Falling for Paso

Take a trip to real California this fall … the California you might not know but truly should! Paso Robles's wine country, beautiful backroads, and unfussy outdoors is an absolute revelation. Relish the bucolic landscapes, rolling vineyards, pristine lakes, rivers, and waterfalls, and spirited small town brimming with cuisine, art, and culture. Just a few hours from San Francisco or Los Angeles, here’s a road trip itinerary to see this hidden gem.

Week: 10.21.2023
Regions: Northern & Southern CA

Wine Down, Dine Out in Paso

Wine Down and Dine Out in Paso Robles, California

The fertile soil around Washington State's Lake Chelan is ripe for more than just the amazing apples. Vineyards here yield high quality grapes, and some of the country’s best less-discovered wineries. Locals know it, and you will too when you start choosing from the more than 30 wineries in the region.
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What's Up, Winthrop!

Visit Vibrant Winthrop in the Methow Valley of Washington State

It’s not just its location close to Washington State’s spectacular and less visited national park (North Cascades) that makes Winthrop such a winsome mountain town. This lively enclave in the Methow Valley bristles with a whimsical blend of Wild West charms, contemporary culture, and a mosaic of outdoor adventures—from river to lake to waterfalls, and beyond.
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Washington State With a Twisp

Visit the Creative Hamlet of Twisp in the Methow Valley of Washington State

It’s home to one of the best coffee cafés in the country, and that’s just one of the many cool thing about Twisp, an under-the-radar yet thoroughly kinetic bohemian mountain hamlet hidden high in Washington State’s Methow Valley.
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America's Lake Como (Without the Crowds)

Washington State Little Bear Trail Hike in Lake Chelan State Park

If Italy’s famed Lake Como has an American doppelganger, it’s Washington State’s Lake Chelan. This charming town, surrounded by good earth for growing standout apples and grapes, is named for its marquee oasis. The lake, fed by glacial activity dating thousands of years, is the deepest (1,486 feet) in Washington State.
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Little Valley, Big Apple

Visit Wenatchee the Apple Capital of Washington State

During the fall season, your road trip route between Seattle and the high desert destinations of Lake Chelan, Twisp, and Winthrop likely involves passing through Wenatchee—also known as “the apple capital of the world.” But it’s not just apples that are booming here. Wenatchee has a distinct verve of agricultural ingenuity and art inspired by historic roots and contemporary influence.
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Trending Stories NorCal

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  1. Afternoon on the Island

    What is it about tiny islands in the middle of lakes? There’s something that just draws you in. It’s even more fun when getting there is half the adventure because you have to reach it by canoe, kayak, paddleboat, or a ranger-guided boat tour!

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  2. Hiker in the forest at Mount Sutro in San Francisco

    San Francisco's Middle Earth

    No need to travel to New Zealand to visit Middle Earth. San Francisco’s Mount Sutro Open Space is practically Hobbiton—a hidden “shire” in the middle of the city. Okay, maybe not quite as magical, but still an incredible place to take a hike in city limits.

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  3. Berry Good Hike (or Bike)

    This 7-mile out-and-back through Sanborn County Park has big views of the South Bay and offers some reprieve from summer heat thanks to shaded sections among towering firs.

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  4. Hike top Angel Island Mount Livermore San Francisco Bay

    Good Heavens

    The 4-mile hike to the top of Angel Island offers Bay-mazing scenery. Some people claim you get a five-bridge view: Richmond-San Rafael, Bay, Golden Gate, San Mateo-Hayward, and Dumbarton bridges.

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  1. Locals' Feature: Jim Litchfield, Owner of Reno Fly Shop

    If there's a river, you're likely to find Jim Litchfield there. As the owner of Reno Fly Shop, Nevada's premier fly fishing outfitter and shop, Jim's passion for rivers knows no bounds: he's fished in places near and far, including Alaska, Bolivia and Christmas Island. But home is beautiful Reno, where he has been running Reno Fly Shop and leading tailored river float and fly fishing adventures (including beginner-friendly options) for over a decade.

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  2. Easiest Best Hike in the World

    Choose the easiest and most view-rewarding hike in Yosemite. Okay, we’ll go first: the combination of hiking to Sentinel Dome and Taft Point. Both of these lookouts are within a couple miles of each other on Glacier Point Road

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  3. Bikers and walkers on the Bay Area Ridge Trail with the Golden Gate Bridge behind them

    National Park City Walk

    See San Francisco the way locals do by hiking the Presidio, a national park right in the city! Wooded trails, secluded beaches, and epic views of the Golden Gate Bridge feature on this 5.5-mile out-and-back on the Bay Area Ridge Trail. It’s a lovely slice of the City by the Bay.

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  4. A group of people clamored around the summit marker at Mission Peak in the Bay Area

    Your Mission Is Less Crowded

    Mission Peak is one of the Bay Area’s most popular mountains, with many hikers climbing every weekend. Skip the crowds with this 6-mile loop up the less-traveled southern route.

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