Wine Festival at Paso Robles
Today, Paso Robles is ringed with horse ranches, vineyards, wineries,and more than 5,000 acres (2,000 ha) of almond orchards that bloom in early spring.
The hot springs have now been capped - they were polluting the Salinas River - but the town still has much to offer.
On Vine Street, between 12th and 20th streets, are several restored buildings from the 1890s, including Call-Booth House Gallery.
Here works by mainly local artists are displayed in a Victorian setting.
Some of Paso Robles many restaurants are also located in 19th-century buildings: Berardi & Sons was once the home of the town's daily newspaper;McLee's Steak House, with its huge stained-glass windows, was formerly a church; and Touch of Paso occupies a former post house on the Overland Stage Company route.
The Paso Robles Inn and Gardens, at 1003 Spring Street, stands on the site of the 1860 Hot Springs Hotel.
The latter was replaced in 1891 with a three-story redbrick hotel designed by Stanford White.
This building in turn was burned down in a fire in 1940.
Visitors to the town may wander through the current hotel's landscaped gardens.
Two important events on Paso Robles' calendar are the California Mid-State Fair - a large agricultural and livestock fair in early August with a reputation for top entertainment - and the Wine Festival in May, during which visitors can sample wines from more than 20 vineyards in the surrounding area.
Environs Situated 17 miles (27 km) northwest of Paso Robles, off County Road G14, Lake Naciemento is a local recreational spot.
Set in a picturesque valley amid pine and oak trees, the lake offers fishing (bass and catfish are often caught here), camping, water sports, and picnicking.
At the second junction of Hwy 46 and Hwy 41, 24 miles (39 km) east of Paso Robles,is the James Dean Monument.
Set around a tree of heaven, it is a memorial to the film actor who died here, at the age of 24, when he crashed his silver Porsche 550 Spider on September 30, 1955.
A metal plaque gives details of James Dean's short life.
The hot springs have now been capped - they were polluting the Salinas River - but the town still has much to offer.
On Vine Street, between 12th and 20th streets, are several restored buildings from the 1890s, including Call-Booth House Gallery.
Here works by mainly local artists are displayed in a Victorian setting.
Some of Paso Robles many restaurants are also located in 19th-century buildings: Berardi & Sons was once the home of the town's daily newspaper;McLee's Steak House, with its huge stained-glass windows, was formerly a church; and Touch of Paso occupies a former post house on the Overland Stage Company route.
The Paso Robles Inn and Gardens, at 1003 Spring Street, stands on the site of the 1860 Hot Springs Hotel.
The latter was replaced in 1891 with a three-story redbrick hotel designed by Stanford White.
This building in turn was burned down in a fire in 1940.
Visitors to the town may wander through the current hotel's landscaped gardens.
Two important events on Paso Robles' calendar are the California Mid-State Fair - a large agricultural and livestock fair in early August with a reputation for top entertainment - and the Wine Festival in May, during which visitors can sample wines from more than 20 vineyards in the surrounding area.
Environs Situated 17 miles (27 km) northwest of Paso Robles, off County Road G14, Lake Naciemento is a local recreational spot.
Set in a picturesque valley amid pine and oak trees, the lake offers fishing (bass and catfish are often caught here), camping, water sports, and picnicking.
At the second junction of Hwy 46 and Hwy 41, 24 miles (39 km) east of Paso Robles,is the James Dean Monument.
Set around a tree of heaven, it is a memorial to the film actor who died here, at the age of 24, when he crashed his silver Porsche 550 Spider on September 30, 1955.
A metal plaque gives details of James Dean's short life.