Firestone Walker Brewery

Knowing next to nothing about wine culture can be a bit overwhelming living in a region renowned for its wineries. Fortunately, however, a lone brewery provides respite for wine-weary individuals such as myself.

One of the most recognizable landmarks from Hwy 101 in Paso Robles, the Firestone Walker Brewery produces (among many others) what is arguably the most popular beer on the central coast, 805. The brewery owes its origin to the collaboration of Adam Firestone (whose family legacy includes Firestone Tires and Firestone Vineyard) and his brother-in-law, David Walker. What sets Firestone Walker apart from other breweries is the use of oak barrels in the fermentation process.

The Firestone Walker campus includes a brewery as well as a restaurant, and brewery tours are offered free of charge on the half-hour on weekends and by appointment during the week. The tour lasts approximately 45 minutes and provides a history of the company, an overview of the brewing (and bottling) process, and even a few tasting samples.

Visitor Center/Tasting Room where the tour begins

The brewing process

Lauter tun (where the grain is removed from the wort)

First sampling

Firestone Union (a variation of the Burton Union) fermenting process

Stainless steel fermentation vessels

Second sampling

Bottling equipment (can process 300 bottles per hour)

At the completion of the tour, a beer and meal at The Taproom across from the Visitor Center seems only logical.

The Dinosaurs of Huasna Valley

Country roads abound in and around San Luis Obispo county and serve as the gateway to farms, cattle ranches, vineyards, and some of the most exclusive homes in the area.

Meandering south from San Luis, SR 227 eventually enters downtown Arroyo Grande and shortly thereafter intersects Hwy 101. However, about half a mile before this intersection, turning left on Huasna Rd provides a scenic country detour with one of the most unexpected photo-ops.

The Huasna Valley consists of the small, unincorporated community of Huasna. Huasna's origin dates back to a Mexican land grant and descendants of the original grantee still operate a ranch to this day. It's also known for its agricultural production and oil deposits, though economic gains from the latter have yet to be realized as a result of an intense battle between residents and oil producers.

Because Huasna Rd dead-ends into private property, it's a common route for cyclists. This, along with the many blind curves and hills, can make navigating the narrow road tricky.

Shortly before Huasna Rd terminates, it intersects Huasna Townsite Rd, which is the heart of the Huasna Valley and where most of the homes in the community are located.

Huasna Townsite Rd spans for about three miles and also terminates into private land. However, the payoff comes sooner than that. Halfway down the road, the most unlikely yard ornaments appear.

A tyrannosaur is located left of center

This is the best zoom I could muster

Brontosaurus in the distance

He appears to be feeding on one of the surrounding oaks

Triceratops with another tyrannosaur in the background

Separated by hundreds of feet, these large steel dinosaurs dot the landscape of one of the ranches near the 6000 block of Huasna Townsite Rd. The triceratops is the most visible from the street and serves as a cue to scan for the others. Being that they are located on private property, zooming in with a camera from the barbed wire fence at the street is the best viewing option.

Surprisingly, there's very little information available about these dinosaurs. The property is owned by Peter Keith, who is a former mayor of the nearby city of Grover Beach. There are said to be six sculptures in total, though I was only able to identify four: two tyrannosaurs, a brontosaurus, and the triceratops. With the exception of the triceratops, they blend in with the landscape, especially during the dry (brown) season.

The dinosaurs of Huasna Valley are an oddity whose mystery and remote location are part of their appeal. Though it's only about 20 miles from San Luis, it's approximately a 40 minute drive (one way) due to the nature of the country roads.

Monterey Bay Aquarium

Monterey Bay represents the upper boundary of the central coast of California. Located approximately 140 miles from San Luis Obispo, it is accessible from US 101 or CA Hwy 1. The former is a little over a two hour drive, while the latter can take over three and a half hours but offers far more spectacular views (see Big Sur).

The city of Monterey has a rich and fascinating history dating back to the Spanish conquest of the American southwest. It served as the capital of Alta California during both Spanish and Mexican rule and as the site of a decisive battle between the US and Mexico in the Mexican-American War. It's attracted and inspired artists (Bruce Ariss),  writers (John Steinbeck), and celebrities (Clint Eastwood), and been the setting for one the most important rock concerts of all time (Monterey Pop Festival).

During the early to mid 20th century, due to the favorable conditions of the bay and the advent of commercial fishing operations, Monterey experienced an economic boom in the form of sardine canning. However, as a result of overfishing, by the 1950s, the industry had gone belly-up. As a testament to this boom-to-bust era as well as out of deference to the subsequent environmental concerns, the city of Monterey is now host to one of the most famous aquariums in the world.

The aquarium lies at the end of Cannery Row, built upon the location of the former Hovden Cannery. This is acknowledged immediately upon entering the aquarium.

Giant boilers (where the sardines were cooked during the canning process) at the entrance to the aquarium

There are two floors of exhibits and an exterior boardwalk that affords views of the whole bay.

Just past the boilers, it's impossible to miss the giant kelp forest exhibit. It's two stories tall with multiple species weaving through the yellow kelp plants.

View from the second floor

View from the second floor

Next to this giant kelp forest is another large habitat with sharks, rays, fish and coral (flash was not permitted so some appear blurry).

Various tanks within the walls surrounded these two large exhibits and consisted of smaller habitats.

This octopus was motionless, completely suctioned to the glass

Prawns

Sea anemone

Skate egg casings

 

There are six crabs in this photo

The last set of exhibits on the first floor of this wing ("The Ocean's Edge") include an aviary and touch pools. Exiting here leads to the exterior amphitheater and affords a view of the expansive bay.

Reentering near the amphitheater, it's easy to infer from the crowd surrounding the two-story sea otter exhibit that it is clearly the most popular of the aquarium. Feeding times draw the most people (as well as the most activity from the otters), so the best real estate (and photographs) can be had with a little patience before or afterward.

The residents

Feeding time

Directly across from the sea otter exhibit is an auditorium where short programs are given every 30 minutes offering a more in-depth look at some of the featured sea life.

From the auditorium, an escalator and a short bridge lead to "The Open Sea" wing of the complex, which features special (limited time) exhibitions, mesmerizing jellyfish tanks, puffins, and, most stunningly, the largest exhibit in the aquarium (and the namesake of the wing) the Open Sea exhibit.

Squid from the Tentacles special exhibit

An octopus suctioned to the glass at the right of the frame

Cuttlefish from the Tentacles exhibit

Octopus beak

Black Sea Nettle

Moon Jelly

Spotted Jelly

Indonesian Sea Nettle

The smallest of the jellies

Puffin habitat

The Open Sea exhibit viewing window is 90 feet long and 15 feet tall (flash photography is discouraged)

Hammerhead shark

 

Ray floating above a hammerhead. Dolphinfish in the background.

Pacific Bluefin Tuna

Sea turtle with dolphinfish in the background

Sunfish with a swarm of sardines underneath

A bridge on the second floor of the Open Sea Wing connects it to the upper level of the Ocean's Edge Wing. From this level, the kelp forest is once again visible. African Blackfooted Penguins are the other notable inhabitants of this floor, as well as a "Splash Zone" of exhibits for children.

Each penguin had an armband with his name on it. This was "Walvis" (on the left)

 

This was "Keyser"

 

The Monterey Bay Aquarium is a educational experience that requires at least a few hours to explore in its entirety. Admission includes re-entry, so it's possible to return on the same day to see scheduled feedings or programs that you may have missed while viewing the exhibits. The crowds can be intense, even on a weekday, so it's often necessary to double-back to an area to view all of the tanks and placards.