From Paso Robles to Monterey
First return trip into the wild. It had been so long, but it was like riding a bike. Well, riding a bike with a mask on, a few more precautions, and a bit of extra patience checking into hotels…
We finally felt confident enough to get back out there. We had been planning our August trip for a while and crossing our fingers.
This seemed to be a relatively safe adventure. So we packed the car with camera gear, clothes, snacks, hand sanitizer, and facemasks and headed back into the wild.
Okay…it wasn’t all wild. Lots of it was wine tasting, but it was 15 days outside of not just our house, but our state.
Here is our extended version of Day 1 of our adventure!
Day 1 Leaving Las Vegas
Day 1 began as we left Las Vegas to start our 15-day adventure across 3 states and over 15 AVAs. But today, was just about tasting some wine and getting to the coast.
Before returning home, we would put 3,400 miles on the car and taste wines from at least 55 different wineries!
We were up and out early as the sun was rising. There were clouds in the distance as we headed down past the strip, and Vegas wished us well on our trip with a couple of rare rainbows.
We were off through the desert to Paso Robles. It was a cloudy morning, with rain at times. Sound terrible? It wasn’t. The rain saturated the soil and made the colors more vivid and the clouds allowed the sun to sneak through making for some dramatic desert scenery.
Vegas to Paso Robles and Lone Madrone
We passed through the Mojave Wind Farm in the Tehachapi Pass, and traveled through the rolling hills that look like they are draped in suede that lead you into Bakersfield.
After a brief stop at the Square in downtown Paso Robles, we headed into the western mountains on the winding Adelaida Road.
Lunch found us at Lone Madrone’s Tasting room with a table outside with a view and a delicious cheese plate to taste through these wines by Neil Collins (winemaker at Tablas Creek) and his son Jordan. Oh…and some of their hard ciders also. (I promise you details in full in another post!)
The Pacific Coast Highway and Monterey
After lunch we drove to the coast, picking up Hwy 1, the Pacific Coast Highway in Cambria. With windows down, we soaked in the salt air arriving in Monterey in time for dinner.
Fish and chips and beer on a patio at Old Fisherman’s Wharf with sunset over the boats…yeah, that’ll do for a great end to Day 1.
But that’s just day one. We have 2 states, 14 days, and miles to go! More adventure to come!
Want the whole story? You can check out our Trip Overview here!
Robin Renken is a wine writer and Certified Specialist of Wine. She and her husband Michael travel to wine regions interviewing vineyard owners and winemakers and learning the stories behind the glass.
When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.
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