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Central Coast Adventure!
April 23 to May 2, 2022
Scroll down for Santa Barbara or click below to go directly to:
Avila Beach
Paso Robles
Solvang and Los Olivos
Santa Barbara
Brisas del Mar - home base for our Santa Barbara stay is not actually "at the Beach" but it's close enough!
It is on the beach side of the 101 and the railroad tracks so I guess that makes it at the beach, which is about four blocks away.
Anyway, it's a little dated, a little overpriced, and slightly run down, but, on the other hand, it's in a good location, you get breakfast, a welcoming bottle of bubbly and free parking!!!
We checked in, got settled, and walked to the beach where we noticed a Russian Oligarch's yacht in the Harbor. Well, maybe it was a cruise ship.
Yup, Holland America Line! I knew cruise ships stopped here but have never seen one. Apparently the passengers get into town on tenders like this one. This was Saturday afternoon and it was gone the next morning.
First attitude adjustment at a tequila bar - lots of tequila!
We had a margarita!
State Street is still partially closed to traffic with restaurant dining areas taking up part of the right-of-way
It looks a lot more inviting without cars, trucks, and assorted other noisy, smelly vehicles.
Saturday night dinner at Holdren's
We had a nice outdoor table, good for people watching and so on. It was a little cool but they had the heaters on.
Here Lorri is taking a little nap before dinner.
The sun set - the lights came on.
Looking across the street from our table.
This Video Shows it All!
Walking back to our hotel past the Amtrak station.
Sunday
Sunday morning we walked toward the harbor and found the Fishwalk!
Santa Barbara is still home to many a fisherman, or fisherwoman, or perhaps I should just say "fisher". I did not spot any fish walking on the fishwalk.
This video was taken from the top floor of the Museum.
Panoramic Video o the Harbor
See the sea horse. Love the mountains in the background.
The Santa Barbara Yacht Club - very reminiscent of my home club, The Encinitas Yacht Club.
Pleasure boats, the city, and the mountains.
Another view
A view of our hotel from across the street
We explored the "Funk Zone" in the afternoon where I spotted this mural. Wish you were here!
This is one of the passageways of "El Paseo"
We discovered this little courtyard on our last trip to SB and had to go back.
We had a nice glass of Happy Canyon Rose and enjoyed peace and quiet.
Time to move on.
Sunday Dinner was at Toma, an Italian place along the main drag across from the pier.
The waiter promised the grilled octopus would rival that which I had in Portugal. It was very good!
This is what Lorri had. I'm not sure what it was.
Monday Morning
I hear that train a-coming! The Amtrak Surf Liner!
Turn your sound up for this one!
Before skipping town we took another stroll in the Funk Zone.
Thought this was kind of funny but sexist!
Looking up State Street from the dolphin sculpture at the foot of the pier.
Goodbye Santa Barbara!
Avila Beach
We've stopped by Avila Beach a couple times but never spent the night there. This is the view from the balcony of our room.
This is our room - spacious but a little strange in its layout. The whole area to the right of the wall was basically useless, except for storage.
It had a large TV! I don't think we turned it on.
The balcony and view were great!
The balcony and the view
The hanging frame at the end of the hallway.
View from the roof-top dining area
View the other direction, with Lorri!
Our room was on the second floor, far right.
Close up of the pier
We had a nice bottle of wine with our pizza Monday evening.
Tuesday morning we went for a stroll around the bay.
Looking back toward town
The little beach town with our hotel toward the middle right
the Avila Beach beach
Selfie on the balcony.
Off to:
Paso Robles!!!
Back once again at the Paso Robles Inn
This is the door to our room.
Two things the Paso Inn has going for it are the location and the grounds.
Everything was Spring green and blooming
Time for a quick check on the weather
After a pick-me-up at Pappy McGregor's we met up with our good friends John and Jan
We had afternoon cocktails at the Paso Inn wedding venue
And later we walked into town for dinner at the Streetside Ale House
The Paso Inn is just across the street from the town square and within easy walking to all the shops and restaurants in town.
Wednesday, April 27
This was our first stop - Rava!
We were very impressed with the facility as well as the vines and the wines.
Rava!
More Rava. As I recall they have 500 acres+ of vines.
Rava is on the east side of Paso where the terrain is more level and the temperatures warmer than the west side.
This is Cass winery where we had lunch.
It was OK buy not a place where we would return. Food was OK, service was mediocre, wine was good, atmosphere was so-so.
Two wineries, two tastings, that was what we planned and we stuck with it. We went back to the Inn, re-grouped and had a nice dinner at Buona Tavola, next door to the Inn.
The next morning we were slightly early for our tasting at HammerSky, another new place for us, this one on the west side, not too far from Opolo.
Here we are waiting for the dude to walk down and open the gate to let us in.
The grounds and architecture were very picturesque. This is the tasting room facility.
This is the "white barn" renovated for gatherings, weddings and so on.
Another barn shot with the farm house, built in 1904, to the left. The farm house rents out through Airbnb.
We thought we were going to have warm weather for the week but it didn't work out that way. Thankfully there were blankets and heaters. Do we look like a bunch of old farts?
Next up was Thacher where we had our Red Scooter picnic box lunches.
Thank you for driving slowly! No choice! Pot holes and dust and barrels in the middle of the road!
Another pretty property!
Later we had cocktail at the rooftop bar at The Piccolo
It was a bit breezy (gale force winds) and cool, so we had one and then headed to the Fish Gaucho for dinner.
We said good-bye to John and Jan and prepped for our trip down to Solvang on Friday.
Solvang, Los Olivos, etc
We stopped at Laetitia Winery in Arroyo Grande on the way.
It's about halfway between Paso and Solvang and they make good Chards, Pinots, and bubbly.
Here Lorri is preparing our picnic lunch.
This is where we had lunch. The weather was warming up and we had a nice quiet shady spot.
We were joined by this little guy.
A scrub jay, I think. He wasn't shy.
The Wine Valley Inn, Solvang.
WVI from the front, a little later.
Our room (306) was very nice
The bathroom is off to the right.
This is our travel bar and bartender.
We had no plans for our daytime adventures so we just started driving.
These photos were taken along Alisal Rd which winds past the famous guest ranch and ends up at the 101 south of Buellton.
Green stuff, mostly.
We ended up at Folded Hills Winery (of course) Ranch and Farmstead.
We stopped at the farm store first and Lorri bought some honey!
They had little tiny horses! Also pigs and goats and assorted other barnyard animals.
Folded Hills Farmstead
A stork and storklets, upon a nest upon a tank
We checked out the winery where we tasted some excellent wines.
The tasting room. Turns out the whole ranch is owned by two brothers who are part of the Busch family clan, famous for making a certain beer.
We took a ride down Ballard Canyon from Los Olivos back to Solvang.
One of my favorite little byways.
Rolling hills, famous vineyards...
Old flatbed trucks.
I am impressed with the iPhone 13 camera
Very young wine.
Back in town, we discovered a new cheese shop in a new small plaza with several tasting rooms including Alma Rosa, one of our favorites.
We bought some cheese but not the goat.
We were surprised to stumble upon a car show featuring 1960s Datsun "Fairlady" roadsters. These were the predecessors to the "Z" sports cars and were meant to compete with MGs, Austin Healy's, TR6's and so on, of the same era.
Hard to believe so many of them are still around.
Some of them were restored and some of them, not so much. This was a nice one.
We sat outside at Fitzpatrick's and enjoyed the show.
Manny, Moe, and Jack, the founders of Solvang.
We had a great dinner at Osteria Grappolo
and a nice bottle of wine. Never ate there before but definitely would go back.
All the walking and riding around calls for some serious stretching! I think this one is called happy baby. Or is that a yoga thing?
The view outside our door.
On Sunday we drove up through Happy Canyon, east of Los Olivos.
Old oaks, vines, rolling hills....
Beautiful countryside!
Los Olivos
What happened to her head?!
Don't try riding this one.
Hey! I found Jimmy Hoffa!
The main intersection in Los Olivos.
Enjoying a glass at Dragonette
Looking down Main St
The tasting room at the new Story of Soil location.
Lorri reading the Story of Soil mural
Back in town we indulged in cocktails and appetizers at the bar at the Landry, across from our hotel.
It was a great getaway for Lorri's big 65th birthday!!!
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