It was recently brought to our attention that everybody loves Fridays. And free stuff. And Paso Robles.
So, with us being the progressive tourism office that we are, we’ve decided to combine these three things and conquer the world. Well, maybe “conquer” is the wrong word. Perhaps “enliven” or “enhance” or “improve” would be better in this instance. We have SUCH a cool program that we’re calling Friday Giveaways. And it’s legit - we officially launched it last week and gave away two tickets to the 20th Annual Paso Robles Zinfandel Festival!
I am a certified professional when it comes to playing in Paso Robles and the luckiest girl in town. I happen to have 3 of the best jobs in Paso Robles: I’m the Manager of the Paso Robles Children’s Museum, a mom and “Aunt T”. As the mother of two grown children, I often need to borrow my niece and nephew to truly “Play in Paso” and have learned a bundle in the process. I will happily share the knowledge monthly for seasonal ideas for family fun in Paso Robles.
My 3 year old nephew Dylan and his 2 year old sister Allie regularly volunteer to play with me in Paso Robles. Our play dates are affectionately known as “Aunt T. Time” and run the gamut of family-friendly activities in and around Paso Robles. Most of these activities are FREE!
My latest playdate with Dylan included a stop at the Paso Robles Pubic Librarylocated downtown. The large fish tank caught D’s attention right away; we then built a block castle which was hardly a challenge for D. because he is the owner of a construction company (LOL!), chose a handful of books and headed out on our next adventure.
Our next stop was just a few steps down the block - Cold Stone Creamery. We ordered a kiddie scoop of ice cream and D. felt so big reaching in his pocket to pay the owner Carole for our tasty treat. Carole really made D. feel special. Our local business owners are kind, friendly and attentive to our children and I LOVE THAT!
My playdate with Allie began with a text: ”It is Allie’s Aunt T time!” which is code for "she’s up from her nap". To make each date with my 2-year-old niece special, I choose to do different activities. This time Allie and I headed for a special adventure at Sherwood Forest, a local park located at 220 Scott Street. This park has wonderful play structures for children of all ages, including me! Allie and I went down the slide at least 30 times and played a mean game of Hide and Seek! This park provides a lot of natural hiding locations if you are 2 but also includes good safe visibility for adults to supervise this fun activity.
Stay tuned for more "Child's Play" posts for family activities that are inexpensive and FUN!
I'm going to start a fun game for our blog readers every month. This game will go on until we run out of winery photos to post, which for those of you who know our region well, know that that could take years! With over 200 wineries in Paso Robles and the surrounding countryside, and many of them small and obscure, we have plenty of ammunition for this fun game. So, here it goes, can you guess the winery?
Last weekend some of my family was visiting from out of town, including five of my elderly grandparents. I decided to take them all to the 24th Annual Vine Street Victorian Showcase for a little celebration to put us all in the holiday spirit. While I was right about the holiday merriment, to our pleasant surprise, I was wrong on the size of the event.
Vine Street is a wide two lane street that runs through the heart of downtown Paso Robles, just two blocks from the downtown square and the Paso Robles Inn. All along Vine Street, from 8th to 21st Streets, the homes, churches and office buildings were magically lit up like a holiday exhibit, similar to a Macy’s holiday storefront window—if it were 14 blocks long! Both sides of Vine Street are lined with beautifully ornate Victorian-style homes and office buildings, each with its own unique crown, spindle and panel details indicative of the Stick-Eastlake architectural era, during which, Paso Robles was incorporated. To my surprise and delight, thousands of visitors from all over California came to Paso Robles to stroll the holiday Victorian Showcase; some from even as far as the great state of Utah (as my grandpa would say!)
We strolled past unforgettable Victorians adorned with traditional nativity scenes, some with live actors posing as wise men, and listened to lovely Christmas carolers and jingling bells. There were vendors serving yummy hot chocolate, cotton candy, and my favorite, homemade vanilla ice cream! The biggest hit of the evening, hands down, was Ebenezer Scrooge, a local Paso Robles resident who puts on a great show for people of all ages. Even my 70 year old grandma joined the festivities with a cheerful, “Merry Christmas Mr. Scrooge!” I was surprised to see the crowds surrounding Scrooge’s house, but after a few minutes of standing out front I understood why. There were grouchy, little murmurs of “there is no Santa Clause” and “leave me alone,” in a very low-key, Scrooge-like manner, coming from the loud speakers hanging in Mr. Scrooge’s trees – all in good holiday humor, of course. Also, Mr. Scrooge's house was decorated to a T, as evidenced in the photo above.
The Vine Street Victorian Showcase was a huge hit with my family – as with the many other cheerful spectators present. This leisurely, strolling affair was the perfect way for our family to get into the holiday spirit. We may have to make this a holiday tradition!!
To keep up on all Paso Robles events, holiday and otherwise, check out our events page. See you in Paso!
On a recent hunt to find the most unique pumpkins grown in Paso Robles, I stopped in for a visit at Jack Creek Farms located just off of Highway 46 West. Jack Creek Farms is a true treat for families, couples and groups that seek a unique fall experience filled with farm activities, including a u-pick pumpkin patch, bakery and bistro, dummy steer and lasso, hay stack and much more! To my delight, I pulled up just when a throng of smiling kindergartners was loading their school bus with their perfectly round pumpkins ready to be transformed into Jack-o-Lanterns. I perused the children’s findings and discovered we weren’t hunting the same pumpkin. I was on the hunt for less conventional pumpkins. My pumpkins needed be unusual shades of orange, blue, or green, abnormal in shape, and the more scars, scratches and warts, the better.
I found exactly what I wanted at Jack Creek Farms. I loved the turquoise green pumpkin I found for a nice fall display on my front porch, and to my surprise the bright tangerine pumpkin that I purchased is also great for any recipe that calls for pumpkin. Jack Creek Farms also has an incredible inventory of squash and gourds too, perfect for fall decorating or baking! Thinking of the possibilities made me excited, especially the thought of homemade pumpkin ravioli – yummy!! I plan to use the below pasta dough recipe from Chef Andre Averseng for my raviolis.
Joy Barlogio who owns Jack Creek Farms and Jack Creek Winery with her husband Tim shared a few recipes with me that will be perfect for Thanksgiving when my pumpkins retire from display. She explained the best way to prepare pumpkin for any recipe is to simply chop the pumpkin into big chunks and cook in the oven at 350 degrees F until tender. Once tender, you then mash the pumpkin to create a paste similar to the consistency of mashed potatoes that can be used in muffins, pie, cheesecake, you name it! You can freeze the paste to store it, and then thaw it out when a recipe calls for pumpkin. Check out the great recipes from Jack Creek Farms below.
Whether you plan to use your pumpkins for cooking, decorating or carving, Jack Creek Farms has a great selection of ordinary and not so ordinary pumpkins for children and adults.
Becky’s Easy Pumpkin Soup 1 ½ Tbsp melted butter ½ onion, finely chopped 1 ½ Tbsp flour 1 cup chicken broth 1 cup cream 1 cup pumpkin, cooked and mashed ½ red bell pepper finely chipped ½ tsp salt Dash of pepper and/or cumin Instructions: Melt butter in saucepan. Add onion and sauté until translucent. Whisk in flour and stir constantly 1 to 2 minutes until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Add chicken broth slowly, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Bring to a boil and add cream, pumpkin and bell pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes to bring out the flavors. Season with salt, pepper and cumin to taste.
Farmhouse Honey Pumpkin Pie 1 ½ cups mashed cooked pumpkin ¾ cup yellow star thistle honey Pinch of baking soda ½ tsp salt 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice 1 tsp vanilla 4 eggs, slightly beaten 1 ½ cups evaporated milk ¼ cup melted butter 1 unbaked 10” pie shell Instructions: Mix pumpkin, honey, baking soda, salt and spices and vanilla; mix well. Add eggs, milk and butter. Mix thoroughly and pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake at 375 degrees F for 1 hour or until knife inserted into center comes out clean. Top will be glossy, be careful not to over bake!
Chef Andre’s Pasta Dough Recipe 1 pound all purpose flour 4-6 medium eggs 1-2 ounces water Pinch of salt ½ ounce olive oil Intructions: Mix by hand until desired consistency of dry pasta dough that isn’t too wet, but integrated. Knead the dough by hand, let it rest at room temperature, then roll out to cut pasta of choice.
In cooperation with the City of Paso Robles, Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance and Travel Paso Robles Alliance, Sunset Magazine’s SAVOR the Central Coast held the city’s first-ever Paso Glow dinner, a celebration that honored the talented winemakers and chefs of Paso Robles. The evening started with a cocktail reception where Chef Santos MacDonal of Il Cortile Ristorante served a Crostini con Burrata and Chef Tom Fundaro of Villa Creek served Rabbit Tarts for hors d’ oeuvres. Guests were then seated and a welcome was made by Noreen Martin, a Paso Robles hotelier and businesswoman and President of the San Luis Obispo Visitor’s and Conference Bureau. Celebrity Chef Tyler Florence and Sunset Magazine’s wine editor, Sara Schneider were introduced to the group as special guests of the evening. Special arrangements were made with local winemakers to host and pour their wines at each table. This provided guests the distinct opportunity to discuss the wine and winemaking techniques in detail with the winemaker host. Left: a guest pours Ancient Peaks wine into a Riedel decanter
Chef Laurent Grangien of Bistro Laurent prepared a Tomato and Cucumber Soup with Basil and Mustard Chantilly for the first course. The second course was prepared by Chef Chris Kobyashi of Artisan and proved to be a crowd favorite. Chef Chris served Local White Sea Bass, Brocolli Sigarello, Borlotti Beans and Cured Lemon. For main course, guests enjoyed Chef Darren Robey’s Beef Short Ribs, Shrimp Potato Cake with a Bloom Micro Green Salad from the Paso Robles Inn Steakhouse. A cheese course was served by Danika Reed of Vivant Fine Cheese just before the dessert course. Roasted Figs, Crème Fraiche Ice Cream with Toasted Hazelnut Brittle was served for dessert and prepared by Chef Julie Simon of Thomas Hill Organics. Right: Chef Laurent's Tomato and Cucumber Soup
Two lucky guests attended the dinner as winners of the Travel Paso Robles Alliance’s Paso Glow Ticket Contest. Cathy and her daughter, Jenny traveled from Santa Rosa, California to attend Paso Glow on Saturday, October 2nd. Cathy won the tickets on the Dining Around with Gene Burns radio program, which airs in Northern California’s Bay Area. As the lucky caller and winner of the Paso Glow tickets, Cathy also received two tickets to attend SAVOR the Central Coast’s main event at the historic Santa Margarita Ranch on Sunday, October 3rd. See what Cathy and Jenny had to say about Paso Glow by viewing the video below. The winemaker Cathy refers to is Alex Villacana of Villacana Winery in Paso Robles!
Tickets to Paso Glow were available to the public and purchased online. 180 guests from all over the state attended, including a few folks from as far as Florida and Texas!
While most people equate olives and olive oil with Greece and Italy, California olive oils, and specifically Paso Robles producers, are fast getting the recognition they deserve as growers of a wide variety of the high-quality, delicious, oil producing fruit.
Paso Robles and a good portion of California enjoy a maritime climate, similar to that of the Mediterranean. So it makes perfect agricultural sense that Paso Robles is not only a burgeoning wine region, but also an olive oil region. I must admit this makes me giddy, because one of my favorite Mediterranean treats is the olive and the fabulous extra virgin olive oil it produces. My husband and I love to cook with fresh locally grown products, including olive oil. By living in Paso Robles, we have become spoiled by the wide variety of extra virgin olive oils found here. Truly fresh pressed olive oils are a little bitter on the tongue and super pungent in dressings. I crave that fresh olive oil taste, which I never knew was there until I started tasting the good oils produced right in my own backyard. And I love the fruit itself in salads, martinis, and stuffed with jalapenos or blue cheese. Actually, I like olives in any food dish, cocktail (even my beer) or a la carte. As you can tell, I love olives!
Could you imagine my excitement, then, when I learned that Paso Robles hosts an Annual Olive Festival? Held in Paso Robles’ charming downtown city park, the Paso Robles Olive Festival is the perfect opportunity for any olive lover to sample the delicious oils made not only in Paso Robles , but from producers all over California. This year’s festival will be held on Saturday, August 21st from 10 am to 5 pm.
Rumor has it that Paso Robles’ Olive Festival is fun for the entire family! With fun games and activities like, guess the number of olives in the jar, olive branch wreath-making and a special clown appearance by Freckles the Clown, olives are sure to grow near and dear to your children’s heart. For olive enthusiasts like me, visitors will enjoy olive and olive oil product samples, olive infused foods from gourmet vendors, olive branch arts and crafts and the chance to compete in an olive cooking contest. Many gourmet food vendors will also share their olive recipes for you to recreate at home.
For those of you who can’t find your way to the Annual Olive Festival, but wish to sample olive and olive oil products grown in our region, plan a special visit to We Olive in downtown Paso Robles. We Olive carries a wide selection of extra virgin olive oils made in California. In fact, about three quarters of what they carry is made by producers that are located within a 50 mile radius of Paso Robles. There's no tasting fee, so be sure to get in there during your next visit to taste the fine Paso Robles olive oils.
The 7th Annual Olive Festival is a fun gathering of California olive and olive oil producers, farmers and enthusiasts that is sure to enhance your love for the salty, yummy, round olive. Please visit pasoroblesolivefestival.com for information on the festival and related activities.
Hello everyone! We are Tom, Debby and Cactus Sam Harris of Harris Stage Lines. Judging from our name most would think we are a bus company, but no, we are an actual stage line, with an actual stagecoach anda team of horses for hire!
We are not native Paso Roblans, however, we love sharing the history of the region. We feel it is important to keep the agricultural heritage of Paso Robles alive. For example, we farm with our horses and mules growing grain hay, which is a big part of Paso Robles’ early history. We also offer visitors the opportunity to visit Harris Stage Lines to experience a variety of activities and educational classes that include learning about and caring for horses.
Harris Stage Lines operates as a working horse ranch that provides horseback riding and stagecoach driving lessons, day and night horse camps, horse training, horsemanship clinics, and driving school for both children and adults. We also offer field trips for students and have worked with schools all over California.
We have horse drawn vehicles for hire, and hold birthday, anniversary, graduation and any type of party you can imagine. If you wish to experience a real western BBQ, stagecoach ride or working horse show, we encourage you to plan an event at Harris Stage Lines. Our events are perfect for small and large gatherings like tour groups, family reunions and special birthday parties. And yes, we even host western weddings at Harris Stage Lines. Everything we do here involves our horses. Weinvite you to come check out what we do here, you will be pleasantly surprised.
Listed below are some upcoming activities that we have planned at Harris Stage Lines:
August winds up our Summer Horse Day Camps. Our day camp is scheduled for August 16-20 and is open to children ages 7-18. Kids will learn what it takes to own a horse, ride, drive, trick ride and trick rope. The camp ends with a choreographed show in which the campers perform the skills they have learned for family and friends.
If you plan to visit Paso Robles, schedule a horseback riding lesson to learn horsemanship skills that you can use in your travels as you venture to other places and plan trail rides. We have different horses to suit each person’s riding level.
Want a unique horse experience? Take a horse driving lesson to try your hand at driving a single horse buggy up to a team four horses. You may get hooked and come back to one of our driving schools!
You can also schedule a stagecoach ride to experience what a way station is like as the horses are hitched to the coach and you board for your ride.
For a real taste of the west, you can visit the ranch to cook your own steak on our western BBQ. We will provide all the food for a tasty meal, then we’ll take you on a stagecoach ride and end the evening around the campfire telling Wild West stories.
Harris Stage Lines is located on North River Road just four miles north of downtown Paso Robles. All activities and events at Harris Stage Lines are on a reservation basis. Please contact us at: info@harrisstagelines.com. For more information and some great photos of the activities, go to www.harrisstagelines.com.
Looking for an interesting and fun-filled wine country event? Sharpen your palate and plan to attend this weekend’s 12th Annual Winemaker’s Cook-off at River Oaks Hot Springs in Paso Robles. This is truly an interactive wine and food experience! This event showcases the culinary and viticulture skills of some of Paso Robles’ finest winemakers. Watch them work, taste their cuisine and savor their wine all while they battle each other to see who wins the “People's Choice” and “Judge's Choice” Awards. That’s right, you get to vote on the best from the best!
Visitors will revel in the musical talents of Julie Beaver & the Bad Dogs as they enjoy culinary delights and perfectly paired wine from each participating winery’s winemaker. All proceeds from the event will benefit local high school seniors as part of the Rotary Club’s annual senior scholarship program. The Winemaker Cook-off is set on a grassy hillside, next to a beautiful lake with views of Paso Robles’ famous rolling hills. What more can we say????
Join us in Paso Robles for the 12th Annual Paso Robles Winemaker’s Cook-off and witness Paso Robles winemakers venerate the meaning of “wine country cuisine”. The event starts at 6 pm on Saturday, August 7, 2010. Tickets are $75 per person.
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