I am barreling down the highway, hair blowing in the wind, as the gorgeous scenery of California’s Edna Valley blows by me — at 35 miles an hour. That’s the official speed limit, or at least that’s what David Powell, the driver of the motorcycle to which my tandem sidecar is attached, tells me. I nod and smile, but privately think he pushes it up to 45 miles an hour when we get to a particularly straight stretch of road.
At any rate, I’m sure that to the cars whizzing past us, we are the literal definition of “easy riders.” Sporting goggles and helmet, I am a passenger with Sidecar Tours on what has been described as “the world’s first two-person tandem sidecar experience.” As if the ride isn’t thrilling enough (even at 35 mph), on our expedition we are tasting some of the Edna Valley’s best wines.
Our two scheduled wineries — Saucelito Canyon Vineyard (famous for its Zinfandels) and Claiborne & Churchill Winery (known for producing Alsace-style wines, which manage to be both fruity and dry) — make for palate-pleasing stops. The sidecar speed limit isn’t the only thing that’s leisurely in San Luis Obispo County, with its 10 artisan beach communities (on this visit I am focusing on Avila Beach, Cambria and Cayucos). “Slo-Cal,” the slogan for this Central Coast stretch of California’s iconic Highway 1, invites visitors to slow down and marvel at the grandeur around them.
On a previous trip to the Central Coast, I had spent time in the two b.