Whether one is interested in architecture, history, or religion, the Mission San Antonio de Padua…read moreis an interesting destination. The Mission is remotely nested near the Santa Lucia mountains approximately 30 miles north of Paso Robles, and is another one-half hour drive off the 101 freeway on back roads. One passes through the Hunter Liggett Military Reservation near the very small village of Jolon. The isolated and picturesque area is quite different from the other established California missions. Think of the song, "Home on the Range" - "...where the deer and the antelope play"... but in this case, it is where the deer and wild pigs roam. This mission was the third of the twenty-one missions in California founded in 1771 by the Franciscans. The remote area posed many challenges over the hundreds of years it existed, a few times almost abandoned. Currently, the Mission San Antonio de Padua has a museum highlighting life from its original working days when the Salinans, an indigenous people of the area, worked with the Franciscans. There is an active parish along with a gift shop, restored buildings and a courtyard. The Mission offers cuttings of established roses and grapes for a small donation. Mission San Antonio de Padua also hosts group retreats. There are picnic tables on the grounds of this secluded mission where we enjoyed a light lunch we brought with us. Toilet facilities are limited.

Located at the end of Mission Road in Jolon, CA. It was founded by Fr. Junipero Serra in 1761 and…read moreis the 3rd of California's 21 missions. It was quite a drive to the mission from the main road/freeway. Tours are self-guided and are free. Donations are welcomed. Their gift shop is vast with works from various local and native artists. Cash transactions are preferred, otherwise there's a fee to use credit cards. The garden is beautiful. The fountain is a soothing flow of crisp water. Staff were so helpful and knowledgeable. They conduct retreats as well.

Firestone knows how to throw a beer festival! This was my fourth year attending and to be honest,…read moreit was the one I enjoyed the most. More live music than other years, delicious food from local businesses, delicious beer, and the weather was absolutely perfect. Security is tight- they check everything and then double check everything. Tickets are a hot commodity, so if you plan on buying them...get all your devices ready when they go on sale. These babies sell out in a hot minute. 5 stars! See you next year! #fwibf

I was a little hesitant to come given the price tag but my friend has gone every year and swore it…read moreis worth the cost of admission. Once you get inside everything but merch is included so there is no other costs once you're there. The breweries here represent the best of the best. There will be lines for those places but there are plenty of other great breweries that had no lines and equally as good beers without the hype. Fidens was one of my faves and I visited their tent often to get a line beer for other popular spots. There are 4000 people here but you'd hardly know that from the efficiency and the way it is spread out. The food was so good too. One pizza spot just kept putting out whole pies to take slices from. The next day we went wine tasting at two rooms that charged $30-45 per taste! Given that $80 got me 8 "samples" of wine the cost for this all inclusive beer festival doesn't seem that outlandish.

This store is fabulous! If you are in town, you absolutely must go in and meet the guy who runs the…read morestore his name is Jeri. Jeri is one of the kindest souls I have ever met. He has the most awesome fascinating stories, and such a beautiful demeanor. The store is blessed to have Jerry

This was a charming little stop in Cambria. The owners were lovely people and had their two Westie…read moredogs manning the counter (who BTW love being pet, so take a minute to say hello!) They feature local artisans that create everything from jewelry to glassware and everything in between. They have two stories of inventory to browse and it's all very reasonably priced. I enjoyed browsing the paintings upstairs but what really caught my eye was the display of sea glass jewelry at the back of the store. I ended up purchasing the earrings I pictured for $59 (quite a deal in Sterling Silver.) While I was getting rung up we had a nice conversation with the owners about different towns in California and sights along the Central Coast. Great local gallery located in the West Village of Cambria-pop in, pet the dogs, say hello and maybe buy a gift or two!

Road tripping in Templeton, CA. The town of Templeton is a small but mighty town. We were driving…read moredown the main drag... South Main Street when we spotted a huge milk bottle statue in front of a cute house. So of course we stopped to investigate this roadside attraction. The roadside attraction turned out to be the Templeton Historical Museum. But shucky darn, it was not open. It's open Friday-Sunday 1-4pm and staffed by volunteers. There is a main house, blacksmith building, and train station building. Each building houses artifacts and photos from the past. Even though the museum was closed, we walked about the grounds and grabbed a print out of the historic sights about the town. Templeton was established in 1886. The land was part of the Paseo de Robles land grant. It was the last stop of the Southern Pacific railroad at that time. The town was named after the railroad Vice President Charles F. Crocker's two year old son, Charles Templeton Crocker. Charles F. Crocker was the son of Charles Crocker, one of the big four associates of the Central Pacific Railroad. On the grounds. (1) The 12 foot tall milk bottle is from Crescent Farms dairy. Built by Gregory Rossi in the 1930s and was displayed on the dairy in south Templeton. The dairy was founded by Gregory' father, Vincente, a Swiss Italian immigrant. Brothers, Gregory and Vincent took over the dairy when their father retired. The milk bottle was moved in the 1950s when Highway 101 was built. In 2017, it was donated to the museum. Oh by the way, Mr Rossi named the dairy Crescent Farms due to the shape of the land. (2) Sea fossil of a baleen whale skull with parts of it found and shoulder blade. In 1999, it was discovered on Gaye's Ranch in Shadow Valley off Highway 46 west. Mrs Gaye displayed it in her yard on the ranch. After her passing, her children donated it in 2007. An anthropologist studied it to be 7-18 million years old. Amazing! It sits now in the front yard of the museum for all to see. (3) El Camino real bell. It's displayed right next to the milk bottle. It's an original, one of the hundreds placed on the 700 mile stretch of Mission Highway in 1906. (4) Native American grinding stone. This is located at the side of the house. The Salinan people lived in this area before European settlement. (5) 1938 Aeromotor windmill. Model A702 with a 8 foot shell. It sits behind the house. The windmill was used to pump water from underground. (6) The Hortsman house. It serves as the museum. Albert Hortsman, a prominent local businessman, had the house built in 1920 and it originally sat on Sixth and Main Street. But was moved and donated in 1994 by the First presbyterian Church of Templeton when they expanded their church buildings.

This is a cute gallery with local artists. Prices seemed reasonable for the art, which is high…read morequality. I collect mostly 19th century and early 20th so contemporary just does not work for me. I truly wish Gallery 786 the best of luck. I am sure they will succeed.

This is an absolutely beautiful gallery with a very friendly atmosphere. The paintings, pottery…read moreand wood sculptures are stunning. Stan Bowen, the owner and an artist was very friendly. He took the time to speak with me about all the artists he is showing and their work. I will definitely come back the next time I am in Cambria. I highly recommend stopping in and checking it out.

Great experience...very friendly staff and inclusive environment. Highly recommend if you're in the…read morearea. We definitely plan on going back when we are!

The Paso Robles Children Museum is an awesome place to take kids, especially ages 2-8. My daughter…read morehad a blast and has been looking forward again. It's 2 floors and isn't the largest, but definitely can spend at least an hour in there! They even have an outdoor area. Awesome little kids museum!

Scarlett Cougar here... and let me just say... THIS is why women run away to Paso Robles wine…read morecountry with "just a few friends" and somehow return with six bottles, new favorite humans, and absolutely no regrets. Learning more about Graveyard Vineyards during the Pleasant Valley Wine Trail Twilight Tasting made me appreciate Paso Robles even more. A family-built winery born from a search for community, connection, and a better life for their kids? Honestly... that's kind of beautiful. But what really stayed with me was learning more about the Pleasant Valley Wine Trail collective itself -- 14 wineries genuinely supporting one another while also giving back through scholarship and agricultural education efforts benefiting the local community. THAT is what makes Paso different. The people here still feel connected instead of competitive, and the wineries still feel wonderfully human. And frankly... any winery confident enough to call itself Graveyard Vineyards already deserves points for personality alone. Looking forward to seeing everyone again at the Under the Estrella Sky Charity Gala in August supporting the continued PVWT community efforts.

Let me set the scene for you. I have over 12 wine clubs. I have attended a lot of winery dinners. I…read moreconsider myself something of a connoisseur of the genre. And I am here to tell you that Graveyard Winery just raised the bar so high that everyone else is going to need a ladder. We've been wine club members at Graveyard Vineyards for a while now, so when they announced their German-themed dinner with a portion of proceeds benefiting a local animal shelter during Wine for Paws weekend, we were in. Immediately. No hesitation. Mother Nature had other plans and moved the whole affair indoors, but honestly? A crackling fireplace, warm lighting, and a room full of wine lovers? We were not mad about it. Not even a little. Before dinner, they welcomed us with a tasting and passed hors d'oeuvres that absolutely should have come with a warning label. There was this cheesy bread situation that was dangerously good -- but then came the apple bite with cheese and bacon. I don't know who conjured that up, but it needs to be on a permanent menu somewhere immediately. We were already won over before we even sat down. And then we sat down. And there it was -- a massive, gorgeous sourdough loaf on a wooden cutting board with a big knife, just waiting. My husband did what any reasonable man in that situation would do and started cutting bread for everyone around us. What followed can only be described as a genuine breaking-of-the-bread moment. Strangers became family. It was oddly moving for a sourdough loaf. The chef came out to walk us through the meal, which is always a sign you're in good hands. The appetizer was a smoked trout on rye that was elegant and punchy all at once. Then came the main event -- a pork loin so tender and perfectly executed that I'm pretty sure angels were involved. Nestled on beautiful red potatoes alongside the freshest spring peas I have ever eaten in my life. I'm talking peas that tasted like they were picked that morning. It was stunning. Dessert was a rhubarb and apple pastry -- the filling was absolutely divine and I ate every last bit of it. The pastry itself was slightly on the firmer side for my taste, but when the filling is that good, you forgive everything. The wine was incredible. The food was incredible. And the people we ended up sitting with? Also incredible. That's a rare trifecta. This felt less like a winery dinner and more like Sunday supper at a really wonderful, slightly eccentric family's home -- and I mean that as the highest possible compliment. I'm already marking my calendar to make the trip to Paso again specifically for the next one of these. If you ever get the chance to attend one of Graveyard's dinners, you drop everything and you go. You're welcome in advance

My wife spotted this attraction. She signed up for the Terrace level, and as a result, we got a…read morefree glass of wine. You need to wait until after sunset to get the entire effect. So take your time, sip your wine or whatever, and then go for a walk. There are violet lights probably UV along the path to help you walk. The paths are CA6 gravel, and are fairly smooth. There was a high path and a low path - We needed steps, so we took both. There are bathrooms strategically placed so if you have to go while way out there, it isn't a problem. Look to the right of the toilet and push the foot pedal to flush. The bathrooms were clean. Two sections featured music, and as we were walking out there was a live jazz band playing. Don't forget to tip the band! We took around an hour. The path out is well marked and easy to follow. We were able to get back to the parking lot and found our car in the well-lit parking lot easily. This is good for kids and adults. Give it a go!

Terrible rip-off. It didn't feel artistic at all, it felt more like an unfinished product. The…read moremusic was terrible and not synchronized with the lights. The Dimension section was somewhat okay, but overall, for the price, the whole thing felt like a complete rip-off. I would not recommend it to anyone. I honestly don't understand why some people in my circle thought it was okay. Maybe people are just saying it was good to keep up with the hype and trend.