Travelling through life: Paso Robles

For a quick read, Places we tried

* Negranti Icecream - loved the vegan coffee flavor. The other flavors - strawberry and cookie crunch were also nice. They make all their icecreams with sheep milk.

* Momotaro Ramen - Amazing Ramen. We tried three ramen bowls, all were good.

* Spearhead Coffee - I think this was just ok, in my opinion

* Brown butter cookie company - its a must. Do taste and buy some yummy cookies.

* Just Baked - pastries were nice. Only tried the lemon bar and the confetti cupcake from here

* Etta Pasta - yummy pasta here.

Blog in detail

Another one of our spontaneous trips this year happened during Thanksgiving. We were in the mood for a quick getaway without overthinking it, so we booked an Airbnb in Paso Robles and hit the road on Black Friday. The 3-hour drive was pretty chill, with just one pit stop at a Mexican joint for lunch – nothing too exciting.

While cruising, we weren't sure if we'd snag tickets to the Sensorio light show. A quick email to the admin office assured us we could grab them at the box office. Sweet!

We rolled into the Airbnb, met the awesome host, Gloria, who showed us around their 10-acre haven with a cool house, garden, the Airbnb itself, and oh yeah, two bisons. The Airbnb, a mobile home on the property, was surprisingly cozy, equipped with a killer kitchen, DVDs, games, and even a washer/dryer.

Quick break, then off to Sensorio. Tickets secured, we caught the stunning sunset and watched as solar lights transformed the area into a magical display. Glass towers made of wine bottles lit up, and we snapped some killer pics before heading back.

Downtown Paso was next, with a stop at Negranti for some ice cream. Vegan coffee flavor – total win. Back at the Airbnb, we checked out the lighted gazebo, played some board games, planned for the next day, and called it a night.

Beautiful sunset

Waiting for the lights to turn up

Glass towers

So beautiful!

Negranti Icecream - Vegan Coffee

Gazebo in the property

Day 2 kicked off with a lazy morning and tea in the gazebo. Dressed and ready, we headed downtown for coffee, but the place was jam-packed. So, we hit up Brown Butter Cookie Company and a local market for honey and bread before our wine tour booked in Oppol.

The wine tasting got a bit wild with some harsh ones, and with a not-so-full stomach, I was feeling the tipsy vibes. We left the other tastings for a hearty lunch at Etto Pasta in Tin City. A food coma ensued, and we napped for a solid 2 hours.

Around 4:30, downtown Paso beckoned us again for coffee at Spearhead. Tried the Aztec coffee (not realizing it had cinnamon), but the kids' hot chocolate was a hit. More cookies from Brown Butter Cookie Company, a stroll through the general store, and a glimpse of Christmas lights in the park rounded off the evening.

Back at the Airbnb, Sree and I caught a movie, "Something's Gotta Give," put the kids to bed, and once again, called it a night.

Tea time

Saying hi to the bisons

Opolo Wines

Etta Pasta in Tin City

The christmas lights all around in Paso downtown

A well lit play area for kids

Day 3 arrived, and Pappu wasn't feeling great. We took it easy in the morning, sipping tea, having breakfast, and exploring the grounds while Pappu rested. Packed up, said a quick bye to the owners, and headed to Paso Market Walk. Ramen for all – seriously yummy! I also tried an orange peel cappuccino at the coffee shop.

Post-feast, we hit the road back to the Bay Area, reaching home around 4 PM. Trip vibes: nailed it.