East of Eden and West of Winchester: Whirlwind Weekend with Katie!

Tasting at Chronic Cellars with Katie!

As if we didn't have a busy enough day on Friday in Los Angeles, Katie, Kenneth and I traveled to Paso Robles on Saturday for some wine tasting and some seasonal/local dining. The three of us headed up to the Central Coast with the Leeanne, Andy, Matt, Anna, Moose, and Dixie. My favorite winery of the day was Chronic Cellars on the Northwest side of Paso. I managed to find a red that I liked and they had a viognier so I was a happy camper. A few more tastings and a DELICIOUS brunch at Artisan completed our day in California's lesser known wine country. On a side note, brunch was incredible (see my post from Saturday) and clearly the best meal of the day. What could be better than quiche, potatoes, strong coffee, beignets, and laughs with friends?

Brunch with my favorite husband.

Long day of wine tasting and sight seeing with the doggies!

Today we decided to visit Hollywood with Katie to celebrate her last day in California. Neither Kenneth nor I had ever been down to the Walk of Fame so it seemed like a natural choice for sight seeing! We managed to walk about two miles, see lots of stars, catch a few glimpses of the infamous Hollywood sign, catch up with some ghosts at the Roosevelt Hotel, and stuff our faces with ice cream. I even managed to find a food truck that serves bacon with everything. This is going to sound corny but it was so cool to walk in the footsteps of stars. I know that celebrities do not visit Hollywood Boulevard on their days off but to think about the famous people that have walked the halls of the Roosevelt Hotel and the Kodak Theater gives me chills.

Hollywood, even though it is a tourist hot spot, was incredibly fun. It was relatively clean, free of homeless people begging on the streets, and not crowded for a week day. Of course, you will be surrounded by people trying to sell you tours or maps of stars' homes, but they are all friendly and they all leave you alone when you tell them you are not interested. I am not sure if I want to go back tomorrow, but for such a touristy spot, it was very fun. I definitely recommend going on a week day when the crowds are smaller. If you venture away from the Chinese Theater it gets less crowded and you get to see some more unique stars.

Got our ice cream and Disney fix all in one spot!

Outside the famous Kodak Theater, home of the Academy Awards!

Marilyn and Elvis chatting over a latte and scone?

Beautiful and creepy hotel that hosted the first ever Academy Awards. The inside is dark and cold but very pretty. It looks like it has been untouched for eighty years!