I did a home exchange on the recent long President’s weekend and it was awesome! It was another trip to the central coast of California with our home base in Los Osos…while a great family stayed in my home and visited Disneyland.
We’ve had a lot of rain here in California and the difference it has made to the hillsides, creeks and lakes as you drive up Highway 1/101 is amazing. In the past few years it’s been pretty brown and dismal, but now, I’m not kidding, it looks like Ireland…it’s SO green! We couldn’t get over it! That, coupled with the ocean on our left made for a beautiful drive.
There were six of us and we had a blast. We arrived late on Thursday evening, so we just brought in Chinese food. Friday was a rainy day, with high winds…we even lost power a couple of times…so we decided to just hunker down, read and relax, while we watched the weather change through the floor to ceiling window overlooking Morro Bay. I have to say it’s definitely the best view I’ve had doing a home exchange and the house was great, with every amenity you could want.
The next two days included trips to Harmony (“population: 18″…woohoo..it used to be “population: 2” when I first started visiting over 20 years ago), Cambria, the Seal Rookery near San Simeon, The Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary in Pismo and a jaunt through San Luis Obispo. As I have said here before…always more fun to tell the story in pictures…..here you go….
Robin’s Restaurant
…..END OF DAY TWO….
A GOOD TIME WAS HAD BY ALL…..
Life is short.
So, without further adieu, I give you some of the dishes from In Situ….
I was most excited about this dish, Plogue a Champlain with Foie Gras, from 
I saw no less than three walking groups with a guide looking at the street art, a la Banksy. So, what makes it street art as opposed to graffiti, you ask? I happened to watch a show on it while I was relaxing one morning in the apartment. Graffiti is mostly associated with deviant behavior, marking your territory and graffiti artists have no interest in whether the public likes it or not. Street art, on the other hand, is specifically done as an expression of something to share with others. Street art has also become more main stream and, especially in Shoreditch, has been encouraged (sometimes even commissioned/paid) with some areas cordoned off for artists to create on the side of buildings. In short, graffiti can sometimes be a bit offensive & the person doing it does not have “art” on their mind, whereas street art is done by an “artist” to convey a feeling or story to be shared with passers-by.
I had the Cappelletti with wild mushrooms and thyme…sooooo good!….and one of the other gals had Cacio E Pepe…also very good!
I honestly can’t remember what everyone else had, but I’ve heard the burger is really good. All in all, I’d recommend and I look forward to going back. They’re open for lunch and dinner.
The main entrance seems almost like an old country market, with small batch, homemade food and textile items. As you venture farther into the space there is an eclectic mix of small shops, with everything from an 
It reminded me a little bit of the Ferry Building in SF and European food markets I’ve visited. The back patio has a mix of seating and ping pong tables, with live music to enjoy during your Sunday brunch and varied performances throughout the week/year. I’m sure the next 
I can’t wait to go back and explore the area! Bon Appetit!