Paso Robles – Cava Robles RV Resort – October 2019
We finished off our second camping season with a 5 day trip to Paso Robles. Neither of us had spent any time there and we had heard good things.
The beauty of a Teardrop is it allows us to be hybrid campers where we can experience all types of camping from roughing it with tent campers in the mountains with pit toilets to staying in the high end RV resorts close to urban locations. We really enjoy both and the experiences are very different. For this trip our main goal was wine tasting and paying a visit to Justin’s daughter who recently started her freshmen year at Cal Poly. After some research we decided on Cava Robles RV resort because of its proximity to town.
After checking in and dropping “Edie” off at the resort among the huge motorhomes we headed to happy hour at Fish Gaucho. We were blown away with the short rib tacos! The margaritas were great too. I had the Strawberry Basil and Justin had the Fire Smoke And Blood, both were absolutely delicious . They have a nice covered patio where they allowed us to bring Sato.
After our long drive we decided to hang out at the resort bar/pool/clubhouse that evening. They have a full bar with some nice local wines. It’s a beautiful outdoor space with plenty of large comfy chairs and sofas with an adjoining pool and lots of games to keep the whole family happy. From corn hole to a life size chessboard to a high end billiards table with outdoor fire pits. For dinner we ordered a pizza from the outdoor pizza oven instead of camp cooking.
The next morning we drove the 6 min drive into downtown Paso and had coffee at Spearhead. The line was looooong….but it’s the only Mom and Pop coffee shop in town and Locals LOVE it! The town was buzzing with activity. We learned it was Pioneer Day and stuck around for the annual parade. It was cool to see all the vintage farming equipment and feel the community spirit of this adorable town.
After reading a wine spectator article and recommendations from friends we headed out for a day of wine tasting!
We started at Niner Vineyards and enjoyed the 2016 white reserve and the view of Heart Hill.
Castoro Cellars was next up, this one is more causal and less expensive and allowed Sato in the tasting room. We had a great time with the gal pouring there and left with the Charbobo. Castoro has an 18 hole disc golf course which we want to play on our next visit.
We couldn’t miss Justin Vineyard. We sat outside and decided to do the chocolate / wine pairing for a different tasting experience. The wines didn’t blow us away but we did enjoy our favorite cabernets and the pretty setting with a big lawn and corn hole boards.
The absolute highlight of the day was Daou Vineyards, it’s high up on the hill with spectacular views and such a lovely restaurant / tasting room with outdoor tables and pathways to explore the property. We ordered the charcuterie plate which was pretty spectacular and we loved all of the wine in the flight. This one is pricey and requires a reservation but worth it!
We finished up at Le Cuvier which specializes in French wine. It’s a small vineyard and tasting room that pairs small bites with the wine, the Petit Verdot was our favorite there, they also feature a white wine that drinks like a red which was very good.
Dinner at camp that evening was Cajun Chicken Thigh Cornbread Pie. So so good! See recipe in camp cooking section. I made most of it ahead and finished off in the Dutch oven which makes it a great camp option.
The next morning we made Hash Brown -Crusted Goat Cheese Quiche from the Dutch Oven Cookbook..
Being so close to the coast we decided to take Sato and walk along the beach. Avila Beach has an off leash section at the very end where dogs can run free.
The town has some novelty shops and a few restaurants we want to check out next year. For lunch we picked up Justin’s daughter and headed into San Luis Obispo. This is definitely a town to check out. You could spend quite a few hours meandering into the shops and there are quite a few good restaurants. We ate at Novo Restaurant and Lounge at an outdoor table overlooking the creek that welcomed dogs. The food was excellent!
Our last night we went back into Paso for dinner at Hatch. What a great experience. We sat at the bar and had such a fun time with the bartender and other wait staff as well as everyone else sitting at the bar. It’s a very easy, relaxed environment with the best fried chicken we’ve ever had! The chicken is their Monday night special but everything else looked amazing too.
This was such a great trip we’ve decided it might become our annual October trip. There are countless wineries to visit and lots of events and festivals that will keep us coming back for years.