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The Ageless Traveler--The Romantic Central California Coast (Wine, Hot Springs & More)
Published about 1 month ago • 8 min read
Dear Ageless Traveler,
I have been on a quest along the glorious Central California Coast to discover the very best spots to enhance romance for couples who have been married for a long, long time.
Here's why...
Last week I had dinner with two couples who were celebrating their anniversaries, as I will do in August. One couple was married for ten years. The other couple had been married for 70 years. Seventy years! Stu and I will celebrate our 55th anniversary and we thought think was a big deal.
The dinner made us think about great ways to celebrate anniversaries. Usually, In August, Stu and I embark on whirlwind tours for our anniversary. We spent our 51st anniversary on the Bosporus, our 52nd in Thailand, our 53rd in Greenland, our 54th in Uganda, and our 55th will be in the Galapagos.
But, while these are bucket list destinations, we go non-stop and really don't take time to meet each other all over again. What if, just once, we sought not the grand gestures, but a close-to-home road trip? So we did…this newsletter tells you what we discovered on the Central Coast of California… a tent under the stars, the sunrise over the Pacific, cowboy coffee brewed over a campfire while coyotes sing in the hills, and the ubiquitous wineries.
Whether you are ten years in or heading toward seventy, I believe there is something here that will spark your own next anniversary adventure together.
In our usual sections, we cover:
Ask Adriane: How To Get The Most Out Of A Wine Tasting
News You Can Use: Wine Tasting in Paso Robles, Wine Clubs Explained
Culture Vulture: Hot Springs for Two: River Oaks and Morton Hot Springs
Luxury Travel for Less: Morro Bay, Morro Rock & Moonstone Beach, Cambria
This week, on The Ageless Traveler Podcast, I couldn’t help but balance our US destination with information on retiring in Portugal. You will also discover how to buy the best mattress from the archives of my longtime podcast Generation Bold, The Fountain of Truth About Aging.
Never stop traveling
Cheers,
Adriane
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On Our Podcast
Travel to Portugal. Plus, How to Buy a Mattress.
What would you think of someone who had a pot of gold and never shared a dime? Well, I feel like I did that. For four years, I hosted a podcast called Generation Bold, The Fountain of Truth About Aging. It won awards, but three years ago I put it on hiatus (a fancy way of saying that I stopped the show) to start The Ageless Traveler.
I will be on the road for a few weeks, so I decided to revisit past episodes of Gen Bold and see if I could repurpose them for us. I admit, I felt guilty…like I am too lazy to create new episodes on the run.
But when I started to listen to long forgotten episodes, I realized I have gold that I am not sharing with you. This week I offer the ORIGIN EPISODE of that gave birth to The Ageless Traveler, it covers living in Portugal and how to buy a mattress that is non toxic and helps you get better sleep. I still feel like apologizing for offering up an old episode, but so many of them are valuable, that you will be hearing more of them as we go along. Also I commissioned a pretty nifty song on aging…you will hear snippets in the episode
Q. I am doing wine tasting in a formal way for the first time. Any tips for not getting tipsy and making the most of it? Sam, San Francisco
A. I just did a bunch of tastings in Napa, Sonoma, Paso Robles and visit the Champagne Valley of France with European Waterways in August. I'm no connoisseur, but here's what I do for maximum enjoyment.
1. Reserve in advance- (although we did not) Nearly all tasting rooms now require reservations. Do this a week ahead, especially on weekends.
2. Start with whites and rosés, move to reds. Let your palate build gradually.
3. Use the spit bucket without shame. You are there to taste, not to compete.
4. Ask questions. Tasting room hosts love talking about their wines. This is where you learn what you actually love.
5. Don't feel obligated to buy. But if you find something you adore, buy it. Most wines in Paso run $20–$60 per bottle, and tasting fees of $15–$40 per person are often waived with a purchase.
6. Bring snacks. Pack a little cheese and charcuterie so you are not tasting on an empty stomach. (We buy cheese and meat boards at the winery if available, as their food is perfect accompaniments for their wine.)
News You Can Use
The Wineries We Loved In Paso Robles
Tackitt Family Vineyards-We stumbled upon this winery on the way to Enney Ranch, which we covered in last week’s podcast. They were entertaining their wine club members with a barbecue and had all spent the day creating wine blends for a blind judging table by table. The winners get great prizes. We, as strangers, were welcomed and asked to share wine, the contest, and the field. How can you not love the gracious generosity of these Paso Robles vintners?
Summerwood Winery is located at the gateway to Westside Paso Robles, just one mile west of Highway 101 on Highway 46 West. You will hear from them on an upcoming episode of The Ageless Traveler Podcast because we had the good fortune of staying there.
What you taste here are artisan-crafted Rhône and Bordeaux wines, including their proprietary blends like Diosa Blanc and Sentio. Every Saturday at 1:00 PM, they host a private Gazebo Tasting pairing reserve-tier wines with local artisan cheeses. I took home a bottle of a sparkling Grenache Blanc, a surprising bubbly, named Asa Awa (WHICH MEANS MORNING BUBBLE IN JAPANESE). Yes, for 25 years, Summerwood has been owned by folks from Osaka!
Kenwood-Full disclosure, we stopped here to go to the bathroom and ended up buying premium wine. Kenwood is a well-known California brand. If you are self-guided touring in Paso or along the coast, look for their bottles at local restaurants and wine bars to round out your evening.
Wine Clubs: Memberships vs. Subscriptions
From my interviews with the Vintners, I discovered that wine clubs want to attract younger members (what else is new). To do so, some offer subscriptions and others club memberships. Here’s the difference:
Winery Wine Club Memberships are offered directly by the producer. You sign up at the tasting room (or online), commit to receiving a set number of shipments per year (typically 2–4), and receive benefits such as complimentary tastings on future visits, discounts on bottles, and invitations to exclusive member events. Summerwood, for example, hosts wine release dinners and harvest events on its beautiful vineyard lawn. These clubs are ideal if you fall in love with a particular winery's style.
Subscription Wine Clubs curate wines from multiple producers based on your taste profile. There is no ongoing relationship with a specific winery, and you can usually pause or cancel more easily. These are great for exploration if you have not yet found your "home" winery.
Culture Vulturing Around the World
Hot Springs for Two
Paso Robles has a secret identity. Long before it was wine country, it was spa country. The Salinan people knew these thermal waters for centuries, and the town itself was once called "The Springs." Today, you have two very different ways to soak. Both of them are romantic:
River Oaks Hot Springs Spa- In a recent Travel Tuesday, I covered several hot springs in Azores, Arkansas, and elsewhere. But River Oaks was the MOST ROMANTIC of all. Why? Because they provide private outdoor tubs fed by natural geothermal wells that emerge from the earth at 117 degrees, rich with healing minerals, including sulfur compounds and trace elements that leave your skin impossibly soft. These secluded open-air baths are surrounded by fencing for complete privacy, with dramatic views over Paso Robles' rolling vineyard hills. You are soaking under the sky, looking out over the vines, wine in hand, and the world has completely stopped.
For the ultimate couples' experience, book the WineMakers Package, which includes two 60-minute Swedish massages in the same room, plus a one-hour private indoor mineral-tub soak. Or try the Wine Down Couples Package, starting with a 30-minute private mineral soak, followed by a 60-minute couples massage, then walking to the outdoor vineyard-view tubs for a "Sip and Soak" wine tasting flight, priced around $350 for two. But an hour in any of the baths is less that $30!
Note for Anniversary Celebrations: River Oaks specializes in romantic packages. When you book, mention your anniversary; the staff here is legendary for their warmth and personal touches.Oakes
Morton Warm Springs in Glen Ellen, CA couldn’t be more different from River . For $28, you get a full day to enjoy three regular swimming pools, including one with kids’ hours. The atmosphere is fun, with family and chatter. Strangers meet in the water, couples say hello to other couples, and bathing suits are required. The waters are filled with minerals, and you can walk hand in hand down to the river and bathe in the natural setting as well.
Try the farm-to-table lunches. I was surprised that the walk-up counter served some of the best food I've had on the California coast…bring your own towels, buy one for $20, or rent one for $5. The changing rooms are old and remind me of my first visit to the famous Blue Lagoon in Reykjavik, Iceland. This place is a great throwback with dozens of minerals in the water for arthritis and more.
Luxury Travel for Less
MORRO BAY & MOONSTONE BEACH
The Central California Coast is one of the most dramatically beautiful stretches of shoreline in the world, and two spots stand out for couples seeking a romantic combination of scenery and serenity.
Morro Bay
Morro Bay is anchored by its most famous resident: Morro Rock, a 581-foot volcanic plug that rises straight from the sea like something from another world. It is one of the "Nine Sisters,” a chain of ancient volcanic peaks stretching down the San Luis Obispo coast. At sunset, it turns gold against a violet sky.
The town itself offers fresh seafood, harbor walks, kayak rentals, and a walk along the Embarcadero, where we watched the sea otters floating on their backs.
Cambria and Moonstone Beach Boardwalk
Just up the coast, Cambria offers The Moonstone Beach Boardwalk, a 1.5-mile elevated wooden walkway that runs right along the bluffs above the Pacific. Sea glass and moonstones are scattered on the beach, and folks pick them up and go to local jewelry stores to get them set.
The boardwalk is completely flat, easy on every kind of knee.
Tip for Anniversaries: Both Morro Bay and Cambria have excellent romantic dinner restaurants and small inns. This stretch of coast is ideal for a one-night add-on to your Paso Robles wine country visit.
Paso Robles, "Paso" to the locals, is a genuine small city with a vibrant downtown, a real art scene, live music, farm-to-table restaurants, and a spirit of creative community.
Downtown Paso Robles is built around a beautiful historic town square with more than 20 tasting rooms sprinkled among the shops and restaurants. The Studios on the Park offers galleries and working artist studios open to the public.
For Couples Celebrating: Several wineries host dinner events on their vineyard lawns year-round. Summerwood, for example, hosts harvest dinners and Sentio wine celebrations with multi-course dinners, live music under the stars, and multiple vintages poured side by side. Or, create your celebration at Enney Ranch and enjoy the CAMPING LIGHT experience you discovered in our Podcast with Kenny Enney, and celebrate under the stars with your own wine and barbecue.
Don't Forget to Download Our FREE Ageless Traveler eBooks--Simply Click on the Book(s) of your choice.
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