Happy Halloween...

BOO!

Halloween Eve...

...soup and salad dinner for four with dear friends. Loving the colors of autumn on the dining room table!

Halloween Costumes...

Sophia is Jessie from Toy Story, and the boys are Milk and Chocolate Chip cookies. Tooooo cute!

An October lunch out with Heather and the kids...

Heather and the gang met us for lunch on the patio at Mimi's this afternoon! It had been a while, and we were so glad to see them all.

Say Cheese, Joshua...

Pumpkins as far as the eye could see...

Even big people like us need pumpkins! Today's quickie outing was our first visit to Tanaka Farms, a thirty acre working farm in nearby Irvine, that outdoes itself when it comes to pumpkin time. (We understand the same applies for strawberry and watermelon seasons!) Today, one of the first reasonably dry days in over a week, really brought out the crowds. The place was jammed with people of all ages, all scouting out their perfect pumpkin. In just the U-Pick pumpkin area the available activities included a wagon ride, a pumpkin cannon, and a track for people powered (pedaled) ATVs! There was also a corn maze and a U-Pick Veggie patch. In another area of the farm there is a petting zoo and a year-round Produce stand open seven days a week.

Just another one of those places we've been saying we had to check out for a l-o-n-g time. Finally made it, and, no doubt, we'll go back!

Pumpkin patch kids...

Great new pictures from Heather of their recent family outing to an enormous pumpkin patch at Cal Poly Pomona.

Fall Fest at the LA Farmers Market and The Grove...

Our monthly magazine from the Auto Club has become a great source for mini-adventures. Neither of us had been to the Farmers Market in LA in years. A celebration of Fall there sounded like fun! Overcast skies kept the temperature comfortable - a bonus when milling around with lots and lots of people! Quite unlike the street fest we visited a week ago, the LA Farmers Market is open daily, with permanent vendors including not just produce, but also meat and fish markets, bakeries, candy and nut stores, gift and trinket shops and countless restaurants, many of them ethnic. While there is a roof over much of the Market, there is still an airiness, especially in two courtyards filled with tables for shoppers to enjoy a meal or just rest.

We wandered the aisles, and enjoyed sandwiches from a favorite spot of Larry's. It was becoming obvious that not much of the Fest was happening in the Market proper. So we moved on out to the open-air mega gathering of high-end and eclectic stores, the Grove. There, lining one street we found a number of kid-friendly craft and entertainment areas (including the petting zoo, with the wallaby in his own protected enclosure). There were a few "day" vendors, as well - we brought home packages of "artisan" flavored, dried pastas to sample from one such stand. And, there was the requisite small pumpkin patch.

Before leaving, we stopped at a bakery in the Market and brought home a carrot cake and a pumpkin loaf, both very yummy. It was another nice reminder that there are so many great things to see and do, if not in our own backyard, than just an hour's drive away!

Only in West Hollywood...

Heading back to the freeway, we passed this flower shop on Santa Monica Boulevard. What a gorgeous sight it was, with the walls completely covered in, what we suspect, was creeping fig!

Third time is a charm...

We've been trying to make a fall trip to San Luis Obispo since 2008... Last Wednesday, we finally got on the road!

A heck of a way to start a vacation...

This is what we drove through almost the entire way from Costa Mesa to San Luis Obispo! It didn't seem like a particularly smart way to start a get-away, but we were trusting the "weather guessers" that the clouds would be rolling on that night. We arrived in at our hotel in SLO around three in the afternoon, and gratefully, the precipitation was little more than a drizzle while we unpacked the car of ourselves, our stuff and the dogs. While the Best Western there IS dog-friendly, they do not allow pets to be left in the room alone. We were thrilled to find a booklet filled with local restaurants that delivered. Once we were settled in, we ordered up Italian, turned on the TV and rested for the busy days ahead.

The first sunshine we'd seen in many days...

A most welcome sight from our from our hotel window Thursday morning was the sun rising. The Best Western Royal Oaks, our four night home away from home looked much friendlier that day with clearing skies and no rain.

Apple Farm Millhouse...

Over two years ago, when this trip was first discussed, we ordered a visitors guide from the SLO Chamber of Commerce. (In retrospect, it's doubtful we would have found many, many of the wonderful sights we saw without it.) One of the points of interest listed in the book was the Apple Farm Millhouse, a sprawling hotel, restaurant, gift shop complex, with a replica of a turn-of-the-century working grist mill. It sounded like something we had to check out! Since it was on the far opposite side of town from our hotel, we headed there first, and weren't disappointed. It would be charming any time of year - so much more so now with three seasons of decorations on display!

Historical downtown SLO...

Driving back from the outskirts of down we saw the first of several restaurants recommended to us as dog-friendly, Splash Cafe, and stopped for a bite of lunch. (We photographed each of these places, a pictorial reminder for future visits!) Again, with the help of our guidebook, we found the Ramona Depot and Dallidate Adobe behind locked gates, sadly seen only by appointment this time of year. We stopped at a small, corner Japanese park with a pagoda in the center. Then it was time to explore Mission Plaza, a place where the community gathers for many events during the year, complete with a small amphitheatre and a footbridge over San Luis Creek that connects the plaza with the shopping district. We found downtown to be beautiful and easy to navigate.

Mission San Luis Obispo...

Located in town, Mission San Luis Obispo.

The hotel on Madonna Road where we didn't stay...

Just up the street from our humble accommodations stands a landmark Central California resort, The Madonna Inn. The hotel opened with just twelve rooms in 1958, built by a man named Alex Madonna. In the fifty years since it has grown to one hundred and ten guest rooms, each with a special theme. Over the years, convention and banquet facilities have been added, as well as a day spa. When Margaret was a travel agent, she frequently sold the property. It was fun to finally drive around the grounds and see what it has become.

With a little internet research, we had found a local pet-sitting service that would come and stay with Sassy and Nica in our room. The girl's new best pal, Randy, arrived to watch over them while we slipped back out and headed into town for the Farmer's Market

The San Luis Obispo Farmers Market...

On Thursday evenings several blocks of one of the town's main streets are blocked off for an amazing combination Farmers Market and Street Fair. The local produce and florals looked incredible. Sadly without adequate storage we weren't able to partake. But, we did have pulled pork sandwiches from one of the food stands that could be found throughout. We sampled (and bought) olive oil from one vendor and a Christmas gift from another. We enjoyed the music performed by a number of street musicians, and Larry drooled (only a little) over the small display of exotic cars there to promote an upcoming event. It was Fire Safety Day in the schools, and the local fire-fighters were out in force that night. And, there were politicians and supporters making their pleas, as well. We spent a couple of hours wandering through the crowds - an experience that we would certainly repeat!

Mission San Miguel Archangel...

We started our exploring on Friday with a thirty some mile drive north to see the Mission in San Miguel. This was number thirteen out of the twenty-one missions in the California system that we hope to eventually visit. There was a funeral going on while were there so we were unable to look inside the sanctuary.

A sign that says it all...

In the parking area at the Mission.

Rios-Caledonia Adobe...

Located across the road from the San Miguel Mission, this adobe was built around 1846 by Petronilo Rios as his residence and the headquarters for his cattle and sheep operation, called Caledonia. In the 1860's, the adobe served as a hotel and stagecoach stop between Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Lunch at Big Bubba's in Paso Robles...

We were so glad that our dog sitter had emailed a list of restaurants with puppy-friendly patios in many of the surrounding towns. Lunch on Friday found us in Paso Robles, eating big "healthy" salads at a place that smelled suspiciously like really great barbeque.

The salads were huge and very good, and the waitress brought out a small pail of ice water and placed it under the table for the pups. That's dog friendly!

Wine Country...

You see vineyards everywhere in the the Central Valley of California, from Santa Barbara northward. We wanted to get at least a taste of the local wine culture as part of this trip. We drove on the grounds of four wineries, all beautiful in their own way, but very diverse - from formal and grand like EOS, to charming like San Marcos Creek and Eberle, to the more rural and rustic Wild Horse.
Touring and tasting have never been part of the equation in our minds, not with our four legged friends along. But, when we arrived at Eberle (with the wild boar logo) we decided to ask if it was possible to do a tasting out on their beautiful covered patio to accommodate us and the dogs. "Are they other dog friendly?", we were asked. "If so, bring them on in to the tasting room. The owner has two standard poodles. Dogs are welcome here." So, in we went. We sampled a few lovely wines, while Sassy and Nica worked their charms on customers and employees alike. (They even got some broken up pieces of the resident dogs' Dog Bone treats.) We left with three bottles of wine and the knowledge of at least one winery we hope to return to some day soon.

Templeton...

To reach the last winery on our list, Wild Horse, we drove through Templeton. We were both immediately taken by this charming, historic town. That it is rooted in the local agriculture is apparent - the Feed and Grain is in the middle of Main Street. But, there was also a sense of whimsy about other businesses on the street. We loved it.

Time for a root beer float...

Our trusty guide book had suggested a side-trip off the 101 to Santa Margarita, "a town with an Old West feel and good antique shops." And for the first (and only) time, we felt that the book had let us down - the place wasn't nearly as atmospheric as we'd expected, and we weren't looking for antiques.



But we decided we were looking for ice cream. We pulled into the Seven Sisters Trading Post, where we discovered a different kind of tasting was possible - root beer! Those floats, made with Cal Maid Ice Cream, tasted fantastic!

Lake Laguna Park...

Less than a block from our hotel was the Laguna Lake City Park. Larry often walked Sassy and Nica to the manicured grass strip at the park's entrance. Before returning to the hotel on Friday we decided to explore further into the park, where we discovered a dog show was being held. Not wanting our little urchins to disrupt the proceedings, we continued past the show area to the back end of the park where we found the greatest views of the lake, and a chihuahua who wanted to play.

It had been a great day, but all four of us were very glad to get back to hotel - Larry and I to get our feet up, and Sassy and Nica to stretch out and take a snooze. Once again, a hot meal delivered to our door was icing on our cake.

Morro Bay State Park

Our route to the coast on Saturday morning took us through picturesque Morro Bay State Park.

Cambria...

Our original plan for Saturday was to travel only as far as Morro Bay. Then we got talking about a one night stay in Cambria some years ago, and how much we'd enjoyed walking on the boardwalk, looking down at a beach strewn with drift wood. Of course we had to go back! After quite some time on the road, we were all ready for a potty break - the beach would have to wait. Relief came in the form of a quaint coffee shop, where we then sat at a street-side cafe table and enjoyed mochas and a shared spiced pumpkin bar. Revived, we wended our way through town and down to Moonstoon Beach, where we enjoyed a short walk on a boardwalk that must go on for miles.

Harmony - Population 18

The village of Harmony sets just off Highway 1, about mid-way between Cambria and Morro Bay. We'd seen it as we drove towards Cambria; on our return south we were just too intrigued to pass by without taking a look. It's as advertised! Though we didn't partake at the restaurant or the winery, we just had to check out the glass-blowing shop - and came home with a refrigerator magnet that says "Harmony - Pop 18" and a lovey blown glass ornament for our Christmas tree. A "local" told us that at one time someone had tried to buy the land that is Harmony. Part of what was necessary to stop the sale was the election of a mayor - a job that went on to be held by a cat! A fascinating little place that we'll, no doubt, visit again.