Things to See and Do in North San Luis Obispo County, California

It's a great place for the whole family and makes a great pit stop if you are on Highway 46 West going toward Hearst Castle or taking the scenic route to Morro Bay from 101. They have rest rooms and a picnic area, and lots of areas children and adults will enjoy exploring -- especially if there is a gardener in the family.

I like Fat Cat Farm so much that I devoted a whole other lens to it. Please check it out if you are ever headed in this direction -- especially if you like herbs or animals. It shares its indoor space with Lone Madrone Tasting Room, if wine is your interest. But I prefer the herb gardens and the animals.

All of my immediate neighbors are either vineyards or wineries or both. Although I don't drink wine myself, I have visited most of my neighboring tasting rooms and vineyards, and, in my opinion, the vineyards themselves are worth a visit just because of their beauty. The picture above is of a landmark that was there before before the vineyard that now surrounds it. The tasting room itself for the Niner Wine Estates Is like a castle. I will show it to you in the video below. It's the newest winery in my neighborhood. I will be writing a separate lens on the Paso Robles and Templeton wineries.

Paso Robles has several annual wine-related events. These include the Zinfandel Festival on the third weekend of March, The Paso Robles Wine Festival on the third Saturday in May, and the Harvest Wine Tour on the third weekend in October when the vineyards are most colorful. This weekend provides opportunities for special wine maker dinners, exclusive barrel samples, seminars, barbecues, live music, and winery tours. The Grapeline Wine Country Shuttle provides several different wine tours in this area. Check out their web site The Wine Wrangler Wine Tour shuttles are also seen a lot in my neighborhood. They offer full day and half day wine adventures, private adventures, and more. You can check them out here.

Larry Moore Park has something for everyone, local or visitors. It has what you'd expect of any good park -- picnic tables, playground, restrooms and a basketball court outside. But it also has a river (albeit often dry) that runs along beside it, and a hiking tail that follows it for a way. Or, for more adventure, you can go chase tadpoles or walk the dry part of the riverbed for as long as you want. Although Paso Robles has many parks, this is the one that offers most to families with children who like to explore. Almost any tourist will find the City Park downtown on Spring Street between 11th and 12th Streets. But although Larry Moore Park is as convenient to Interstate 101, you have to know it's there to enjoy it. It's the perfect place to make a pit stop with the kids so they can stretch their legs for an hour (or even more if you have the time.) Or you can all hike the river trail in about an hour. It takes you under the Niblick Bridge and parallels two shopping centers, so you have the back fence of Kohl's and Penny's on one side of the trail while you have the wild on the other side. The are no steep slopes, and you will find benches along the way and shady places to sit and rest if anyone wants to. It's an easy walk, and you are never too far from civilization. In fact, if you like Chinese food, you can hike the trail and get off it on Niblick close to the Albertson's shopping center. In that center you will find Wendy's, Taco Bell, and China Gourmet, our favorite Chinese Restaurant How's that for a pit stop? Drive to the park, hike to the restaurant, and then hike back to your car.

To get to Larry Moore Park, take the Spring Street Exit if coming from the south on 101. Turn right on Spring St. Pass the shopping center with the department stores and Walmart. Turn right on South River Rd (signal at end of Walmart parking lot.) When you pass the Walmart parking lot on the South River Rd., get ready to turn right on the next street, Riverbank. (no stop sign or signal.) Turn right on Riverbank and go about four blocks. You will see the park on your right. The beginning of the trail as you see it here is the first entrance to the park as you come to the curve in the road. That's the one that goes under the bridge. There are many other trails through the park proper that lead to river access if you want to actually get to the river -- if it's flowing.

If you are coming from the north on 101, get off on the first Spring Street exit you come to and take Spring all the way through town. You will pass everything important, including the City Park and the library next door to it between 10th and 11th Streets. Keep going past the signal on 10th, the signal on 6th (left takes you to the post office on 6th), and the signal on 4th Street. Get in the rightmost left lane when you see the next signal so you can turn left on Niblick Road and cross our Niblick Bridge (that the trail will take you under.) Now you will see the shopping center on your right. You will pass the signal where people turn in to go to McDonald's and Walmart and go until you get to South River Rd. Turn Right and follow the direction given above the rest of the way.

During this first part of June, the trail is very fragrant. Those green shrubs are rosemary, and its scent fills the air as soon as you turn in. I have written more about Larry Moore Park and the River here.

Templeton isn't really a city, but a service district of the county of San Luis Obispo. Wineries in Templeton and Paso Robles are often only a mile apart. or less apart. Templeton, where I live, does not yet have its library in a building, so I use the beautiful Paso Robles City Library. Templeton has a small town, rural flavor. It has a historic downtown which I've written about here. It has the best Farmers Market in the North County every Saturday Morning at the City Park. You can read about that here and here. If you are in the North County the City Park is the place to be, because almost everything important that happens in Templeton happens there on Saturday and on July Fourth, when it has its Independence Day Parade. You can find out more about scheduled events, lodging, and where to go when you're hungry on the Chamber of Commerce web site.

This is a great place for families and family reunions. It's also a frequent venue for organizations to hold their events. Several home school group picnics have been held here, and I've seen many other groups here, as well. There is a rental area for large groups, and there are plenty of picnic tables for families. Lots of trees offer abundant shade. The playground is also a major attraction for children, and it's close to the picnic areas.You can see it in the background.

Of course, the major attraction is the lake itself. One can take a two-mile walk around it, as I did, fish, or rent a paddle boat. A new attraction this year is the submarine ride, which now is available. The video below was made before it was a reality, but it offers a lot of information on the submarine and its history if you are interested.

These next videos are for those of you who like to watch water fowl, though on occasion another bird will fly over. I did the one on the ducks and the birds on the island. Someone else captured the swan on video.