Our last day in California was a day of extremes, starting with the lavish opulence of the Madonna Inn. This landmark hotel was first opened in 1958 by local entrepreneur Alex Madonna and his wife Phyllis. From the beginning this has been a key point in the Central Coast and one that everyone has to experience at least once if in the area.

We started out with lunch in their Copper Café, called such because all the tables and chairs are made of beautifully crafted copper plates. The copper along with the red leather seats and the dark wood beams really gives this café a feeling of the old west grandeur. Their collectible glasses are delightfully gaudy with their thick stems and detailed roses and come in a wide assortment of colors. The food was delicious, but their famous cake was amazing. And I’m not much of a cake person, but this cake was by far the best that I’ve ever had. We decided to go for the house specialty cake- the Pink Champagne Cake- which offered layers of soft, not overly sweet, cake and layers topped off with a white chocolate bow on top.

After lunch we wandered through the main area of the hotel where you can’t help but stop and stare at the absolute over the top lavish style of it. Once you get over feeling overwhelmed by pink, you begin to notice the beautiful details that are everywhere. With overflowing flowers, golden cherubs, fanciful stained glass, and flirty booths you will think you just stepped into another world.

One of the Madonna Inn’s favorite, and most interesting, features is the men’s restroom downstairs. I kid you not, people come from all over to not only see the inn itself but to go and see the men’s room. There is constantly a line of people waiting for the all clear to see the restroom. With massive sea shells acting as sinks and the jungle green tiles, but especially an open urinal on the rocks with sensory technology that turns the waters on to wash it all away, it makes for the most epic man cave experience. I think it is safe to say that this is the only place in the world where the men’s room is such a superior room.

The Madonna Inn is an absolutely incredible place to visit. I can’t even imagine what the bedrooms must be like to stay in but have decided to put it on my bucket list to come back and stay here, if only for one night, to experience all the opulence that they offer. Visiting here is a must for any visitor to the Central Coast. For more on this, go to:: madonnainn.com