My ramble down the central coast through the lettuce fields and the acres of grapes yielded a surprising number of local attractions and dining venues besides my goal of attending the Bruce Munro Field of Light at Sensorio.
Paso Robles, I’m not listing the numerous wine tasting options as there are hundreds of vineyards and everyone has a specific variety. We do have a professional team who work with us on private visits with local owners.
Cass Winery tag line: French DNA and Paso Personality, hosts farm to table dining events at their wine facility in the countryside. Wednesdays Around The World country specific monthly wine pairing dinners catered by a well-known local chef. I was pleasantly surprised by the sophisticated dining experience. Open Air Vineyard Yoga, Olive Harvest Retreat, their site lists seasonal offerings.
They also recently opened The Geneseo Inn, built of industrial shipping crates perched above the vines on Cass Winery’s 145 acres of vineyard, the experience truly allows you to “breathe in the vineyard views.” Proving to be hugely popular, reserve long in advance.
Cass Camp offers a plethora of Camp Activities including Olive Oil pressing, A Bees Life- Experience the ancient magic of beekeeping. Cooking classes, winemaker in training, Sip like a Sommelier, Archery, Photography, horseback rides.
Lunch near Allegretto Vineyard Resort at Villa San-Juliette in the rolling hillsides beneath a stone terrace, relax in a Tuscan type landscape of fountains and gardens. Do reserve and request shady terrace to avoid the summer heat, lunch was delicious!
Villa San-Juliette, San Miguel
There are a plethora of interesting tours and tastings: Jam Making at Hartley Farms, Olive Oil Pressing at Groves on 41, Oyster Shucking in Morro Bay, Farm & Creamery Tour at Step Ladder Creamery, Chocolatiers Classes and for those who love Clydesdales yes, you read that right. The Covell Clydesdale Ranch is the only one place on earth where you can experience the majestic Clydesdale horses grazing on nearly 2,000 acres of rolling pastures speckled with pristine Monterey Pines and overlooking an exquisite view of the Pacific Ocean. Many Olive Oil farms have popped up in the area as well and invite private tours.
We have the best professional bike riding firm if you need to challenge yourself throughout the undulating hillsides.
Hawaii reopens October 15 – and the Four Seasons Maui is accepting reservations from Nov. 20 onward. https://www.hawaii-guide.com/hawaii-reopening-what-you-need-to-know Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea has implemented extraordinary guidelines to ensure the safety of guests. Additional details are at end of post.
Overlooking the golden crescent of Wailea Beach, Four Seasons Resort Maui is a 5-minute drive from the Gold Course, Emerald Course and Blue Course – three of the island’s finest golf courses – and is less than a mile from the luxury boutiques and restaurants of the Shops at Wailea.
Unforgettable Experiences. Four Seasons Resort Maui invites you to expand your dreams with their unique collection of over-the-top experiences. Let them help you personalize a bucket-list adventure with exclusive access to people and places only available to Four Seasons Maui guests. After months of lock down, I’m certain almost everyone is ready for multiple experiences using a hotel as a safe home base.
Besides the usual excellent Four Seasons service, lovely rooms and an amazing beach right in front of the property – we thought we should share some amazing experiences – not only are we missing travel, but don’t you miss the thrill of planning experiences on the ground?
Maui’s central location within the Hawaiian island chain offers you unique access to customized day trips by helicopter, boat, jet or ferry. Use Maui as a luxurious base camp and enjoy a few days of off island expeditions.
On the Big Island, visit a Kona coffee farm or fly over the dormant volcano
Explore the breathtaking waterfalls and cliffs of Molokai by charter yacht
Go shipwreck diving on Lanai, after a trip to the island by charter helicopter or private yacht
Take a luxury yacht to Molokini and scuba dive off the back of a submerged volcano rim
Discover Oahu’s attractions, including Pearl Harbor and The Mighty Mo, or boost your adrenaline with a dive in a shark cage
Mileage distance – who knew the islands were so close? Maui – Molokai 7.5 Miles Maui – Lanai 8 miles. Maui – Kaho’olawi 6 miles. Maui – Big Island 26 miles. Maui – Oahu 116 miles, 25 min flight.
GO ON A PRIMAL YET SOPHISTICATED CULINARY ADVENTURE WITH AN OPEN-FIRE CHEF WHO HAPPENS TO BE ONE OF THE ISLAND’S TOP SOMMELIERS Join Yeshua Goodman, owner of Kiawe Outdoor and an advanced sommelier at Spago Maui, on a next-level Maui tour of tastes and tales. Goodman has partnered exclusively with Four Seasons Maui to create a Fire & Wine experience set on an estate that dates back to the rule of King Kamehameha III.
Your journey begins with a helicopter flight that departs from Wailea Golf Club and follows the dramatic topography of Maui – waterfalls, rainforests, Mount Haleakala and the rugged North Shore coastline – to the village of Haiku, off the beaten path on the island’s North Shore. Your destination: the enchanting grounds of Haiku House, a former sugar cane plantation that’s now a 20-acre expanse of botanical history where you can stroll. Here, an expert from the Alexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum will lead you on a private tour, offered only to Four Seasons guests, regaling you with stories passed down through the estate’s line of locally renowned and influential owners.
Step back into the here and now with a personalized multi-course meal that connects you to the elements. Goodman – a Maui local, fisherman, spear diver and hunter – locally sources the ingredients for your dinner, which he cooks over an open flame. Participate in the cooking yourself, if you like, before the fare comes out of the fire. You will already have chosen wine pairings in an interactive blind tasting led by Goodman.
End the evening with an exciting dessert demo by beloved Four Seasons Executive Pastry Chef Riccardo Menicucci and return to the Resort by private car service.
GET TO KNOW THE ENCHANTED TOWN OF HANA ON THIS EXCLUSIVE CULINARY ADVENTURE Getting there is half the fun on this exclusive culinary adventure that takes place on the untouched, wild eastern corner of Maui. Guests of Four Seasons Maui soar by helicopter above towering waterfalls and rainforest peaks – and peer into Haleakala, the dormant volcano that composes 75 percent of the island – before touching down at ONO Organic Farms in Kipahulu for a private tour and exotic fruit tasting beside the farm’s longtime owners. After foraging their favorites with Four Seasons Executive Chef Craig Dryhurst, it’s off to explore the quaint and famed town of Hana. Guests are led by a cultural expert on a customizable adventure, such as a swim in the lava caves at Waianapanapa Black Sand Beach or a hike to a waterfall deep in the bamboo forest.
After working up an appetite, guests will helicopter back to the iconic resort for the main event: a multi-course Ultimate Dinner prepared by Chef Dryhurst. This thoughtful meal incorporates the fruit harvested at ONO Organic Farms into dishes using Maui’s incredible farm and ranch offerings. The personalized feast is accompanied by wine pairings hand-selected by a Four Seasons sommelier to complement Maui’s freshest flavors, as the day comes to the close overlooking gorgeous Wailea Beach.
KONA COFFEE HELICOPTER TOUR Discover specialty coffee on neighboring Hawaii Island via a private helicopter charter. Enjoy a customized private tour and tasting at Bolton Estate, home of award-winning Kona Coffee & Tea Company, before taking in spectacular sights on your aerial tour back to Maui.
WHALE WATCH PHOTO EXCURSION: SEASONAL, DECEMBER TO MAY Embark on a one-of-a-kind whale watch with two of Maui’s most knowledgeable whale experts and top underwater photographers, Dan and John Cesere. Take above-or below-water photographs of marine life, or simply enjoy the show while learning about these majestic creatures. Tours do not include underwater photography of humpback whales but focus on Maui’s other vibrant marine life.
Inside the hotel, stay in the Complete Suites – The oceanfront suites at Four Seasons Resort Maui are a hotel-within-a-hotel, with a dedicated staff led by your own hotel Personal Assistant and a heightened level of amenities, security and services. Overlook prestigious Wailea Beach and the Hawaiian Islands beyond from the comfort of your private suite.
Within the Complete Suites program is a new LAX amenity: Four Seasons Maui is pleased to collaborate with PS LAX to reimagine the LAX airport experience. Located in a private terminal across the tarmac, PS LAX offers a back door to your aircraft, along with seamless security and TSA, and luxury amenities in your private suite before your flight. Four Seasons offers this service one-way, (valued at USD 3,150), to guests flying through LAX who have purchased our Complete Suites package. Right now, this service is only at LAX for commercial flights.
Onsite Exclusive Guest Care Now that you have arrived, we want your peace of mind to continue. Four Seasons Maui has added a team of onsite medical professionals, available to guests 24/7. From illness to wellness to injuries and more, the medical team prioritizes guests of Four Seasons Maui first and foremost.
The state of Hawaii has instated additional safeguards for residents and guests, including requiring travelers present proof of a negative Covid-19 test result taken within 72 hours of arrival to Hawaii in order to avoid quarantine. To guarantee accessible pre-travel tests, Four Seasons Resort Maui has identified labs with testing options that are convenient and rapid, nationwide. For the current Hawaii state guidelines and requirements.
COVID testing resources links: Next/Health – Greater Los Angeles area. MicrogenDX– All of mainland USA. Please note that Four Seasons Maui has identified these options for guest’ convenience, but they are not involved in any way beyond providing the resource contact information. The Resort never sees the private medical records of any guest, nor do we assume liability in any way.
