Destinations are Only as Delicious as the Journey. This is the story of our first adventure together and how we returned to the scene of the crime 6 months later.

On February 14th, 2010, Andrew and I woke up at Montana De Oro State Park.

It was to be the first of many adventures together that would include running, water, wine, great people and wonderful food.

We had wanted to get out of town at the last minute and Andrew wanted me to pick the destination.

I gave him two choices:

Joshua Tree or Morro Bay.

I was thrilled that he chose Morro Bay!

There is no better place for a quick getaway that has the best of both worlds for each of us.

I crave the ocean, he craves trails, and Montana De Oro has it all!

Not to mention, just a 20 minute drive to Paso Wine Country!

Since we were still a new couple and I love to sleep under the stars, I slept outside and he slept in the car.

I couldn't wait till the morning so I could show Andrew the beautiful coastal trail.

A few moments after the above photo was taken we spotted the first of many runners wearing racing bibs.

Huh? I was totally confused. It turns out, it was the Montaña de Oro Ultra Marathon.

Now I really knew for sure that we had picked the perfect place to be.

We even tried to see if we could do a last minute registration but it was too late.

The race director was great, she told us about all the trail markings and said

 "...feel free to run it, and be sure to register for the next one in August..."

We ran part of the coastal trail before heading to Paso Robles for some Wine Tasting at Lone Madrone.

We decided that we'd definitely be back in August to run the Ultra!

Breakfast of Champions?

Quiche, Oatmeal Bars with Calvados Soaked Cherries, Brownies, Hard Cider, and Pork Rinds!

What more could a weekend ask for when you've got the water, trails, and wine?

How about a little bit of tap dancing?

I guess you can call teaching some basic tap dancing steps to some fellow trail hikers while holding a full glass

a great example of

"Disciplined Indulgence"

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Fast forward 6 months

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Saturday August 14th, 2010 

We set off on our 2nd Morro Bay and Montana De Oro Adventure.

We got the Truck packed with all the necessities, even a foam roller! : )

And Perrier!

After several hours of scenic driving it was time for lunch! 

Just before stopping for lunch,  I made a call to Silverlake Wine and asked George if he had any suggestions for places we had to visit while in Paso. 

He suggested Hug Cellars.

George couldn't have picked a better place to send us!

Hanging with my Ham, Cheese, and Chive Quiche; Quinoa Salad; and Raw Shredded Carrots and Beets; and a wonderful Hug Cellar Red.

Notice my cute top?

Andrew bought it for me in June at the Grandma's Marathon Expo.

Andrew enjoying his lunch and wine. 

We shared some of our lunch over great conversation with the "Hostess with the Most-est",  Raquel Hug, one of the dynamic duo behind these wonderful wines.

The wines that we tasted at Hug Cellars were all beautifully balanced, amazing "Food Wines" that were obviously crafted with love.

We cannot wait to visit again.

Check out their website, visit their tasting room, and hook up with them on Facebook.

Our Paso Trips always include a visit to Lone Madrone to sip some more amazing "food wines" and to pick up some more of their delicious Hard Cider.

 One this day, the charming Art Kishiyama, of Olio Nuevo, was sampling his delicious artisan crafted extra virgin olive oils and balsamics.

I had to get a bottle of the "Premium Aged Balsamic of Modena"

Estate Blended in Paso Robles.

My salads are loving it!

 Mister Andrew Calasanz, giving the grapes some love before we headed off to get some sleep.

Good Morning! Ready for the Ultra!

One last pic in the Spooner Cove parking lot, ready to head to the start.

 Would one of my adventures be complete without one of these poses?

Let's go!

 Since I only did the 8k (with all that elevation, if felt like the LA Marathon all over again), I had time to kill while Andrew finished his 25k. What better way to celebrate an early morning trail run then with some Lone Madrone Hard Cider with a yellow jacket chaser?

Poor little fella was loaded by the time I got him out of the glass.

The neatest thing about Ultras is that they have TREATS at the aid stations.

I had to take a picture of the "PUDDING" for my friend Gavril

  It was interesting to see what each runner chose to eat for "re-fuel-ing."

Golly, those trails sure got me dirty!

: )

 Andrew was even dirtier!

Big thanks to our friend Kristine!

 She let us crash at her beautiful home that was only 4 miles from the starting line. 

We're hoping she'll want to run it with us in February.

On Sunday, August 15th, 6 months to the day of our first adventure, we returned to Morro Bay, Spooner Cove, and Montana De Oro, and this visit was just as wonderful as our first.

On our first visit, I already knew that Mister Andrew Calasanz was "THE Man".
The only man.
I look forward to all the adventures our future together holds.
Thank you for sharing in our journey.
: )