Santa Barbara, Morro Bay and Paso Robles, Mar 21 - Mar 24

We left LA early on Monday morning for Paso Robles and a visit to the California wine country.  We stopped along the way in Santa Barbara around 9:30 am and had breakfast on the beach at the Shoreline Cafe.  Santa Barbara is a spectacular beach town with many sights.  This particular day there was a cruise ship in port.

The Shoreline Cafe

Marie says 'Hey' with cruise ship in the distance

 We arrived in Morro Bay about noon.  Morro Bay's most distinctive feature is Morro Rock, a volcanic plug sitting at the entrance to the bay.


Morro Bay is home to a commercial fishing fleet catching Halibut, Sole, Rockfish and Albacore.

On to Paso Robles.  We're staying at the Wine Country RV Resort for 3 nights.  We had lunch the first day at the Odyssey World Cafe in Paso Robles and visited Castoro Cellers in Templeton, CA.  This is the first time either of us has seen the California wine country.

Today, Wednesday, Mar 23 we did a tour of Paso Robles vineyards with our knowledgeable tour guide, Buzz.  Our first winery was Pear Valley which we felt was unpretentious with classic wines and wonderful views of the countryside.

Our next stop was Sculpterra Vineyards, our favorite so far.  This winery was far more than a wine producing facility.  It was a sculpture garden, an art gallery and a beautiful family operated winery.  Owned by Dr. Warren Frankel, much of the sculpture is by John Jagger and Dale Evers with several iron works by master Blacksmith Robert Bentley.

I don't quite know what to make of our entry to Sculpterra Winery, but it is what it is  At least we know where we are.

We call this Buzz's Whiskers.  Our tour guide, Buzz, manged to secure the whiskers with his patented whisker glue, or so we're told.

Marie's favorite is this sculpture called "Focus" by John Jagger

My favorite, also by John Jagger, is called "Sleeping Puma"

We stopped briefly at Rio Seco Vineyards but, by that time, I couldn't tell the difference in taste between a white and a red!  

Recovering somewhat, our last stop was Tobin James Vineyards, which was a 'tavern' atmosphere and our least favorite.  But the wines were inexpensive, and the staff was very friendly.  If you were in a party mood, this is the place.

Tomorrow morning, Mar 24, we leave for the Monterey Peninsula with a stop in San Simeon to visit with the elephant seals.