Ostrander Lake Trail in Yosemite National Park

Another weekend, another trip to see the beauty of California... I really did not want to go on this hike. Waking up at 4.15 AM did not appeal to me before going to bed early on a Friday night and was pretty unattractive when I actually woke up and got dressed.

The sun does not rise until 6ish AM, so the darkness outside before that time just entices you to go back under the blanket. That is especially when you anticipate to hike 12.5 miles without previous hiking for that many miles in months. But I was strong... or so I thought.


I was squeezed in to carpool with one of the Meetup members since they did not have a National parks pass and sat uncomfortable for 2.5 hours while we drove to the trail's parking lot. The day was not starting as I wanted...

Ostrander Lake trail is located off the road towards Glacier point in the Yosemite National Park. It is a decent day hike to view Ostrander Lake and be completely engulfed in the wilderness of Yosemite.

I anticipated that I was not physically prepared for this hike. Even though most of Meetup group members considered the hike a beginner to moderate level, for me it was strenuous. I guess I need to go back to the gym...

The first few miles of the trail were quite easy and flat, but then the reality of "1700ft elevation yet to conquer" started to kick in. Not that it was overly steep, but that it was steep for long periods of time. Well, several miles.

A few miles after the beginning of the trail

 It seemed like we would never get to the top as we hiked hill after hill. But then we saw a sign "0.5 Miles to Ostrander Lake", so the picture below illustrates my excitement. Or, and the view is alright too ;)

About half a mile from Ostrander Lake, or so the sign said...

Finally, we reached our destination! What a relief!

Ostrander Lake and exhausted feeling, "I am here!"

Gotta pretend I enjoyed the way up ;)

...actually the view is not that bad after all :)

After a half an hour break at Ostrander Lake and multiple bees trying to steal my peanut butter and jelly sandwich, we headed back. The way back was obviously downhill and not as painful, but this was not what my feet told me. I need a better pair of hiking shoes...

Impromptu Trip to World Class Wine Country - Paso Robles, CA

One of the members from the Meetup group who I traveled with to Point Lobos just on Saturday, September 3rd was so in love with Paso Robles that when she heard I have never been there, she insisted that the three of us take a trip there on Labor Day. Who can say "NO" to wine, anyway?

After a bit of a challenge getting the departure time right in the morning, we left around 9.30 AM and arrived by 11.30 AM from Fresno. Really close by!

The first winery we stopped at was Le Vigne. Rated 4 stars out of 5 on Yelp, the winery definitely met our expectations.

We were greeted by a knowledgeable staff that offered us either cheese pairings with wine and/or chocolate. We decided to do both.

Wine was really great. It was amazing how the flavor can change when paired with cheese or chocolate. The decor was quite unique as well. Just look at this chandelier!

Really cool chandelier

 Since one of my friends was interested in purchasing cheese, we decided to come back at the end of the day to pick some up on the way out.

We then headed to the second stop - J Dusi Wines - a well-rated and reputable winery in the Downtown Paso Robles. I really liked the bartender there. He was unobtrusive and accommodating, exactly what you need in a server! Wine tasting was $10, but we were offered extras at the end, which was great since there were so many wonderful wines to try. We were also offered dark and white chocolate together with flavorful nuts in addition to our wine. There is an outside area where you can sit and enjoy a glass of wine while looking out on the fields of grapes, pretty amazing if you ask me.

The third stop was a winery that I was most looking forward to visit - Castoro. The tasting room was packed unlike other wineries! Maybe because their tastings were only $5 for 7 wines... We squeezed in between several couples and were ready for our tasting. I have to say that wines were ok, but nothing terrific, and the crowded room just created some sort of busy feeling you try to escape from when going to wineries in the country.
On the other hand, the views were really cool and we got to taste some grapes ;)

This is the choice of wines you could try

... and off we went to another one! Well, actually we decided to get some food this time, or so we tried at Niner, but unfortunately the restaurant was closed, so we just took a few pictures and headed out.

Grey Wolf Cellars ended up our food stop, but I did not do any wine tasting there. I must say that the selection and quality of food was nothing to brag about, and there was some construction going on, but this was the only reasonable stop on our route to have lunch.

We then visited LVX winery, which was probably my favorite one. They have a rather small tasting room, but with great ambiance and unique spices pairings. Cheeses are covered in their spices and then paired with wine. Who knew that spices have so much flavor and can affect the taste of wine to such an extent?!

Awesome decor!

Finally, we headed back to Le Vigne, bought some cheese and completed our tour at Eberle, a winery that stores their wines in the cellar cave underground. They also offer a complimentary tour and tastings. Just loved the service and wonderful guide!

Point Lobos yet again...

Together with a Meetup group, I headed to the shore once again... While I have been at Point Lobos before, I only hiked around Whaler's Cove and have not explored the rest of the preserve. It was a great opportunity to see the remaining part of the park, this time with a few partners in crime.

The temperature was very comfortable for hiking, overcast and 63 degrees. We arrived around 10 AM and parked outside of the park, which I would recommend to anybody since you skip the $10 charge and avoid the difficult parking situation within the preserve.

Some of the views were familiar, while others are not as much. Regardless, it is a truly incredible peaceful place where you can relax with a book or just watch the water and sea otters swim. We also spotted a few dolphins, however they refused to do their pretty jumps and we lost sight of them shortly.

Whaler's Cove

Whaler's Cove

Whaler's Cove

Whaler's Cove

I can picture myself coming here over and over again. Next time, hopefully, for the whole day and with lunch :)

Speaking of lunch, I really enjoyed a Swiss restaurant recommended by one of the group members. Lugano Swiss Bistro is a small place with great ambiance and decent food. While it was not served as quickly as I hoped, my puff pastry ($17) and Octoberfest beer ($4) were really great!