Mini-Trip
Paso Robles, Solvang, Refugio State Beach
The time seemed right to get out of town and head north for a little wine-tasting and R&R. We had planned on a visit to the Napa/Sonoma area but we decided to save some gas and time so we headed to the Paso Robles. Central Coast area instead, home to about a hundred wineries. We figured that would be enough to keep us busy for a few days.
We escaped San Diego Sunday afternoon and plowed through LA and up the Grapevine to Hungry Valley State ORV Area, scene of the 2005 Sportsmobile Rally (SportsMobile Rally) in June. And, just like in June, the wind was blowing 800 mph, more or less. We actually got up in the middle of the night and put the van top down so we could sleep without fears that it would blow off!
Here is where we camped in Hungry Valley. You can see some of the bike trails in the 2nd photo. The third photo shows a bathroom tally left by the previous occupiers of the site. It seems like they may have been enjoying a few beers. I thinking maybe Nicole was the designated driver. But who would keep a tally of bathroom breaks? Must have been engineers.
The next morning we drove a little farther up I-5 then cut west toward Paso Robles. The first winery we saw was Tobin James (http://www.tobinjames.com/our_wines.asp) which several friends had recommended we visit. Tobin James, the person, is descended from one or the other of the James Gang and has parleyed that relationship into a successful marketing ploy. That, and the fact that they sell pretty good wine for a reasonable price. The tasting room features a huge antique bar and back-bar shipped in from some wild west saloon somewhere in James Gang territory, complete with a bullet hole.
We ate our lunch and popped a nice bottle of Tobin James best right there in their parking lot picnic area.
Next, we drove into Paso Robles where we had to make a u-turn in the parking lot of the local bowling lanes which featured this enticing advertisement. Though tempted, we resisted (until later) the urge to sample the local martinis.
After exploring Paso Robles a little and reserving a hotel room for the next night, we drove to Lake Nacimiento (http://www.nacimientoresort.com/) to spend the night. At this time of year there were only a few people there and we nabbed a great spot right on the edge of the lake.
Deer roamed through the campground. Our Spot. The Lake.
Next morning, it was up and off to Justin (http://www.justinwine.com/ ) , a great winery way out Chimney Rock Road.
Above, some scenes from Justin. My photos don't do it justice. The grounds and buildings are beautiful in a casual sort of way, the weather was perfect and the cabernet grapes (I think) looked like they were ready for picking. There is a restaurant and four-unit B&B on the grounds.
After leaving Justin, we headed back to Paso Robles to try and find a place to watch the Padres/Cardinals in the first playoff game, which we did at Timmy T's Pizza. As we all know now, the Pads lost that one, and the next one, and the next one. After that we checked into the Paso Robles Inn.
The Inn ( http://www.pasoroblesinn.com/ ) features hot tubs on the balconies of the rooms which you can fill with water from the hot springs located on the site. If you can get past the smell (typical sulfuric, rotten egg odor), it is quite nice and relaxing.
We decided to spend Wednesday and Thursday nights in one place and picked Refugio State Beach as the likely spot. We headed down the coast, stopping at this little seaside park in Pismo Beach for lunch.
You can see the Channel Islands in the distance.
Next, we decided to take a slight detour and visit Solvang (http://www.solvangusa.com/) , a "Danish" town about 45 miles north of Santa Barbara, home of Pea Soup Andersen's, The Hitching Post (from the movie "Sideways") and dozens of "Danish" shops, stores, restaurants, bakeries, etc. We bought some Danish pastries to have for breakfast the next day and some good Gouda cheese to be washed down with some of our local wine purchases.
Here are some photos of Solvang.
We spent two days at Refugio State Beach. Our campsite was shaded and level. The weather was perfect and we could hear and see the waves from our spot. There were low tides in the afternoon so we could take long walks on the beach. There is a bicycle path, perfect for jogging, that runs for a couple miles along the coast and connects to El Capitan State Beach. Each night we built a camp fire and cooked outside, sipping our wines, relaxing under the stars. Life was good. Still is.
