Summer Concerts on a Budget!

The Central Coast Summer's are filled with FREE Concerts.  You just need to know where to look for them.  On occasion you can find them in New Times or on http://www.sanluisobispocounty.com/visitors/calendar-of-events/.  If you don't want to waste your time on research, then keep reading as I have gone to all of these and can help you decided which ones are worth venturing out to.

Go prepared!!  You will need to gather up a few items to ensure your day is relaxing and FREE....of course!


-  Picnic Basket or Picnic bag with freezer pouches
-  Wine (but of course) Sauvignon Blanc, Rose, Champagne.  Something crisp
   and cold on a hot summer's day.
-  Plastic Wine Glasses
-  Backpack Beach Chairs
-  Snacks
-  Water.  Tons of Water

Sundays in the Sand - Quite possibly my favorite of the Summer Concert Series here on the Coast.  This FREE concert is held at the Avila Beach Golf Resort every Sunday from July to August.  It's on the big grassy area over looking the coast.  It's a stunning view and TONS of fun!  Concerts usually start around 1pm, so get there early to ensure you have a nice spot of your own. Food and drinks are available for purchase, but they are totally cool if you want to bring your own. Check out their Facebook page for upcoming shows. http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=137256709625504


Concerts in the Plaza - This concert series stars 6/10/11 - 9/2/11.  Its in the Mission Plaza in Downtown SLO.  Concerts go from 5:30 - 7:30pm.  Food and beverages are available for sale, or you can bring your own.  Here's the lineup:

June 10  -  NADA RASTA sponsored by Creeky Tiki
June 17-- TRUTH ABOUT SEAFOOD sponsored by Adamski, Moroski, Madden, Cumberland & Green LLP
June 24  - TROPO sponsored by Cal Poly Downtown
July 1  -  CUESTA RIDGE sponsored by Mission Community Bank
July 8  -  ZONGO ALL STARS sponsored by Bladerunner Salon and Spa & Stephen Patrick Design
July 15 - DAMON CASTILLO BAND sponsored by Ravatt, Albrechet & Associates Inc.
July 22 - RESINATION sponsored by San Luis Obispo Transit
July 29 - CRITICNUE
August 5 - GUY BUDD BAND and the GYPSY SOULS sponsored by Rancho Grande Motors
August 12 - MONTE MILLS and the LUCKY HORSESHOE BAND sponsored by Tartaglia Realty
August 19 - BURNING JAMES and the FUNKY FLAMES
August 26 - THE JD PROJECT sponsored by Takken's Shoes of SLO
Sept 2  -  BIG DADDY'S BLUES BAND sponsored by WestPac

Concerts in the Park - This concert series happens all over the county.

Tuesdays -      Atascadero Lake Park – “Tuesdays in the Park”
                      June 15 - August 31, 2010
                      BBQ 5-7, Music 7-8 PM
                      Food & wine available for purchase. May bring own beer & wine

Wednesdays - Templeton City Park “Concerts in the Park – 2010” 
                     May 26 - September 1, 2010 
                     6:30 - 8:30 PM   (9/1 concert @ 6 - 8 PM)
                     Food available for purchase. May bring own beer & wine.

Fridays -        Paso Robles – Downtown “Concerts in the Park – 2010”
                    June 18 - August 27, 2010   5:30 – 7:30 PM
                    Food & wine available for purchase. May bring own beer & wine.

Saturdays -   Los Osos - SeaPines Golf Resort "Concerts on the Green"
                    June 5 - July 3, 2010
                    2 - 6 PM
                    No outside alcohol or food. May buy food and wine on-site.

Sundays -     Arroyo Grande – Downtown Bandstand – Summer Concerts 2010 –
                   selected afternoons: 6/6, 6/20, 7/4, 7/18, 8/1, 8/15, 8/29, 9/12    
                   1-3pm  May not consume alcohol.  (super lame)
                           Food available on site or from nearby delis.

                   Grover Beach – Ramona Garden Park- “Sizzlin Summer Concerts”
                   June 6 - September 26, 2010  (None on July 4)
                   3 - 6 PM 
                   May bring own food and wine. May also buy food and wine                              on-site
                   Part of their weekly Famers Market at same time and place.


Cambria Summer Concert Events  - Cambria has found a great way to participate while including a very lovely hotel and an amazing restaurant:

Saturdays -  El Colibri Hotel and Spa
                   6ish - ??
                   Wine bar is open and features live music. Very romantic


Sundays -    Robin's Restaurant (Gardens) Summer Nights Concerts
                  June 6 - August 29
                  5 - 9 PM
                  No cover, but charge for wine and food.
                  Special winery tastings at each one.

Summer should be all about enjoying the sun, live music, friends and having as much fun as you possibly can.  Don't be a hermit.  Get out there and check out at least one of these concerts!!  

 

Rainy Day Blues. What to do, What to do!

The clouds are rolling in, wind is blowing and the rain is a constant drizzle that is just annoying to walk around in.  Both of my kids say how they want to do something fun but they can't because it's raining.  I start to sink into their pity party and realize that my bluff hike is definitely not going to happen today.  It's time to snap out of it!!  We all decide to brainstorm over breakfast at the Creekside Cafe, all the fun stuff we can do inside.  I have to say my kids have a great imagination and I pride myself on helping them cultivate their artistic creative minds.  So here is a list of all the fun FREE things you can do on a rainy day!

3d puzzles and Board Games - We dug up at least 3 puzzles that we have never even opened and discovered a really cool 3d Eiffel Tower!  Nice pick Owen!  Apples to Apples, Whoonu and My first chemistry kit rank among the top picks with my kids and they are definitely entertaining for adults.  

Arts & Crafts Projects - I always keep a couple of plain wooden projects from Michaels lying around for rainy days.  These go on sale off and on from $1.00 - $5.00.  I found a couple of bird houses and some wooden animals.  The kids and I have a blast painting and decorating these with googly eyes and pom pom balls.  We decided on homemade Ugly dolls today!!  We are using scrap fabric that you can find at thrift stores or fabric shops, old buttons and some colored thread.   

Wii or Xbox Kinect Challenge - We love setting up a family game challenge, where the winner goes up against a different person until they are knocked out of their winning spot.  You could also play for fun, but that really wouldn't work for my competitive video gamers.  Just Dance & Wii Resort are great games for 5yrs old and up.  

Jewelry Making - I've been making jewelry since I was 14yrs old.  I think just about every friend I have owns a crazy piece of jewelry that I have gifted to them proudly.  It's very relaxing and a lot of fun to create original pieces.  I checked out several books on beading and jewelry making from my local library.  You will find the best prices on beads at Michaels.  Local bead shops tend to be double the price.  To put together a basic kit, all you need is wire, wire cutters, needle nose pliers, flat nose pliers, crimp beads, multi colored beads and focal pieces and your choice of clasps.  Beadaholic has good quality products for a reasonable price.  

http://www.beadaholique.com

Wire wrapping is a great way to use local resources such as found objects like beach glass, rocks or wooden pieces.  It requires a lot more patience and some special tools but you can you do several different variations.  Seaglass Journal has a nice step by step on wire wrapping.  

http://www.seaglassjournal.com/crafts/simplependant/simplependant.htm

80's movie marathon - This is my idea of a great rainy day activity.  Unfortunately this only keeps my kids attention through 1.5 movies. We could watch ET, Never Ending Story and The Stars Wars movies over and over and over again.  Actually I think I might just go and find one on demand now.

Wine a bit, you'll feel better

Are you one of those Central Coast residents who never venture out to our local wineries?  I mean, there are a few hundred between Paso Robles and Edna Valley to choose from, but of course, who has the time?  

I do, I do, I do!!!  

Many of the wineries have wine events almost every weekend, and if you plan ahead, the tickets are usually pretty reasonable.  If you’re the type of person who thinks that sipping wine around a bunch of drunk strangers is your worst nightmare, then check out a tasting room.  Most of the wine tastings are free (your FREE alarm should be dinging right now), or they will waive a tasting for two when you buy a bottle.  Buyers: BEWARE OF WINE CLUB MEMBERSHIPS.  I had a serious wine club addiction and it took me over a year to admit it.  I had up to SEVEN memberships at one point.  I have no idea how this happened.....well, actually it usually involved the mention of a free gift and a re-visit to the wines that I sooo enjoyed.  But I digress.  Let's talk details about the cheap stuff!!

Wine Events

The best of the best wine events in my opinion are Pinot and Paella, Roll out the Barrels, Savor the Central Coast and the Paso Robles Wine Festival.  These events require a little planning and advance ticket purchasing to ensure you get the best deal out of the event.  
Pinot & Paella is on Sunday, June 5th 2011.  It features twenty chefs creating their own Paella dishes, Latin music and of course a ton of yummy Pinot Noir. Tickets go for $65 a person.  Do it, you won't regret it! http://www.pinotandpaella.com/

Roll out the Barrels is June 23rd-26th.  Tickets are $55 and they include a 2-day passport of wine tastings and food pairings all around San Luis Obispo wine country.  You start off your tour at a specific winery, where you are given a wine glass, passport, and ticket lanyard.  You receive royal treatment at all the participating wineries. Plan on having a designated driver or wine tour bus booked. http://slowine.com/cm/events/Roll%20Out%20The%20Barrels%20Weekend.html

Savor the Central Coast is from Sept 29th-Oct 2nd.  Sunset Magazine's wine, food, travel and garden staff find the best of the best around the Central Coast, and then offer cooking classes, wine cuvee classes, demonstrations and live music.  If you can afford to attend, it truly should not be missed.  Tickets start at the steep price of $85 per person for the main event; add an additional $30-50 per class.  http://www.savorcentralcoast.com/  

Paso Robles Wine Festival is a great opportunity to experience the wonderful wines that Paso Robles has to offer.  With over 140 wineries pouring and culinary pairings at $45-65 a ticket, this is definitely a bargain.  Of course, locals get in at $45 no matter when you purchase your ticket, and you can buy a weekend pass with all the bells and whistles for $325. This event takes place on May 20th-21st.  http://www.pasowine.com/events/wine-festival-tickets.php

Now let's talk budget! (Here’s where some free stuff comes in.)  Not everyone can afford to attend expensive events, but everyone can afford free tastings!!!  Most wineries offer free tastings to locals or just in general.  I think it is becoming more the rule instead of the exception in these economic times.  You can even make a day of it.  We really enjoy starting off in Avila Beach.  Believe it or not, Avila has some up and coming wineries opening tasting rooms right across from the beach.  It's a relaxing atmosphere that allows you to take your tasting outside and enjoy the ocean breeze.

Alapay Cellars offers about ten wines on their tasting menu.  A tasting is only $5 and yes, you can share a tasting.  It's free when you purchase a bottle of their excellent wine.  It's a very casual beach atmosphere where the company you keep is in flip flops, and the saltwater fish tanks keep you entertained. Don't forget to stop at Wood Winery's new tasting room on Front Street.  I really enjoy a little bubbly and this is the perfect place to get it. Selling wine by the glass here, you can sit on their patio and enjoy a view of the ocean while you indulge.  Pizazz is their signature champagne cocktail, and it is delicious.  While wine tasting, you CANNOT forget to eat, any pro will tell you this!  Stop off at The Cliffs in Shell Beach and enjoy a free taco bar Monday through Thursday. Yes it's tasty and yes, you read right, it's FREE!! Now of course, you’ll want to purchase a drink to wash down your yummy tacos.  Why not a wine spritzer??

Most everything that features wine comes with a price tag, but as you can see there are several ways around depleting your pocket book.  I find the SLO County Events website to be a great resource for finding local events.  If you type in the keyword Free, a bunch of opportunities will pop up.  It's amazing what you can find on there. http://www.sanluisobispocounty.com/visitors/calendar-of-events/

Another way to enjoy wine without breaking the bank is to host a blind tasting party at your house.  Here’s how it works:  Everyone brings a bottle of wine, along with an appetizer food pairing. You wrap the wine in a paper bag with a master list of what is included in the tasting. The object of the game is to guess which bottle of wine is which.  Everyone has a guess, and you send the winner home with handmade wine charms!! These are very easy to make.  Everything you need is at Michael’s.  You need to buy a bag of earring hoops and some charms.  Voila, an adorable handmade gift that costs under $5!!  

Wine should be fun, not stuffy and snobby.  Most of the tasting room attendants truly enjoy educating guests on the wines they feature, and the proper way to taste it.  The important thing to remember is that your palette is your own, and if it tastes good, then it's probably good. Get out there and enjoy the Central Coast wines that are begging to be found!!

Letterboxing is not for Sissies.

I started letterboxing about three years ago.  I had a friend who talked about amazing secret hikes they found through letterboxing, and after doing a little research, I found that she was right on the money.  Letterboxing opened up a world of hiking and treasure hunting for my entire family, and the best part about it is that it's free.  So there are no excuses to keep being lazy.  Put on your hiking shoes and let’s do this.  

Here’s the info: Letterboxing is made up of treasure hunting, navigation, and hiking into scenic areas you probably never would have found on a casual stroll through the trees. 
Letterboxing started in England in 1854. Clues were placed in the visitor’s center and day hikers would be sent out on an adventure to find small boxes with postcards in them. The concept really hasn't changed much over the years.  If you are familiar with Geocaching, it’s a modern day version of Letterboxing.  I'm a bit old fashioned and like to stick with the tradition of  paper, stamps, and honest riddle solving.  Geocaching seems too easy for me.  I like the challenge Letterboxing lends. 

To get started, you need a few things: a notebook, a rubber stamp, a pen, walking shoes, and clues.  You can register on www.letterboxing.org or you can just go there to search for Letterboxing locations.  The site is very user friendly, and all you have to do is enter in your city before several clues pop up.  Most of the clues will be given a level of difficulty or number of miles.  I prefer the clues that are in riddle form.  It's like I've tricked my children into a fun activity that also includes some mental challenge. They still have not caught on. 
The rubber stamp is a pretty big deal in the Letterboxing world.  Letterboxers take pride in "the stamp”, and you will come across some amazing artistic stamps that are all handmade.  I would love to be that creative, and have even purchased all the materials to create my own stamp, but at the end of the day I'm at the dollar store picking out one with a puppy on it.  So much for inspiration. 

Some people don’t respect the Letterboxing world, and are real jerks about it.  I will never forget our second Letterboxing experience.  It was called "Can O’ Spam."  We spent an entire day trying to decipher this very difficult riddle that had us running in circles.  Every clue we decoded was followed by high fives and screams.  We chipped away at it and finally we found the pink house, and we knew the treasure was close by.  However, something wasn't adding up, so we continued searching up and down the street of the pink house.  The Letterbox should have been hidden near a large hedge, but it wasn't there.  HOW COULD THIS BE????!!!  My husband tried to convince me that the box was stolen, but I just couldn't wrap my head around why anyone would want to do that, ESPECIALLY when the riddle was worthy of ripping out fistfuls of hair.  I refused to give up (typical me, insane and determined).  Finally, our answer came to us from a lovely couple who lived in the home where the treasure was buried.  Yes, my husband was right… the box had been stolen.  But before he could even start the "I told you so dance", I was granted a little validation.  The new owners saw so many disappointed Letterboxers come through the neighborhood, they decided to paint the bottom of a garden frog, marking where the Letterbox was supposed to be and noting that it has been stolen.  With bittersweet smiles, we took a picture with the frog.  I at least considered it a small victory, while the rest of my family walked away feeling cheated.  Worst of all, this was not the first time this would happen to us.  Unfortunately, as a Letterboxer, you will find there are people out there with no lives and traumatic childhoods who just want to steal your fun.  Or maybe they see a box in a tree with a stamp in it and are too lame to think it might mean something, so they say, “Cool, I bet no one uses THIS for anything.  I'll take it home with me.”  So it's important to the Letterboxing culture that when you are close to your treasure, you hide and sneak up on it when no one is looking, like the true ninja of “finding free shit to do” that I know you are. 

 If you’re more into technology or aren’t smart enough to solve riddles, Geocaching is for you.  Geocaching is similar to letterboxing but instead of clues you are given GPS coordinates.  Typically a Geocaching box is larger than a letterbox and contains small toys.  If you decide to take home a treasure from the geocaching box, you are expected to leave something in return.  Geocaching information can be found at www.geocaching.com.
My family and I discovered Geocaching while we were out on a Letterboxing excursion in San Simeon.  We passed a couple, who appeared to be Letterboxers, lurking around the same tree we were.  However, you are not to reveal that you are a Letterboxing or Geocaching ninja to anyone.  Identities must be kept a secret.   I'm not sure if I made this up or just play along because it seems more mysterious.  But I digress.  So we are walking back and forth up this trail, passing this huge tree that has fallen over.  The ocean is to our backs and it's really a gorgeous day, as all of our central coast days usually are.  We end up finding this HUGE military style Letterbox, and it's all wrong.  Yes, it had the book, but no stamp.  Instead are a bunch of toys, like rubber bracelets, duckies,  and army men.  I decide that some poor fool misunderstood the Letterboxing rules, and I decide to place my stamp inside their book, in hopes that Letterboxers around the world will help correct this most grievous error.  We pass the couple, and they’re carrying a GPS device.  So we decide to tell them that if they are Letterboxers, then they are very close.  They give us a strange look and I fear that I've compromised the weird Letterbox we found, until they tell us they are Geocachers.  We gave the same strange looks, and we both proceeded to explain what each one is. So the box we found was, in fact, a Geocaching box, not a weird-looking and wrongly set-up Letterbox.  The nice couple helped us find "hermits by the sea", and we showed them the adorable handmade hermit stamp.  They shrugged their shoulders and began looking up new GPS coordinates for their next Geocaching adventure. 

In all honesty, Geocaching started in 2000, and I personally feel that it is a copycat idea of Letterboxing. However, after meeting the nice couple on our hike I now see that Geocaching is an attractive idea for some.  It's not for me though, as I would feel as though I am cheating on Letterboxing, my 117 year old boyfriend, for a much younger 11 year old. 
The fact remains that if Letterboxing lended the idea to Geocaching, it's keeping the tradition alive through technology.  If it gets people out of the house and into nature, then misson accomplished.