Amtrak bus and Train trip to CPSLO

Colleges and Universities A-Z Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
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<p>We just got back from a trip to CP for the Spring Break housing tours and to see how the bus and train would be. Here goes:</p>

<p>The bus was fine and easy to sleep in. It got more crwoded the closer we got to SLO, but for most of the way my son rode with no one next to him. Then his little sis moved over and I ended up sitting by a nice young lady heading to Santa Barbara. It was a fairly comfortable way to get down there and no stress about driving.</p>

<p>We stayed at the Quality Suites that everyone seems to like. We had a good time there, but i must say that the Embassy Suites are nicer. Better lobby and rooms and much better breakfast and happy hour. Quality is much closer though, so it is good too. We were picked up by a shuttle (PT Cruiser) and they will bring you to campus too. We walked to downtown for lunch at SLO pizza Yum! Lots of people around and of course the weather was gorgeous!</p>

<p>The housing tour was great. My son is still sold on Cerro Vista. We liked North Mountain because the rooms were larger and the Sierra Madre/Yosemite dorms were also nice and the community room is great. The red bricks were just too small and claustophobic for us, but we can tell that the people there were happy to be there. The location is the best.
We were able to go inside an apartment in Cerro. It was the farthest buiding back and at the top floor! The young lady who showed us her room said she loves it there. Her room was decorated nicely and she had a lot of room for her things. The common are a was pretty undecorated and the large pantry was great, but they really needed to put in some shelves. I could see that someone baked cornbread! the bathrooms were very nice and everything was clean and bright. She explained that on move-in day, everyone is given a time slot. Then they can park in a loading zone and they have 40 minutes to unpack and move! I can imagine that could be tough, so having a small crew would be helpful!</p>

<p>All in all, everyone was very positive and friendly and seemed to love where they lived.</p>

<p>The train ride home was a bit scary! there was a man sleeping in my assigned seat. i just left him there and sat next to him. My son and his little sister sat across the aisle. few minutes into leaving, people who worked on the train cam and woke him up and told him to move to his own seat. he started yelling and had really foul language. he was threatening another passenger who stood up and made comments to him. My daughter started to cry and I had to satnd up and get in between the man and my kids. The train people left to get more help and he continued to talk loudly and threaten the one passenger. I wanted to move my kids, but he was walking around between tow cars, so I finally told him that he was scaring my daughter, sould he please just go relax in his own seat and everyone would leave him alone. he made a few comments and mentioned that he was a dad too (poor kid). he left to another car and we saw that at the next stop he was escorted off and there were police there to greet him! they took my statement and others and apologized. It was a bit scary, but it was a good lesson for my son. keep your eyes open and stay quiet! The rest of the ride was beautiful, although I could not really rest/sleep. It also took longer than the bus. i feel fine with my son taking the bus or train, but I am hoping that if he ever does, he will be with another CP student. the train station in SLO was really nice!</p>

<p>We LOVE Cal Poly even more than before and everyone we met in the town and on campus were so welcoming and positive about what an awesome school and community it is. We bought Cal Poly sweatshirts and car decals so…no changing now! </p>

<p>Sorry for the way long post, but I hope it helped people to see some more great stuff and of course the interesting bus/train experience. It was a lot of fun to see my son and his little sister together at his soon to be new home! It was a great little mini trip for us.</p>

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<p>I was hoping you would post on here, momofmv! I’m glad your visit went well and that your son still likes Cal Poly as much as ever! </p>

<p>I’ll have to check out the Embassy Suites sometimes, but I thought the lobby at Quality Suites was very pretty. And, the Happy Hour seemed pretty nice–all you can drink for 2 hours. :slight_smile: I didn’t take advantage of that, though. As for the breakfast–again, I really enjoyed their spacious, charming breakfast cafe and cook-to-order breakfast. And, I really liked the guest suites and pool area. Hmmmm…are you sure we stayed at the same hotel? LOL The location is definitely great. Well, everyone has different tastes and maybe I would like the Embassy Suites, too. :slight_smile: I have nothing to compare the QS to.</p>

<p>Wow—that’s too bad about your train trip! Gee, I don’t blame you and your daughter for being scared. I’ve ridden on Amtrak many times since the early '80s and thank goodness never ran into anything like that. Yikes. Takes all kinds. And you were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Hope the rest of the trip went well. I really enjoy the scenery as you get down past Santa Barbara. Gorgeous ocean views. It would be a fun trip from SLO to Los Angeles Union Station.</p>

<p>It’s great that you got to check out a Cerro apartment. And, that you visited the other dorms. Did you actually get to see inside a Sierra Madre/Yosemite room? </p>

<p>Well, it all sounds wonderful! I’m glad you got to visit again and had a favorable impression. My daughter hasn’t mentioned wanting to go and see the inside of the dorms. I guess she figures they’re going to put her in ONE of the three she chose, so it doesn’t make that big of a difference if she sees them or not. :wink: I’m not sure she would change the order of preference, anyway. Thankfully, she has a fairly laid back attitude about it. I might tend to be more anal about it, myself. :)</p>

<p>Your mini-trip sounds like a successful and fun adventure! And now your daughter can feel comfortable knowing where her big brother is going to be living for the next 4 years! I hope she gave her stamp of approval.</p>

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<p>Just a tip on move-in day. My son lives in Cerro Vista (also the farthest building back), and we got a 10:30 time slot to park below his building and move-in. The college move-in tips said don’t come early, because everyone does and it will be crowded. We got there about 8:00 am, hardly anybody was there, so we parked in the student parking and dollied most of his stuff up. By the time 10:30 rolled around the place was a zoo. We parked in our slot and finished moving him in, but needed to go to Home Depot and buy some shelves for the pantry ( a good suggestion by the way ). By the time we got back around noon, the traffic to get onto campus was well out onto the surface streets, and hardly moving. The parking lots were so jammed that it took about 30 minutes just to circle the parking lot once, to no avail. My suggestion is get there early, and go to the Cerro Vista center and pickup you move-in package and keys as soon as they open. In spite of all that, it was so great to see all of these young students moving in. I felt like I wanted to be doing it myself. momofmv, your son will love Cerro Vista.</p>

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<p>Thanks 2leashes! yes, my daughter now wants to go there when she grows up! It was Davis all the way before that because she wants to be a vet. She picked out a CP
t-shirt and a pillow for her bed!</p>

<p>We did go into the hallways of Sierra Madre dorms, but we could really only glance into the rooms because kids were in them. It felt a little strange. They were cozy and sometimes completely messy, but you could tell that they were larger than the red bricks. Kids were in the common room outside some of the rooms. they were talking and just hanging out. other students were studying. It was a bit smelly too! Several doors were open, but most were closed because the students were in class or out on campus. I am sure it comes alive at night! For those who want the “typical dorm experience” I am sure you will get it at Sierra Madre or the red bricks. the kids who live in those dorms really like it. Everyone seems proud of their dorm choice and likes it. </p>

<p>Yes, the train was nice and I agree it was just a fluke to have the drunken-gang banger looking guy on the train. My son actually liked the bus better. It was faster and the people weren’t constantly walking a round like on the train. It was easier to sleep on the bus.</p>

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<p>hbparents^ Thank you for the great move-in tips! I am sad that they are doing move-in day on a Monday. I think we will pick up some shelves for the pantry and bring them with us. Any suggestion on what type or size would be appreciated. When they let you unload, can you just make a big pile of your things out of the way and then move things up to your room? I am guessing we will bring one handtruck type dolly. </p>

<p>Any other must have things?</p>

<p>Thanks again for the positive comments about Cerro and moving in. I can imagine how much energy and excitement there is on move-in day! How does your son like CP?</p>

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<p>2Leashes^ The Quality suites were very nice, I just think for a similar price, the Embassy Suites does the happy hour and breakfast even better! They had real food at the happy hour. Veggies and dip, pita and hummus, chips and salsa and more. Plus the bar and a large beautiful lobby. The breakfast was similar, but had more selections. they also have a restaurant in the hotel. It is an all indoor hotel, so it just feels different. We loved the Quality Suites too and the location was great because we walked to campus (a bit far for a 7 year old) and to downtown. We felt pretty spoiled! next week we will stay in the Travelodge, so none of this fancy stuff! We plan on being on campus most of the time anyway! I think the Holiday Inn Express looks nice. We may book there for the Sunday before move-in day. I wonder when that should be done? I imagine it gets booked early. A lot of people probably stay over the night before moving in.</p>

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<p>My son absolutely loves CP. He has become very close with his roommates, enough that they are signing up to be roommates in Poly Canyon next year. He’s joined the Environmental Engineering Club, goes regularly to on-campus theater events ( loves improv), and his friends get to come visit and stay with him. Best of all, he’s getting good grades. He ate on campus a lot in the beginning, but now he’s tired of that food and cooks most of his dinners ( yeah for Cerro kitchens ).<br>
As far as move-in, the shelves were heavy duty plastic, snap together, 4 shelves, about 30 inches by 16 inches by 4 feet high. The pantry holds two of these. On move-in, you have 40 minutes to unload, and they have elevators, but it is very crowded. You can unload a little at a time and dolly it up to the room, or unload it all at once. You will need a dolly, or a cart if you have anything heavy. One note about Cerro Vista, I don’t now if you knew that someone comes in and cleans the common areas (kitchen, bathrooms, floors) once a week. Nice plus!</p>

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<p>Oh, that happy hour food selection sounds *much *nicer! And, I agree that interior hallways always makes it feel more luxurious. A real “hotel” as opposed to the exterior hallways (basically a motel), although at least the doorways all opened into the courtyard and not out to the parking lot. :slight_smile: The breakfast sounded nice, too. Embassy Suites sounds more like a full service hotel. Maybe the price is similar because Quality Suites is closer to town and campus. I guess part of my reason for liking it so much is how friendly the personnel was to us–at least the second time.</p>

<p>**momofmv said:</p>

<p>2Leashes^ The Quality suites were very nice, I just think for a similar price, the Embassy Suites does the happy hour and breakfast even better! They had real food at the happy hour. Veggies and dip, pita and hummus, chips and salsa and more. Plus the bar and a large beautiful lobby. The breakfast was similar, but had more selections. they also have a restaurant in the hotel. It is an all indoor hotel, so it just feels different. We loved the Quality Suites too and the location was great because we walked to campus (a bit far for a 7 year old) and to downtown. We felt pretty spoiled! next week we will stay in the Travelodge, so none of this fancy stuff! We plan on being on campus most of the time anyway! I think the Holiday Inn Express looks nice. We may book there for the Sunday before move-in day. I wonder when that should be done? I imagine it gets booked early. A lot of people probably stay over the night before moving in**.</p>

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<p>I liked this video of UCLA’s move-in day. I wonder if it really goes this smoothly. :)</p>

<p>[OCH</a> Video](<a href=“http://www.housing.ucla.edu/videos/move-in.html]OCH”>OCH Video)</p>

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<p>Thanks for the report, momofmv and all of the subsequent posts by others! This particular thread will be very useful in the coming months! momofmv, the good thing about the incident on the return trip is that your son saw how something like that should be handled. </p>

<p>S is sold on Cerro Vista and we haven’t even seen them yet. He thinks he’s found a couple of potential roommates. As for room size, his bedroom is smallest one in this house and I can’t imagine his dorm room could be smaller in cerro!</p>

<p>We stayed at the Quality Suites the first visit last fall. Our room was in the back and smelled of cigarette smoke :frowning: The layout was perfect for us and so was the PM reception :wink: I definitely liked the proximity to the campus and would have no problem staying there again.</p>

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<p>Thanks again hbparents! I am so glad that your son loves CP and is doing so well! </p>

<p>Yes, part of the plus to Cerro is the cleaning service. I like that! He will just need to keep his own room clean and keep things picked up in the other areas. </p>

<p>thanks for the info on the shelves, that was the type I imagined would work.</p>

<p>I am hoping that my son will use the meals on campus for dinners and some lunches and learn to do some simple cooking in the apartment. the best of both worlds! </p>

<p>I hope my son finds great roommates like your son did! How did he do that?</p>

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<p>I know most of you are considering Cerro Vista, but for those reading that chose regular dorms saw this recently post on housing site.</p>

<p>[University</a> Housing - Cal Poly](<a href=“http://housing.calpoly.edu/oc_futr_frsh_movein_reshall.cfm]University”>http://housing.calpoly.edu/oc_futr_frsh_movein_reshall.cfm)</p>

<p>Mini refrigerator - University Housing is currently considering providing one mini refrigerator in each Residence Hall room (at no extra charge). Final determination on the feasibility of this added amenity will be determined by early July 2010. University Housing recommends that students/parents delay purchasing their own mini refrigerator until that time (early July). Updated information will be posted at this website by then.</p>

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<p>Hi lilmom! I am glad that my post helped!</p>

<p>I agree that the train incident was a good thing for my son to see. We talked about it.</p>

<p>The Quality Suites were very nice. The people were really great! It is a good choice for staying close to the campus.</p>

<p>I think your son will love the cerro apartments. that is good he is used to a small room. I thought it was a really nice personal area and I don’t think the kids will feel it is too small. My son has some things he wants to fit into his room (guitar amp and guitar and a small tv) I think it will all fit fine. We are getting some drawers that stack for inside the wardrobe and he has a small end table. I think it will all fit. I am sure they will hang out in the common area and keep their doors open too. Just nice to be able to close the door if needed.</p>

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<p>thanks for the UCLA vidoe 2Leashes! Wow! they really do it right. I don’t think CP will be quite that organized!</p>

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<p>Well, it’s also a good 8 grand more a year. ;)</p>

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<p>Having helped my older son move into the dorms for 2 years at UCLA I can tell you that the video is spot on. We were worried it would be a mess but it was so smooth and they all were so organized and warm and friendly it made us feel great about the school and his choice to go there. He’ll be graduating in June with a degree in BioEng (after only four years)
Sadly we didn’t get that feeling at all when helped my other son move into Cerro Vista this year.</p>

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<p>slodad^ I am sorry to hear that it wasn’t a great experience for you and your son at Cerro move-in. That worries me. Is there anything we can do when we move our kids in. Any ideas to make it better?</p>

<p>UCLA did a fantastic job according to the video and your experience. Congrats on your son graduating in 4 years! UCLA sounds like an amazing school. It just isn’t an option for everyone. I hope your CPSLO son has a good experience too.</p>

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<p>momofmv…it may have been the time he moved in. There was no one there to monitor the parking so we had to circle several times to get a space. I guess we could have parked in a lower lot and made trips up the hill but as far as I can remember there were no carts to put stuff in. I could be wrong though. And there was no “welcoming committee”. I have a feeling that at the dorms it was more welcoming but again I could be wrong. But all in all he is happy at Cerro…living there again next year…not sure he is happy at CP tho. He is already trying to change majors and has mentioned transferring. I’m starting to think he should have gone away to school (we live in SLO)</p>

<p>Thanks for the nice comment about my other son. CP was never an option for him…he wanted to go away and knew he wanted to go to grad school after college. He had to choose between UCLA and CAL. UCLA worked out for him. Graduated in four years even after changing from MAE to BioEng. He is going to UC Davis in the fall for his PHD (fully funded…tuition and a very generous stipend) To be honest I think he would have had a hard time finding a job. That’s what CP is so good for!!! Good luck to you and your son! CP is a great school!</p>

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<p>I’m thinking maybe someone should send that video to the Housing dept. at Cal Poly. It might be good for them to see and maybe get some pointers.</p>

<p>When you mentioned no welcoming committee, do you mean the RAs weren’t there to welcome them into to dorms ? Or is this just for Cerro? Maybe they do it differently in the residence halls? Gee, I know Stanford calls the kids by name, etc. But then you pay for those perks.</p>

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<p>The RAs weren’t there at Cerro. Maybe it’s different at res halls. </p>

<p>They were there at UCLA and knew my son’s name, major and where he was from. It really made a large school feel small. My wife and I were very impressed…my son could have cared less!</p>