One of our favorite mini vacations is to get in the car and head up the coast. This trip we celebrated our 31st anniversary at The Apple Farm in San Luis Obispo. Here is their restaurant and gift shop all decked out for the 4th of July.
First on the agenda was dinner at NOVO. We enjoyed a quiet table overlooking the creek where we were beautifully serenaded by frogs.
Even though it is summer, quite often the ocean here is cold and misty.
Cambria is about 30 minutes north. HEART'S EASE, a shop of plants and herbs, is a shop we always visit.
Next door is ROBIN'S, one of our favorite lunch stops. Their Salmon Bisque is worth the trip. Afterwards we polished off the sundae with ease.
Then it was off to the top of a mountain to visit this nursery. The smells of all the flowers was incredible from this spot.
Time to cool off again...
After all the dining and shopping this was reviving.
Here's a pretty scene below Hearst Castle in San Simeon.
Breakfast at THE MADONNA INN is a must. Everything is pink here including the sugar, lamposts, and the main restaurant.
I LOVE these giant pink cakes!!!
This pic was taken on the road to Paso Robles, a town full of vineyards and wineries, about 30 minutes inland. It was 106 degrees the day we were there and we were glad to get back to the coast where it was in the 60's. Quite a difference!
For our anniversary dinner we tried a new restaurant called CIOPINOT. It was a big hit! We almost felt like we were by the Chesapeake Bay with these raw oysters. They served them with all of these trendy California dips. We had the waiter bring us horseradish and cocktail sauce instead...the East Coast way.
On the way back home we visited the Los Olivos Cafe for grilled flatbreads and dips. Los Olivos will always remind me of Fess Parker ( Daniel Boone) and our conversations with him. I will never forget the night we were with him and a few others as we gathered around his piano and Ed Ames played "Try to Remember" and "My Cup Runneth Over"...ahh to reminisce.
Just minutes from Los Olivos we found this Lavender farm. The lavender was in full bloom and it smelled heavenly. If I didn't know better I would think we were in the South of France.
I hope this blog inspires you to explore the beautiful California Central Coast. There is so much to do and see and it is not crowded like the Southern coast.
Great pics! But...now I'm hungry and want to be in the lavender fields!! Glad you had a great get away!
Posted by: Carole Brookshire | 07/09/2011 at 01:34 PM