Central Coastin’ thru April – Part 2

Our fifth and final action packed weekend of the month was a pleasant surprise: Nick & Esther made the last minute commitment to the cross country haul for a long weekend and we made sure there would be plenty to do.

We called it quits on the workweek mid day Thursday and after picking up the newly engaged couple from the airport we headed out to celebrate at Sculpterra.

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After a sampling, we enjoyed Sculpterra’s beautiful property.

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This place was full of awesome metal art; it was a fun start.

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Following a proper wine country welcome, we took a trip into town for an early dinner and a couple two, three margaritas at one of our Paso Favorites, Fish Gaucho.

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Knowing an action packed day was on the horizon, we settled in back at the place, lit a fire and had an early night.

Pacific Coast Highway / Monterey Aquarium

The Plan: Ride to Monterey to check out its renowned aquarium and on the way, enjoy beautiful scenery.  To ensure we accomplished our goal, we drove the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) route.  Going this way added an hour to the trip, but it was totally worth it.

Our first stop was a visit to the Elephant Seals that are posted up across from Hearst Castle; it’s an amazing site.

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As we were riding, Amy and I both concluded that the portion of PCH between SLO & Monterey was the most stunning stretch.

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Big Sur – Vista Point near Pfeiffer Beach

The ride through Big Sur was absolutely incredible!

If we had just turned around after riding through Big Sur it would have been a memorable day, but of course we, in our take no prisoners fashion, were just getting started as we arrived at the aquarium.

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The variety of wildlife and scope of the operation was immense.

After a few hours we’d scoured every portion of the aquarium and decided to enjoy a brew while taking in the beauty of Monterey Bay.

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Tasting Day in Paso!

Our first order of business was to stop at Di Raimondos to pick up Italian meats and cheeses for a custom charcuterie lunch.  Not only did we manage to grab some good food, we also ran into a person that pointed us to wineries that we would enjoy later on.

The first stop was Eberle.  This is a vineyard multiple people recommended and the property didn’t disappoint.

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On top of such a beautiful setting for a tasting we were offered a tour of the caves where the wine is stored after being processed.

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From Eberle we headed towards the Adalaida region to show Nick and Esther our favorite vineyard for lunch, Calcareous.  We found a secluded table and got our charcuterie spread laid out.

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After munching out hard, Nick having earlier taken note that there was a Bocce Ball court, insisted we play a game.

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After Amy and I routed our competition, it was time to drink more wine and enjoy the view.

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From Calcareous we headed to Kukkula, one of the wineries highly recommended from the gentleman at Di Raimondo’s.

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This place is a bit off the beaten path which was nice because it was not crowded and had a much more intimate feel.

After a not so great experience at another vineyard, we had a fun stop for an olive oil tasting which also served to soak up some of the wine we’d been consuming.

For our last stop, we had to hit our absolute favorite, Adalaida.

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Yet again we had a fantastic tasting with another unique character pouring for us while being funny and informative.

To wrap up the day, we decided to switch it up and go for a beer tasting at the Barrel House.

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Yummy beer, live music…and gang signs? Ehh, it was time to be done.

The Beach

There was no resisting it.  We absolutely had to take Nick and Esther to Avila for what would be our third time hiking Ontario Ridge Trail.

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It appears Nick and I are examining the sturdiness of the swing which almost surely freaked the hell out of Esther.

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Doesn’t matter how many times we’ve hiked this trail.  The view doesn’t get old!

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After a beautiful morning of hiking, our bellies were rumbling and we headed up the coast to Morro Bay for a fantastic lunch at The Galley along with some site seeing.

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And while we didn’t want to spend a whole day lounging on the beach, there was no way we let Nick and Esther leave without dipping their feet into the sand.

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To wrap up a truly amazing weekend, it seemed fitting to stop for one last round of tastings on our way home from the coast.

Our first stop was Tooth & Nail Winery.

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This place was set up like an old school castle and had a solo guitar player for entertainment.  Great vibe.

And of course, if you’re coming to Paso and even remotely like drinking beer, Firestone Brewery is a must visit.

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Pretty sure Nick and Esther didn’t have any problems falling asleep on their red eye home after this trip.

Hell of a way to finish out a marathon month of fun.

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