Inspiring travel stories, tips, and guides from a couple exploring the world one destination at a time.
Yosemite National Park anytime of the year, especially in the winter, is breathtaking. Our access was limited because of road closures and back to back winter storms. We were fortunate to get an hour of blue skies our entire stay.
[Read more…] about Yosemite National Park CaliforniaSequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks were a few hour drive from Paso Robles, California. We knew there would be limited access to both parks because it was winter. Fortunately, a few days of blue skies following a winter storm were just what we were hoping for. The General Sherman giant sequoia is the largest living tree on earth.
Last Updated: June 6, 2026
The Central Coast of California stretches roughly from Santa Barbara to Monterey — a sweep of beautiful coastline dotted with small cities, agricultural valleys, and some of the most dramatic scenery on the Pacific Coast. No major airports, no snowbird crowds, no rush. We based ourselves in Paso Robles and explored the entire region on day trips.
Last Updated: June 6, 2026
Paso Robles is a beautiful wine region of rolling hills draped in grapevines and ancient oak trees, situated midway along the California coast between Los Angeles and San Francisco. It had been our go-to destination for long weekend getaways when we lived in San Diego. From Temecula it was a five-hour drive north — and absolutely worth every mile.
Last Updated: June 6, 2026
Temecula was less than a two-hour drive north from Santee Lakes. Over the past 25 years we had explored many of the wineries in the Temecula Valley, watching the region mature into something genuinely impressive. Not only has the quality of the wine improved considerably, but so has the culinary scene — and, inevitably, so have the tasting fees.
Last Updated: June 6, 2026
From Jacumba Hot Springs, California we headed west to Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve, east of San Diego, where we set up for the holidays to visit Michael’s dad. After a couple of weeks in remote Jacumba at nearly 3,000 feet, it was a welcome change to have the full amenities of a major city within easy reach — Costco included.
