Hubby took a temporary job at Camp Roberts in Paso Robles, CA – 5 hours away from Grass Valley.  He comes home Friday nights and leaves in the wee hours of Monday mornings.

The downside is that Hubby is away all week.

The upside is that HE LOVES CAMP ROBERTS AND HIS JOB!  And, we both love Paso Robles!  So, Hubby has recently interviewed for a full time job on the base.  We shall see…

Anyway, last week, I took a 36 hour mini-vaca to visit him!

HOTEL CHEVAL AND THE PONY CLUB!

As i drove into the town of Paso Robles, I saw a nice parking spot and grabbed it.

When I looked up, I saw that I was parked in front of a tiny but beautiful, small Inn called, Hotel Cheval.

Hmmmm.

So I decided to investigate…  I texted Hubby and asked him to meet me in the hotel bar called, THE PONY CLUB.

THE PONY CLUB…

We loved it inside!  The atmosphere was cozy and upscale but not at all stuffy.  All the windows opened to the outside and it was airy yet embracing at the same time.

Since we were the only ones in there at the time (it was only 4:45 and they weren’t really opened yet but the bartender let us come in – nice!), I wandered around and took photos of all the horse references in the bar.

They had big bottles of Wild Horse wine, lovely art pieces of horses and framed photos of equestrians all over the walls.

I took several photos.  I have no idea the relationship of these people to the owners of the hotel… (I tried to contact the marketing people of the hotel but they didn’t respond) but I imagine that these equestrians were locals?  Dunno.

The very pleasant bartender (Justin), told  us he was new and he didn’t know the history of the photos, but he would find out.  It was Justin that brought it to my attention that the bar was shaped like a horseshoe.  I cannot believe that I didn’t notice that!  ;)

Anyway, the wine was great and we had a very nice Happy Hour!

(Does anyone know the history of these equestrian photos or the hotel owners?)

UPDATE:  THIS INFORMATION JUST CAME IN FROM A READER REGARDING THIS HOTEL AND THESE PHOTOS BELOW:

Hi Dawn

Am at the high trot. Fast notes.

The hotel is fairly new here, but part of the local rehab of that area. You can call the Chamber for a run down or the main source, Norma Moye. She loves to help downtown and to promote Paso. Wild Horse is off of Templeton Road near Lupin Lane.

Gina (cross country pic) competed in the Olympics to silver in individual. She rode a horse (I believe McKinlaigh) owned by then Creston residents. He is retired and she is a mother. Gina Miles is now riding out of Templeton Farms on Templeton Rd. as is the other (dressage pic) Gina. Andrea Baxter is one of the owners (with parents) of Twin Rivers on North River Road where so many of the English h/j and cross country 3 day events are staged.

The Dallaire family based in Templeton/Atascadero. They raised pigs and had a building supply (A-1). Some are involved with horses now (another of my high school students married into the family. She is a former h/j rider and now teaches dressage).

By the way, Paso Robles Magazine is now not only available in hard copy here, but you can check it out online for free: www.pasoroblesmagazine.com then download and scroll to Hoofbeat. The June issue will finish my 33rd year of writing it for this area in newspapers and for over a decade for Paso Robles Magazine. Paso’s 125th anniversary is this year.

Blessed trails,

Dorothy

CAMP ROBERTS

The next morning, Hubby brought me on a tour of Camp Roberts, which before it was sold to the military in 1941, was a 44,000 acre ranch (El Rancho Nacimiento).  Wow!

As Hubby was driving me around, all I could think about was, “Wow, that would be a great place for a house and over there the barn and the hay field would be there and right there should be  MT’s pasture and …” it was a gorgeous place.  (Understatement.)

Hubby then waved a major carrot before me ad said that if he got the job and we moved to Paso Robles… if I could come up with a beneficial reason why a riding group should ride on Camp Roberts (and Camp Roberts agreed), I could organize that ride.

Hel-lo!

Of course!

I could think of a million benefits to Camp Roberts for an organized ride!  So… know that I will be all over that if he gets the job and we move to Paso Robles!

(The following are pics of Camp Roberts…)

MY BOOT BAG WORKED BETTER THAN A SUITCASE!

OK, so as I was packing (in a rush, of course), I couldn’t find a suitcase small enough to fit everything because I wanted to bring my tall boots.

Well……… Noble Outfitters had sent to me their boot bag.  Their hope was that I would use it and review it…

I thought, at the time, that I wouldn’t really have any use for a boot bag because I don’t show anymore.  In fact, I contacted them and told them that this was very nice but I didn’t see how I would ever use it and should I send it back?

They didn’t reply… so, I kept it nice and clean and hoped that I would find a use for it.

OK, so back to the story…  I wanted to take my tall boots and also have enough clothes for a nice dinner outfit, sleep/breakfast wear and then tshirt/jeans for the next day’s romp at Camp Roberts and my drive back home.  But none of my rolling bags were the right shape.

And then I noticed the shiny new Noble Outfitter boot bag staring at me…

I grabbed it.

I put in my nice boots.  Then I added my sundry bag, makeup bag, underwear stuff, jeans, tshirt, 2 nice tops, leggings and a foldable jacket – oh and a scarf.  I put my jewelry in the long, outside pocket plus my nail polish that I hadn’t finished putting on before I left.

On the inside pocket, I put my undies and my flipflops.  I put my boots in the boot area and then rolled and laid my clothes in the middle and around my boots.

I had plenty of room!  The bag was really easy to handle – I think because it sits upright easily due to the wide bottom – and the handle is very stout.

Anyway, I used it and was very, very happy.  Everything traveled very well and I had my boots for our dinner – and I didn’t have to wear them on the car ride down!

So THANK YOU, Noble Outfitters, for knowing what I needed when I didn’t know I needed it!