A Relaxing Avila Beach Couples Getaway (Part 2)

If you don’t remember, a couple of weeks ago, Brady and I ran away to Avila Beach for a couple of nights while my mom watched Rowan. This is Day 2 on the run.

Running Away to Avila Beach – Day 2

Disclosure: Avila Village Inn had comped our room during our stay. My opinions are 100% my own.

Bob Jones City-to-Sea Trail – On Bikes

When I found out about the bikes at Avila Village Inn, I knew it was something we had to do.

Bike rentals are complimentary for two hours per day. After two hours, the rate is $10 an hour per bike. 

The Bob Jones City-to-Sea Trail is directly behind the Avila Village Inn. As you enter the trail from the Inn, a sign points towards popular destinations.

We rode the 1.7 miles to Avila Beach. The bike ride was quicker than we thought, and we were beachside in 15 minutes. It was a Friday morning at 9 am, and the trail wasn’t very busy on the way to the beach. We noticed that the trail was busier when we returned to the hotel and on Saturday morning.

Avila Beach is the cutest little beach town there is. The people were friendly, and there were dogs everywhere. Rowan would have approved.

Whenever I travel, I have to find a hip local coffee shop. In Avila, I found Kraken Coffee Co.

The beachfront coffee shop recently opened in April 2017. What I loved most about Kraken was the decor. Instead of a typical light and bright beach decor, sea creatures or rather sea monsters appear on the walls. There are some serious Moby Dick vibes in this place, which is good. With coffee and a literary feel, I’ll be a fan for life.

Apparently, I didn’t take any photos. I swear I did, but I have two videos from Instagram Stories.

We walked around drinking coffee and rode back to Avila Village Inn. Two hours was a perfect amount of time to ride down to the beach, grab a treat, explore, and ride back. I loved how the bike rode; I think I need to get one.

Ancient Peaks Winery

Disclaimer: We received a complimentary VIP wine tasting with a cheese board for two. All opinions are 100% my own. 

Want to know a secret that most non-Californians don’t know? The Central Coast has some pretty incredible wines. In my opinion, some wines are even better than those produced in Napa.

We spent Friday afternoon at Ancient Peaks Winery in Santa Margarita, CA. The tasting room is located about 20 minutes from Avila Village Inn. The town is home to a large antique store called  The Barn Antiques, which carries the Magnolia furniture line and other Magnolia decor. Fixer-upper fans, raise your hands!

The tasting room at Ancient Peaks Winery has a homey vibe with a bright and airy interior. There is a large tasting bar, tables with high stools, and a cozy corner with sofas, chairs, and a box of toys for their littlest guests. A winery that welcomes kids and wants them to have fun? More points to them. Speaking of kids, a Buckaroo plate can also be ordered for them to feel included in the fun.

Next to the main tasting room is the Cinnamon Room. Named for the ranch’s great and beloved cow who lived for 31 years. Her head is mounted on the wall above the room’s tasting bar, and her story is detailed on a nearby plaque. The Cinnamon room has long tables that can be reversed for bigger parties.

Outside on the wrap-around patio, more tables and chairs are shaded quite nicely.

The Wines

Since we don’t typically drink white wine, we started tasting with the Rose.

The Rose was delightful, and a bottle came home with us.

Moving on to the reds. Let’s just say I didn’t meet a bottle I didn’t like, even the f-ing Merlot! Sideways reference for all the wine fans out there.

Anyways, I won’t go into too much detail about the wines. I’m not anywhere close to being an expert, and I won’t try. I only know if the wine tastes good or not. But believe me, the wines at Ancient Peaks are all good!

The hard part was choosing what bottles to bring home. Overall, it came down to the bottle of Rose and two bottles of Merlot. One of the Merlot bottles was a gift for my mom. (Runaway tip: Bring back your babysitter a little gift for their time).

If you are ever in the San Luis Obispo area, you must stop at this winery for wine and their delicious cheese board.

Visit  Ancient Peaks Winery at
22720 El Camino Real
Santa Margarita, CA 93453

Tastings are $15, but if you stay at the Avila Village Inn, the tasting is complimentary for two.

Avila Beach Friday Night Farmer’s Market

After wine tasting, we returned to Avila Beach to check out the farmer’s market on the Promenade between the beach and local restaurants and stores.

The farmer’s market is small but mighty. Live music, local farmers, and other food vendors surrounded the area.

For dinner, we ate at the Avila Grocery & Deli. I had fish tacos. These tacos were huge and yummy. I think Brady had a Philly Cheese Steak, but I’m not sure. What can I say? The fish tacos were distracting!!

I would have loved to say that we stayed by the beach at one of the local watering holes and drank late into the night. Of course, the boring parents inside us just wanted to sleep.

If we weren’t tired, I would have stopped in at Mr. Ricks Beach Bar or PierFront. Both places have seating that faces out to the beach.

The Avila Beach Farmer’s Market is on Friday nights during the summer (April – Sept) from 4 pm to 8 pm.

I can’t wait until we can explore Avila Beach with Rowan. I kid you not; we kept saying Rowan would love this beach town.

And for the Avila Village Inn, Brady and I may have to hide out there every year for our anniversary.

If you missed Running Away to Avila Beach Day One, check it out.