kimamom

We had a wonderful time in Cambria earliler this week. It was so windy, tho! Over 40mph winds. Hold on to your hat! LOL

We began our trip through Paso Robles and stopped at the EOS to pick up our wine from the wine club. I'm a big fan of their sweet wines, Moscato and the Muscat Cannali and also they make a very nice Sauvignon Blanc.

Then to Cambria. We had planned to stop at the Bistro Sole for lunch, but there was road work and wet tar on that side of the street, so I didn't mind a drive down to Moonstone Beach for lunch at the Moonstone Bar & Grill. (Food reports are on Chowhound.com) They have remodeled and this place is really nice inside now.

We then headed down to the beach and hiked over a mile to the cove where the wind was blocked. Ah, heaven! We spent a few hours down by the tide pools watching the seals swim in the surf, reading and combing the beach for Moonstones. The time just passes so quickly here and it was nice to not be on a tight schedule for a few hours.

We then headed to town and did some wine tasting at a new wine shop in town. They have also opened a new restaurant called Madelaine's. We'll have to see how it does. It's in the space where Sergio's restaurant used to be.

More shopping, picked up a beautiful hand painted beach tote from the Wearable Images store in town and then to the Sow's Ear for my birthday dinner. Wonderful as always and a food report is on Chowhound.com of this special gem in Cambria. Even on a week night, the place was full by 6:00p.m.

After dinner we stopped by Linn's fruit bin and stocked up on their chicken pot pies and some bakery treats. They make a very yummy chocolate eclair for you sweet lovers.

The plan was to stay at the FogCatcher for the night, but duties schedules with work could not be cancelled for the next day, so this was a birth-DAY trip.

It was a wonderful way to spend a birthday relaxing and enjoying this beautiful coastal gem on the Central Coast. ***kim***

KathyM

What is this "wine club" thing? Love good wine & will be going though this area. Also, planning to stay in Cambria-- what is the new "wine shop" in town. BTY-- sounds like a wonderful way to spend a birthday! Happy Birthday!

kimamom

More info about the wine club can be found at www.eosvintage.com We are in the quarterly membership.

As far as the wine shop, I honestly can't remember the name of it. I took a to go menu from Madelaine's and misplaced it when I cleaned the car out. It's right next door to Wearable Images.

The pourer was very chatty and BIG on selling his wines. He told me that since it was my birthday, I didn't have to pay a tasting fee or buy anything. A bit pushy, but still nice. He had a very nice Pinot Noir out that day that I really liked.

If you're interested in the wine tasting, go to Fermentations. You can taste six wines there for a small fee and keep the glass. Also great sauces and dips to sample. ***kim***

razzledazzle

Oh Kim! Those wine clubs are dangerous!

We belong to 3 and always have hugs and kisses for the FedEx driver

Sounds like you had a great B'day!
R5

kimamom

I wish ours was delivered! We signed up to pick it up ourselves, since we frequent Cambria so much. We had four bottles waiting for us and will get two more next month.

I'm hoping for the Viognier to be in the next batch. You never know what you're going to get, which is kind of fun. We signed up for the red & white mix, but next time I think we'll sign up for the Reserve stuff. We'll save around $60 picking it up ourselves and I figure it's good for a day or two in Cambria! ***kim*** I begged them to tell me what we might get next month, but I couldn't get anything out of her. LOL

sgbslo

Kim next time you're in the area you might want to go a little further south and try Alapay Cellars in Avila Beach-they have a great Viogner. Another one you might enjoy is Claiborne and Churchill in the Edna Valley, they specialize in Alsatian-style wines.
I'm also in the EOS wine club and way too many others! But we always have some wine on hand.

winerycat

You had quite a day. So, did you enjoy Muscat Canelli and cheese on the beach? LOL! Hope you thought about it anyway and had a good chuckle.

Too bad you had to rush away so soon, tho. You had asked about Pelican Suites earlier--we stopped there on our last trip, which was September 11, THE 9/11, looking for big discounts on full ocean view suites. The whole place was freshly decorated--quite sophisticated. The room they showed us had a 2nd story balcony overlooking the ocean, fireplace, canopy bed, very beautiful furnishings, but they wouldn't take a discount, citing they were a 4-star, and this was the best room in the house. Around $365 then. We didn't take it, getting a much better deal elsewhere we liked more, but I'd stay if the price was right. As you know, they are discounting now, so the price has come down a lot. It was blustery on our trip too and while the ocean view balcony was pretty, it was too cold to enjoy being on for very long, another reason we turned it down.

Did you happen to see the new Moonstone Cottages-by-the-Sea? Three cottages nestled in a grove of trees on Moonstone Drive. They weren't finished when we were there but they look pretty on the website. They must be owned by Blue Whale, as BW's handling their reservations.

Your meals sounded good--next time I gotta try Black Cat and Sole Bistros, instead of the usual Robin's. Enjoy your new wines--happy travels!

kimamom

Yes, I think those are the ones right next door to the Moonstone Bar & Grill where we had lunch. They look really cute, very small but I'm sure they're done really nice inside.

I wonder how much a night their rooms are? ***kim***

winerycat

Yes, maybe too small(?), but pretty nice from the inside. You can do a virtual tour and check the rates at moonstonecottages.com.

In Cambria, I like privacy and seclusion, and we prefer the new large suites at Cambria Pines Lodge. Their big decks sit on the top of the mountain overlooking acres of nothing but pine forest--lots of wildlife and easy hiking thru forest trails. It's serene up there and the suites are beautiful.

kimamom

Sounds nice! How is the restaurant there? I noticed that many of the hotels offer specials that come with a dinner at the CPL. ***kim*** BTW, I had my ollallieberry pie yesterday from Linn's up at our condo at Huntington Lake.

We had to go up for Spring Cleaning and it was a nice snack on our break!

winerycat

Right, CPL is the only Moonstone property in Cambria with a restaurant, so the dinner packages there from the other Moonstone property hotels make sense.

Our meal was pretty good--good quality, nicely prepared, just don't expect the polish of The Highlands Inn here and you'll do fine , tho it's been 3 years since we were there and the Cambria dining scene seems to be getting more sophisticated all the time.

The restaurant has lots of windows that look out onto their wonderful gardens and fireside patio--you can dine in or out. They use produce grown from their own organic garden and the wine list has many excellent local choices. Our complimentary full breakfast buffet was very good.

If you have the dinner package and you're staying somewhere else, I recommend coming there early to stroll through the different gardens--they really are that special. There's also a bar with entertainment in the lodge that's nice for pre or after dinner or sit outside in front of the big fireplace. It's quaint and comfortable.

Your olallieberry pie sounded good. Yesterday must have been olallieberry day, cuz I was at a farmer's market yesterday and found fresh olallieberries (!) grown at a farm nearby. Couldn't resist, and I served them with a creamy soft cheesecake--the perfect low-carb dessert!

kimamom

I usually insist on staying right on Moonstone Drive to be across from the ocean, but this place does sound very tempting!

We stayed at Blue Whale a couple of summers ago and it was nice. Is there a pool and jacuzzi at the CPL? That's what I missed about the Blue Whale, but the scrumptous homemade breakfast made up for it in the morning!! ***kim***

winerycat

Yes, they have an indoor Jr. Olympic- size pool, a Jacuzzi and a sauna on the property. Our suite had a 2-person whirlpool bath and that met our needs, so we didn't use the pool, jacuzzi or sauna, but you might enjoy them.

The upstairs Fireplace Suite we stayed in, (which was brand new at the time) sleeps 6 adults and felt so luxuriously roomy for just the two of us. It has 2 fireplaces with hearths, 2 TV's/(DVD's I think), large, elegant bathroom with whirlpool, big master area with French doors onto that deck with Adirondack chairs and those peaceful forest views. A nature path is just behind the suites, so there's easy access to it. You can see a picture of a suite and others at cambriapineslodge.com.

If you can go there mid-week you can get such a good price, it will seem unbelievable. Mid-week price of that room is $199, but today they quoted me a 30% discount for mid-week rate of $139. Week-ends goes up to $259, no discounts available. Like I said, it was impossible to refuse...

kimamom

Sounds heavenly! I know the discount rates are coming to an end by the end of this month.

We were supposed to stay at the Fogcatcher, oceanview, fireplace, king, etc. for $119 which will go up to $299 in the summer.

Now you have me wanting to try the Cambria Pines! ***kim***

weski

Heading up from Westlake Village in the a.m. for Hearst and then to Cambria for dinner & overnight at Fogcatcher. Drive up 101/1 - how long? and good place to dine alone (business trip hookey...) How long/route back to LAX via vineyards or other scenic way on Thursday? Friday dawn flight.

kimamom

We like the Sow's Ear for a romantic couples dinner. You may want to try The Black Cat or Bistro Sole. Robin's would also be a good choice. You could sit out on the back patio and have a very relaxing dinner. ***kim***

winerycat

weski:
I'd guess about 3 hours drive up to Cambria, give or take, depending on the traffic. The Black Cat bistro and Bistro Sole are two of the more ambitious new restaurants--check out their menus online. On your return to LAX, you could drive through the Santa Ynez valley, where there are many vineyards, but it would take lots of time to visit them! In the tiny wine town of Los Olivos there are two places to taste many of the best wines of the area, both on Grand Avenue, the Los Olivos Wine and Spirits Emporium and Los Olivos Tasting Room and Wine Shop. Also on Grand is Fess Parker's beautiful Wine Country Inn, a nice place to visit or lunch, as well as Los Olivos Cafe. Fess Parker's winery is closeby. From there, maybe 3 1/2 hours back to LAX, give or take for traffic.

Kim: As much as you like an ocean view in Cambria, I wonder if not having it will disappoint you. The CPL has no ocean view --it's OK with us because we live on the coast and see the ocean every day, and love the forest, but if you're inland, you probably go to the beach to see the ocean as much as you can. Of course CPL's just a few minutes away from it. You might like to check it out on your next trip; have a glass of wine and enjoy the gardens and grounds, which is a nice thing to do anyway.

winerycat

Weski: I meant about 3 1/2 hours drive time from Cambria back to LAX, going through Los Olivos.

weski

Thanks for the quick responses! I leave a dawn and will report back.

kimamom

You're right about the oceanviw stuff. I always choose the properties with views of the water.

It would be nice to get in under one of those special that include the room, dinner at CPL, a free bottle of wine, mid-week for $99. Can't beat that!

BTW Winerycat, have you ever had the wine called Roussanne? Is it similar to a Viognier? I just read about it in Sunset magazine and in Portland,OR 750 ML has it for tasting and pairs it with some delicious looking seared sea scallops. ***kim***