California Love: An Outstanding Detour Part Deux

After marveling at the tremendous views Hearst Castle offered, my parents and I took the bus down to the visitor's center, hopped in our car, and set a course (Warp 7) for Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

It was always a pipe dream of mine to visit Firestone Walker because it is beyond a doubt my favorite American brewery. I doubted whether it could be done; located in the heart of Paso Robles, which is bordered by dozens of wineries and vineyards, the brewery is about a three hour drive from Lodi (where my parents live). While a doable drive, my parents weren't initially receptive until we decided to make it a vacation. In addition to seeing the brewery, my mom suggested seeing cute coastal towns and the ocean, Big Sur, and nature walks for my dad to go birding. We did all these things and seemingly more during the five days we spent on the road.

Back to the brewery: it is beautiful and growing. The brewers truly care about their craft and this is best exemplified by their reserve series. Firestone Walker releases a select number of incredible albeit pricier beers, which they age in barrels. Because the alcohol content (ABV) is higher, this allows them to age a beer for several years or more like wine. One of my most thrilling beer experiences over a year ago was drinking a 2013 Sucaba (their barley wine) at a local tap house in Spokane. It is an intensive process which requires time, patience, money, and a focus on detail but the product makes it all worthwhile. There is a reason why Firestone beers win at least one medal at beer competitions nation-wide: their craft is on a level higher than many other breweries. That isn't meant to be a slight against other breweries though; Firestone Walker is truly THAT GOOD.

Fun fact: the brewery is named after the two owners, Adam "The Bear" Firestone and David "The Lion" Walker, who are brothers-in-law. This also explains their logo, the lion and the bear, pictured above. Also a fun fact: I saw "The Lion" in the flesh at the restaurant! He was some distance away and in a meeting so I didn't introduce myself; I also needed to exhibit some dignity and not devolve into a paparazzi fanboy in front of him. It was enough to salute him from afar.

Firestone Walker was in the midst of expanding their visitor's center while I was there but my parents and I still managed to have lunch at the restaurant, tour the brewery, and visit their store. After a filling lunch and a delicious tasting of their recently released Walker's Reserve Porter, we went on a private tour of the facility with our guide Kyle. No one else had booked a tour on the day so it was just us, which made it a really neat experience. I stood in the room where ALL Firestone Walker beers are brewed. I saw their lab, bottling/canning network, basically the works. The tour ended with a sampling of their unfiltered Double Barrel Ale (available only at the plant and the restaurant; it was tasty).

Alas, I am told there is more to life than beer and there was certainly more to my coastal trip than visiting a brewery. We returned to Cambria and explored the beach. I jogged along it for a bit before returning to the hotel; I swear I sweat more exercising after I drink than when I abstain. The evening concluded with dinner at The Sow's Ear, which despite its peculiar name, has delicious food. I ordered the baked salmon which was so tender that it melted in my mouth. Ah, my mouth waters just thinking about it.

Carmel is a neat gentrified coastal town which we toured briefly. But it is also one of those places where everything costs an arm and a leg. An average t-shirt at one store was priced at $120! Needless to say I did a lot of window shopping but also saw some neat houses. There is a street called Ocean Drive, which, yes you guessed it, runs along the ocean. On the street are some beautiful and unique houses. Almost every house had a name displayed proudly above the front door; every house had its own characteristics. A house with a perfect view of the beach designed by Frank Lloyd Wright is situated at the end of the drive. I tried to get pictures of it but the best view of the house faces the ocean. You can find some cool pictures online though. Below is a picture of a peculiar house I saw on Ocean Drive.

The rest of the trip included basic vacation stuff: driving, eating, walking, driving, and sleeping. But there is one highlight I want to mention: the discovery of the snowy plover. Tucked behind a series of vegetable fields lies the little known Zmudowski Beach. My dad researched the area and heard that a "life" bird resided in the area called the snowy plover (a "life" bird is an uncommon or rare bird that, if you saw it, would be a first on your list). We walked along the beach and saw some unremarkable gulls as well as a number of Godwits and Whimbrels. My dad, while happy to get out and bird, was clearly disappointed. As we turned back towards the car out of the corner of my eye I saw this white blur skittering across the sandy dunes. Handing him the binoculars I distinctly remember asking my dad, "Hey, what's that bird?" As soon as he saw it, he replied, "My God, that is a snowy plover!" The snowy plover is a rare bird as it is an endangered species. It's very small and typically runs along the beach to conserve energy (I almost didn't see it because of its size). Yet despite the lighting and the speed at which this little bird moves my dad got a decent shot seen below. Add the snowy plover to the life list! On Friday I leave Lodi for Denver, CO where I will stay for a few days before finishing my stateside adventures in Seattle, WA.

As of today I have ten more days left in the U.S. before I begin my next chapter in Japan. I seem to alternate between waves of excitement and nervousness, anticipation and anxiety. Deep down I know this is what I must do. Japan is where I need to be for at least a year. 10 more days!