Paso Robles, located along coastal Highway 101 midway between Los Angeles and
San Francisco (~200 miles south of San Francisco), is known for its hot springs,
its production of olive oil, almond orchards, and its abundance of wineries
(more than 25 different varieties of grapes are grown in the Paso Robles Wine
Country and there are over 250 bonded wineries).
Getting there ...
We decided to have a family gathering for Thanksgiving in Paso Robles this
year since we have not had celebrated Thanksgiving together for a long time.
I also invited my nephew Tim to join us from Los Angels. We began our
drive from the Bay Area at about 8AM to start our Thanksgiving journey.
Monterey Bay was the first stop on our way to Paso Robles.
- Monterey Bay Aquarium
We have been to the aquarium countless times when Linus and Iris were little
kids (we had the aquarium memberships for several years back in 2000's), but
they only have very vague memory about the aquarium. I am always amazed by
the marine life and exhibitions here (Woanyu and I came to visit
aquarium in 2018),
however, it's a good feeling to come back here when the family is all
together.
- Chateau Robles
One of the main reasons I chose Paso Robles for
Thanksgiving gathering was because I found a very cool place,
Chateau Robles, on
airbnb. Chateau Robles is a luxury European style custom home set in
the middle of 40-acre gated property with a beautifully manicured rose
garden, lush lawn and breathtaking views of countryside. A 36
acre working vineyard comprised of Cabernet, Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot
grapes surrounds the home providing beautiful views and a truly unique wine
country experience. I would say this is definitely one of the best
places I have ever stayed especially for a family reunion.
- Bianchi Winery
The Bianchi
Winery is the culmination of three generations’ dreams of creating wine in
Central California. The Tasting Room in Paso Robles is situated in the heart
of the vineyard, with ample views of the unsurpassed beauty, a koi stocked
lake, patio, and exquisite indoor seating area. The most convenient
part is it is actually right next to Chateau Robles!
After 5 glasses of wines (the amount the wine tasting was
really large compare to other places), we all felt a little bit of dizziness.
and we all needed to go back to take a break before going out for dinner in Paso
Robles downtown.
Day 2 (11/24) ...
- Sunrise
It's really a beautiful vineyard setting with rolling hills
and rural atmosphere. Only Tim and I (the early birds) enjoyed the
cool morning together.
- Chateau Robles
After a relaxed breakfast and some photos around the
beautiful backyards, the main mission this morning was go grocery shopping
to prepare for our Thanksgiving dinner (we also needed a HDMI cable...).
- Thanksgiving!!!
After a delicious corn soup pasta lunch, we played
video games (Mario Kart on Switch, thanks to the new HDMI cable), watched a
football game (Cowboys vs. Giants), played more Mario Karts, prepared
Thanksgiving dinner (steak and salmon, no turkey), enjoyed
Thanksgiving dinner and wine, and played more video games....
Day 3 (11/25) ...
- Sunrise
Another beautiful sunrise.
- Hearst Castle
Hearst Castle
was built in 1919 by WR Hearst (1863-1951), creator of the largest
publishing empire the world had ever known (at it's peak in 1935, he
controlled 26 newspapers, 13 magazines, 8 radio stations, 2 news services,
and a film company), and Julia Morgan, a famed San Francisco architect and
the first woman to graduate from Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris. By 1947,
Hearst and Morgan had created an estate of 165 rooms and 127 acres of
gardens, terraces, pools, and walkways. The castle is full of Hearst's
European and Mediterranean art collection. Hearst Castle was donated to the
people of the State of California in 1957 and became a State Historic
Monument.
We have been to the Hearst Castle several times before (2001
and 2010).
This time I booked a different tour (Upstairs
Suites Tour) to see different parts of the estate.
- Chateau Robles
After a nice lunch at a beach front restaurant in
Cambria (we saw the ad in the shuttle bus at Hearst Castle), we went back to
Chateau Robles to have a relaxed afternoon break.
- Sensorio
Light at
Sensorio features two installations by internationally acclaimed artist
Bruce Munro: Field of Light is a multi-acre walk-through experience with
more than 100,000 stemmed spheres lit by fiber optics, gently illuminating
the landscape in subtle blooms of morphing color that describe the
undulating landscape; Light Towers celebrates Paso Robles’ extensive
wine country environs, featuring 69 towers composed of more than 17,000 wine
bottles, illuminated with glowing optic fibers. It was an awesome
after-dark experience.
Day 4 (11/26) ...
Going Home ...
After another leisured morning, it's time to pack and clean up the beautiful
Chateau Robles to prepare our way back home. This was the first time our
whole family was together (Linus+Miriam and Iris+Henry), and also Tim's first
Thanksgiving in US. I was glad that we could spend time together in such a
beautiful place and enjoyed the surrounding attractions, and had fond memories
of our Thanksgiving holidays.
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