SLO County News BlogGolf, Wine, Real Estate, Business & Travel NewsVisit the Village!Saturday, May 06, 2006Needless to say, I enjoy a glass of wine on occasions while visiting friends or going out to dinner. I've visited many places and try to visit wine tasting rooms when time allows. Most wine connoisseurs and novices alike know of Napa Valley but now there is a second wine region that is rapidly becoming just as famous.The locals refer to it as the Central Coast and it is comprised of several wine regions including, Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez Valley, (where the movie 'Sideways' was filmed), Santa Maria Valley, Arroyo Grande, Edna Valley, and Paso Robles. Out of these, Arroyo Grande was my favorite to visit. Arroyo Grande has a unique Old Western Village that is quaint and charming with restaurants and shopping. Part of the old stage coach route from the 1800's Arroyo Grande hangs on to its rural roots. Some of my favorite places to eat were Klondike's Pizza, Gina's Italian, Taco Loco, F. McLintocks steak and saloon, and Village Café. You can see some of the attractions online at www.arroyograndevillage.org . One in particular event that gets a lot of attention is the annual Memorial Day weekend Strawberry Festival. There are many local and national vendors, rides, music, and of course, lots of strawberries to be eaten. Just outside of town are several wineries and tasting rooms, sporting some of the world's finest wines. For travelers coming from the south on the 101, there is a great place to find luggage and accessories called Luggage Base right off the freeway. They are normally an online retailer, but they do have a show room and you can get great deals on luggage. If you're traveling from the nouth on the 101, you've got to visit Simply Scrappin', the Central Coast's best selection of scrapbook albums and supplies! Lots of women visit the store while on vacation along the Central Coast and scrapbook while their husbands are out playing golf. Just to the west 3 miles of Arroyo Grande is Pismo Beach for you who enjoy the beach. And to the east 10 miles is Lopez Lake and campgrounds. Besides the great beauty, the weather is always great in this region, usually 60-75 F all year round. There are few places left that give you that small town western feeling, Arroyo Grande still has it. I do recommend a weekend visit and for longer stays you can venture 10 miles north to San Luis Obispo and Avila Beach. Read More
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