CayCUTEcos

Beach please! Covid has made it terribly difficult to nourish my travel bug needs. So, Weston and I headed on a little road trip to get out of the Orange County craziness.

Cayucos, a little hidden beach gem, is nestled 20 minutes north of San Luis Obispo, 45 minutes south of Big Sur and 30 minutes east of Paso Robles. No matter what kind of vacation you are looking to have this is such a great home base.

STAY

AirBnB- Usually local beach towns don't have too many hotels to stay in, so I always suggest to live like a local townie. We love getting a local feel for a town by staying in one. You can shop local (like buying San Louis Sourdough bread) or shopping at the Morro Bay Farmers Market (every Saturday morning).

Camping- RV it and stay right on the beach. Fall asleep listening to the waves crash and wake up to morning coffee and a walk on the beach.

EAT & DRINK

Novo Restaurant & Lounge This came as a fantastic recommendation from a good friend who went to San Luis Obispo for undergrad. It is a super cute, quaint restaurant with tons of outdoor seating. The menu features locally sourced dishes, an extensive wine list and craft cocktails. You can sip, savor and soak in the creek-side atmosphere. It has a very romantic vibe perfect for date night! It was voted the #1 Restaurant in SLO 2020.

Address: 726 Higuera St, SLO, CA 93401

Schooners This little place is located in the small town of Cayucos. On a whim, Weston and I walked in here one day for lunch while strolling through town. We were instantly drawn to the ship motif and totally feel like it could turn into a ship show by the bar on a Friday or Saturday night. I always love a place with great character, charm and outdoor seating. You also cannot complain about the ocean views. It is a seafood place with tons of fish options to choose from.

Address: 171 N Ocean Ave, Cayucos, CA 93430

Brown Butter Cookies Wanting a sweet treat after walking the beach? This place has great cookies! It not only has a bakery in Cayucos, but also in Paso Robles and SLO.

Address: 98 N Ocean Ave, Cayucos, CA 93430

THINGS TO DO

Wine tasting in Paso Robles- Are you a red wine lover?? I've always stuck by the old wives tale "red wine is good for your heart." Paso has some phenomenal wineries to try.

Some of our personal favorites:

• Justin Winery- We love their reds! We gravitate towards Justin wine when we are having date night in... or if it's on the wine list at a favorite restaurant. This is definitely one of the more well known wineries in this area, so I would suggest making a reservation if possible. Protip: a tasting room is located in downtown Paso Robles in addition to the estate. Address: 11680 Chimney Rock Rd, Paso Robles, CA 93446

• Linne Calodo- We are obsessed with this winery. Weston and I have wine tasted here the last 2 years, but I recommend making a reservation for this winery as it is a smaller place. They are known mostly for their red variatals and family owned/operated hospitality! Of their staple reds, buy Overthinker and Outsider. Every once and a while they'll throw in something light, and we fell in love with their Slacker Rosé in 2019. This became our absolute favorite!! So much so that Weston sourced a bottle after it was sold out and served when he proposed this past June. Needless to say, this winery will forever be apart of our relationship and lives going forward! Address: 3030 Vineyard Dr, Paso Robles, CA 93446

Protip: pack a picnic lunch, snacks and plenty of water for your trip. Wineries will let you bring your own food in. So you can wine and dine!

• Herman Story- Weston's mom introduced us to this little spot. She is a wine club member at this very boutique winery. Think awesome full bodied wines crossed with quirky named bottles with great stories written about them. The winery is actually named after the winemaker's grandfather, not the 'story' they feature about each bottle; although I like both interpretations. This tasting room is situated in downtown Paso Robles. For a day trip from Cayucos, you could stroll the streets of downtown Paso and pop into this winery for a great afternoon tasting. They specialize in Syrah and Grinache... both definitely worth a taste! One of the very Herman Story-esque things is requesting for bad school photos from their wine club members. The best "worst" photo is featured on the bottle of Late Bloomer.

Address: 1227 Paso Robles St, Paso Robles, CA 93446

• Jack Creek Cellars - This small, family owned and operated winery came as a recommendation from a friend who studied viticulture at SLO. She loved that it was a smaller winery who just had a pure passion for winemaking. It is a small tasting room but the staff are extremely knowledgeable and attentive. Address: 5265 Jack Creek Rd, Templeton, CA 93465

Road trip to Big Sur- From Cayucos it is about a 40 minute drive to the most southern part of Big Sur. As you head north on Highway 1, you can soak up some of the most spectacular views of the California coast. This area boasts some of the most gorgeous coastline in California... so why not soak it in! If you want a cute destination to stop along the way, check out the infamous Elephant Seal Sanctuary and The Ragged Point Inn. Ragged Point Inn has a bar and restaurant where you can make a pit stop. What is even more amazing are the breathtaking views from this iconic lookout point!

Address: 19019 CA-1, Ragged Point, CA 93452

Cayucos has become one of mine and Weston's favorite annual trips. I hope you will love this place as much as we do! Relax, unwind and have a glass of wine for us... It's worth the trip!

Cheers!