent. Maybe a little too opulent?


Even the bathroom is adorned with a gold chandelier!


We ate at the Alex Madonna's Gold Rush Steak House and they wrap your baked potato in gold foil. 

 
There are some other sort of crazy, eccentric things too...


Above, I would presume these paintings depict the Madonna's portrayed as a king and queen.


I'm not sure what this is but it swings above you as you enter the dinning room.


More pink and an opulent gold coffee maker. The wallpaper is literally blinding me as I look at it!


Did I mention that my skirt was just about a perfect match for the carpet? I'm like "Camo Katie" if camouflage was really loud and pink and covered in roses!


What the Madonna Inn is probably best known for, aside from all of the gold and pink, are their quirky hotel rooms. While we didn't spend the night, I did snap a picture of some postcards featuring what each room has to offer. The rooms all have a theme, from the "caveman room" clad in rock to a jungle inspired room, to a Western themed room; they all look like a lot of fun. Maybe next time?


 If you're in the area I would definitely recommend both of these places as stops. The Santa Barbra Mission is a sobering contrast to the loudness of the Madonna Inn, but they both have something unique to offer. Stay tuned for my adventures on the vine in wine country!

Linking Up With:
How I Fall and Let it Shine
Celebrate Southern 
Style Sessions 

12 comments:

  1. Your photos are beautiful! Love all of the pink! Your skirt is so pretty!

    Jill
    www.dousedinpink.com

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    1. Thanks Jill! There certainly is an abundance of pink!

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  2. OMG what gorgeous places you got to see. That steak looks yummy, mouth-watering also. And I adore your pattern-mixed outfit. You are as pretty as those colorful flowers behind you. =))

    Hope you had a great Thanksgiving, Katie!

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    1. I hope you also had a great Thanksgiving Ada! Yes, the steak was very tender and yummy. I love a good steak, not to mention pretty flowers!

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  3. what a beautiful place for a road trip! The over the top decor makes it all the more fun, and seems fitting with the architecture of the city.
    http://www.iamchiconthecheap.com

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    1. Yes, it was a great road trip! Thanks for stopping by!

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  4. great photos look like a lot of fun and love you sweater super with the little bows:)

    Aloha, Kathleen | House of Polynesia

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    1. Thanks Kathleen! This sweater with the bows is one of my favorites!

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  5. Gorgeous photos, the buildings and you! I love your pattern mixing, I'm always a chicken when it comes to that.

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    1. Thank you! I 'm always a little hesitant about too much pattern mixing, but the more you do it the easier it gets. Thanks for stopping by Danielle!

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  6. STUNNING! What a gorgeous place! I feel like I need a vacation immediately! I pinned this to the celebrate southern board! Thanks for joining!

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    1. Thank you Susan! We haven't taken a vacation in a while, so it was something different. Thanks for pinning my post. I always enjoy your link-up!

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