Paso Robles in a Nutshell

I hope everyone had a happy and productive weekend!

Memorial Day weekend has come and gone but I wanted to share some highlights of our adventures! Together with a group of friends we decided to take a road trip down south on a mission to explore the breathtaking landscape of Paso Robles wine country. We spent 2 ½ days there and successfully managed to visit over eight wineries and one brewery. We also spent some much needed time relaxing, eating, drinking and vegging out in a cozy cottage set in the gently rolling hills of Peachy Canyon {thanks Drew!}. Considering we had a full house {and only one bathroom to share}, our daily routine was quite simple - get up early, make a huge breakfast and then hit the road for a day of wine tasting.

Some of my favorite wineries included Tablas Creek, Halter Ranch and Chronic Cellars. Each winery had its own allure, unique ambiance and stunning portfolio of wines. Our first stop set the benchmark for the rest of the trip. Halter Ranch Winery has so much history and charm, I felt like I was stepping back in time walking through the historic barns and stunning Victorian-era farmhouse. This was my type of experience, plus their wines were all surprisingly good {especially their Côtes de Paso- Grenache based blend).

Tablas Creek Winery was a priority on our list and we had the opportunity to check out their newly remodeled tasting room. Their wines stole the show and two of my favorites were the Côtes de Tablas red and white Rhone blends. Chronic Cellars was another favorite, with its funky bright and colorful décor and easy drinking, approachable wines. I’m a sucker for anything inspired by Dia de Los Muertos images {that’s on their label) and loved that their tasting room was hip and interactive with a pool table and horseshoe field outside.

For those of you who have never visited Paso Robles, I highly recommend a visit. It's rustic, quaint and just driving through the back roads exploring the scenic beauty is worth the trip! Ole!

{Historic barn at Halter Ranch Winery}

{So many wineries to choose from!}

{Halter Ranch tasting room}

{Justin Vineyards reception area & adorable vineyard dog, Buddy}

{Keeping it classy with my favorite pair of Aviator shades from Theory}

{Fun in the sun with my BF Adam at L'Aventure Winery}

{Beer tasting at Firestone Walker Brewery}

{Breakfast of champions: eggs with chorizo, bacon & watermelon slices}

{Chronic Cellars tasting room. Pool table + wine tasting = fun!}

Argentina from 16,000 Feet

I recently came across this video of me skydiving in Argentina and thought I must share!

Cordoba is one of the places we visited while backpacking around Argentina. It's a beautiful city and is primarily known for its university life. It hosts six universities and students from all provinces and neighboring countries come to Cordoba to study {and to party}. This is also the place were I did my first skydive! After a night of enjoying an amazing Asado {Argentinean BBQ}, my best friend and I decided to go skydiving. It doesn’t really get more epic than that.

Looking back, I never really thought that I would be someone who would jump out of an airplane. I mean, not really. It took a little coaxing from my friend Katie, who was totally thrilled and unfazed about this extreme sport involving airplanes and high altitudes. Was I scared, nervous and doubting myself? Absolutely.

My nerves were sky high by the time I was walking up to the small charter airplane. Together with my instructor, the pilot and a cameraman, we climbed in, all geared up and ready to go. I will never forget that moment when the instructor opened the door of the plane and I looked down over the smallest Cordoba I had ever seen, a complete adrenaline rush! A strange mix of fear and excitement soon turned into this overwhelming feeling of joy as I jumped and floated through the air!

Overall, the experience was amazing and the crew was really friendly and professional. The total cost to jump was $150 including pictures and an awesome video {with the coolest background music ever!}. This was also a perfect reminder for me to live my passions and to challenge myself to overcome my fear of heights!

Have you ever done something that you were absolutely scared to do? Ole!

Farmer's Market Fun in Napa

Over the weekend my boyfriend and I had a wonderful opportunity to explore one of the first Farmer’s market of the season in Napa {at the Oxbow parking lot}.  Although the sun had disappeared and had been replaced with chilly winds & grey clouds, it was still refreshing to be up and productive on a Saturday morning.

I love farmer’s markets for three reasons: you are able to buy the freshest and most delicious produce {for fairly inexpensive}. Secondly, there are some fabulous independent jewelers that sell unique pieces that no one else will have, {I happened to score a gorgeous brass elephant charm!}. Lastly, there is such a wonderful and positive energy that surrounds you with families and couples looking for nothing more than to enjoy each other’s company, taste a few local treats and go home with a new bag of goodies. You can’t beat that.

Here’s to a productive and happy workweek! Ole!

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My Philosophy

Welcome to DaliaCeja.com

With summer around the corner, I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to begin my first blog, centered around the things that I love. My philosophy {that’s tattooed on my forearm} is a daily reminder for me to live my passions.

A year and a half ago I embarked on a six month backpacking journey to South America and throughout my trip it became pretty evident how sweet life is while surrounded by travel, wine, fashion, food & fiestas! Join me as we embark on this new journey together! Ole!