Well, Paso Robles has for a long time been my go to. My second home. My happy place. I think you get the picture.
On this trip – “a girls’ trip” – I was with friends who weren’t wine enthusiasts, but hearing all my stories, they wanted to visit. I decided that we would spend the first two nights in Morro Bay so that I wouldn’t overload them on wine.
We began our journey by flying into Santa Maria from Vegas and renting a car.
The first stop was Laetitia Winery. We will save that for another time. From there it was off to lunch. We stopped in Pismo Beach at the Ventana Grill, which was a recommendation from a lady we met on the plane. It was pretty good with a great view. When you live in the desert, ocean views are the best!
We were finally on our way, and we stayed at the Sandpiper Inn, a motel within walking distance of the pier. I’ve stayed there before and love its convenience. There’s actually a view of Morro Rock from the hotel, which is pretty cool. After checking into our rooms we decided to walk to the waterfront. The sound of the seals is quite overwhelming. There’re so many and so loud you think they are right next to you, but they’re not. There’s a little barge across the way and it’s filled with seals. We did take a walk to the rock.
There are so many squirrels and chipmunks. Everyone there feeds them so they pretty much come right to you. One of my friends put her bag down to take some pictures and a chipmunk went right into the bag and looked inside. Crazy! Then a squirrel started following another friend who was walking ahead of me. And we weren’t even feeding them! There were otters in the water floating on their backs with their babies laying on them. It was such a great walk. Being outdoors in that fresh salty air….no better way to clear your mind. A perfect way to start our mini vacay!
The last time I was in Morro Bay I found a pub called The Libertine. It’s pretty much a beer bar/brewery. They have oh I don’t know, maybe 30+beers on draft, mostly craft. They have this really cool concept. They will give you colored markers so that you can write, draw, or color on a dollar bill (your own, of course) then staple it to the wall, ceiling or any place you see fit. Well, I did one on my first visit and you know that I had to see if it was still there. Yay, it was! Beers are great! I enjoy sours and they had a few so we spent a couple of afternoons there.
There’s also the Blue Sky Bistro, a cafe that was great for breakfast. On the water, outdoor seating, perfect. It doesn’t open till 8:00 am so if you’re an early riser be patient because it’s worth it! They are open all day but only serve breakfast there.
I did want to take them out whale watching, but it was very cold and windy, and they didn’t go out. So we drove to Hearst Castle for the day.
On the way back we stopped in Cayucos for a cocktail and a snack. We were actually looking for whales from the pier because the word was out that the day before there were lots of them. We figured that if a tour was canceled, that would be the next best thing.
No luck!
The Las Vegas Golden Knights were playing later that day so we went to a sports bar called Legends. It was fun! Being from Las Vegas we were kinda loud, lol. There’s also a bar across the street called The Siren. It’s pretty cool, and they are known for their great music.
For such a small place, there are lots of things to do. At least for a few days. And for food, seafood at Tognazzini Dockside is the way to go. You can actually go inside pick out a fish and they will deep fry it for you. It’s great! In the afternoon there’s usually a one-man band. The guy is pretty good and old school. A little Dino and Frank, nice!
As far as things to do, you can kayak, paddle board, take a few different boat tours, hit the beach, drive the coast, and my all-time favorite, taste wine! So in about 30 minutes, over the mountain Paso here I come!
Till next time…CHEERS
