Lodging Review: Arroyo Vista Inn- The antidote for civilization

September 5, 2008

Image credit: Pat WrightMy swubby works very hard running his business.  And, I work just as hard running mine.   For now, This Marriage Thing is my hobby, but shortly it’ll be my retirement business.

Our days are long,  and there are calls to make, even on vacation.  So, when we do get a few days to ourselves I’m fairly particularly about where we spent them and with whom.  Especially since all our vacations now have an added ‘mission’- to find the right place to relocate in two years.    You can imagine how much research I put into finding a relaxing oasis for our week in Southern Pasadena, as we combined some R&R with dropping Miss Thang off at Occidental.

Trip Advisor Rules!

I love the internet (if that wasn’t already abundantly clear).  It saves me tons of time and money because it allows me to gather the experiences of others.  We rarely travel these days without spending some hours on Trip Advisor getting the inside poop.  Between the reviews, trip reports and general information, trip planning has become a breeze.  Definitely check it out for your next trip.  Anyway, I like the ’sharing travel tips’ idea so much I plan to do that here on TMT.  This is my first lodging review. Enjoy!

Arroyo Vista Inn

We adored AVI during our five night stay.  The home is gracious and welcoming thanks to fresh baked cookies and relaxing happy hour with local wines and snacks each day.

The Oak Terrace room was the perfect spot for ‘home base’ as we dropped our daughter off and toured the area for a possible move to Pasadena.   It was large and beautifully decorated in neutrals that inspired deep breaths and calm.  We needed them because just outside on our balcony were breath-taking views of the mountains.  We often sat out there to do work- the AVI has wifi- or sip wine and watch the sunset. Simply lovely.

I’m kind of a bed fiend since I suffer from insomnia.  The bed was glorious.  King sized.  Soft sheets- I’m guessing a very high thread count and a fluffy feathertop that I just sunk into at bedtime.  The gorgeous view, relaxing decor and lush bed all combined to give me some of the best nights of sleep I’ve had in a while. I actually slept in!

Pat, our very kind innkeeper, went out of her way to make our stay special, including tipping us off to a fabulous wine dinner held at the Inn and sending her addictive chocolate toffee to our girl as a treat. (She was pretty popular in the dorm after that).

We felt like we were visiting friends instead of staying at an inn.  One evening as we arrived home from dinner, Russ, Pat’s hubby greeted us by saying ‘Welcome home’.  It felt absolutely true- our home in South Pasadena.

The Inn is perfectly situated.  We loved the 15 min walk to the local Farmers market that features yummy food and entertainment on Thursday evenings.  The same short walk got us to the Metro, allowing us to be at Union Station in downtown LA in about 20 minutes. No need to fight traffic!

By the way, definitely make the trip to the Disney Concert Hall for the free tour.  Simply amazing!  We also hopped the Metro to visit Old Pasadena, a very chic hub that featured good restaurants (Eat and Maluegeta on Colorado Blvd) and killer shopping.

Don’t Wait

Don’t wait to stay at AVI.  Whether you’re celebrating an anniversary, a babymoon or simply taking a ’staycation’- you know vacationing close to home- Arroyo Vista Inn is the place to create your most treasured memories.

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