Lavender, Vineyards, and Little Feet

Our family weekend in Paso Robles — where small-town coffee, lavender farms, and coastal wineries meet.

☕ Quick Sip Summary

• Sip your way through Paso Robles, where craft coffee meets vineyard country.
• From a perfect triple-shot cappuccino to lavender fields and seaside tastings, this family trip offered a fresh blend of flavor and calm.
• Get inspired to plan your own coffee-fueled escape through California’s Central Coast.

Paso Robles has always held a certain nostalgia for me. My husband and I visited a few years back as newlyweds, sipping wine and wandering through its small-town streets without much of an itinerary. This time was different — our first big trip as a family with our baby, Courtland, in tow. Packing felt like a small victory (three suitcases for three days!), and traveling with a little one brought both chaos and sweetness in equal measure.

Still, there’s something grounding about this part of California. Between the lavender farms, mushroom growers, and the deep hum of the coffee scene, it felt like the perfect place to rediscover slow travel.

Our stay at the new Cambria Hotel Templeton–Paso Robles gave us a relaxed home base close to everything — from seaside wine tastings to small-town cafés pouring some of the best cups I’ve had all year.

Lavender and Learning: Fields of Regenerative Magic

Even off-season, Hambly Lavender Farm smelled like summer. Rows of soft purple blooms and the earthy hum of the farm filled the air with a kind of calm that instantly reset my pace. I was fascinated by the regenerative practices: pups, pigs, goats, and chickens all tending the soil in ways that make the land thrive.

In the summer, visitors can bring wine and enjoy live music in the blooming fields — a dreamy concept I’m already plotting for the future.

To hold onto the lovely scent of lavender, I bought a couple of the farm’s most sought-after items: lavender room spray and an eye pillow. I’ve been using them since I left and can’t tell you how amazingly fragrant they are — real lavender makes all the difference.

Walking through those rows reminded me how care beneath the surface shapes everything above it — much like a perfectly crafted cup of coffee.

If you’re interested in a lavender-inspired coffee recipe, I have an iced honey lavender oat milk coffee recipe you can find here.

Morning Fuel

Paso mornings have their own rhythm — part caffeine, part calm. We started simple with the hotel coffee, bold and reliable for that first wake-up. Later, I found my favorite at H. Cheval Coffee, where a triple-shot cappuccino became an instant go-to. Down the coast in Harmony, Morii – Craft Coffee for Community lived up to its name: every cup was deliberate, balanced, and bright.

Note: If I had to choose one coffee shop in this area, it’s Morii. This hidden gem in Harmony (Population: 18) was 100% worth the extra stop for its true craft coffee with single origin offerings.

We ventured into San Luis Obispo for a few more sips. At Lokum, a Turkish café with stunning sweets and Turkish coffee, my husband doted on his pistachio Turkish coffee while I appreciated that mine wasn’t overly sweet. And although we’d tried Scout in SLO before, this visit’s house-made almond milk was worth the second trip — smooth, nutty, and perfectly paired with an afternoon stroll through SLO’s small-town streets.

Mushroom Moments

Back in Paso, the most surprising brew actually came from Mighty Cap Mushrooms (stay with me here, it’ll make sense in a moment). I was able to join their mushroom farm tour (which by the way, I didn’t even know mushroom farms were a thing!), and I learned so much about this unique farming practice.

One thing that stood out to me was what I learned about mushroom coffee. Our guide/owner of Mighty Cap stated that in any mushroom-labeled coffee, the fruiting body — the actual cap and stem — holds most of the beneficial compounds, not the filler mycelium many brands rely on. If your mushroom coffee doesn’t have this on its label, you’re best ditching it for one that does.

I ended up purchasing a jar of instant mushroom coffee home from LA Republica from the farm’s store (with the fruiting body label of course), as well as a Reishi tincture —produced by Mighty Cap —to add to my morning brew.

Even better, every mushroom coffee cup I’ve since made at home now carries a memory of that visit: the scent of soil and lavender, the hum of slow farming, and the quiet lesson that even morning rituals can root you to a place.

Sips by the Sea: Wine and Wildlife

Ancient Peaks charmed me with its Cabernet Pearl Collection — hands-down my favorite wine of the weekend. We sampled a lovely chardonnay as well, but the cab earned a permanent spot on my shelf.

I didn’t just sample the wines from Ancient Peaks — I walked the very ranch where their vines grow. Touring the land added a new depth to every glass, revealing how much of Paso’s story is captured in each pour.

Wine tasting with a toddler might sound impossible, but we made it happen at Hearst Ranch Winery’s San Simeon tasting room. Sipping wine by the water was pure bliss. And the seaside meal there? My absolute favorite of the trip: mushroom toast, ceviche nachos, and salmon cakes that somehow balanced freshness and indulgence. Even with a tiny human at the table, the experience was memorable.

Family Adventures and Tiny Feet

Packing for three days with Courtland was a masterclass in overthinking: three suitcases, countless snacks, and a mind constantly running through what might be needed. We didn’t get everything right, but we survived — and learned that travel with a toddler is always more improvisation than perfection.

We decided to venture out of the hotel one afternoon thanks to a recommendation from the Cambria hotel staff. A sort of out-of-the box rec, we made our way over to Hearst Castle, a historic estate in San Simeon. Unbeknownst to us, it presented a new challenge: an hour-long tour at the top of a mountain.

Somehow, Courtland handled it beautifully, curious and quietly observant (for the most part), while we marveled at the scale and detail around us. The Neptune Pool was a sight to be seen as well as the stunning views from the mountain top.

After the castle tour, we stumbled upon a herd of elephant seals lounging at Piedras Blancas — surreal, natural theater.

Dinner Highlights: Brussels and Beyond

Brussels sprouts enthusiasts unite: TASTE! Craft Eatery delivered five stellar variations, and the Savory Sprouts featuring sautéed mushrooms and blue cheese earned a solid 8–8.5/10 in my book. My husband and I judge sprout quality wherever we go, and these did not disappoint.

Hotel dining provided a quieter, restorative experience — a chance to recharge before heading back into small-town exploration, vineyards, and seaside indulgence.

Reflections on a Weekend Well Spent

Paso Robles wasn’t about racing to check off “wine-country” experiences. It was about slowing down, noticing textures, flavors, and small moments: the aroma of freshly roasted coffee, the scent of lavender fields, the fruity and earthy tasting notes of my new favorite Cab, tiny footsteps echoing through grand halls and hotel hallway, and the playful chaos of toddler travel.

From morning coffee to evening wine, from lavender fields to mushroom farms, the weekend was sensory, messy, and wonderful — a perfect reminder that travel, like coffee or wine, is best appreciated when you savor it all, one little detail at a time.