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| coffee shop at our hotel, a little slice of the past |
although separated by a 6 hour drive, my dearest friend becky and i always make an effort to get together. we now have families and the visits although once consistent, lately have gotten fewer and further between. between the 7 of us, a lot of schedules need to come together to make it work. about a month ago, becky suggested neither of us drive the full 6 hours, but we pick a halfway-point AND leave the others behind, for a 24-hour mama getaway! i jumped on it and after a couple emails back and fourth we settled on a date, a location and a hotel to rendezvous.
since i was as young as i can remember, our family drove up to the bay area at least twice a year to visit family. the 101 has never been a foreign road to any of us. we always had a routine - places we would stop along the way, good bathrooms, good food, good stretching, to break up the drive. there were some locations, we would simply just pass through. until a couple of years ago the only time we stopped in paso robles was to get gas on the way to lake nacimiento or to eat something yummy at a&w.
two years ago and four hours into our drive, while returning from my northern california baby shower, my sister, mom and i stopped in paso for a quick bite. we stumbled on the cutest grassy town square, surrounded by brick buildings built in the 1800's, quaint boutiques and a plethora of eateries. our quick bite, turned into a couple hours, as we walked, shopped and soaked up this little central coast gem. sometimes you don't need to go half way around the world to enjoy a vacation that meets all your needs. paso sounded like the perfect spot for becky and i to meet.
the town has been revitalized. not something you see much of these days, new shops, opening, old shops continuing and a young energy that's mixed with old. all working together. it's so refreshing and hopeful in an economy that has been in rut for some time. becky and i walked along the square, popped in wine shops, gazed at the art galleries and picked up a few handmade items at the etsy-ish boutiques. the food we ate morning, noon and night, exceeded all our expectations and could have been served in any city known for culinary excellence. i encourage everyone to see what paso robles has to offer and maybe stay a while.
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| paso robles town square, with brick library in the center of the park |
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| so fun to be reminded of how fun they once were |
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| gelato in unique flavors like dark chocolate with orange zest and honey lavendar |
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| the ambiance at our delicious restaurant of choice, robert's |
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| mama's becky and jessica on the 24 hour escape |
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| artichoke heart stuffed with cream cheese, green onions and chipotle remoulade |
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| macadamia nut crusted halibut, papaya-coconut butter and broccoli |
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| dessert: warm cookie bar with vanilla ice cream |
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| our departure breakfast at a classic paso eatery, the cowgirl cafe |
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| the beauty of this coastal drive alone is worth the trip |
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