Celebrating the Magic of Cambria

Author: Ronnie Greenberg

Photos by: Joe Hilbers

Ronnie Greenberg

5310 Dubois Ave

Woodland Hills, CA 91367

(818) 347-7437

mrg5310@aol.com

Celebrating the Magic of Cambria

By: Ronnie Greenberg

Photos: Joe Hilbers

A capsule collection of the good life, Cambria, part of the Highway 1 Discovery Route, is coastal cool, colorfully vibrant, and  totally relaxed. Peppered with chic boutiques, art galleries and wineries with both flirty and serious wines, it’s a favorite for fun.

Check in to a  special place to stay… The Fog Catcher Inn (make sure to make reservation well in advance) which is  the perfect location right across from Moonstone Beach Drive where there is a delightful trail and a favorite bench to just look out on the summer sand and ocean waves. Many of the rooms have wood burning fireplaces, enough to take the chill out in summer, and for warmth in the colder months. The Inn has a hearty  breakfast every morning, with something for everyone to enjoy and help them get their day started . Located at 6400 Moonstone Beach Drive, (895) 927-1400 www.fogcatcherinn.com

Wineries

A short drive in to town  brings you to Main Street U.S.A. Stop in at the Cutruzzola Tasting Room on the right side of the town where you will be warmly greeted by  General Manager Reyna Jonas or hostess Mari Fedrow. The wines grown along the San Luis Obispo Coastal Wine Trail are vintages of Riesling and Pinot Noir. The other  fine wine processed is Zinfandel  from a vineyard in the Russian River Valley at Forestville. Located at 555 Main Street (805) 927- 2670 www.cutruzzolavineyards.com

Down the road on the outskirt of town is Stolo Family Vineyards with 22 acres of vineyards.  Tasting and tours are available and  Winemaker Nicole Bertotti Pope and Diego Aguirre, General Manager are delighted to greet you and introduce you to their sustainable growing practices and how they craft their Garagiste wines.

.Be sure to learn more about their Concerts and picnics

Located at 3776 Santa Rosa Creek Road (805)924-3121  www.stolofamilywinery.com

Hearst Ranch Winery tasting room, located in Sebastian’s is worth the  visit in San Simeon at 442 Slo San Simeon Road (805) 927- 4100 www.hearstranchwinery.com

Where to dine:

Moonstone Beach Bar & Grill the only full-service restaurant in Cambria, dazzles with its coastal views from every table, an enticing menu and excellent staff. It has also been recently remodeled and refreshed. Acoustics are good in the dining room, and there is a comfortable bar area as well. Owned by John MacKinnon and overseen by Manager Lou Dubnow.

Start with their creamy clam chowder and then on to your choice of seafood which includes  outstanding  Moonstone Beach  catch; lobster; cove scampi; seared sea scallops and shrimp pasta to name a few. The diversified menu also offers steak, lamb, beef. and chicken. There’s a full  bar and a fine selection of wines and craft beers.

Hours are lunch  11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and dinner from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. They are closed  from 3 p.m. to 5p.m. and there is Sunday Brunch.

. They do not take reservations, and the line to get in starts early.

Located at 6550 Moonstone Beach Drive, (805) 927-3859  www.moonstonebeach.com

Robin’s Restaurant is a best all-world restaurant. It is a favorite among locals and visitors alike. With its trumpet vine covered patio and cozy interior, Robin’s is one of those rare kitchens that can combine  many different cuisines and do them all well. With an emphasis on using farm fresh ingredients, Robin’s features such eclectic choices as Vietnamese spring roll, duck mole; and blackened salmon;  Roghan Josh a dish of North India lamb curry, and all simply delicious. Located at: 4095 Burton Drive (805) 927-5007 www.robinsrestaurant.com

Linn’s Restaurant is housed in an old brick building is a mainstay of locals and visitors. What once  started as simple fare  based on fresh fruits and vegetables from Linn’s Santa Rosa Creek and neighboring  farms in 1989 has grown over the years, but Linn’s Restaurant in Cambria still retains its country roots with contemporary American recipes. Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner from 8 a..m. to 9 p.m. Located at 2277 Main Street in Cambria (805) 927-0371 www.linnsfruitbin.com

Cavalier Coastal Kitchen located on the Cavalier’s  site is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is  both a coffee shop and restaurant that is comfortable and with good service. Located at 9415 Hearst Drive (805) 927-4688 www.cavalierresort.com

Sites to see close by

Piedras Blancas Lighthouse

The light at Piedras Blancas Lighthouse was first illuminated in 1875. at which point the tower stood 100 feet tall, its unique appearance, flash pattern, and later its fog signal made it easily identifiable to mariners traveling this rocky stretch of coastline. Owned and operated by the Bureau of Land Management since 2001 the lighthouse station is still in use as a navigational aid and for scientific research. Today the BLM and Piedras  Blancas Light Station Association are working together to restore the light station to a period of historical significance. The final phase of the restoration of the Fog Signal Building built in 1906 and just completed a year ago has been a significant journey in itself.

Tours are offered year round on Tuesdays, Thursdays and  Saturday. Tours last about 2 hours and include the historic Piedras Blancas Lighthouse and support building, along with a half mile interpretive trail that provides spectacular ocean views and opportunities to view wildlife. For tour information reservation www.recreation.gov or www.bim.gov: please do not wait at the gate of the lighthouse, but follow instructions when making reservations. Located at 15950 Cabrillo Hwy in San Simeon, phone (805) 927-7362 www.piedrasblancas.org

Hearst San Simeon State Park and Castle

                Hearst Castle that sits on top of what is known as “Enchanted Hill,” is the 645 square foot, 115 room luxury estate that looks like a castle in Spain, and now a museum that lures visitors from all over the world. The Castle is the end result of the vision of William Randolph Hearst, the newspaper magnate, movie producer and world class art collector who built the historic estate along with renowned architecture Julia Morgan. Construction began in 1919 and continued until 1947- and was not fully completed until Hearst’s death in 1951. There are guesthouses, pools (the indoor Neptune pool features an ancient Roman temple as its centerpiece), 8 acres of cultivated gardens and a private zoo on the property.

Additional recreation activities are available including a trip to the Hearst Castle Visitor Center viewing a movie at the Hearst Castle Theater, or taking one of the multiple guided tours. Located at 750 Hearst Castle Road in San Simeon (805) 927-2093 www.hearstcastle.org

For information on the area go to: www.highway1discoveryroute.com

https://highway1discoveryroute.com/