February 25, 2015

Avila Beach, California: Custom House; restaurant review

Custom House  

404 Front St., (805) 595-7555.  B-L-D daily; $$$. 

This is a new incarnation of the town’s historic 1927 custom house, which also previously served as a restaurant under that name from 1971 to 2002.  A gigantic wide-open, high-ceilinged dining room is lined with comfortable oversize black-leather booths, and seating is also available outside on both sheltered and unsheltered patios.  Located just across the street from the beach, it has great views of the ocean and people-watching is also primo.

exterior of Custom House restaurant in Avila Beach, California
exterior of Custom House restaurant in Avila Beach, California


interior of Custom House restaurant in Avila Beach, California
interior of Custom House restaurant in Avila Beach, California


The restaurant is known for big breakfasts and its Bloody Mary, plus great steamers, seafood, prime steaks, and oven-fired flatbreads.  Machaca--scrambled eggs mixed with marinated beef, sweet red onions, sliced peppers, corn chips, and salsa, then topped with queso fresco and scallions and served with refried beans and crispy hash browns--is getting popular, and I really liked the double-decker BLT with avocado and what might be the world’s largest onion rings (the waiter told me the onions they are made from are the size of a human head).  Olallieberry pie from the Avila Valley Barn is a dessert option.

fish & chips at Custom House restaurant in Avila Beach, California
fish & chips at Custom House restaurant in Avila Beach, California


BLT at Custom House restaurant in Avila Beach, California
BLT at Custom House restaurant in Avila Beach, California



When you’re not in town, you can keep up with what is happening in real time via a webcam that is posted atop the restaurant. 

Mr Rick’s bar

 (805) 595-7425. is adjacent.  The beach-front patio is a great place to watch a sunset, and live music is often scheduled. 



More things to do in Avila Beach.

More ideas for exploring the U.S.


images ©2015 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

February 23, 2015

San Luis Obispo, California: Kelsey See Canyon Vineyards; things to do

Kelsey See Canyon Vineyards  

1947 See Canyon Rd., San Luis Obispo, (805) 595-9700.  Tasting daily; tour sometimes available by request.

Located on a scenic back road just a few miles from Avila Beach, the small Kelsey See Canyon Winery is a charmer.  More than 100 wild peacocks roam the land, and an inviting picnic area with a creek and rows of grapevines is just off the informal tasting room.

peacock at Kelsey See Canyon Vineyards in San Luis Obispo, California
peacock at Kelsey See Canyon Vineyards in San Luis Obispo, California


It is a family operation, started by a tugboat captain to get the family back together.  The owner’s nephew sometimes leads an informal tour, and art by the owner’s niece decorates the tasting room walls and some of the wine bottle labels.  

tasting room at Kelsey See Canyon Vineyards in San Luis Obispo, California
tasting room at Kelsey See Canyon Vineyards in San Luis Obispo, California


They only produce 5,000 cases per year, and it sells out fast to locals and wine club members.  Tasting standouts included a crisp 2013 Albarino with pineapple and grapefruit notes, the gold medal-winning 2013 Golden Delicious--a sweet 50 percent blend of apple cider and Chardonnay—and a nice, smooth 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon.  The unusual 2013 Estate “In-a-gadda-da-vino” Chardonnay, described as the “Iron Butterfly of Chardonnay,” is a trip and has a tie-dyed label to match.  The winery also makes a sweet end-of-season effervescent hard apple cider wine.  Owner Keith Kelsey says, “We’re an adventure.”  Live music with food and crafts stalls is scheduled on summer weekends.

wine bottles at Kelsey See Canyon Vineyards in San Luis Obispo, California
wine bottles at Kelsey See Canyon Vineyards in San Luis Obispo, California




More things to do in San Luis Obispo.

For more area wine adventures, see Avila Wine Trail.

More things to do in Avila Beach.

More ideas for exploring the U.S.

images ©2015 Carole Terwilliger Meyers


February 19, 2015

Avila Beach, California: Alapay Cellars; things to do

Alapay Cellars  

415 1st St., (805) 595‐2632.  Daily 10:30am-6pm.  $10 tasting fee, free with purchase of one bottle. 

Set back a block from the beach, this colorful tasting room for Alapay Cellars features creative floor tiling and has several tasting areas with comfy upholstered high stools.  Doubling as a gift shop, a plethora of items is also displayed throughout the spacious room.  My tasting started with a buttery 2013 Central Coast Chardonnay that had rested in French oak for more than two years.  Then came an unusual 2013 Santa Barbara County 100% Cinsault Rhone varietal that makes for nice sipping.  An Old World-style 2013 Bien Nacido Reserve Pinot Noir from 40-year-old vines was nice and smooth, and a tasty silver medal-winning 2013 Central Coast Grenache displayed spicy black pepper notes.  I like dessert wines and so enjoyed ending with a jammy Paso Robles Zinfandel Port that had been in the barrel for four years and had pleasing berry notes. 

sign for Alapay Cellars in Avila Beach, California
sign for Alapay Cellars in Avila Beach, California


tasting bar at Alapay Cellars in Avila Beach, California
tasting bar at Alapay Cellars in Avila Beach, California



More things to do in Avila Beach.

More ideas for exploring the U.S.


images ©2015 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

February 17, 2015

Avila Beach, California: Avila La Fonda Hotel; hotel review

Avila La Fonda Hotel  

101 San Miguel St., 1 blk. to beach, (805) 595-1700.  28 rooms.  All gas fireplaces; some kitchens; some steam showers & saunas.  Afternoon wine and appetizers; evening pie; continental breakfast.  Dogs ok.  Free covered subterranean parking.

Mimicking the varied architecture of a Mexican village on the exterior, the Avila La Fonda Hotel’s lobby continues the motif with a south-of-the-border courtyard feel.

exterior of Avila La Fonda Hotel in Avila Beach, California
exterior of Avila La Fonda Hotel in Avila Beach, California


In December, when I visited, seasonal cheer includes countless red poinsettias and a two-story-high decorated tree.

lobby at Christmas at Avila La Fonda Hotel in Avila Beach, California
lobby at Christmas at Avila La Fonda Hotel in Avila Beach, California


An informal snack room off the lobby provides chocolate chip cookies, coffee, fruited water, and sometimes tangerines and nuts.  A typical afternoon appetizer spread can pass for dinner if you’re not particularly hungry--olives, a tasty garbanzo salad, ravioli, and cheesecake squares.  The intoxicating fragrance of baking pies begins permeating the inn around 7 p.m,, and at 8 p.m. an array of heavenly pies from the nearby Avila Valley Barn--perhaps peach-raspberry, apple-peach, and boysenberry--are served up.

pie time at Avila La Fonda Hotel in Avila Beach, California
pie time at Avila La Fonda Hotel in Avila Beach, California


Breakfast features both extraordinarily delicious chocolate croissants and regular croissants from a talented local baker along with orange juice, coffee, and tea.  Should you stay two nights and be here at noon, a nacho bar with salsas as well as Mexican beer and coke is provided.  Each guest room is also stocked with a complimentary welcome snack basket filled with sodas, waters, chips, and more.  No one goes hungry at the La Fonda!  Books, board games, and movies are available to borrow, as are coolers, boogie boards, towels, and chairs for the beach.  A coupon for free wine tasting is also usually available.  Guests have complimentary use of the Avila Bay Athletic Club, located about 2 miles away, and guests who are celebrating a birthday get a special cake and those who are celebrating an anniversary get Champagne.  The entire hotel is nicely decorated with Mexican items, including a large collection of hand-painted Talavera ceramics from the Jalisco area of Mexico and terra cotta-colored Mexican paver-tile floors.  Hand-painted art works are here and there on the walls sponge-painted in lovely warm colors.  Guest rooms are all large, and most have a balcony and a two-person shower with six heads.  All rooms have a two-person Jacuzzi tub, a high undraped canopy bed, and heavy Mexican furniture.

guest room at Avila La Fonda Hotel in Avila Beach, California
guest room at Avila La Fonda Hotel in Avila Beach, California



More things to do in Avila Beach.

More ideas for exploring the U.S.


images ©2015 Carole Terwilliger Meyers


February 13, 2015

Avila Beach, California: Avila Beach Pier + Harford Pier + Olde Port Inn; things to do + restaurant review

Avila Beach piers  


Avila Beach Pier

The 1,685-foot-long Avila Beach Pier that extends out from the beach is for pedestrians only.  Recreational fishing is permitted.

Avila Beach Pier in Avila Beach, California
Avila Beach Pier in Avila Beach, California


Harford Pier  

In Port San Luis, (805) 550‐3347.  This 1878 wood working pier is a great spot to hang for a while and watch the fishing boats unload and perhaps see a few pelicans up close with their own catch.  A few fresh fish markets sell high quality local seafood and fish that is hand-filleted on the spot and packed to go.  Though it is an enjoyable walk, you can also drive on the pier and even park at the end for a meal at Olde Port Inn.

pelican with fish in mouth on Harford Pier in Avila Beach, California
pelican with fish in mouth on Harford Pier in Avila Beach, California


fisherman on Harford Pier in Avila Beach, California
fisherman on Harford Pier in Avila Beach, California


Olde Port Inn on Harford Pier in Avila Beach, California
Olde Port Inn on Harford Pier in Avila Beach, California


Olde Port Inn  

At end of pier, (805) 595-2515.  14 L Sat-Sun, D daily; $$$.  Dining here includes a drive down the vintage wood Harford Pier and free parking.  Arrive early to allow time to explore the pier itself.  Good water views are available from both dining rooms, but only one has the famous tables with windows in the center that allow viewing right through the wharf to the water below.  Note that you won’t be seeing into the water periscope-style.  Instead the view is from above the water, but if you’re lucky you might see a seal go by.  Though the menu is simple, some of the preparations are not.  I enjoyed a cup of white clam chowder and a fresh Dungeness crab salad with mustard-vinaigrette dressing while my dining partner slurped up the house specialty cioppino.  On my next visit, I plan to try the Dungeness crab cakes, fried fish, and housemade peach cobbler.  Amazingly, corkage is complimentary, so do some wine tasting and bring along a favorite discovery.

white clam chowder at Olde Port Inn on Harford Pier in Avila Beach, California
white clam chowder at Olde Port Inn on Harford Pier in Avila Beach, California


cioppino at Olde Port Inn on Harford Pier in Avila Beach, California
cioppino at Olde Port Inn on Harford Pier in Avila Beach, California


Dungeness crab salad at Olde Port Inn on Harford Pier in Avila Beach, California
Dungeness crab salad at Olde Port Inn on Harford Pier in Avila Beach, California




More things to do in Avila Beach.

More ideas for exploring the U.S.


images ©2015 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

February 11, 2015

San Luis Obsipo, California: Avila Valley Barn; things to do

Avila Valley Barn  

560 Avila Beach Dr., just off Hwy. 101, in San Luis Obispo, (805) 595-2816.  Daily 9am-5pm, open seasonally spring to fall.

This is the perfect stop for a mid-trip stretch.  A former fruit stand that grew and grew, the Avila Valley Barn now includes a free petting farm with goats and chickens and more, plus a seasonal U-pick farm.  Inside the open-air barn store, you can purchase inexpensive food to feed the animals.  You’ll also find fresh produce, local Slo-Maid ice cream, and an assortment of housemade pies fresh from the oven (these are served in many town restaurants and inns).  I purchased a huge carrot-cake muffin to eat for breakfast the next day, and shared by two people there were enough leftovers for afternoon tea.  Great gifts--think printed dish towels, house jams, and local honey--and seasonal items such as Christmas trees are also on hand.  Pony rides and tractor-pulled wagon rides operate on weekends.  Rustic is the word to describe this gem, including the ladies room, which is open-air and accessed through a curtain!  Plenty of free parking is available on a dirt lot that can get muddy when it rains.

child feeding chickens at Avila Valley Barn in San Luis Obispo, California
child feeding chickens at Avila Valley Barn in San Luis Obispo, California


goat food for purchase at Avila Valley Barn in San Luis Obispo, California
goat food for purchase at Avila Valley Barn in San Luis Obispo, California


fresh produce at Avila Valley Barn in San Luis Obispo, California
fresh produce at Avila Valley Barn in San Luis Obispo, California



More things to do in Avila Beach.

images ©2015 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

updated 2-1-20


February 9, 2015

Introduction to Avila Beach, California

Introduction to AVILA BEACH, California

Location:  3 miles off Highway 101; 240 miles south of San Francisco. 

Tucked away in a cove, the once funky little beach town of Avila Beach was bulldozed and cleaned up in 2004 due to a devastating oil spill.  Usually warm and sunny, it has one of the few beaches in California that face south rather than west.  The electricity-generating Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant, run by PG&E, is adjacent.  It is now the only operational nuclear plant in the state.

Bob Jones Bike Trail  

Dogs ok.  This off-road trail leads from Ontario Road just off Highway 101, along San Luis Obispo Creek, past the Avila Valley Barn, to the beach, pier, and downtown Front Street.  It is 4 miles round trip.  You can walk, run, or ride a bike.

beach playground at Avila Beach, California
beach playground at Avila Beach, California


beach at Avila Beach, California
view from the door of the public loo at Avila Beach



More things to do in Avila Beach.

See Avila Beach live via webcam.

More views from loos.

More ideas for exploring the U.S.


images ©2015 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

February 6, 2015

Photo Gallery of cats around the world


Photo Gallery of cats around the world

If you’re a cat lover, like I am, you probably notice them everywhere you go.  I’ve found myself photographing kitties with almost the same enthusiasm as I do a world-famous site.  This photo collection of cats around the world begins with a few of my own favorites from my personal travel.

cat Popsicle hangs out in a kava bowl at the Coconut Grove resort on Taveuni Island in Fiji
This kitty named Popsicle was hanging out in a kava bowl at the Coconut Grove resort on Taveuni Island in Fiji.  He looks like he might have finished off the dregs. 


More photo galleries.

Places to see cats when you travel.

Travel articles to inspire and help you plan trips.

image ©2015 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

February 4, 2015

Vadukarasa Village, Coral Coast, Viti Levu, Fiji: shell shopping; things to do

Shell-shopping in Fiji


The rustic open-air shell shack in Vadukarasa Village in Fiji lives fondly in my memory.  It was there that our car screeched to a halt on the grass in front.

shell shack in Vadukarasa Village in Fiji
shell shack in Vadukarasa Village in Fiji


Inside, we met a lovely lady, Hootchnag, and her husband, whose name I did not get.  Hootchnag told me they were shell experts and had been here for more than 30 years.  Her son is the shell diver.  The shell I fell in love with is a weighty bull mouth helmet (the rusty one on the center of the counter in the image below).  I keep it in my bathroom where it is a daily reminder of my visit to Fiji.  I also selected a  sea snail for my granddaughter and three humpback cowries--I keep one in my purse for good luck and gave the other two to my driver and to my traveling friend.

shell shack in Vadukarasa Village in Fiji
shell shack in Vadukarasa Village in Fiji



More souvenirs.

More things to do on Viti Levu in Fiji.


images ©2015 Carole Terwilliger Meyers


February 2, 2015

Solvang, California: two shops; things to do

Knit Fit  

473 Atterdag Rd., (805) 688-0686.  M-Sat 10-6, Sun 10-5:30.  Fee for most classes.  This cheery crafts shop purveys a vast and colorful array of crafts supplies and kits.  You’ll find puffy paint, felt, yarn and plenty more at Knit Fit.  Best of all, classes are scheduled regularly for learning all kinds of techniques—working with air-dry clay, wood burning, painting on silk—and you can for sure learn to tie-dye on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 to 3.  My favorite project is the decorated flip flops.  Check website for current schedule. 

workshop at Knit Fit shop in Solvang, California
workshop at Knit Fit shop in Solvang, California


Atterdag Village Serendipity Shoppe  

448 Atterdag Rd., (805) 688-7895.  Tu-Sat 11-5, Sun 11-3, closed M.  Located in a sweet little enclave holding several restaurants and a flower shop, this thrift store is set up much like a gift shop.  Most items in the Atterdag Village Serendipity Shoppe are in excellent condition and at a good price.  You’ll find fine china, carved crystal goblets, linens, and more.  Adding to the pleasure, fresh-baked cookies are usually available.  All proceeds benefit low-income seniors in a local senior living residence.

interior of Atterdag Village Serendipity Shoppe in Solvang, California
interior of Atterdag Village Serendipity Shoppe in Solvang, California



More things to do in Solvang.

More information on Solvang.

More ideas for exploring the U.S.


images ©2015 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

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