Travel

TRAVEL Rolling through wine country

By TARMO HANNULA

In the first part of this series, my wife Sarah and I wrapped up our adventure in mining for the rare gem, Benitoite, at the Benitoite Mining Co. outside of Coalinga.

Next, we drove south on Highway 33 and turned west on Highway 41 with hardly a speck of traffic.

The absence of other drivers opened the doors for a relaxed drive that made it easy to take in the bounty of the striking geography of rolling hills, mixed with mountains, cattle grazing land and twisty roads.

After catching Highway 46 for the final stretch into Paso Robles, we were engulfed in one vineyard after another that spread out over the gentle, rolling hills.

In the early afternoon we checked into Siri Hotel near downtown. Our first taste of the area was a short walk up Spring Street to the Paso Market Walk, a string of newer gift shops, cafes, wine tasting counters and such that were stitched together with modern SMALL TOWN ATMOSPHERE Downtown Paso Robles offers a wide array of shops and eateries.

landscaping, stony architecture, tall windows and indoor and outdoor seating.

We took a seat at Joebella Coffee for tea and a latte. Downtown was a short stroll away so we next wandered the streets of busy shops, galleries, cafes and restaurants to the city plaza before rounding back to our hotel.

That evening, by plan, we drove into the hills and met our friends, Lucia and Brett, who had just moved from Aptos to Paso in June. Brett used to be the principal at H.A Hyde Elementary School in Watsonville where we met.

We followed their car into town where we got a table at the Alchemist’s Garden restaurant that faced the city plaza. Downtown Paso was nothing shy of bustling. The place was lit up and full of people enjoying the night life with nearly everyone wearing masks for Covid safety.

The following morning we headed north up Highway 101 as the morning fog lifted to sunny skies.

We took the first exit into King City and rolled through an industrial section before taking in their small downtown. Then we spotted the King City Union High School Auditorium and Theater that was designed by architect Robert Stanton and built in 1939. Thanks to a brass plaque stationed beside the building we learned that Stanton teamed up with artist Joseph Jacinto for the Art Moderne style building to include international culture in its decorative elements, featuring scenes of an Egyptian harpist, Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Hopi Indian ceremonial dance figures and depictions of Hollywood filmmaking. The unusual lines, decorative accents and stature of the building—combined with its history—made our brief visit to King City a valuable stop.

In the final chapter of this series, we venture into Monterey County, wind into Arroyo Seco, Carmel Valley for lunch and a return home along the coast.