CentralCoastTravels Day Trips Blog

El Paraiso Mexican Restaurant

2009-02-21T21:32:00.000-08:00

We had the pleasure to recently discover a fantastic Mexican restaurant in the heart of Santa Maria. El Paraiso Mexican Restaurant is a genuine Mom and Pop enterprise. Owners Gus and Rosie Arana welcome each diner to their pleasant and comfortable restaurant as if they were opening their own home to you and your family or friends. Rosie is the chef and she prepares each dish with the freshest homemade ingredients and her own tasty recipes. Gus is the official greeter/waiter and is more than eager to answer any questions and make sure you're comfortable and quickly attended to. The restaurant is super clean and the pride Mr and Mrs Arana place in their enterprise is evident from the moment you walk in the door.

It was tough deciding from amongst the extensive menu so we ordered a couple Mexican beers and took our time while enjoying the delicious fresh salsa and chips. The salsa is chunky and very flavorful (not that watery kind we sometimes find). Not that I needed it, but just to be sure I had plenty of spice, Gus brought a bottle of homemade hot sauce which added more than enough kick to my servings of the salsa!

For our main courses, we finally settled on a couple enchilada dishes: Chicken Enchiladas Suizas and Chicken Enchiladas Mole. Both meals come with fresh homemade refried beans and Mexican rice with vegetables. Both the beans and rice were fresh and perfectly prepared. I really liked the beans; they were smooth and full of healthy flavor.

I'm a big fan of Mole sauce so I usually order a Mole dish whenever I see it on the menu. Gus and Rosie's Chicken Enchiladas Mole are undoubtedly the best available here on the Central Coast. The enchiladas were stuffed with large chunks of white chicken meat, wrapped in fresh corn tortillas, smothered with Rosie's homemade Mole sauce and topped with delicious Mexican crumbled cheese. Wow!

The Chicken Enchiladas Suiza were also filled with a generous helping of grilled white chicken meat, wrapped in homemade tortillas, smothered with Rosie's green chile sauce and topped with shredded cheese. Served with a dollop of guacamole and sour cream on the side, these Suiza enchiladas will surely please Suiza fans every time.

We finished our meal by sharing a desert of fried ice cream. Gus and Rosie serve their fried ice cream with a special surprise which you have to try to really appreciate. We won't spoil the surprise; just order it yourself; you'll love it!

El Paraiso Mexican Restaurant is open 7 days a week (Sundays and Mondays from 11 to 3; Tuesdays thru Saturdays for both lunch and dinner). They're located in Santa Maria's Town Center West shopping center, right next to Big 5 Sporting Goods near the southwest corner of Main and Broadway. Stop by soon!

El Paraiso Mexican Restaurant
241 Town Center West
Santa Maria CA 805-614-2883

Riverbench Vineyard and Winery Wine Tasting

2008-05-26T09:15:00.000-07:00

This Memorial Day weekend our friend Jeff was visiting from Florida. We understand there's not much in the way of wineries in the Sunshine State so this was a prime opportunity to introduce Jeff to the some of the best wine California has to offer. We drove east from Santa Maria along the Foxen Wine Trail to the new Riverbench Vineyard and Winery. This was our second visit to Riverbench: We just had to return because Laura Booras and her gracious tasting room staff (shout out to Jackie!) made us feel so comfortable and welcome the first time around.

Riverbench Vineyard and Winery just opened their tasting room in April but they've hit the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail running at a full-speed gallop! The tasting room itself is situated near the junction of Foxen Canyon Road and Tepusquet Road. Riverbench has completely restored the 1927 Craftsman style house which now is home to their tasting room and gardens. The setting affords beautiful views of the Santa Maria Mesa, the Foxen Chapel in the distance and the Riverbench estate vineyards which completely surround the tasting room.

The actual Riverbench Vineyard sits in the southeastern end of the Santa Maria valley and has been producing Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes since 1973. The valley's east-west orientation allows the cooling Pacific air to breeze through in the afternoons and results in the perfect growing climate for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes. Over the last 30 years, the vineyard's exceptional fruit has been sold to numerous top quality Santa Barbara county wineries. In 2004 a group of local families purchased the vineyard and began exploring the possibility of starting their own wine label. To our delight, Riverbench Vineyard and Winery was born. The project has enticed Chuck Ortman (founder of Meridian Vineyard and respected winemaker/consultant for nearly 40 years) out of retirement to become winemaker for Riverbench. The actual vineyard is managed by Jim Stollberg from Dale Hampton Farming; the premier Santa Maria Valley vineyard management team. Riverbench Vineyard and Winery is devoted to producing the highest quality grapes in their vineyards which will result in unparalleled wine quality. Their wines will be produced in limited lots and will only be available at their tasting room and in select local restaurants.

Today's tasting included 3 very distinct Chardonnays and 2 exceptional Pinot Noirs:

The 2007 Bedrock Chardonnay is produced in an area of the vineyard which has a high concentration of river rock. This bedrock soil forces the grape vines do magical things (that's my scientific description, not theirs). The Bedrock Chardonnay is fermented completely in stainless steel tanks and the result is crisp, clean and very refreshing. This wine figures to pair well with a light lunch or appetizers during a warm day or all by itself as a prelude or in combination with a fine dinner.

The 2006 Estate Chardonnay is an exceptional combination of rich fruit flavors, slight buttery notes and the perfect amount of French oak barrel fermentation. This Chardonnay is outstanding and will pair with grilled halibut or barbecued chicken but we also suspect it will pair well with lighter meals. Right now, this is our favorite Riverbench Chardonnay and we look forward to numerous future pairings in our home. Santa Maria Style barbecued chicken will be our first of many!

The 2006 Reserve Chardonnay has a much lighter influence from the oak barrels than the Estate Chardonnay. This third Riverbench Chardonnay offers up a completely different experience. There are spicy notes (vanilla, nutmeg, honey, lemon) and buttery tastes but it's a also a fuller bodied Chardonnay. Riverbench staff describe it as an "appreciative interpretation of an Old World style wine" and "a delightful barrel-aged wine with a distinct touch of brulee". Who are we to disagree? Take that halibut off the grill and bake it this time; you'll have the perfect combination.

The 2006 Estate Pinot Noir is a light, perfectly balanced Pinot. Being big Syrah fans, we're relatively new to the world of Pinot so I'm afraid my description is a little loose. The wine is light but also has a vibrant burgundy color. I'm guessing it will pair well with fruit and cheese but also with light seafood or chicken or quail. Maybe even a vegetable pizza. We're gonna have to give it several tries...until we find the perfect match!

The 2006 Reserve Pinot Noir is produced from the vineyard's most select fruit. It's aged 11 months in French oak and will subtly age over the next 4-6 years. Riverbench describes it as a wine which "..entertains all of your senses. It's a wine that exudes confidence and vigor without being aggressive or harsh." We can hardly wait.

The Riverbench operation, staff and wines are truly outstanding. In the coming years, we fully expect Riverbench Vineyard and Winery to be recognized as the premier winery in Santa Barbara County if not all of the Central Coast. We look forward to our future visits and to many exceptional vintages!

Santa Maria Valley Vineyard Buds

2008-04-05T15:18:00.000-07:00

Late March and early April are exciting times for Santa Maria Valley vineyards and wineries.

Last year's vintages are being released and the upcoming season's vines begin to bud with new foliage.

Also opening this month is a new addition to the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail. The RiverBench Vineyard and Winery has been founded and is being managed by a seasoned team of Central Coast vineyard veterans. We'll be visiting their new tasting room and sampling their newest releases sometime in the very near future. Stay tuned for our review in a future post.

Pismo Beach Monarch Butterfly Grove

2007-11-22T18:43:00.000-08:00

Once a year, migrating monarch butterflies find their way to a grove of trees in Pismo Beach. The monarchs spend the winter nights and cooler days huddled together and hanging in clumps from the trees in this special grove.

On warmer days the butterflies will take periodic flights to drink dew and nectar from nearby foliage.
This monarch butterfly population has been migrating to the Pismo Beach grove each year for several decades. They begin arriving in November and leave sometime in February. Up to 150,000 butterflies have been counted in some years. Last year, the population counted was 22,000. There are other monarch groves on the Central Coast in Monterey, Morro Bay and the Ellwood grove near Santa Barbara but the Pismo Beach monarch butterfly grove is the largest grove in California. The monarchs that come to Pismo Beach have a lifespan of 6 months.
The Pismo Beach monarch grove is located on Highway 1 just north of Grand Avenue and just south of the Pismo State Beach North Beach Campground. The grove is open daily and docents provide guided walks at 11AM and 2PM. Group tours may be arranged by calling 805-773-8919. There is a volunteer-run trailer/office on the site which is staffed daily from 10AM to 4PM. The office is a handy source of information about the monarchs and how we can help nurture and protect their endangered populations (here's a hint: Got Milkweed?). There is also a nice selection of gifts available. Remember to bring your camera and/or binoculars. For more info, visit: The Monarch Butterfly website.

American Flatbread Pizza in Los Alamos

2007-09-29T22:06:00.000-07:00

The American Flatbread restaurant is yet another reason we love living on the Central Coast. American Flatbread is a wonderfully unique dining experience. During the week, American Flatbread is a full-scale production bakery making thousands of frozen pizzas. Each pizza is hand made from the finest ingredients, baked in a wood-fired earthen oven and then flash-frozen for shipment and sale in upscale groceries and health-food stores throughout the Western States. The production facility converts to a restaurant on Friday and Saturday nights from 5PM to 10PM. After about a 45-minute wait at the wine bar (no worries, Mo serves up an excellent glass of local wine and there are literally about 100 to choose from!); we were seated "in the front row" right by the earthen oven.

Our table was about 15 feet in front of the oven and good grief, that fire is hot! It was pretty warm there but we were entertained by Jay who was tonight's flatbread chef. Jay had his hands full; the restaurant was filled to capacity and he was constantly being bombarded with fresh flatbreads ready to be baked but he was always smiling and every pizza was baked perfectly. This man enjoys his work and his pride shines through in the high quality pizzas he bakes!

We started off with a couple Evolution Salads: Organic Sweet Leaf Lettuces, Mesclun, and Arugula tossed with Organic Carrots and Celery, Pacific Ocean Arame Seaweed, Toasted Flax Seed, with our fresh Fresh Ginger and Tamari Vinegrette flavored with local Raspberrry Vinegar. Yes, the salad is as tasty as it reads.

We usually order the Punctuated Equilibrium pizza (Kalamata Olives, Stone Oven Roasted Sweet Peppers, Feta Cheese, Fresh Rosemary, Red Onions, California Whole Milk Mozarella, and Garlic) but tonight we had a taste for something a little different. The Central Coast Sausage pizza caught our eye so we gave it a try and were pleasantly surprised! The Central Coast Sausage pizza is made from Naturally Raised Pork in a housemade Nitrate-Free Maple and Fennel Sausage, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Onions, Mushrooms, Cheeses and Fresh Garden Herbs. Wow! Baked with a hint of natural oak wood smoke flavor. Pizza Perfection!

As we were enjoying the pizza, Jay leaned in close to give us his dessert tip: "Try tonight's homemade apple pie." One of the Flatbread prep chefs also specializes in baking homemade apple pies. HUGE slices of apple in a crisp crust, warmed in the earthen oven and served with fresh vanilla-bean ice cream a la mode. Heaven on earth. This was the best apple pie we've ever tasted!

American Flatbread is a must-visit if you're hankering for a pleasant, upscale but casual and unique dining experience. Don't be in a hurry: dinner will take a couple hours and it's always best to get there early.

Port San Luis and See Canyon Apples

2007-09-15T17:19:00.000-07:00

Let's keep this secret between ourselves: Weatherwise, September and October are a couple of the most beautiful months of the year here. The temperatures are often warm during the day and cool at night, the skies are clear and the summer vacation crowds have disappeared. In celebration of our "Indian Summer", we hopped in the Mustang for a cruise up our coast to Port San Luis and See Canyon.

Port San Luis adds a rich history to the Central Coast. This natural habor was used by Spaniard and Portuguese explorers many centuries ago. In 1873 John Harford built the original wharf which helped establish the port as a major shipping center for retail goods, passengers and mail. In the 1880's, the the Pacific Coast Railway ran all the way from Los Olivos to the Harford Pier.

Today, commercial and sport fishermen use the pier as their base of operations and many pleasure boaters tie up in the harbor year-round. Local fishermen may be seen cleaning their catch at the base of the pier and numerous pelicans can be spotted in the area just waiting to tussle over the remnants.

There are several fresh fish markets on the pier which sell wholesale to local restaurants and retail to the general public. The Old Port Inn Fish Market is probably the largest and is certainly our favorite. The Old Port Inn restaurant (right next to the market) at the end of the pier is also one of our local favorites for a fresh seafood dining experience.

Today we stopped into Fat Cat's Cafe (at the base of the pier) for a quick lunch on the patio. I'd been hankering for a bowl of their great clam chowder ever since I'd tasted a sample at the Pismo Beach Clam Festival last year. The chowder was as excellent as I'd remembered and certainly satisfied my craving. Ann had a crab cocktail which was loaded with fresh crab and perfectly seasoned.

For "dessert" we drove up See Canyon to sample and buy some freshly picked apples from the Gopher Glen apple farm. See Canyon provides the perfect climate for growing apples: it's cold enough for frost in the winter and warm and sunny in the summer. There's enough fog-shrouded mornings and moisture in the summer that many of the apple farms don't need to irrigate their orchards.

We've been buying Gopher Glen apples for about 20 years now. There's always a large selection of apples and today there were 12 varieties to choose from. These apples are crisp and delicious..they've got to be the best in the world!

Gopher Glen also presses and sells their own cider which is available in container sizes ranging from 16 oz to 1 gallon. Apple season usually runs from late July to early December. This year though, the See canyon apple season is running about 3 weeks early so most varieties will trail off around the end of November. Better hurry!

The Murphy Auto Museum

2007-07-14T12:57:00.000-07:00

The Murphy Auto Museum in Oxnard, CA is a great collection of 50+ autos. Dr. Donald Murphy has established this nonprofit museum which serves as a public showcase for many different collectors. The museum has recently been expanded to over 45,000 square feet in size. The huge selection of autos on display range from early classics to street rods, sports cars and muscle cars. In the "Packard Palace" section, there's a large collection of Packards from 1927-1958.
The unique aspect of the auto museum is that many different collectors display their classics here for the public to appreciate. The museum even has its own mechanic who's available for vehicle repairs and restorations.

We certainly enjoyed our visit. The large size and pleasant atmosphere allowed us to view and enjoy every vehicle at our own leisurely pace. The museum is open every Saturday and Sunday from 10AM to 4PM and is also available for special group or corporate functions. The suggested donation is $6 for adults and $3 for children (12yrs and under). The museum is located at 2230 Statham Blvd, Oxnard, CA; phone 805-487-4333.

Firestone Walker Taproom Restaurant

2007-07-01T19:53:00.000-07:00

Heading home from a Dodgers game (Dodgers shut out the Padres 5-0!), we stopped in Buellton for dinner at the Firestone Walker Taproom Restaurant. Arriving on a Sunday eve at 6PM without reservations, we got real lucky and were seated at a table for two in the upper level of the dining room. We were entertained with a great view of the open kitchen and all of the other dining room activities. We probably had the best seats in the house.

The Taproom menu ranges from soups and salads to sandwiches to filet mignon. This evening, the Marguerita flatbread-style pizza caught my eye but so did the Walker Fish and Chips (cooked in a Firestone Walker Double Barrel Ale beer batter) and so did the Seared Ahi Tuna and so did the Grilled White Shrimp.

Then our waitress came by with the evening's specials which included Cajun Blackened and Grilled Sea Bass with horseradish mashed potatoes and fresh grilled vegetables. Bingo. That was it. That was it doubled. As often happens (kinda scary often); both my better half & I settled on the Sea Bass special. We were both treated with a thick filet of perfectly grilled, fresh sea bass coated with a solid dry rub layer of Cajun spices and cooked to a crispy, "blackened" crust. The sea bass was served with a pat of basil butter floating on top. Very tasty. The mashed potatoes and veggies (julienned butternut squash, spinach and beets sauteed to perfection) were also very excellent.

The Firestone Walker Pale Nectar paired very well with my meal as did the Firestone Winery's Sauvignon Blanc with Ann's meal. Unfortunately, we were too full for desert. But we've decided to return for another meal sometime soon with the intent of leaving room to try some desert. Besides, the Walker Beer Battered Fish and Chips keep calling my name....

Consilience Wines and Kenneth Volk Wine Tasting

2007-06-23T18:22:00.000-07:00

Since we had a wine club shipment available for pickup at Consilience Wines in Los Olivos, we had an excellent reason to get out and enjoy yet another beautiful day on the Central Coast. It turns out that we happened to visit two great wineries with very similar production styles.

Consilience was officially founded in 1999 by four close friends: Brett and Monica Escalera and Tom and Jodie Daughters. Brett serves as the winemaker for Consilence and he's well qualified since he earned his "chops" as head winemaker at Fess Parker Winery for several years. Brett's past experience enabled him to now concentrate on very small hand-crafted production runs at Consilience. These small runs allow Consilience to produce "carefully nurtured, bold, and exciting wines that the common man can actually afford". Who can argue with that?

We feel Consilience produces some of the most consistent and highest-quality wines in Santa Barbara County. We're big fans of the Syrah varietal and Consilience always satisfies our quest for a full bodied, multi-layered Syrah. In fact, the current wine shipment features their 2004 Syrah, Hampton Family Vineyard and their 2004 Syrah, Falcone Vineyard.

Today's tastings included a couple whites and several reds. The reds are our favorites but the whites are of excellent quality also. Consilience's Roussanne's and Viognier's are always a pleasure to taste. We went home with a 2005 Viognier, Santa Barbara County; an 04 Syrah Camp 4; an 04 Syrah, Santa Barbara County and an 02 Zinfandel Port which we're eager to pair with some dark chocalate and/or a fine cigar. Decadence at it's best.

Los Olivos is at the southern terminus of Foxen Canyon Road and Kenneth Volk Vineyards lies 21.5 miles away at the northern end of the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail. We enjoyed the drive (watch out for bikes) and captured a few of the rustic sights on this gorgeous day.

Kenneth Volk founded Wild Horse Winery and Vineyards in Paso Robles in 1981. In 2003, he sold Wild Horse to a major corporation and has now founded Kenneth Volk Vineyards at the eastern end of the Santa Maria valley. We're glad he's here! Ken states that his previous experience has allowed him to reinvent himself in the wine industry and concentrate on his family namesake brand: producing "smaller, better and slower" (sound familiar?). His efforts have already paid off with his Kenneth Volk 2005 Chardonnay, Santa Maria Cuvee winning the best-of-show award for whites at the 2007 Santa Barbara County Fair.

A very reasonable $5 tasting fee covered the tasting of 3 whites and 4 reds plus a couple extra reds thrown in for good measure. Our favorites today were the 2004 Chardonnay, Bien Nacido Vineyard; the 2005 Pinot Blanc, Bien Nacido Vineyard; the 2005 Negrette, Caleri Vineyard; the 2004 Claret; and the 2004 Merlot, El Pomar Junction.

The 2005 Pinot Blanc has aromas of caramel, vanilla, butter and toasted oak. We found it paired perfectly with our lunch of fruit and cheese at the picnic table conveniently situated in a flower garden at the front entrance to the winery.

Needless to say, we're looking forward to future vintages from Kenneth Volk Vineyards.

Pismo Beach Classic Car Show

2007-06-17T14:50:00.000-07:00

Once a year, on Father's Day weekend, the town of Pismo Beach is "invaded" by classic cars, car owners and about 100,000 admiring fans.

The beach-side community closes down several streets to make room for the huge assortment of classic cars. The 3-day event features a "cruise night", hundreds of car-related vendors and food booths and this year, the event even drew the Budweiser Clydesdale horses.

Even the world-famous Pismo pier is used to exhibit several of the cars.

This year's Pismo Beach Classic Car Show had over 1200 classic car entries.

Each automobile is a labor of love by the car-owner and the efforts are well appreciated by every one in attendance.

Make sure to mark your calendar now for next year's event!

Foxen Vineyard and Rancho Sisquoc Wine Tasting

2007-05-20T17:02:00.000-07:00

We took a short drive this afternoon down Foxen Canyon Road to do some tasting at a couple wineries which we've been neglecting for awhile.

First stop was the The Foxen Vineyard tasting room. This rustic roadside tasting room exhibits the rural flavor of the Central Coast which we've come to appreciate over the years. Ten dollars per glass provided tasting of 6 varietals and 2 reserves ranging from whites to reds to a reserve desert wine. Our favorites were the 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon (Vogelzang Vineyard) and the desert wine. We went home with the Cabernet and made a note that the desert wine will someday go along well with a fine cigar and/or some great dark chocolate.

Another mile or so north on Foxen Canyon Road took us to the long "driveway" into the Rancho Sisquoc Winery. It had been way too long since we'd visited and today's outing was yet another reminder that we need to come here much more often. The tasting room is situated next to a beautiful lawn with picnic tables and umbrellas..eagerly awaiting our picnic lunch which we had brought along. Today, Rancho Sisquoc charged six dollars for a tasting of their 11 varietals: quite a bargain. The sampling began with their 2005 Chardonnay and continued with: 2006 Sauvignon Blanc, 2006 Sylvaner, 2006 Riesling, 2005 Pinot Noir, 2005 Sisqouc River Red (Cab Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangiovese, Syrah & Malbec blend), 2004 Tre Vini (Sangiovesse, Cab Sauvigon, Merlot), 2004 Reserve Merlot, 2004 Cabernet sauvigon Sauvignon, 2004 Syrah and 2004 Cellar Select Meritage (Cab Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Pt. Verdot and Cab Franc). Wow! We picked up some Sauvignon Blanc, some Sylvaner and some Cellar Select Meritage. We also joined the wine club. I guess we were impressed.

The Sylvaner was a perfect match for Ann's homemade chunky chicken/pineapple-on-pita bread sandwiches with apples and cheese: enjoyed on the lawn with a magnificent view of the Sisquoc river valley and vineyards in the distance.

I couldn't help but think about how blessed and lucky we are to be able to live in this beautiful little corner of the world!

Pacific Coast Railroad Roundup

2007-05-06T19:07:00.000-07:00

We attended the 3rd annual Pacific Coast Railroad Roundup which was held at Rancho Santa Margarita this weekend. The RR Roundup is a fundraiser for the San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum. Each year, on the first weekend of May, the ranch fires up its steam locomotives and opens its gates for the general public to ride the rails around the rancho.

The Pacific Coast Railroad is a narrow gauge (36") railroad which runs on nearly 2 miles of track on the privately owned Rancho Santa Margarita just north of San Luis Obispo. Currently, the railroad has three operating steam locomotives: a 1922 Vucan 2-4-0 (which was featured in the TV show "Dr Quinn: Medicine Woman), an 1897 Porter 2-6-2 and a replica 1860s 4-4-0 built by a Walt Disney imagineer in 1968. Also included in the stable are four passenger coaches which were built by Walt Disney Studios in 1955 and ran on the Disneyland railroad from opening day until they were retired in the mid-1960's. I'm sure that I had the pleasure of riding in these coaches when I was a youngster visiting Disneyland! There's also a large collection of miscellaneous rolling stock which includes cabooses, business cars, wood-sided freight cars and flat cars. The railroad crosses two bridges and climbs and descends a modest grade between the two passenger stations.

The ranch's barn is built over and encloses a structure known as the Asistencia. The Asistencia was built about 1775 by local Chumash Indians and served as a place of worship when padres from the Mission San Luis Obispo came to visit the rancho. This weekend, the barn and Asistencia served as host to several vendors offering everything from model trains to original railroad art to t-shirts to locally brewed beer and rustic birdhouses (not sure what the birdhouses have to do with trains, but they were pretty cool to look at).

In the main event area, smaller trains were set up and running for the enjoyment of the small kids. Big kids were treated to an impressive display of early model Ford coupes and trucks. There was also a huge exhibit of operating steam engines and several antique and operating farm tractors.

We commend and thank the owners of Rancho Santa Margarita for hosting this great event. We were honored to attend this year's Pacific Coast Railroad Roundup and plan on returning again next year. Mark your calendars now: the next Pacific Coast Railroad Roundup will be held May 3rd and 4th 2008!

Central Coast Greenhouse Growers

2007-04-28T18:31:00.000-07:00

The Nipomo Mesa is home to quite a few wholesale nurseries and commercial greenhouse growers. Nipomo's mild climate, relatively inexpensive acreage and close proximity to US Highway 101 provide the perfect environment for greenhouse grower operations. Once a year the Central Coast Greenhouse Growers Association members open their doors to the general public for free tours and retail sales. A portion of the proceeds from all plant sales on the day of the open house go to benefit local agriculture students through scholarships. Visitors are able to tour greenhouses, view floral displays, purchase products and learn plant care and handling practices. Also, the Nipomo Rotary club throws a Santa Maria Style Barbecue complete with tri-tip sandwiches, chips and soda for a very reasonable fee.

This year we hit the open house trail with a short list of must-have perennials. There were 13 growers participating in this year's open house. Of course, as we ventured from grower to grower, our "short" list grew as we stumbled upon bargain after bargain which we just couldn't pass up. We almost had to run home for another pickup truck but we did manage to squeeze all our new "buds" into our existing vehicle.

Here's the list of this year's participants: Hesse Horticulture, Ball Floraplant, Ball Tagawa Growers, Eufloria Flowers, Excel Roses, Pacific Sun Growers, Koch California LTD, Ocean Breeze, Seaglass Nursery, All Seasons Flowers, Clearwater Nursery, Greenheart Farms and Native Sons Wholesale Nursery.

Central Coast Bike Adventures

2007-04-14T16:31:00.000-07:00

If you're a cyclist, you may want to bring your wheels along when you visit the Central Coast. We've got plenty of scenic back roads offering everything from challenging hills to easy and flat tours. The Central Coast hosts several world-class bike teams every Spring when they train here in preparation for their upcoming competitions. In addition, the Amgen Tour of California has passed through the Central Coast each year so our roads and hospitality are becoming well known amongst cyclists world-wide.

Rick Sweet's Central Coast Cycling website is a handy resouce for bicycling around the Santa Maria valley. Rick's site provides info on local rides, routes with elevation plots and topographic maps, lots of photos, a comprehensive event calendar, bike shop pit stops, and several road, mountain and pleasure rides.

We also stumbled upon another site the other day which combines the technology of Google maps with some very creative programming. You can design your own bike route on the Velo Routes website simply by inputting the geographical area you're interested in and then clicking away on the resulting Google map to plot your course. The site will track in your choice of miles or kilometers and provide an elevation chart for the resulting route. Of course, the site is pretty handy for runners, hikers and walkers too! Here's a link which will take you directly to a map of the Santa Maria region.

Silver Strand Beach

2007-03-11T15:39:00.000-07:00

Silver Strand Beach just barely falls within the geographical limits of what we consider California's Central Coast AND it's about a 2 hour drive south of Santa Maria AND it's nearly within the urban expanse known as Los Angeles. BUT - Silver Strand Beach is a great getaway which we've been visiting for several years now.

Silver Strand Beach is a one-mile-long by one-quarter mile wide slice of shoreline and homes along the western edge of Oxnard; bordered by Channel Islands Harbor (think fishermen, sailboats and million-dollar yachts) on the north and Port Hueneme (think Navy SeaBees and commercial freighting port) on the south and east.

Silver Strand is well known among surfers for it's great winter swells and is the birthplace of several hard-core punk bands during the mid-80's. The beach community itself is extremely close-knit but friendly and ranges from year-round locals to vacation homeowners to folks who just need to escape the hustle of the big city and/or have retired into the laid-back lifestyle.

On our visit this weekend, we we're fortunate enough to have met Tillman the Skateboarding Bulldog. Tillman is the sweetest, friendliest bulldog you could ever hope to meet. He loves grownups and kids and other dogs and he loves to say hello. He also loves to play. Tillman's idea of play is a little different from most dogs'. You see, in the laid-back Silver Strand Beach lifestyle; Tillman grabs his skateboard when he wants to play. You may have seen Tillman's video on YouTube or you may have seen Tillman in Apple's iPhone ad. Either way, Tillman's got his own website...check it out.

Here's a Tillman update: Tillman the Skateboarding Bulldog now has another talent. Presenting Tillman the Skimboarding Bulldog.

For more about Silver Strand Beach, check out this Wikepedia entry. It's pretty accurate.

For cheap eats - we highly recommend Pepe's for their outstanding Mexican takeout (try any one of their huge burritos or the fish tacos).

Another popular spot is the Jetty Surf Cafe (right across the street from Pepe's). The Jetty Surf Cafe serves up an awesome breakfast or lunch (and during the Summer is also open for dinner on Fridays and Saturdays). We often enjoy the Hawaiian French Toast for breakfast (3 slices of Kings Hawaiian sweet bread rolled in crushed corn flakes and almonds; served with sliced bananas, powdered sugar and cinnamon). There's also a huge selection of eggs, omelets, scrambles and breakfast burritos. Lunch is served from 11AM to 3PM Mondays thru Fridays and from 12PM to 3PM Saturdays & Sundays. The lunch menu ranges from a Sourdough Swiss Avocado Bacon Cheeseburger to Grilled Ahi Tacos to a Hawaiian Style Plate Lunch to Philly Cheese Steaks to Subs and Salads.

Oso Flaco Lake

2007-02-17T19:00:00.000-08:00

Today was unseasonably warm for mid-February on the Central Coast. There was virtually no wind and temperatures were expected to reach the mid-80's at the beach so that's where we headed!

Just a couple miles north of Guadalupe is the turn off to Oso Flaco Lake. Drive west for 3 miles through productive farmland and the road ends at the Oso Flaco Lake parking lot. From here the hiking trail begins under a lush canopy of trees favored by birds and butterflys and other little critters.

Soon you'll be able to glimpse Little Oso Flaco Lake to the north and the much larger Oso Flaco Lake to the south. Here the trail turns into a boardwalk which actually crosses Oso Flaco Lake and heads for about a mile all the way to the beach.

When you reach the beach, you'll be rewarded with one of the most stunning views you could possibly imagine. Miles and miles of uninhabited shoreline stretch in either direction.

We love to walk south, cross Oso Flaco creek and go all the way to the Santa Maria river before turning around and coming back. Take plenty of water and pack a lunch if you'd like ... you really can spend most of the day out here.

There are thousands of acres to explore amongst these dunes and this section of beautiful California Central Coast shoreline.

Santa Ynez Valley Historical Museum

2007-01-06T17:51:00.000-08:00

Since we had never been to the Santa Ynez Valley Historical Museum, we took advantage of a sunny and mild January afternoon and headed for some historical enlightenment and then a great lunch.

A reasonable $4.00 fee per person will get you inside the museum. There are plenty of American Indian pottery, baskets, bowls and many other Western artifacts. In fact, the Western Room has an impressive display of spurs, bits, bridles and saddles. Another room is set up similar to an early western Rancho house complete with kitchen, bedroom and living areas and all the furnishings and utensils the early settlers used.

Yet another room has an impressive display depicting the early store fronts of Buellton, Solvang, Santa Ynez, Ballard and Los Olivos. In the same room is currently a display of the early Central Coast railroads. Some local rail buffs constructed a model railroad based upon the routes of the Pacific Coast Railway (which ran from San Luis Obispo to Los Olivos) and the Southern Pacific. The model railroad is viewer inter-active and even depicts the Los Olivos Mattei tavern and depot in intricate detail. If you are a map freak like myself, do not miss the map of the Pacific Coast Railway - complete with mile markers and depot points. The railway display is currently scheduled to run thru April 2007 but in our opinion, this display is far too great to be dismantled. We are hoping the museum converts it over to permanent status!

The Parks-Janeway Carriage House is yet another structure on the museum grounds. There must be about thirty to forty carriages, buggys, stagecoaches and wagons housed and available for viewing. There are even original tourist coaches from both Yosemite and Yellowstone National Parks.

Next, we stepped down the street to the Vineyard House Restaurant for lunch. We had our choice of seating - either inside or out. Since it was a pleasant day outside, we chose a corner table on one of the cozy patio/deck areas. Our table provided us with a picturesque view of the foothills surrounding Santa Ynez. Very nice. We chose a couple gourmet-quality sandwiches from the wide selection of delicious menu items. Sweetie had the Grilled Chicken-Brie Sandwich (with sliced green apples, bacon, tomato, lettuce, red onion and mayo on toasted sourdough) along with a side of pasta salad. I chose the Grilled Veggie Sandwich (with zucchini, eggplant, onion, oven-dried tomato, red peppers and brie cheese on sourdough) along with a side of their delicious fries. A couple glasses of 2006 Brander Sauvignon Blanc (one of our favorites) complemented our meals perfectly. We topped off our lunch with the special Vineyard House homemade bread pudding dessert and coffee. Wow, life does not get much better than this!