Marine Band Concert in Cambria

The Marine Corp 1st Marine Division Band came to Cambria for the the Pinedorado parade and a noon time concert. They sounded great, and the enthusiastic crowd showed their appreciation with repeated standing ovations. The band played a mix of marches, traditional American songs, and jazzy pieces featuring some pretty hot players.

Thanks so much to the Cambria folks who worked so hard to bring the band to the festivities. Hopefully this will become an annual event.

Stone Soup Music Faire Photos

You can view some of my photos from this year's music festival at

http://catalottonthego.blogspot.com/p/stone-soup-music-faire-2010.html

For more details on this year's musical groups, see

http://groverbeachchamber.com/cm/Calendar/stone-soup.html

Back Roads Winery Updates

This next weekend is the big Paso Robles Wine Festival. Details can be found at http://www.pasowine.com/. In an effort to beat the crowds, I visited some of the back road wineries this weekend to pick up some wine and take in some tunes.



Ranchita Canyon Vineyards now has their latest zinfandel available for sale; last time I was there it had no name and no label. Now it is called "Thiz-iz-it" Zinfandel (2008), and it is mighty tasty. I am not a wine guy who knows all the tasting terms, but I do like big, bold Zinfandel, and this IS it.

Summer music season has started at the wineries. Check out summer show schedules for Castoro Cellars, Vina Robles, and my favorite Stacked Stone Cellars. I caught the cowboy jazz group Cowbop at Stacked Stone on Sunday afternoon for a great show (though pretty sparsely attended). Those of us who showed up enjoyed the fine red wine, tri-tip lunch, cowboy tunes, Patsy Cline songs, straight ahead jazz and terrible jokes from band leader Bruce Foreman. I hope Pinto Pam and the band can visit the area again, maybe in a warmer venue.


Lonesome Radio at Stacked Stone - last summer

Ranchita Canyon Vineyard is located off of Cross Canyons Rd. east of San Miguel. Stacked Stone is a few miles west of Paso Robles on Peachy Canyon Rd.

Parkfield Bluegrass Festival

Take the back roads to Parkfield,
Near the US GS Station,
You can be there by the fountain,
'Cause it's a bluegrass destination.
So don't be slow,
Tune that banjo,
Or I won't go,
Oh, no, no, no!
And I'm not sure if the banjo tuning helps.
(sung to the Monkees 1966 hit "Last Train to Clarksville")


It was a perfect Friday in Parkfield, and the bluegrass music was much hotter than the outside temperature - a mild temp close to 80 F. Overnight freeze, midday sunstroke, those are just normal conditions for this local festival.

My favorites included The Rarely Herd (don't confuse their feet with the Seldom Seen, or the Infrequently Smelled), The Brombies and Snap Jackson. Others also played great sets. The full program from the Bluegrass Festival is at http://www.parkfieldbluegrassfestival.com
Best message - support local live music!


Bell Monroe and the Brewglass Boys


Bean Creek

I did not camp overnight; rather just drove up for the day - it's not that far from my home. And I could revisit a few backroads on my list - Vineyard Canyon Rd, and the Chalome Parkfield Rd. I drove the little Saturn - it gets better gas milage than the Jeep - but the minimal road maintenance on the "sort of paved" SLO county back roads made me wish I lived in Monterey County - where the back roads were much better!