The varietals are wide and varied, from some of the finest Cabernet Sauvignon to some distinguished Pinot Noir and Merlot. Aslo the area is known for the whites - Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, Zinfandel and of course some award winning Chardonnay.  

As you can see from the sign above, there are lots of fine winneries to visit. Perhaps if you are to see them all,  drive or gather some friends and rent a limosime for a grand tour!
​

Be sure to browse the gift shops for some fine gifts too.

The California drought is now behind and the 2017 harvest has begun.  Although with last seasons rains the yield remains about normal; but you can bet all along the Central Coast - including Santa Barbara will bottle some fine wines this year.

Check with the San Luis Obispo Chamber to see if there is a special event being held at any of the wineries.  I ran into a classic car tour as seen below.

Purchse a Poster or fun Bumper Sticker in the E Store!
Ready for a standard frame and only $18.00, includes shipping to US addresses.


Contact us for other products - Note Pads, T Shirts, Carry Bags,
Mouse Pads.  All can be customized to meet your marketing needs.



Also available to be customized with your winery's name.

Bumper Sticker, High Gloss and coated
​Available in the "E Store".  $4.00 with free shipping to US addresses.
Also available to be customized.

In the begining, the Western Maryland Railway Company was known as Carroll and Frederick Railroad in 1852, with headquarters in Baltimore.  As it grew, the line incorporated other lines.  One of which included the Hanover Branch and Gettysburd over which President Lincoln traveled to make the Gettysburg Address.   It is in Cumberland Station, built in 1906.  This beautifuly restored station was originally built in 1913 and served the Cumberland Valley.  This is but a train ride.  No resturants of note. No hotels.  Just a wonderful ride into yesteryear.  Enjoy the ride!

The train continuted up the line ending at Frostburg.  Here 729 was run up on the "Tuntable" for the return.

This locomotive #729, a 2-8-0 and was rebuilt in 2015.

Rides on the Central Coast of California.  
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Should you ever find yourself in, or near, San Luis Obispo; there are many great rides.  By rides I mean
primarily by motorcycle; but all can be done on a bicycle or your car. Of course the fun is on a bike!
On just about any road you will find some great twisties.   An RV or a car will still give you wonderful views and many places to sit and have a picnic or just enjoy the vistas.

Above is not a ride with twisties; although getting there can be fun.  Ride or drive on Pismo Beach.
If you come from San Luis Obispo, take Perfumo Canyon. Great run with some decent sweepers.
Once on the beach, well its a beach, what can I say?  If you have a 4x4, air down and take a run at the
​dunes.  But don't get stuck in the sand!  Should you need a tow truck it will cost big bucks!

Here is an older video of a great road, albeit somewhat short, a fun road nevertheless - Turi Road.  Be careful it can be a killer.  Enjoy the "S" curves and the high speed sweepers; but be aware each summer somebody buys the farm.  

If you are interested in a Mexican Lunch, try LOLOS.  You will find it off of Highway 1 in Morro Bay.

After lunch, continue down to Morro Rock and  walk the many shops at the Embaradaro.

As you stroll the walking path down by the "Rock" be sure to look for the Sea Otters.  They are very entertaining.   You might sight a seal as well. 

This is part ONE, next time perhaps we can ride Santa Rosa Creek Road or out to Montana de Oro.  Perhaps both!

OK,  dang it's been hot and humid.  Reminds me of Vietnam - but nobody is shooting at me!   Kinda like
Florida, thats why I left,  couldnt stand the heat and humidity.  So, thought I'd sit here in the AC with the cats and look at snow pix  and try to cool off.

Mind wonders  too.  I like the snow now; not so much in February!    Be looking at beach photos then I suppose.   Spent a long time on the California coast; well San Luis Obispo, close enough to the beach. Used to scuba dive off Morro Bay, Avila, and down around Santa Barbara.  Loved the Channel Islands for diving.  But you know, the water was cold.  Right now being in 60 degree water sounds good!  

Sure would love to find where on this "Blue Marble" was prefect.  You know temps never lower then, ohhh say 40 and highs never above 78.   With  rain only between 2AM and 5AM.   Perfect! ​
​

The Amish are tough!   Up before sunrise and work until sundown.... and in a blizzard too!

Well, that helped a little.  The sad truth is, you see they say "old" people should not be out in the heat.
Old? Perhaps; but I ain't gonna go out until we see the temps back in the 70's.  

I'd like to thank you for reading this blog and hope you return later to see whats new.  Have some great trips planned starting in September.  Up to the coast of Maine and out to Wyoming and California. That is if the crazy little Fat Boy in North Korea doesn't pop a nuke our way!  And the economy doesn't make the '29 depression look like  a hiccup.  

In the meantime read the archives and I will be posting some interesting posts in the next few weeks.
Looking forward to the "traveling season"  though.  Be sure not to miss an adventure!

Re-Enactors, at any event, do a wonderful job in presenting a look back into history.  What is presented here are the re-enactors that appear at the MID ATLANTIC AIR MUSEUM - World War II
Weekend held in June and located in Reading, PA. This year was the 17th year.  One of the best airshows and re-enactments around.  Date for next years show is June 1 -3.  

Summer has begun.  Looking for ideas of a destination?  Read through the archives of this blog and
get some inspiration of great places.  For instance above on the left is Gettysburg, Mesa Verde, Highway1 ​on the California coast, and below is Jackson Hole, WY.  We will visit these soon but for now....
How about a couple of train rides?  Here is the STRASSBURG RAILROAD, located in Strassburg, PA.
Although only forty minutes long, you will see some beautiful Amish farms and perhaps a buggy or two.

In my opinion the absolute best is the DURANGO AND SILVERTON

If you do find yourself in Durango be sure to drive the "Million Dollar Highway", CO 550, between
Silverton and Ouray.  A beautiful drive anytime of the year; but if raining or snow be aware - no gard
rails and at some points a sheer drop of several hundred feet.

Downtown Silverton.
​
If you need someplace to eat I would highly recomend the following:
Breakfast in Durango you can't beat the DURANGO DINER.  Try the Breakfast Burrito!

If you are in Silverton and looking fora meal one of my favorite places is HANDELBARS
Great lunch and a suburb dinner.  Try the Rib Eye and finish off with a homemade Peach Cobler!

   Should you overnight in Ouray and looking for a place to eat, I reccomend for breakfast or lunch the
​   TIMBERLINE DELI  and the best homemade donuts you can find.

Another option for lunch or dinner is O'BRIENS PUB

A relitive short drive of only a couple of hours is Cortez and nearby is Mesa Verde.

Stay in Cortez for it is really the only place around.  I reccomend staying at the
BAYMONT INN & SUITES.   For good dinning  try the DESTINATION GRILL right across the parking lot

Well there you go.  A few places to drive, ride or fly to see.  We will visit others  in a few weeks.
Be sure to read through the "Archives" for the full articles of the above.  Enjoy!

Been busy shooting and now editing the footage of two Air Shows.  If you like Warbirds you will like
the post that should be up in a week or so.  In the mean time I have a couple of teases below.

Also in a future post will be images and a video of the Re Enactors that are present at a few Air Shows.
Hats off to these people for the great job they do to bring us a glimpse of what it was like to be in the
​Great War or the World War II theaters.  

As you can see above, these presentations can be very HEAVY in the display .  Lots of work and expense is put out and I hope to present them to you later this month.  Be sure to return!

Unfortunatly this years air show, as in several of the years past, the weather did not co operate.
As stated above, these are great shows and that is why I started my day at 1;45AM wake up.  Out the
door within thirty minuets. Arrived by 8:30AM  Upon arrival the day looked promissing, bright and sunny with a few cotton ball clouds.   I was able to take several photos in the morning.
​

We - the media - were to meet and get escorted across the field for the photo set up.  By this time the
ceiling was getting low.  The wind was blowing stronger.  Hmmm,  looking as though the show might get scrubbed.

​Thankfully they came back to get us before the
sky opened up.  The view hereis from sitting inside the car waiting to depart.  Time 2:30PM.
Forcast for Sunday not good.  Oh well, going to be
a long day!  Arrived home at 9:45.    Twenty one hour day makes a looooong day indeed.

The disappointment, however, did start upon arrival when told the Me262 and the Me109 would not fly do to mechanicals.  The Me262 had brake issues.  Geez guys -  you don't need brakes to fly!  Put it in the air and then go find a long runway to land on.  Laughing, guess that is why I am not the "Air Boss".

Thinking here, wonder if they will ever move this  Arizona?  Weather is good. 

For those that may be interested my driving route takes me across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.
The twenty three mile crossing of the Chesapeake Bay is an amazing engineering feat.  If interested look it up on the web.  Simply put, were else can you be "run over" by frieghter?

Be sure to return to read, and see, the WORLD WAR I Air Show.  Better yet - See you there!

As you have read in the previous posts; had to sell my beloved sidecar rig to generate some of the money for the repairs of the loss to my property due to the rains/floods we suffered in this last season. Almost done with the repairs.  Cost in going to be north of $30,000 - uninsured loss.

You know when one door closes another opens.  For decades I have been sitting on motorcycle saddles
riding to one adventure to another.  One restaurant to another.  One burger joint or fine dinning to another.  My waist line got so big, - 41" thought I'd get my own ZIP code!  I love  food and a fine  Cabernet.  Guess you could say:  Slow death by motorcycle.   

So with the loss of the bike I was going through  "Two wheel withdrawals".  By luck I ran across "electric
bicycles" in an article.   Since I have suffered with bad knees from skiing injuries I wondered if I could
return to cycling?  Used to love to ride.  Back in 1961 I had a true road racing bike.  It was made by Raphael   Geminiani a World Champion.  Won the Tour de France in 1951.  And many more races.

So after all these years of being out of shape and getting older - 71 in a few weeks.  Thought it better
to get back in shape.  After all, would like to be a good looking gentleman when in the box!  In the meantime by shedding the dreaded pounds, have a better life.  I tell you this as a kick in the keister to some of you that have become like me.   Get out and exercise more.

Stay tuned for great rides, travels and adventures!

,The cold Winter is now behind us as well as most of the repair estimites on the damage caused by the California rians.  Contractors will  be on site in about three weeks to begin the repairs.  Hopefully the total will leave enough funds available to bring you some great travel destinations.

Thank you for your support of this blog!  Evey dollar helps.  Thank you for your patience .

Look for the first new post to be coming  around mid May.  I know that is a month and a half from now; but I assure you there will be some great material coming.  Once again the plan is to bring you "adventures"  from California to Maine  From primitve camp sites, cooking up burgers on the open fire under the stars, to exquisite dining and fine hotels.
​
Always good to have a back-up plan.

 With the expenses of the repairs I may not be able to drive out to California;The logistics are six days travel time each way just to get there!  Should that prove to expensive; there is a great air show coming up in mid May.  Located in Virgina Beach. VA.  The MILITARY AVIATION MUSEUM'S Warbirds Over The Beach will be held on May 19-21.  Folks this is a great air show.  Well worth the drive to see it!  Along with the aircraft are the re-enactors.  So spend a weekend and revisit the 1940's!

​Check out their website:   http://www.militaryaviationmuseum.org

​Following the air show I'll take you  to visit some of the lighthouses of Maine and seek out the best lobster in Bar Harbor!

Portland Lighthouse