26 May: After a wonderful few days exploring some of the highlights of California’s central coast, we decided that it was time to head to California wine country. Our first stop was Paso Robles. True to form, we had no reservations. We decided to stop at the southern edge of the wine region in Atascadero. We hit paydirt at Springhill Suites. We had a wonderful suite with all the comforts of home: sleeping area with very comfortable beds, separate sitting area, refrigerator, microwave, and coffee maker. The hotel grounds are like a mini oasis. The back patio has a pool, a corn hole game, lovely flowers and shrubbery, and comfy seats both in the sun and shade. The only downside to this place is the very slow internet which is why we are again late in posting our travels.

After checking in (early), we decided to experience a Paso Robles wine. We found a family run winery, Bella Luna, in Templeton. It was founded by 2 childhood friends who reunited after many years of going their separate ways. Their children are now very involved in all aspects of the winery. The wines were WONDERFUL, and the setting is equally terrific. The vineyards are surrounded by gently rolling hills. (Alas, we were too busy enjoying ourselves to take any pictures.) The original owners are Vietnam veterans and 2 of the wines are aptly named: Rotor Head Red and Fighter Pilot Red. A portion of the purchase of those 2 wines goes to support the Tailhook Education Foundation. It seemed like an appropriate place to be wine tasting on Memorial Day. We topped off the day with a lovely dinner in the hotel dining room.

27 May: Wine tasting in Paso Robles didn’t go according to plan. Our first 2 choices (recommended by our daughter) were full. That turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Continuing down the road, we stumbled onto a small family winery _ Whalebone Winery. (They actually found whale bones while prepping the soil for the vineyards.) The setting was as wonderful as the wine. Since the tasting included 9 different wines, we decided to share the tasting. Our server was as much fun as the wine descriptions. Sadly, we didn’t copy the descriptions. We enjoyed the WOW – Women of Whalebone (a Rose),  Bob Wine (a blend with 74% Estate Cabernet Sauvignon) and Son of Bob Wine (a blend with 85% Merlot). I’m partial to Merlot and Peggy’s partial to Cabernet. Zinagain was another of our favorites. After adding to our supply of wine, we headed back to our hotel, had dinner, and retired for the night to rest up before continuing our adventures.