Off-Beat Travel Blog
Crisp autumn air. Crunchy leaves. Brightly colored foliage. Pumpkins, apples and spooky season – I love EVERYTHING about fall! Just one problem: we live in California, where October is obnoxiously hot and sunny. Thankfully, over the last decade I’ve learned where to find fall in California (and to ignore the fact that it’s also tarantula mating season). So here’s the ultimate guide to where to go for fall foliage, pumpkin picking, apple orchards, and a California specialty – grape stomping!
Vineyards. Olive trees. Hot springs. Paso Robles, California is one of our absolute favorite places in California! It’s home to some of the best food, wine, spirits, and craft beer that you’ll find in California. Oh, and don’t forget the hot springs. Paso Robles is the perfect place to stop along California’s Central Coast as part of a Pacific Coast Highway road trip. We’ve created this comprehensive guide to all the best things to do in Paso Robles for your next weekend trip!
Mendocino, California is located just a few hours north of San Francisco on California’s stunning Pacific Coast Highway. It’s one of the best weekend trips from San Francisco, and we’ve been up to visit multiple times. Mendocino is known for it’s world-class wine and stunning coastal views, and the area is a perfect spot for a romantic getaway or girl’s trip! The first time we visited Mendocino, we happened to go tidepooling the same day that some kind of Porsche Club had their annual kite outing? No, I’m serious – the beach was like, FILLED with rich old people flying kites. So for a while we had the weird impression that Mendocino was full of people who drive Porsches and fly kites. Which, it turns out, it isn’t … usually. Here are our favorite things to do in Mendocino!
Redwoods. Vineyards. Mountain towns nestled in pine trees. Scenic coastal views. Otters. Sea lions. Ponies, for some reason? Fresh oysters. It kinda sounds like I’m describing a bunch of different locations, doesn’t it? Nope: I’m describing one small destination in Northern California, located just a couple of hours north of San Francisco. It’s the PERFECT romantic weekend getaway from San Francisco!
Paso Robles, California is the Central Coast’s answer to Napa. But there’s so much more than just world-class wine: there are also spirit distilleries and craft breweries galore, plus an incredible local food scene. I’m not going to lie: we went full lush in Paso Robles. It’s the booze tourist’s dream destination! Here’s where to get your drink on, and what to eat in between delicious tastings.
Barcelona, Spain is home to many wonderful, amazing things. Balmy beaches. Catalan food. Fantastical buildings created by the famous architect, Gaudi. Spanish wine. Ancient, winding, narrow streets. Tapas. Towering Gothic churches. Catalan food, tapas, …. and Spanish wine. Ok, maybe we were a tiny bit biased. But we were mostly looking forward to the food and wine in Barcelona. Can you blame us?
