After missing out on both the 2017 and 2019 California wildflower superbloom phenomena, we decided to take a spur-of-the-moment drive down to San Luis Obispo County for the weekend. Though this year’s abnormally wet rainy season didn’t produce the same abundance of blooms that could be seen from space in previous years, we still encountered a dazzling display put on by Mother Nature.
The first stop was Paso Robles, a quaint little town dotted with wineries. It’s also home to Sensorio, the Field of Light walk through exhibit that I’ve been dying to but yet to experience. Unfortunately our trip was too short to include it, and we only had time for a quick lunch at the Paso Market Walk, a hip collection of casual eateries and shops. We ordered a rockfish burrito from Finca and berry and cream pastry from Just Baked. Both were devoured on the spot.
Our next destination was the wildflowers, and from scouring the Internet and social media we had determined that the intersection of Highway 58 and Shell Creek Road was one of the best spots. There was a meadow blanketed by golden poppies, baby blue eyes, tidy tips; and on the opposite side of the street was a thick carpet of vibrant yellow flowers. It was a dream to walk through, but the afternoon sun beat relentlessly down on us.
In the photo above I’m sitting on a bare patch of dirt. Most people stayed on the dirt paths; however, we saw a few walking carelessly through the field and there were some trampled flower patches here and there. Please view the wildflowers responsibly or there won’t be any left for others to see!
We spent an hour or two there, then headed to Seven Mile Road where the Temblor Mountains were awash in golden yellow, orange, and purple. It was not quite as dramatic as the photos from 2017 that I had seen but still a sight to behold nonetheless. There were a few other spectators around though it definitely was less crowded than the first location. Other than a portable toilet with sink, there were no facilities in the area.
I would have liked to stop by Soda Lake in Carrizo Plain National Monument as well, but we had done a lot of driving already and didn’t want to go another 30 minutes out of the way. So we headed back west on Highway 58 to our hotel in San Luis Obispo.
I had booked a night at San Luis Creek Lodge, a Mr & Mrs Smith hotel in collaboration with IHG. While not an IHG branded hotel, IHG points can be redeemed for a stay. With the current IHG promotion offering a 15% discount using points, I redeemed about 53,000 IHG points for a king room. I was a little irritated because it was originally 48,000 points and somehow jumped up 5000 points by the time I completed the booking . But, not a bad deal for a very last minute Saturday night reservation, and the cash price would’ve been around $400 after taxes.
It’s a luxury boutique inn located a few blocks away from downtown SLO, designed in a modern aesthetic. The lobby had a candle burning that smelled expensive. The minibar and snacks weren’t free, but a bottle of red wine was waiting for us on the table.
I loved the fireplace that turned on and off with a push of a button, and the large window opened up to a gorgeous grove of trees and ambient sounds of nature. The plush king bed and linens were incredibly comfortable. The TV was rather small but WiFi in our room was excellent.
The bathroom was spacious and had the same understated modern design. I thoroughly enjoyed the Aesop bath products and strong water pressure in the shower.
Service was warm and friendly and the front desk staff gave us a list of dining recommendations. We decided to go with Petra, a budget-friendly Greek restaurant downtown. It was bustling, which was a good sign. We ordered a small pizza and chicken shawarma plate at the register and found a table. The food came out fairly quickly. The supreme pizza was pretty basic, but the chicken was flavorful and not at all dry. Grade: B+
For dessert we stopped at Nite Creamery, which serves nitro ice cream made to order. I opted to get it with an egg puff waffle.
In the morning, a tote bag containing two scones and a Stanley thermos of coffee was delivered to our room. The scones were a little cold but surprisingly filling. After packing up and checking out we drove to Montaña de Oro State Park, named for the “mountain of gold” wildflowers that bloom in spring. There’s no parking or entrance fee but it was pretty packed and we were lucky to find a spot on the side of the road. We took the Bluff Trail, an easy hike which had breathtaking views of the ocean.
Unfortunately I didn’t see too many wildflowers and it was getting hot, so after doing a short loop we headed back to the car to start the 3.5 hour drive home.
Pearl Grey 