Central Coast: More Wineries, Robin's, Piedras Blancas Rookery

On June 17-19, we spent a lovely weekend in the Central Coast with M.T. and M.S. It was, like my previous trip up, the epitome of the lazy weekend. We revisited many locations from the previous trip, because I wanted D. to try them. There was another Carlock's run, dinner at Thai Boat (where service was much faster), and revisits to Justin, Adelaida, and Pasolivo. Check out Adelaida's walnut grove. In March, I took a picture of the same spot:

The trees are full of leaves, but the grass is gone. Ah, how I miss spring. We visited two new-to-me wineries: Eberle and J. Lohr. I didn't taste at J. Lohr because my stomach was upset (wine + large milkshake at lunch = angry belly), but the wines at Eberle were nice. D. bought two bottles of the Sangiovese. I was still a little off-kilter, but I liked it best. We also had the opportunity to tour the wine caves, which were interesting.

We also headed to Cambria for lunch at Robin's. I've been to Robin's several times and I really enjoy two things: the fish tacos and the lemon cheesecake. This time, however, I chose one of their specials, angel hair pasta with smoked salmon and a tomato cream sauce.

It was a fine dish, but there were two things... this was clearly not angel hair and there was about 1 cup of cooked pasta, making it an absurdly tiny serving for $13. I know, it doesn't look that small, but there's no depth to the plate. The huge wedge of yummy garlic bread was some consolation, though. Not that I expect three meals out of one serving, but I should be able to feel full afterwards.

Service was very pleasant, but very slow and absentminded. Lunch took over 2 hours, which would have been annoying had we not been on vacation. After lunch, the elephant seal rookery at Piedras Blancas, north of San Simeon (aka home of Hearst Castle).

Fabulous stop. Turns out I have a 13x optical zoom that focuses really well, hence the close-ups. They're inviting you to the molting party. A shockingly low 16-ish% of these guys reach adulthood, so protecting them is something to think about. Always visit one of the knowledgeable volunteer docents for a quick update on how the population is doing.

Adelaida Cellars
5805 Adelaida Road
Paso Robles, CA 93446

J. Lohr Winery and Tasting Room
6169 Airport Road
Paso Robles, CA 93446

Robin's Restaurant
4095 Burton Drive
Cambria, CA 93428

Piedras Blancas Rookery
Highway 1
14 miles north of Cambria