I'm back. Back in the coastal town of Cambria and taking a gander at the historic fresnel lens…read moredisplay on Main Street. It's always a must stop for me to quickly look and marvel at historic antique lighthouse machinery. Amazing. It's free to view. The lens is enclosed in a glass case giving a 360 view. Very cool! From 1874-1949 the fresnel lens was at the Piedras Blancas lighthouse that's 6.5 miles north of San Simeon. The Lion's Club has been taking care of the lens display since decommission. A perfect example of community taking care to preserve local history. Thank you, Lion's Club!

We wanted to visit the point after the seal beach visit…read more But visitation is closed for the season

As I was visiting the town of Cambria, I decided to drive through the town to see what it had to…read moreoffer. I happen upon the Cambria Historical Museum. And I do love a good museum and history lesson. The museum is on the corner of Burton and Center Streets in the East Village. It's housed in the Guthrie/Bianchini house which is one of the oldest homes in town that was built in 1870. The museum is staffed by an all volunteer staff, so currently the open hours are limited to Saturday and Sunday 1pm-4pm. I didn't stop by during these times. The lot is open to walk about which I did. Not much to look at on the lot unlike the Templeton Museum. I took one of the paper pamphlet of the town's historic waking tour. Those were stacked on the porch near the front door. Using the provided map and opening the printed QR code (which links to the website); we were able to navigate the self guided tour on our own. The website had additional info of the history of each site. I thought this was a super cool and cleverly modern way to offer info on the town's history. I wished I had more time to walk the entire tour and imagine how things looked in Cambria in the late 1800s. Cambria is a small coastal town established in 1866 with a current population of less than 6000 with a European history going back to the Spanish land grants and to the native history of the Chumash people before that. Rich, diverse history. Plus a side note, for a slight populated community, shout out to recognize the volunteers that keep the ... museum, archive, library bookstore, community reserve garden, Chinese Temple, Santa Rosa Schoolhouse, lighthouse lens display, and so much more going. Impressive!

If you're strolling around downtown Cambria, this is a fun little stopover. It's a pretty…read morehistorical structure, a fun little piece of history and yet another reason this downtown is so beautiful. We were first attracted to the expansive grounds where families were sitting on benches and enjoying a sprawling, well-maintained garden. I always love when a museum doubles as an open to all place to stroll and enjoy without some fee required. You'll find a plaque that gives you some history. turns out this was the Guthrie-Bianchini house, built way back in 1870, occupied many times over and then saved through the efforts of the locals. The structure itself is quite nice and matches the aesthetic of the other occupied houses and businesses around it. It's not much, but it is just another thing people might take for granted when exploring. Consider sitting on the museum grounds and having lunch while in the area.

What a wonderful experience for us parents and our two kids! We were all a little nervous at first,…read morebut like the guides promised, at the end we loved it, and can't wait to go back!! Thanks to all of the great staff who made it a great experience!!

Such a fun experience at Santa Margarita Ranch Ziplining! The adventure honestly starts the minute…read moreyou arrive. You check in at the main office downtown, then hop on a tour bus to the ranch property. Our driver was super informative and entertaining along the way. The drive itself felt like part of the experience with bumpy ranch roads, multiple gates, gorgeous scenery, and a real behind the scenes feel of the property. Once you arrive, the staff gets you geared up with all the safety equipment and everyone was incredibly friendly, professional, and great with all ages. After gearing up, you take an old Army style jeep up the mountain and that ride alone was an adventure Super rickety, steep, and fun! We felt very safe the entire time because before every single zip line, the staff carefully checked everyone's safety gear and connections. There are 6 zip lines total and each one is different with spectacular views that change throughout the course. One thing to know is that you should be in reasonably good shape because there are mini hikes between some of the zip lines. There are lots of water stations along the course, which was great, but the experience is definitely active and you do not want to hold up the group. Totally worth it though and such a memorable Central Coast adventure for families, couples, teens, and adventurous kids!

i booked with wine wrangler over a month in advance of my trip to paso…read more i had made deposits on multiple wineries and gave them our air bnb address multiple times. i left the bay area very early to be picked up and the "guide" never showed. no call and no show. when we called/emailed and used the chat no one ever got back to us. one person finally emailed us back but no phone call on a friday. do yourself a favor and book with uncorked or take and uber. then your trip wont be ruined like mine.

A crisp and cool Saturday in Paso Robles included wine tastings at local wineries @turleywine…read more@paixsurterrewines @fourlanternswinery @venteux_vineyards. Thanks to Kevin at @thewinewrangler for planning a lovely day and sharing his amazing wine knowledge.

Nitt Witt Ridge. I never got around to take a tour. Alas all good things must come to an end. The…read moreNitt Witt Ridge home was permanently closed in June 2022. It's fenced off with private property signs posted. It's privately owned now. The once impressive, folk art monstrosity of a home, has fallen to disrepair. It's sadly dilapidated and has lost all of its lovely, quirky charm. The house is a crumbling heap. It looks as if a strong stiff wind can take it all down. The gardens are long gone... weeds are blooming now. Sad. Nitt Witt Ridge is California State Landmark #939. The marker is still on the property, viewable . The bourse in its glory days was an example of 20th century folk art. Created by homeowner, Arthur Beal. Mr. Beal bought the 2.5 acre lot in 1928. He lovely kept up this place and gave tours. He died in 1992. In its hey day, the house and gardens were spirited folk art and part wacky off the wall lunacy. He sculpted the land using hand tools and local materials. I'm glad I came to see it before who knows what will become of it. Your guess is as good as anyones. Future mega mansion is my bet. But f you want to check NWR out, there is a small dirt area across the street which makes for a perfect makeshift temp parking spot.

I love Cambria, it reminds me of Santa Barbara, Carmel , San Luis Obispo…read more Very quaint town to stroll , admires antiques, beautiful views and you take your own time. Walking in the main streets you enjoyed cafe, shops and restaurants.

Our driver, Jose, was excellent!! He knew the area very well and was an excellent driver. Jose was…read morepunctual, personable and professional. We will definitely request him the next time we are in town!

Had a great day wine tasting in Paso. Travis was super knowledgeable and helpful with planning my…read morebday trip. The driver was great! They picked up on time, took care of all the details and got us home safely!

Nice to see that this old school house has been maintained very well. It wasn't open. I just looked…read morein through the windows and saw that it still had like an original wood-burning furnace. Looks like it's used for a meeting space now. Nice spot to just pull over and rest. Enjoy the view. Lots of parking.

They accommodated my group of 12 so wonderfully. Reservation information was easy to find via their…read morewebsite and they communicated with me a couple days prior to curate a taste and sip according to what our group was interested.

Wouldn't say this is the prettiest vineyard especially with all the vineyards nearby offering…read morebeautiful ambiance but this one does the job in the city center of cambria. The tasting was on the expensive side but the person helping us w the tasting was really nice and friendly. The inside of the shop is pretty small but cozy. They offer four wines for tasting at $20 without tip or tax. We had a decent experience here.

We were directed over to Mission Gallery from Ephraim Gallery, since we do like Arts and Crafts…read morework, and the owner said this had a similar sensibility We lucked into a gallery opening, featuring one of the printmakers from the gallery, who was giving a fascinating demonstration of her linoleum block prints. She chatted with the patrons during the lively demonstration, as she made the prints come to life. The wall behind her was filled with colorful interpretations of her view of the natural world. The display of the art is thoughtful, and work by the each artist is displayed together. There is also a variety of colorful scarves, tablecloths, and textile handbags available to brighten up any room. I also responded to the intensely colored prints and ceramics which graced the walls. The art glass animals shimmered in the afternoon light, inviting me to take one home, where it could become part of my menagerie. We will return to enjoy this display again!

We love the Mission Gallery. Wonderful artwork. Wonderful owners. Just the best place to find…read moresomething very nice for your home or as a gift. Lots of items to choose from. Beautiful candles, blown glass pieces, handbags, greeting cards, table linens, to fine art. It's always a treat to visit the Mission Gallery when in Cambria.

My husband and I had a lovely time strolling in Artifacts Gallery during his birthday trip. We…read moreenjoyed various sections of different art styles. However, we gravitated towards the Disney room immediately! There were so many beautiful canvases and we fell in love with their collection of Wall-E and Eve. Staff were so friendly in assisting with any questions we had. On the walls, we noticed they offered layaway so we inquired about how that works. Shelly was very patient in explaining how we begin the process and how we'd receive the artwork, especially being from out of town. Although we weren't in the position financially to bring home all the Wall-E and Eve art we found, my husband did gift himself a Mulan figure as a birthday gift. We can't wait to visit Artifacts Gallery in the future again! :)

Wow... wow... wow! This place was brilliant from the moment…read morewe walked in. Every wall was designed and decorated so beautifully. The art that was put together shows the passion from the creators. There was a room filled with Disney paintings that even brought tears to my eyes... my kids were fascinated by it. I cannot forget the bird feeders that were on the wall (how creative this is and who the heck would think of doing this) My son is 9 and had the best time ever. The guy at the front desk had so much knowledge about all the things and was very patient with all of our questions... Also they are Dog Friendly so even Kevin our Schnauzer got to participate and see the dog pictures on the wall. The staff came out to greet him. It just melted my heart. Thank you for a great time and if you haven't gone here yet... please do!