Chico

This July, my husband and I are taking a week long motorcycle trip from Capitola to Ojai. We would appreciate your recommemdations for lodging, restaurants, etc. We have a place to stay in Capitola and our first night we will be staying at Ragged Point in Big Sur, any help after that would be greatly appreciate. We both enjoy the wine country and the coastal areas. Thank you!

J_Correa

Sounds like a lot of fun. I'd probably choose Morro Bay or Cambria for a stop in between Big Sur and Ojai. Moonstone beach right outside Cambria is great - small road with inns on one side and moonstone beach on the other. We stayed at the Fog Catcher Inn and really liked it. Morro Bay is a good choice if you want to be close to the ocean but in town where you can walk to restaurants and things. I've only stayed at the Ascot Inn in Morro Bay which was a clean and comfortable budget motel. There are many choices though, pretty much anything to fit your budget.

Sabra

I am planning a trip from San Francisco to Ojai. Any hotel recommendations?
Thanks

Chico

Thank you J Correa,
We did make reservations at the Inn at Morro Bay in Morro Bay and the Fog Catcher Inn in Cambria, then on to Ojai and dinner at Suzanne's. Any favorite dinner or lunch restaurants? Also, favorite wineries? Thank you for your help!

curmudgeon

The Paso Robles area (a few miles inland from Cambria) has quite a few wineries, as does Edna Valley near San Luis Obispo.

San Luis Obispo has a nice variety of restaraunts in the downtown area. McClintocks either in SLO of further south overlooking Pismo Beach was usually pretty good. A long time favorite of mine has been the Far Western Tavern in Guadaloupe, west of Santa Maria.

sgbslo

Robin's is a good restaurant in Cambria. The dining room at the Inn at Morro Bay is nice. If you want to eat in the town of Morro Bay Dorns, Windows on the Water and the Galley are good.
Should you go into SLO to eat (if it's Thursday be sure to catch the downtown farmer's market) Big Sky is a very good place, also Bueno Tavola is good for Italian, Novo is great for tapas and Seven Hands is good if you want something upscale.
As for wineries I really like some of the small ones such as Doce Robles and Grey Wolf in the Templton/Paso Robles area. Peachy Canyon, Castoro and Wild Horse are all popular favorites in the Paso Robles area. If you want to go to the Edna Valley area wineries Talley is nice, Edna Valley Winery has a beautiful tasting room. I also like Domaine Alfred.

AbFab

I live in SLO and was raised in the Santa Ynez valley about 60 miles south of SLO. Ragged Point to Cambria is only about a 30 minute drive and then to Morro Bay from Cambria is only another 30 minutes--it might be too short to stop for the night. I agree about eating at Robin's--be sure to order the salmon bisque. For your motorcyle trip, from just south of Cambria take HWY 46 to the Paso/Templeton area. Justin Winery is gorgeous, and the wines are nice. All along hwy 46 you'll find tons of really good wineries, including Peachy Canyon. I would suggest taking the drive over San Marcos Pass to Santa Barbara--stunning, awesome drive that will take your breath away!You may have to drive through Solvang, a little Danish town, and you can pick up a few authentic pasteries at the Danish Village Bakery on Mission Drive (the main hwy). I worked there as a teen, and I stil stop to get pastries, cookies, and bread whenever I pass that way! The same Danish baker owns the place and bakes the Danish sweets! My advice: take as many back-roads as possible as the countryside is breathtaking! Have fun!