With Thanksgiving almost a week ago, we finally returned home from our mini trip up the coast. While meeting up with our family in Paso Robles and hitting a few of our favorite wineries in Central California, we made sure to hit a few of personal favorite towns along the coast as well. Here’s a look back at our recent Thanksgiving and personal travels. Enjoy!

Once we got to Paso Robles we ate, drank, and ate some more. Tucked away in the back of the wine country there is a nice house we stayed at the bottom of Croad Vineyards. Quiet morning walks with the nieces and nephews were a daily routine followed by a few wineries during the afternoon. Here’s a look at a few of the best wineries in Paso Robles we hit.

Austin Hope: Hands down some of the best wine in Paso, with a recent release of Cabernet Sauvignon it was great to sip and relax while looking over the colors of the gently sloping hillside. Highly recommend checking this winery out when visiting the area. 

Tooth & Nail: 50 cent wing Wednesday? You’ve got us sold. Not only were the wings and the wine amazing but also the atmosphere was so different. Once you walk up to the castle, yes castle, there is a moat that surrounds the exterior of the property and you pass over a bridge while making your way inside. Old furnishings and dark, moody artwork by Edward Wilcox surround the interior making its way up the spiral staircase. They also host plenty of weddings at their property which we took notice of, if you are looking for a unique wedding venue this is definitely a place to look into.

Herman’s Story: We fell in love with this place last time we were up here, they do not have a huge winery with grapes or property, Herman’s story is tucked away in a small industrial space near down town Paso Robles and produces some of the best wine. Accompanied with some of the nicest staff to pour and educate you on the wines we always feel well taken care of when visiting. Shootout to Larry, you’re the man!

 Parish Winery: Some of the most epic views with a huge open floor plan concept on the top level overlooking the hills. Large open windows showcase the property, and modern features make you feel like you are visiting a state of the art brand new home. We were helped to the lower seating area and had the entire room to ourselves to sit 18 of us while being personally greeted by the owner. What an experience.  

 Opolo: Another standout location in Paso we always make sure to hit. Award winning wine, brick oven pizza, and a distillery with spirits and liquor what’s not to love about Opolo? If you are looking for the best winery in Paso Robles, make sure to stop by this winery.

Of course no stop to Paso would be complete without a visit to Firestone Walker Brewery. A staple brewery in California, this was our first time visiting. It was nice to try different beers they had on tap outside of 805 and went with the tasters to try as many draft selections as possible.

…& Now we eat

After a few days of hanging out with family and enjoying time in Paso, we hit the 101 to explore a few beaches on the drive back home. After stopping in Pismo and wandering around, we decided to grab lunch in Santa Barbara, a place we stayed at about 8 years ago on one of our first vacations. Upon parking, we immideatly looked at each other and both said, “Want to spend the night?” With the quickest decision we have made together, we headed to the first brewery we found, grabbed a drink and pulled up hotels tonight. Here’s a look at our time in Santa Barbara!

Last, but not least… no trip up and down the coast is complete without a stop at In N Out.