One of the great things about travelling to wine country is the accommodations. Wine’s agricultural roots mean small cozy towns, wide open spaces, rolling hills and usually proximity to water. The hotels, B&Bs and rental houses more often than not reflect their surroundings with their own wine country charm. On our recent trip to Paso Robles we had a terrific stay at the Olive Cottage B&B at the Alta Cresta Olive Orchard.
We found and booked our accommodations at the Olive Cottage on VRBO.com but booking is just as easy at their own website http://www.altacresta.com/ . One of the challenges of booking accommodation on-line at other than a major flag hotel is that you don’t really know what you are getting into until you arrive. We suppose it is kind of like internet dating: lots of pictures taken 10 years and 10 pounds ago and descriptions that may be more flattering than merited. That said, we have made numerous bookings on VRBO and have yet to be disappointed. Still, as we near our address I always have a tiny feeling of trepidation: will we really like this place?
We drove up to Paso from a short distance outside of San Diego where we had just attended our youngest son’s amazing wedding. (Our son and his wife planned the whole thing themselves and totally knocked the ball out of the park! They should really go into the wedding planning business.) Coming from that fantastic experience our expectations had subliminally set a high bar. I was really excited about this trip and as we approached the outskirts of Paso I started to feel the weight of the decision I had made. Paso was my idea and while Ally enthusiastically endorsed my suggestion, I knew I was kind of on the hook and I wanted the trip to maintain the impossibly high level that was set at Cam and Gina’s wedding. As we approached the outskirts of Paso Robles I could not shake that feeling of worry: would our accommodations be all right?
We turned left on to Stage Coach Road and worked our way up the hill along a narrow windy road. Vineyards dotted the landscape on either side of us. Because the road was narrow I had to keep my eye on where I was driving, but I could not help but notice how beautiful the scenery was as we approached our destination. The Olive Cottage sits atop a prominent hill, just on the outskirts of Paso Robles and commands a beautiful view of the valley below.
The first thing you notice about the Olive Cottage is how private it is. Entry to the property is through a key coded electronic gate which opens to a gravel circular driveway that takes you to two buildings: the very grand owners house and adjacent to it, the Olive Cottage. Each building is done in typically Californian architecture, that Mexican-influenced Mission style of pale yellow stucco walls and red tile brick roofs. We are greeted by the owner Susan who shows us into the Olive Cottage. She is so friendly and relaxed, and the exterior of the buildings are so beautiful that most of my apprehension has gone away. As she lets us in the front door we very quickly realize that our expectations, while high, have been exceeded! Pictures on their website do not do justice to the splendor of these accommodations.
The 733 square feet of the accommodation seems much larger. Two factors account for this: the 10 foot high ceilings and the windows that look out onto the entire valley below. The cottage is very modern, and appears to have been built quite recently. There is a full kitchen, stocked with plates, glasses, cutlery and all sorts of cookware, not mention all the modern high end appliances. The living room is very tastefully decorated with a dining table and chairs, a computer desk, two large comfortable couches, a coffee table and flat screen TV with DVD player and a good selection of DVDs. On the coffee table sit several hardcover books on olive growing and olive oils. The bedroom has a very comfy queen size bed, two full closets and a chest of drawers. Bedside tables with lamps complete the room.
En suite to the bedroom is a beautiful and spacious bathroom with a generous bricked in shower, large vanity and sinks and plenty of thick plush towels. This is truly luxurious!
The kitchen comes stocked with orange juice and milk as well as a wide assortment of coffee and teas sitting next to the coffee maker. Each morning you are provided with fresh baked goods for your continental breakfast. Delicious! On the dining room table sits a small complimentary bottle of the olive made from the olives they grow on their property. We need to confess here that we at Advinetures are olive oil geeks. Maybe even olive oil snobs. At home we regularly stock an assortment of good Spanish olive oils, usually Aberquina. So we are not easily impressed when it comes to trying olive oils but we loved the sample we had at the Olive Cottage.
Possibly the very best feature of this beautiful cottage is the outdoor veranda. It is spacious and handsomely decorated with chaise lounges and a table and chairs. It looks out over the olive orchard and down to the valley below. The view is stunning and due to the almost total silence of their location, you take in that view with no other distractions. Facing due west, it provides the most spectacular views of the sun setting in the evening.
The Olive Orchard is the perfect place to stay if you are looking for accommodations for your next wine tasting trip to California’s Central Coast. It was ideal for us as a married couple, and as the living room has a pull out couch, it could comfortably, actually, luxuriously accommodate four. Very highly recommended.
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