Under the Weather

View from Hwy 46 West, Templeton, CA in March, ©B. Radisavljevic

It's chicken soup time for me. So I'm not writing today. All you get is a view of the landscape the way it looks in March after a rain. We've had similar clouds here lately, but no rain. Now back to chicken soup.

 Chicken Soup Cures Everything

M is for Moonstone Beach

Although Moonstone Beach is in Cambria, not Paso Robles, it is the closest beach to Paso Robles and  my favorite place in the North County to view our coast. I like to walk on the boardwalk,  or on the beach as this man is doing. If you can't see him, you can click to enlarge this or any photo here.

One thing I enjoy about Moonstone Beach is watching what people build. There is always driftwood in interesting shapes, and people make huts or other structures to demonstrate their creativity. Another favorite occupation is looking for interesting stones or rocks. I have often found jade there.

Moonstone Beach has many interesting trees. One of them hides this secluded bench that I call the "lovers' bench." I very often come across couples sitting there where not many people are looking as they walk along the boardwalk  above. It's a great place to view the ocean.

It seems I most often visit Moonstone Beach in autumn or winter when there aren't  as many people. This photo was taken in January and picks up some of the color from the flora. You can see the most common of the fauna below.

One of our most interesting Moonstone Beach experiences was observing a family celebration where three generations were flying stunt kites together. They graciously allowed me to capture them flying the kites on video. I had never seen stunt kites before. It was really fun to watch two in the air at once. You might enjoy watching the video that shows not only what it's like to play at Moonstone Beach, but also how much fun these kites can be as a family activity.

Some of my other Moonstone Beach photos are in my Zazzle Barb's California Card and Gift Gallery Store. Here's a sneak preview.

 Moonstone Beach Surfer Postcard Build Your Dreams Decal Moonstone Beach Jigsaw Puzzle

C is for Croad Vineyards and Tasting Room

The View from Croad

It seems the wineries and vineyards I love most are very close to where I live. Croad happens to be the very closest to me. Martin Croad's vineyards are on the other side of my back  fence,  and I've been  watching those grapes grow since they were planted. I enjoy the harvest season every year, and I've watched it in progress. I've also seen what happens to the grapes after harvest.

I have visited many other tasting rooms in Paso Robles and Templeton, and Croad's definitely has one of the best views in this area . One can sit on the patio outside the tasting room by the fountain and see all the neighboring vineyards near highway 46 West and Vineyard Drive. I see Kristi Trimmer, who stayed in the Inn at Croad for two days, agrees with me about the view. (To see my photo better, just click to enlarge it.0

Unlike Kristi, although I watched the Inn being built from across my fence, I've never been in it. But I have walked most of the property taking pictures during harvest season. You can find the rest of my photos and the video tour of both the harvest and the wine making process here: Croad Wines from Vineyard to Bottle, A Photo Essay.

 Patio of Croad Tasting Room, Paso Robles Beverage Coaster

A Castle on a Hill At Dusk

On my way home from Templeton to Paso Robles tonight, the sky was so beautiful and the field around the vineyards so green, I found a way to park and get some photos of those fields before they turn brown again.  I love the rural areas when they are so green. That only lasts as long as we get rain. This is usually the last month we get rain until fall or winter.

After I took the pictures here, I crossed the street to get some photos of the wineries. I want to share this one of Tooth and Nail Castle from a distance at dusk. When I'm at the castle or too close to it, I don't get the full effect of it being on top of the hill.

Tooth and Nail Winery used to be Eagle Castle, and although I have heard from some people that the wine wasn't much to rave about, the castle itself was something worth seeing. Not so much now. All the lovely antiques are gone, but you can still see them as they were in North San Luis Obispo County's Other Castle: A Pictorial Album. 

Jack Creek Road in West Templeton

One of my favorite walking routes is along Jack Creek Road in West Templeton. It runs from Highway 46 West over Jack Creek, past Jack Creek Cellars, and around the bend until in places it parallels Highway 46 West until it ends at Vineyard Drive to the east. As you enter from 46 West you will pass a forested area. If you click on the photo to enlarge it, you will actually see 46 west to the far right with trees on both sides.

I usually park near the entrance to the left along a frontage road. Then I walk across this bridge over Jack Creek. Sometimes it even has water in it.

You can already see that this walk will take you past some large oak trees. One of them is not too far along the road after you have crossed the bridge. It is draped with Spanish moss, as are many of our oak trees here

As you continue on your walk you will  soon pass Jack Creek Cellars and its vineyard and tasting room. Remember, you can click any photo to enlarge it.

Shortly after you pass the vineyards, the trees are farther apart and the road curves. You will then pass some fields and an occasional house. It is here you have the best view of the mountains on the other side of 46 West.


From here to Vineyard Drive there will not be much shade as the trees get more scarce by the road. The closer you get to Vineyard Drive, the more houses you will see. You know you will be getting into that section soon when you see these trees ahead. From a distance they look like one large tree, but this is what you see up close. We did this walk in late afternoon, so it appears my shadow left its mark.

Which part of the road do you like best?

The Lake at Barney Schwartz Park in Paso Robles

Yesterday I pictured some children enjoying the  various levels of Barney Schwartz Park they could use for riding their scooters. I also discovered there is a small lake (one million gallons) where children can fish without a license. (Adults do have to get licenses.) I was surprised to see a lake here considering how short Paso Robles is of water. (They are rationing when and for how long we can water our landscaping, and the Board of Supervisors is imposing new ordinances that prevent some farmers and vineyards from planting new crops.)

The lake is attractive, and the many turtles make it even more so. Most of the rock tops are occupied by the turtles.  I'm guessing that they help keep the mosquito population down by eating the larvae in the lake before they hatch into adult mosquitoes. Here is a closer look at the turtles on a rock.



One of the most attractive features of the lake is the small waterfall that seems to fill it or recirculate the water from the other side of the bridge.

Do you have lakes, creeks, rivers, or oceans near you?

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• Barney Schwartz Park is Paradise for Kids

Horses, Grapes, and Olives on Union Road

When I was ready to take my photo walk today, I was irresistibly drawn back to the scenery we had passed on Union Road last night when we did not have time to stop.  So today I drove back in the mid-afternoon. It was a beautiful clear day, with just enough fluffy clouds to make the sky interesting.

I didn't have to drive far. Just after I passed Barney Schwartz Park, I found green hills, oak trees, olive orchards, and vineyards. You can click to enlarge any photo.

Below is a closer look at the olive orchard. The oak in the middle dwarfs them.

Right across the street from these scenes was the 7 Chips Quarter Horse Farm. These are the inhabitants I caught on camera. I think the small one is a donkey.

All of these scenes were observed within about a two block walk (except there were no blocks) from where my car was parked on the side of the road.

Photos from A Short Visit to Steinbeck Vineyards and Winery

Steinbeck Winery Exterior Photos

I normally only visit westside Paso Robles wineries, but tonight I went to the east side to attend a meeting at the Steinbeck tasting room which you see pictured here. This is the side view.

Side View of Steinbeck Tasting Room, © B. Radisavljevic

Since we arrived late to the meeting, I couldn't take any pictures until after the meeting ended, and by then the sun was beginning to go down. I took the photo below after the meeting was over and people were talking outside near the entrance afterward.

Entrance View  of Steinbeck Tasting Room, © B. Radisavljevic

Historical Artifacts Inside the Steinbeck Winery Tasting Room

I was surprised at how different this tasting room was from most others I've visited. The Steinbeck tasting room is almost like a historical museum inside. The walls are full of artifacts, old photos, musical instruments, paintings, and other items that are related to the history of the winery. Since the tasting room was officially closed, there was not enough time to linger and learn more about what I was seeing. I know I will go back as soon as I have time.

I do want to show you some of that interior in the photos below. First is the old wine press used by the Ernst Family from 1884-1950.

Old Wine Press in Steinbeck Tasting Room, © B. Radisavljevic

The next view of the interior was taken from the middle of the room with my back to the entrance. You will see Cindy Steinbeck on the right in the pink shirt, talking to someone who attended the meeting. The chairs were put up just for the meeting.  I thought I should let you see some of the wine on the far wall. There are cases of it for sale on the front left by the window.

Interior of Steinbeck Tasting Room, © B. Radisavljevic

This corner of the tasting room near the door had a display on the walls that almost reached the ceiling. I loved seeing all those old instruments hanging there. There are also historical plaques and photos that help explain them and the other things you see on the wall. If you are interested in the history of the wine industry in Paso Robles and in the pioneering families, a visit to Steinbeck Vineyards and  Winery is a must.

Historical Artifacts on Walls of Steinbeck Tasting Room, © B. Radisavljevic

The Vineyard

I did want to get some photos of the vineyard before I left, but it was dusk and there wasn't a lot of light left. I was, however, able to capture this shot.  I hope it reflects the peace I felt  when I stood looking at it as the sun went down.

Dusk at Steinbeck Vineyard. © B. Radisavljevic

The Vine Speaks, by Cindy Steinbeck

 The Vine Speaks
Before leaving, I bought a copy of Cindy Steinbeck's book, The Vine Speaks. I'm eager to see her insights into John 15 as one who truly understands both the life of grape vines, as well Christian life. Read more about Cindy's faith and ministry.  I will review this book as soon as I've had a chance to read it. If you'd also like to read it, just click on the book cover to get a copy. It comes in both a paperback and Kindle edition.

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Caliza: Where Anderson Road Road Ends

© Barbara Radisavljevic

I was short of time for my photo walk today so I decided to drive to the Caliza tasting room parking lot at the end of Anderson Road. The tasting room itself was already closed, but I was given permission to walk around and take pictures. The first one is as I approached it.

It was still a short walk to the entrance, and I was accompanied by birdsong. The shrubs were full of color and some of them were also very fragrant. I was distracted by a jackrabbit crossing the street in front of me, but before I could snap his photo, he had disappeared into the bushes.

I finally got to the entrance. I photographed it from a distance because I knew that otherwise I would be catching my reflection in the door.

Caliza Tasting Room, © Barbara Radisavljevic

There are a number of wonderful views if you continue to walk the road behind the tasting room. I shot way too many photos there to post here. There are rolling hills and trees that belong to an adjoining cattle ranch. There is a road on the other side of the fence that seems to lead there, but it is gated. You can see part of that road below. In the past the cattle were close enough to photograph, but not today.

You will notice a slope that meets the woods on the left side. That's where I was surprised to find my jackrabbit friend sitting stock still. I walked to the curve in the road and back, and after almost twenty minutes he hadn't moved. I give you his picture below.

You can get to Anderson Road from Highway 46 West. It has the entrances to many wineries, including the Tooth and Nail Winery and Tasting Room. It ends in the Caliza Parking lot. There are five tasting rooms you can get to in that one short road, and it makes a scenic walk from one end to the other.

A Visit to the Tooth and Nail Winery Castle

Ever since Eagle Castle Winery Closed over a year ago, I had been waiting to see what it was destined to become. I finally found out on November 29, 2014, shortly after the Castle had reopened as Tooth and Nail Winery. Although the parking area and the entrance have been redesigned and changed a bit, it's still recognizable as the same old castle from the outside. To compare, see San Luis Obispo County's Other Castle, a Pictorial Album. It shows you what Eagle Castle was like inside and out. It includes a video tour of the castle interior as it was then.

The castle still has its moat. Here is a better view of it. You can click any photo to enlarge it.

When I was there last week , the clouds were putting on quite a sky show. So I was trying to get as many pictures of it as I could. That's one reason I wanted to go to the castle. It has great views from the second story veranda. I took this next shot from there. The view extends across Highway 46 West and all the way to the mountains.

Most visitors to the castle are more interested in the tasting room inside than the scenery outside. Since I don't drink wine, I'm an exception. That's why I don't attempt to review the wines themselves. But I can show you the tasting room. Since the castle changed hands, it looks a bit bare to me, since I remember how it used to be when it was filled with treasures to look at and to buy. Now there is only what most people come for -- the wine and a place to enjoy it, inside the tasting room or out on the veranda. Here is a group enjoying their wine in the tasting room.

There was also a group by the fireplace on the other end of the room and a few people at the counter. It was too cold for anyone to be outside on that late November day. I took the outside pictures on March 2, but it was still pretty cold. Below is how this corner looked when it was still Eagle Castle.