Hearst Castle

Have you ever been to America’s castle? Seeing the grandiose home of famed newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst, which was designed by the legendary architect Julia Morgan, is definitely worth the trip. We were able to tour the grand rooms and the upstairs rooms, plus roam the gardens and pools. His collection of art and antiques is insane, and his story is a fascinating piece of American history.

Tours are about $25 each, and a same-day second tour is $22. It also includes a 30-minute movie about the life of Hearst, which is particularly interesting, although not entirely unbiased. They skip over the bankruptcy story and the little problem of yellow journalism. (Those things are addressed in other places, though not in detail.) I recommend going early to the tour. We did a 9 a.m. movie and 10 a.m. tour. After perusing the grounds and visitor’s center, we finished up around 12:30 p.m., just in time for lunch…

Sebastian’s Store and Hearst Wines

While it would be fun to sample Hearst Ranch beef at the vistor’s center (it’s the family’s main business and has been since W.R. Hearst’s dad came to San Simeon, Californa), we headed to Sebastian’s Store which has a deli that comes highly recommended by locals. Although, we were bummed to find out that it’s closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

In the same historic store, however, we pleasantly found the Hearst Wines tasting room and couldn’t pass it up. I thoroughly enjoyed their wines – partiuclarly their Malbec, Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon – and really wished I could have enjoyed a glass with a deli sandwich.

Downtown Cambria

Another option for lunch places is a little further south in Cambria. It has a cute downtown right off the highway with several delis and restaurants as well as cute shops and art galleries. We hit up Main Street Grill for lunch; Matt ordering a burger and a tri-tip for me. It was very good, although I would want to try another place that might be more unique to the area.

We walked around and went into several shops. My favorite was Home Art. I wanted to buy everything in there, probably because it was all in “Emily blue” as my friend Jillian would say. There were a few signs that said “no photos” which was a big bummer because I could have easily shot through a couple dozen  of all the cute wares and whatnots. Matt wasn’t as drawn to the stuff, so we left empty handed. Which is probably not the worst thing, since we had spent a bunch on wine in the previous two days.

Highway 1

When driving up and down the state, I don’t often take the scenic route in part because it’s not as fast, and it’s also out of the way. I’m glad we found ourselves on this particular stretch. It was just gorgeous. I loved rolling down the windows and smelling the sea air. I could stare at the ocean for hours. The scenic color palette really jives with me: deep blues gradating to seafoam green, with tan sand and pops of purple and yellow wild flowers.

We often pulled over to take photos of the breathtaking views. You really can’t be in a rush if you are headed that way. There’s also a beach just north of San Simeon that has a bunch of elephant seals. They can be pretty animated and, heck, it’s not everyday you see something like that.

Have you been to any of these places? Can you tell I’m a California girl through and through?

You may remember that we stayed at La Quinta, which turned out to be great. If you’re celebrating something like an anniversary, let them know. We got a free upgrade!

Where to Taste

This time we stuck with the west side and – spoiler alert – we broke our rule again and tasted at six places instead of four or five. While doable, it is tough and you must pace yourself.

Our first stop was at Arroyo Robles in the heart of downtown Paso Robles. We wanted to try their sparkling wine, which was nice, and they had sold out of the other we wanted to try. Nothing really caught our tastebuds, which may have been in part because of the experience there. They seemed more interested in stocking the shelves with merchandise than telling us more about their wine. Don’t let that stop you from trying them out, though, you never know what you might find that you like!

Purple teeth! Tasting port at Roxo Cellars.

Just across the park was Roxo, which is part of a larger tasting lounge that houses a few other wineries and a small plate restaurant. We really liked the atmosphere, the wines and the staff. I bet the place is poppin in the evenings. Please, be sure to stop here if you like port. Instead of fortified with brandy, they use grappa, which makes it lighter and not as syrupy. This was our splurge of the trip, as a 375 ml bottle (half the size of a regular wine bottle) was $35.

Heading out of downtown, we hit up Red Soles on a few recommendations on Saturday. This is a unique place, as it is essentially meant to showcase the grapes. The winemaker is a grape grower first, but still does well with his wines. We liked the wine, but not enough to purchase.

On word from the pourers at Red Soles, we went to Kenneth Volk. Housed along with another winery, I immediately felt as if I was over at someone’s house. Every other Sunday, they have a BBQ set up and people are hanging out on the lawn. Don’t go too late, or you’ll miss out on the gourmet burgers, like we did. What’s nice about this place is you’ll get to try rare varietals, like Malvasia Bianca and Touriga, both of which I recommend. My favorite white wine of the moment won out and I snagged a bottle of Viognier.

We went off the beaten path and onto backroads to get to our next destinations. Carmody McKnight was first. We went there hoping to try a sparkling wine, but they had already sold out. Their Cabernet Franc was my favorite and it was fun to try the homemade olive oils. With already having so many bottles, we were determined to only buy ones that were absolute knock-outs.

Justin was our last stop of the day. It was a nice area with its own bed and breakfast. Their big seller is the Isosceles red blend, but my favorite was the Tempranillo. Again, nothing wowed us enough to bring home.

Where to Eat

The patio at Thomas Hill Organics. I need those metal letters!

Head to downtown if you’re getting hungry. They have a lot of restaurants that were highly recommended. We heard good things about the nicer places Artisan, Bistro Laurent and Thomas Hill Organics, and ultimately decided on the latter. While it was a great atmosphere, it just wasn’t our favorite meal. Their menu changes daily, so I would consider trying it again. Locals also talked up the two Italian places, Il Cortile and Buona Tavola. We also enjoyed a bit of ice cream while exploring more of downtown and the park.

Overall, we really enjoyed our trip. It didn’t end there, however, we’ll actually be back to share another fun spot in the area where we spent our extended weekend.

Has anyone else been to Paso and have any recommendations? We would consider going back, so I want to hear what you have enjoyed.

To celebrate our third anniversary, we decided to skip the Ultimate Frisbee tournament we’ve gone to the last two years and opted to taste and tour California’s Central Coast. In particular, we wanted to explore the Paso Robles area, which now boasts about 300 wineries and more than 100 tasting rooms. That’s more than Napa!

The region is known for their Bordeaux varietals, which means they originate from a French region, and reds in particular. We love our white wines as well, and they had many to try, including Viognier, which is one of my favorites. There were also several places with late harvest wines and Ports, which are sweeter. There really is something for every palate.

Where to Stay

We stayed at the Paso Robles La Quinta, which turned out to be much nicer than I expected. Hotels in the area aren’t cheap, but if booked in advance you can probably get a better deal than we did. For about $170 a night (weekend, peak summer rate) it includes hot breakfast and spacious, newer rooms. Plus, it’s centrally located to the wineries and close to downtown.

Where to Taste

Definitely check out PasoWine.com to search by varietals to get an idea of where to go tasting. Be sure to check out the more popular places as well as boutiques. In general, expect tastings to cost $5-$10 a person. Sometimes the fee is waived with a bottle purchase. Or, bring me along and taste for free and save on bottle purchases with my industry discount. ( Holla!) A general rule is to visit around four to five places in a day. Any more is difficult on your body and your palate.

Today I’ll cover the east side, which is where we tasted on Saturday. We started at Eos, which used to be the Firestone (yes, as in the tires/Bachelor fame). The tasting room is nice, with some shopping and seating areas with views … of the water park next door. We were a bit put off upon our arrival and it took them about five minutes to acknowledge us, even though they weren’t busy and we were in their  peripheral vision. They had a nice mix of white and red, and we ended up with a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc.

J. Lohr was next on the agenda. You may recognize the name as it is sold in stores nationwide. They have a long list of wines to taste, although you’re given six to choose from. I stuck with the tiers only available at the tasting room and snagged a bottle of the Gesture Zinfandel. If you go, ask for Jenna. She made us feel welcome and was fun and knowledgeable.

Barrels of port in the Eberle caves.

The cave tours and top Yelp ratings led us to Eberle. It was busy when we got there around 2 p.m. and we tasted a few wines before the 2:30 p.m. cave tour. While they get bonus points for free tastings (although again, we were spoiled by free tastings everywhere we went), we didn’t really care for their wines. The service was just OK, and the cave tour was disappointing. It was just the two of us and the guide was powerwalking, mumbling and finished in about five minutes. It was very pretty, but no Schramsberg, that’s for sure.

Bianchi was next on the tour and it was one of my favorites of the day. The tasting room is a nice mix of contemporary and classic, plus there is a large patio overlooking a picturesque pond. The wines were very good and while I really enjoyed the Petite Sirah, the Pinot Grigio ultimately won us over.

We heard that Tobin James was a must because it is the “party tasting room.” It certainly wasn’t stuffy or snooty, that’s for sure. There are three large saloon bar areas manned by pourers who seem to take on the personality of a bartender. Very fun, lots to try, reasonably priced. A late harvest Zin ended up coming home with us.

For those mathematicians and rule sticklers out there, you would think our day would have ended here. Somewhere along the way we heard about PasoPort and decided we couldn’t pass it up. We’re glad we stopped. We found great quality port from a lovely husband and wife team (he’s the winemaker, she keeps the books). If you’re a fan of port, make sure to stop by. Don’t blame us if the Ruby Port tempts you like it did for us.

That’s it for now, but come back for more west side Paso Robles recommendations as well as dinner spots. I’m also hoping to put together a post on some tips for wine tasting for those who don’t consider it a sport, as we do.

Catching Kauai's sunset after some off-roading.

You may recall that Matt and I went to Maui and Kauai for our honeymoon. While it wasn’t cheap – it was something that we had saved for and splurged on – we didn’t exactly check our frugal tendencies at the door. Here are some things we did (and/or recommend if we could have a second go at it) in order to save some money. They’re also a good idea for vacations in general.

• Look for packaged deals or specials. We booked our hotels through Costco, which helped save on room rates, but also meant that the breakfasts were included. The price of buffet breakfasts at those hotels were $20 and $30 per person, respectively. Sure, we could have eaten bagels every day, but we ate like kings and saved a cool $700. Some hotels even offer free drink nights for guests (Poipu Sheraton’s mai-tai nights for the win!) or even a free bottle of champagne for honeymooners.

The view from our hotel in Kauai. To be fair, we started with a partial ocean view room (that was part of the Costco package) but got an upgrade for a full ocean view for a nominal fee. Never hurts to ask!

• Skip restaurants for some meals. Breakfast usually filled us up, so lunch wasn’t a big meal for us. Consider buying sandwich fixins at the grocery store. We also snagged a bag of Ghiradeli chocolates and a bottle of wine from Costco for a romantic evening in for less than $20. (You know we, theCostco Couple, had to pay a visit to see what the island warehouses have to offer.)
• Take a hike. No, that’s not what you want to tell your spouse, unless it’s prefaced with “let’s.” It’s a great way to learn more about the area, get some exercise and have fun on the cheap. Pick up a local newspaper, do some internet research or ask the concierge for suggestions of other inexpensive excursion ideas.
• Pool wedding gift money. You’re bound to get some cash gifts for the wedding. Consider putting that towards something special for your honeymoon. We did the “money dance” and received enough to pay for a helicopter tour of Kauai. Thanks again, friends and family!

While saving is important, enjoying yourself is the name of the game. It’s meant to be a once in a lifetime trip. One of my regrets is not ordering more poolside drinks. I really wanted to order a pina colada from the swim up bar, but was deterred from the $12-$15 per drink price. Why didn’t I realize that most restaurants charge that much for those drinks? In the end, it would have only been about $30 spent.

That’s all I can think of right now, but I know that some of you are bound to have more to add to this list. Please share!

Here we are then…

We're married!

…and now!

Still goofing it up as old married folks.

Here’s to many more years together!

Wine tasting in Woodinville for our first anniversary.

We just love the stuff – in moderation of course. Since our early dating days, we have toured many wineries near and far. Our vacations often include a trip to a local winery where we will bring back a bottle or two as a souvenir. Heck, we were married among the vines and partied in a room of candle-lit barrels.

For our anniversary, I decided to skip the traditional mode of gifting with a specific material (see an earlier post on leather anniversary gifts for her) and go with something wine related. First, I snagged these his and hers wine carafes from One Kings Lane.

I actually got these a few months ago, since I hadn’t seen something like this before. It would also make a great wedding gift, too.

The gifting continued when I snagged a few bottles of Port, a dessert wine, from work. (Yes, I work in the wine and spirits biz these days.) We both enjoy a good bottle of port and it’s something we don’t drink often, which lends to making these celebrations a bit more special. It’s also a good excuse to buy a nicer bottle than you might ordinarily buy. That can even just be a $15-$25 bottle if you are used to getting some of the $5-$10 variety.

Need a gift idea for a wino couple? We’ve loved receiving a wine trivia game and a set for a blind tasting party. Buying art for others might be tough, but we both really enjoy ours that’s in our dining room. (It was on sale for $99 at Bed, Bath and Beyond back in 2008 or early 2009.)

This year, we’ll plan on doing some more wine tastings and maybe have a nice dinner. To me, the best gift is just being together. Sorry if that was too cheesy for a Tuesday morning, but it’s true. Three years later and I still can’t get enough of this guy!

This year, my dad offered us something better — hotel points!  They had some extra hotel points (he travels for work) and wanted to gift us with two nights away.  How wonderful!  We were so excited as we chose to stay in San Diego.  We used to go down there a lot while my brother was at Point Loma.  This was our first time down there alone and on our own schedule.  While it was a wee bit bittersweet, seeing all the places we had visited as a family, it was a fantastic trip!

We were right across the street from the water -- but you can't see the beach at night!

I chose a room with a mini fridge and microwave so that we could bring our own meals.  We are on a pretty tight budget, so this was essential to me.  We brought hot pockets for lunches (but they ended up being breakfasts) and salad stuff for dinner.

As we drove down, we called Matt’s relatives to see if we could spend some time with them during our stay.  Matt’s aunt Linda offered to take us sailing and out to dinner on Saturday.  It was such a pleasant day out on the Bay.    She took many of the pictures shown here, so major thanks to her!

Celebratory Jello shooters from Matt's aunt!

Linda and Matt -- hard at work!

Note: Name of beer. Name of boat.

We also spent some time with Matt’s cousin and family on Sunday.  Last weekend was such a wonderful little getaway.  Thank you so much to my parents for the hotel, Matt’s aunt for sailing and dinner, and Matt’s cousin (and wife and son) for lunch on Sunday! We are so blessed to have such wonderful relatives!  How did you celebrate your last anniversary?

Leather bracelet from Etsy seller sandinthesky ($25).

iPhone 4 case by Michael Kors ($80).

Tiffany & Co. flat pouch ($95).

Coach Madison Sophia Satchel ($358).

So the latter is a super-splurge, but it’s just a fun list of cute leather stuff. I really should have put a list of leather stuff for dudes, but this was way more fun. What are your gift ideas for you or your fella?

Anyway, the last two years we have headed up to Washington state to play in Potlatch. Last year we played with Solid Gold, a reunion team that we played on back in the day. This year, we were Polar Bears. After three full days of ultimate, we tied for third out of 93 teams. Not too shabby, right?

Unfortunately, I didn’t really take pictures. I know, I’m a bad blogger. So here’s some I stole.

Don't forget to lather up with sunscreen!

The Polar Bears

Here are a couple from last year.

The staredown? A key part in celebrating your anniversary?

Wine tasting in Woodinville.

Celebrating your wedding anniversary camping in close quarters with other people, including a super long drive cramped with far too many people in an RV — nothing says romance quite like that. Last year we planned ahead and ended up visiting a nearby wine region and staying in an awesome lodge. So, it’s not always so rough.

Thanks for celebrating with us this week!

Here’s the cake the year before. Pretty and oh so yummy! It was butter cream frosting with marble cake. I think we may have had another flavor in there, but I can’t remember. Maybe white cake with a berry filling?

Our wedding cake!

Our cake turned out pretty darn good for being a year old. Noting my mom’s good methods, here is how to save a wedding cake for your first anniversary.

First, wrap it in plastic wrap. Be sure to be fairly firm, but not so that you strangle the cake. Go ahead and use a couple of layers.

Wrap the wedding cake in plastic wrap.

Next, wrap it in foil. Again, you’ll not want there to be much air but you don’t want to crush it. Then place it in a plastic, sealed container and stick it in the freezer.

Anniversary cake in foil.

When you go to eat it, be sure to let it thaw a bit. Unless, you’re like me and don’t mind frozen cake. (Mmmm ice cream cake…). Here’s what my slice looked like:

A slice of year-old wedding cake.

We were a bit apprehensive, but it turned out pretty good. Some of the edges were soggy, so I didn’t really eat those parts.

Matt going in for the bite of anniversary cake.

The anniversary couple enjoying their cake.

So, now it’s time for a poll.