Friday, July 31, 2020
It was finally time for our small mini-vacation to Pismo Beach for surfing and relaxation. Inna and I woke up at 07:30 and loaded the Toyota Sienna minivan with our surfboards, wetsuits, and beach toys.
After a delicious breakfast (Inna made some crepes with caviar), we embarked on the 3-hour drive to Pismo Beach. The drive was uneventful. At about 13:00, we stopped for lunch at Ventana Grill - one of our favorite restaurants in the area.
We were seated on the outside patio and were a bit cold; I even had to return to the minivan to grab jackets for Inna and me (due to the blistering wind)
Alex, Inna, and I - all ordered cups of delicious, freshly made Clam Chowder. Inna thought it was the best clam chowder she'd ever tasted - though I also liked it at Dorn's Cafe in nearby Morro Bay. For entrees, Inna and I ordered individual Mahi-Mahi Sandwiches. We both enjoyed them, but I was already full of clam chowder and barely finished my sandwich. Alex ordered Fish & Chips and was quite happy.
After lunch, we head to our Sandcastle Hotel. With standard check-in at 16:00, we could not check in early. We decided to stroll on Pismo Beach. During the walk, Alex developed a headache. Perhaps he overheated during the long, three-hour car drive.
Waves were mushy and all broken up. There were not too many surfers, and Alex was slightly disappointed with what he saw. He wasn't confident that surfing would be possible in the next few days. Wave forecasts on MSW (Magic Seaweed) and Surfline weren't very favorable.
After our walk, we waited on the Sandcastle Hotel's patio, which had nice furniture and fire tables overlooking the beach.
At about 17:15, we registered at our hotel and brought all our clothes to our room - #211. Inna was hoping for an upgrade to an ocean-view room, but the hotel was fully booked.
Inna arranged dinner in Paso Robles and the special Bruce Munro: Field of Light Show At Sensorio.
The drive to Paso Robles wasn't long, and we arrived at 18:20. It was much hotter in Paso Robles (from 70F in Pismo Beach to 90F in Paso Robles).
Our dinner at Thomas Hill Organics restaurant went perfectly well, although I was less than enthusiastic about my main selections.
For starters, we ordered cold Gazpacho soup. I really liked the gazpacho (a bit spicy), but it was not as delicious as the one I enjoyed in Cafe Demel in Vienna. Alex could not finish his soup, as he was not used to its spiciness (Inna and I endeavored to help him).
For the main entrees, Alex selected the Summer Burrata Salad. I liked the Sate Ayam plate. Inna chose the Spiced Beef Empanadas.
After dinner, we saw Bruce Munro's Field of Light At Sensorio.
We enjoyed the 1/2 mile walk around the field of artificial, electric-powered flowers. It was a unique experience. I hoped to bring a monopod or tripod to take photos, but it was prohibited.
Saturday, August 1, 2020
I woke up at 08:00, put on my wetsuit, and surfed on my Wavestorm 8' - directly across from the Sandcastle Hotel. The waves were surprisingly clean, and I managed to catch 6 waves for nice rides! I returned to the hotel at around 09:30. Since everyone was ravenous, we decided to find a place to have breakfast.
After looking at Yelp, Inna decided to try Penny's All American Cafe. We proceeded on foot since it was a 15-minute walk from Sandcastle Hotel. When we arrived, we added our names to the register and waited about 30 minutes to be seated.
I ordered a Denver Omelet with hashbrowns and toasted sourdough bread. Inna ordered Penny's Favorite omelet. Alex ordered Dave's Mess: 2 Eggs Scrambled with/ Home Fries, Ham, Sausage, Bacon, and Cheddar Cheese. We liked our breakfast, but it took too long (with all the waiting).
We returned to our hotel, and I brought the beach umbrella and chairs while Alex and I decided to surf some more. Afternoon surfing was not as pleasant as the waves were inconsistent and difficult to predict.
Inna made dinner reservations at the Granada Hotel & Bistro in San Luis Obispo (about 15 minutes away).
I selected the highly recommended (by our waiter) Fried Chicken for my entree. It was incredibly delicious with the sweet honey/sour sauce.
Inna selected Smoked Salmon with Kale Salad. Although she liked it, she would have been happier with Fried Chicken. Alex ordered the Burger, and he really liked it.
The green tea was also quite delicious. Alex chose a Peanut Butter Cookie with Ice Cream for dessert, while Inna and I shared the Meyer Lemon Bar.
We enjoyed our dessert a lot!
Sunday, August 2, 2020
I was planning to wake up at 07:30 to go surfing with Alex on Pismo Beach; however, when I woke up and checked the forecast, the beach was completely fogged in. I decided to wait an hour to see what would happen.
Fortunately, at 08:30, the fog cleared over Pismo Beach, and Alex and I quickly dressed, put on our wetsuits, and headed to the beach with our surfboards. Alex used his Kym Thompson 6'6" shortboard while I brought my 8' Wavestorm.
Once we paddled out, we saw lots of surfers all spread out. There was plenty of room for everyone (unlike The Hook, where the lineup is very concentrated). The swells were very lovely and easy to catch. Alex caught about 20 waves, and I also saw many rides (between 6 and 10). We enjoyed surfing here, with the smooth sandy bottom (even during low tide).
It was finally time for our small mini-vacation to Pismo Beach for surfing and relaxation. Inna and I woke up at 07:30 and loaded the Toyota Sienna minivan with our surfboards, wetsuits, and beach toys.
After a delicious breakfast (Inna made some crepes with caviar), we embarked on the 3-hour drive to Pismo Beach. The drive was uneventful. At about 13:00, we stopped for lunch at Ventana Grill - one of our favorite restaurants in the area.
We were seated on the outside patio and were a bit cold; I even had to return to the minivan to grab jackets for Inna and me (due to the blistering wind)
Alex, Inna, and I - all ordered cups of delicious, freshly made Clam Chowder. Inna thought it was the best clam chowder she'd ever tasted - though I also liked it at Dorn's Cafe in nearby Morro Bay. For entrees, Inna and I ordered individual Mahi-Mahi Sandwiches. We both enjoyed them, but I was already full of clam chowder and barely finished my sandwich. Alex ordered Fish & Chips and was quite happy.
After lunch, we head to our Sandcastle Hotel. With standard check-in at 16:00, we could not check in early. We decided to stroll on Pismo Beach. During the walk, Alex developed a headache. Perhaps he overheated during the long, three-hour car drive.
Waves were mushy and all broken up. There were not too many surfers, and Alex was slightly disappointed with what he saw. He wasn't confident that surfing would be possible in the next few days. Wave forecasts on MSW (Magic Seaweed) and Surfline weren't very favorable.
After our walk, we waited on the Sandcastle Hotel's patio, which had nice furniture and fire tables overlooking the beach.
At about 17:15, we registered at our hotel and brought all our clothes to our room - #211. Inna was hoping for an upgrade to an ocean-view room, but the hotel was fully booked.
Inna arranged dinner in Paso Robles and the special Bruce Munro: Field of Light Show At Sensorio.
The drive to Paso Robles wasn't long, and we arrived at 18:20. It was much hotter in Paso Robles (from 70F in Pismo Beach to 90F in Paso Robles).
For starters, we ordered cold Gazpacho soup. I really liked the gazpacho (a bit spicy), but it was not as delicious as the one I enjoyed in Cafe Demel in Vienna. Alex could not finish his soup, as he was not used to its spiciness (Inna and I endeavored to help him).
For the main entrees, Alex selected the Summer Burrata Salad. I liked the Sate Ayam plate. Inna chose the Spiced Beef Empanadas.
Saturday, August 1, 2020
I woke up at 08:00, put on my wetsuit, and surfed on my Wavestorm 8' - directly across from the Sandcastle Hotel. The waves were surprisingly clean, and I managed to catch 6 waves for nice rides! I returned to the hotel at around 09:30. Since everyone was ravenous, we decided to find a place to have breakfast.
Inna made dinner reservations at the Granada Hotel & Bistro in San Luis Obispo (about 15 minutes away).
We really liked the food and ambiance of Granada Bistro; it seemed like an upscale restaurant among tourist-oriented eateries. For starters, we selected Chips & Dip - a really delicious appetizer.
We enjoyed our dessert a lot!
Sunday, August 2, 2020
I was planning to wake up at 07:30 to go surfing with Alex on Pismo Beach; however, when I woke up and checked the forecast, the beach was completely fogged in. I decided to wait an hour to see what would happen.
Fortunately, at 08:30, the fog cleared over Pismo Beach, and Alex and I quickly dressed, put on our wetsuits, and headed to the beach with our surfboards. Alex used his Kym Thompson 6'6" shortboard while I brought my 8' Wavestorm.
Once we paddled out, we saw lots of surfers all spread out. There was plenty of room for everyone (unlike The Hook, where the lineup is very concentrated). The swells were very lovely and easy to catch. Alex caught about 20 waves, and I also saw many rides (between 6 and 10). We enjoyed surfing here, with the smooth sandy bottom (even during low tide).
Pismo is supposed to be best on a high tide. This was pleasant and enjoyable for a "one" star MSW day. Alex was ecstatic about the cutback he was able to try.
At about 10:40, Alex's leash broke, so we returned to our room. We still need to check out our hotel. Inna delayed check out until noon (from the standard 11:00 check out)
After packing our clothes and electronics, we packed our car and headed to the Sandcastle Patio to enjoy the beautiful morning.
I enjoyed sitting on the patio and reading my Kindle's next book, Demagogue: The Life and Long Shadow of Senator Joe McCarthy. It was an engaging and exciting read.
At about 13:00, we headed to Ventana Grill for lunch before our long drive to San Jose. When we arrived there, we were required to wait about 30 minutes before being seated.
We walked around the area, taking photos of brown pelicans (which inhabit this area).
The views of Pismo Beach were also quite magnificent.
Once seated at Ventana Grill, we ordered clam chowder (for everyone). Alex also ordered the Mahi-Mahi Sandwich. I decided to try the VG Burrito, and it was enormous.
At about 10:40, Alex's leash broke, so we returned to our room. We still need to check out our hotel. Inna delayed check out until noon (from the standard 11:00 check out)
I enjoyed sitting on the patio and reading my Kindle's next book, Demagogue: The Life and Long Shadow of Senator Joe McCarthy. It was an engaging and exciting read.
At about 13:00, we headed to Ventana Grill for lunch before our long drive to San Jose. When we arrived there, we were required to wait about 30 minutes before being seated.
We walked around the area, taking photos of brown pelicans (which inhabit this area).
The views of Pismo Beach were also quite magnificent.
Once seated at Ventana Grill, we ordered clam chowder (for everyone). Alex also ordered the Mahi-Mahi Sandwich. I decided to try the VG Burrito, and it was enormous.
Pismo Beach Trip Report
Highlights
- Surfing at Pismo Beach
- Lunch and Dinner at Ventana Grill
- Dinner at Granada Bistro (in San Luis Obispo)
- Sensorio Paso Robles show
Lowlights
-
Dinner at Thomas Hill Organics (in San Luis Obispo) was uninspiring
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