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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  1. Camp at Goose Lake in the Lakes Basin

    Duck, Duck, Goose!

    Try to get a first-come, first-served campsite at one of the Lakes Basin’s lakeside campgrounds. We love Goose Lake Campground, where there are just 13 sites and no motorized boats.

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  2. This Is Paradise

    Granite mountain-scape, superb sunset views, crystal lakes, and shoreline campsites … the trip to Paradise Lake in Tahoe National Forest lives up to its idyllic name.

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  3. Aloha from California

    Say Aloha without leaving California with a 7-mile out-and-back hiking adventure to Lake Aloha in El Dorado National Forest. You can also camp here, a premier place for stargazing.

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  4. Sequoia Re-opens Crystal Cave

    Step inside Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park's hidden world by visiting the newly re-opened Crystal Cave—the only cave in the parks open to the public. Closed for four years, this rare marble karst cavern is welcoming visitors once again, but only through the summer season!

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Trending Stories SoCal

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  1. Sponsored

    Let's Go to Paso!

    Paso Robles is a good idea in all seasons, but one season brings a special bounty: harvest season! Road-trip ready and teeming with fall colors and fun events, Paso Robles is the ultimate destination for unique autumn experiences.

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  2. Can't Top This

    San Francisco’s Presidio was already a fantastic place to hang out for the afternoon, a beautiful site within the largest urban national park in the United States (the Golden Gate National Recreation Area). And Presidio Tunnel Tops is like a cherry on top. Make that two cherries on top, with the newly opened (July 2025) Outpost Meadow, a 1.5-acre green space located at Old Mason Street across from the Crissy Field Marsh in the Presidio.

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  3. Underground Garden

    Looking to escape the summer heat? Head to Fresno and discover its cool secret: the Forestiere Underground Gardens–an enchanting garden and architecture oasis like no other.

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  4. Oh Ryan

    Sure, it’s those whimsical trees that give Joshua Tree National Park its marquee billing; but this beautiful landscape also has surrounding mountains and its night sky—one of the darkest in Southern California and designated an International Dark Sky Park. Joshua Tree has four allowable stargazing parking lots, and a newly opened haven for spending the night nearby...

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