March 22, 2022 to March 23, 2022
Paso Robles
Driving, biking and wine
We left Palm Desert and drove to Paso Robles by the route less travelled. That is usually our preference if we don’t have to be in a hurry. We went past Desert Hot Springs and Joshua Tree National Park, turning left at Yucca Valley. Then we drove through the Mojave Desert, before heading west through Bakersfield to Paso Robles.
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Outside of Bakersfield, in Kern County, we drove through the largest oil field we have ever seen. It was absolutely mind boggling. It was pump jacks literally as far as the eye could see in every direction. Kern County produces 71% of California’s oil. It certainly wasn’t scenic, and it was sobering. There were almond orchards as well, and hectare after hectare of dead trees. I did a little research and orchardists are letting the trees die due to drought. That wasn’t exactly uplifting either.
Our first impressions of Paso Robles that evening weren’t stellar. We decided to walk to the historic downtown for dinner. It wasn’t far, just over a mile. We walked by the impressive event Center, but also by the gigantic parking lot across the street. It was blowing sand. Then there was the road construction and the sidewalk that kept appearing and disappearing, the sketchy characters we passed and the pit bull barking menacingly from behind a fence that didn’t look sturdy enough for me. We made a right turn and crossed the railroad tracks and things improved. Keith pointed out the problem. We had been on the wrong side of the tracks. Downtown Paso is beautiful and was busy. We really enjoyed our explore. The walk home was hilarious. We found a better way home until we were in a cul de sac (more of a dead end) and it bordered a big field. We could see the event center parking sand box so we knew where we needed to be. We hiked through the field, came to an embankment, and there we were, on the wrong side of the tracks again! We scrambled down the embankment, looked both ways , ran across the tracks and made it to the hotel. Keith pronounced it the worst walk of the trip. The next day on our bikes we discovered much better ways to walk into town!!!
On to happier things. Paso Robles really lived up to its reputation. We started the morning in the car for a little reconnaissance . At some point in Palm Desert my gears started acting up and I can’t access my small chain ring. We had read about the Peachy Canyon ride and decided to check it out in the car first as it was billed as quite hilly. It certainly was. Without my lowest gears it would have been a very difficult ride, so we decided to save that for the next time we are in Paso. There will be a next time. First impressions aside, Paso is beautiful.
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We started out from the hotel into town and found an amazing little spot for breakfast. Then it was off to the Paso Robles Golf Course for a little reconnaissance there. We booked a tee time for our final day in Paso. From there it was joyous biking. We decided on the Linne Road ‘bike trail’ and it was fabulous. There are two wineries along Linne Road who developed this idea. They are encouraging cyclists and providing the infrastructure. Bike racks, cold water and, of course, wine. We headed out on the smooth quiet road and hardly saw a car. We arrived at Sculpterra Winery and were blown away by the artwork. It had the most amazing sculpture garden, and some excellent wine.
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That glass of wine seemed like a really good idea at the time, but I wondered a bit myself about the wisdom of that decision when we headed back out to the bikes. I was just fine though. We carried on down the road to Cass Winery where we had lunch and I wisely drank root beer. Cass winery was a little more down to earth but served the most exquisite charcuterie board. We were soaking up the atmosphere and the sunshine and we were so happy with our decision to come home through Paso.
Keith routed us home on a loop route which was great in the beginning but we turned onto a road which was chipseal and a bit busier than we liked. We weren’t nervous, the cars were incredibly respectful, without exception, but the scenery here is stunning, and we didn’t want to have to focus on the white line. In no time at all Keith had rerouted us and the rest of the ride was absolutely gorgeous and virtually traffic free. The CN is amazing.
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When we arrived back in Paso he found a dedicated bike path through a park that almost took us to the lobby of the hotel. I complained when Keith headed up to the road as the bike path carried on at that intersection. He pointed out we were basically at the hotel. We were lounging by the pool in no time. We love Paso Robles!
Today's ride: 49 km (30 miles)
Total: 434 km (270 miles)
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