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.

Fun experience and definitely worth visiting once. But as I assume for most people, I probably…read morewouldn't feel the desire to come back repeatedly, unless there's some major rehaul or addition of more impressive installations.. The Field of Light was cool to see but not as incredible as I imagined based on social media depiction (definitely looks better in photos). Either way, it was probably my favorite installation of the bunch just due to its vastness. The lights all being solar powered is a fun fact, although the dimness of them really kept this exhibit at just "cool" when it could easily be "breathtaking" with some minor improvements. Missed opportunity for something bigger and better in my opinion, but it keeps the crowds coming so I guess that's good enough for business. Dimensions was my second favorite installation. Really neat concept and I loved the lights, shadows, and giant spinning lanterns. Fun and interactive! The other exhibits honestly seemed like afterthoughts.. I wouldn't be surprised if they're just there so that they can advertise there being "seven separate installations" and mark up the ticket prices lol. If it were me, I'd get rid of the "unnecessary extras" and use those funds towards making ones like Field of Light and Dimensions more amazing. The venue is huge and well laid out. I really loved the main food area with the live pianist. Great vibes and fun place to chill outdoors.

I was super impressed by this place but there are a few tweaks I would give it. When we first…read morearrived with our three children I noticed there were not a lot of children there. We went to an outdoor are where there was a band playing on a stage, huge glass area, one food truck, and couches to sit on. It was a bit chilly but nice environment. The lights were gorgeous, there were 4 exhibits to see. Very artsy, creative. My favorite being the Indian-esq one with all the colorful lanterns that would change color which made a bedazzling effect. I wish there were more exhibits to be honest and I think it lacked a bit. Was it work the price? It was a bit pricey? Definitely not a first date kind of place but more of a 3rd anniversary kind of place. I would recommend eating before going to this event.

Such a cute spot! Kids got to play and get their energy out. Lots of different things that are…read moregreat for smaller kids and toddlers. And very unique that it's all housed in a former fire house. We spent a good few hours here and kids were entertained the whole time. May not be as entertaining for older kids though. We'll be back whenever we're in the area.

This is going to be our new go-to spot whenever we visit Paso. My almost two-year-old had so much…read morefun. So many creative spaces to explore with two levels and an outdoor space; we could have stayed for half a day. Very friendly environment. The floor staff supervisor, Aleah, was kind enough to give us a tour and make us feel welcome. What a unique community treasure!

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.

Enjoy eating al fresco with live music and watching the sunset? Walking outside amongst rolling…read morehills as the natural light changes from twilight to dusk to night under the stars? Discovering new vistas around every corner, with colorful LED light sculptures powered by solar panels, changing with the musical accompaniment? Come check out Sensorio! It's an innovative unique way to walk around outside and enjoy the fresh air while appreciating some life sized art installations. Appropriate for all ages! Glad to see the cleanliness of the whole grounds--there are multiple trash cans available along the winding gravel path, but also it seems the hundreds of people who visit from all over are respectful and don't litter. My favorite art installation was called Dimensions: metallic 3D geometric sculptures with lights casting shadows, some of which you can spin by hand to create new shadows, like a kaleidoscope.

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!

This was the most beautiful and fun Christmas market I have ever been to. We purchased a package…read moredeal with the Cambria Pines lodge that included a one night stay, entry into the Christmas market, parking and breakfast for the next morning. Our cottage was right next to the Christmas lights display entrance. It was so convenient. The light displays were amazing. We were both blown away by the beauty of it all. We were in a Christmas wonderland. There were so many vendors selling many different things. There were a lot of German made decorations and ornaments. Lynn's was selling their mini pies and cinnamon rolls. The nursery area had a gorgeous store with amazing displays of Christmas decorations that were all for sale. You could purchase succulents and plants. There was BBQ tri-tip and bratwurst in the nursery section. By the main entrance next to the lodge there was a beer garden. They had wood fired pizzas, cocktails and beer. There were also many more food vendors selling tamales, German pretzels and German desserts. We thought the Bratwurst on the pretzel bun was the best thing they had. We tried the tri-tip but thought it was just okay because the meat was dry. It was better after adding bbq sauce. We bought some mini pies from Lynn's that were excellent. I don't recommend the tomato and Gouda soup. It was way too sweet. The German pretzel was just okay. Things are pricey here. But that's how it is at most events like this. The staff were amazing and helpful! I really loved the Christmas music being played throughout the market. We really enjoyed ourselves and will be coming back next year. It's really worth checking out.

What a wonderful night! The shuttle was amazing. Quick on…read moreand off to and from. There were so many lights and displays to fill your night. The food was good. Obviously expensive but honestly not bad. They had tons of vendors to choose from.

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.

I've visited multiple times and every experience has been wonderful -- the staff, the animals, the…read morecheese... EVERYTHING. Easily 5 stars. For those considering a visit: know that the road is steep and you should take a car. It's a tasting, not a full meal, and the focus is on quality and authenticity. If you appreciate a genuine farm experience on the beautiful Central California Coast, you'll love it. If you're expecting a restaurant with big portions, this probably isn't for you.

I finally made it to @stepladdercreamery !! It was well worth the wait. I have had their cheeses…read moreyears ago and have been wanting to visit the farm and see all the baby goats. The drive into the farm was so beautiful with the rolling green hills. Our tour guide took us up to the farm where we got to hold some of the baby goats. That was one of my favorite parts of the tour. Then we learned how they milk the goats and got to see where perfection was made.... The cheese! After the cheese aging room we went into the tasting room. That was my second favorite part of the tour! I loved trying all the cheeses that are in season. I was also excited to join the cheese club. It's different signing up randomly vs learning about the cheese making process and all the hard work that goes into making it at the farm. That's what got me to sign up for the cheese club. It makes you more excited to join the cheese club when you're there in person. Plus I like the exclusivity factor of some of the special cheese and things I get to experience. If I could change anything it would be to spend more time with the goats. I love animals. I could have held my baby goat for hours. I almost wish they had a tour where you could just go hang out with the goats. And then I also heard a rumor that they used to have ice cream. I would love to try the ice cream produced at this farm!! But other than that I would definitely do this again! I can see my future charcuterie boards with the delicious @stepladdercreamery cheese all over my boards. And it's so exciting!