I’ve been through Paso Robles a hundred times or more: a quick stop for gas; coffee at the nearby Starbucks; a light lunch at the Black Oak Restaurant. 

The typical stuff you do when your final goal is much further along the road. San Fran, the redwoods, Yosemite, Sequoia — destination locations, in past times not places like Paso Robles for sure.

Boy have things changed!

No doubt that’s mostly due to the area being firmly established as one of the premier wine regions in California. Tablas Creek, Daou, Adelaida, Eberly, Broken Earth. J. Lohr, Justin — among a few of the more than 200 wineries and vineyards that have put Paso Robles on the map.

Sensorio

But there is another reason that Paso Robles has become a much more exciting place to visit.

At its simplest Sensorio offers an opportunity to spend an evening strolling through gently rolling landscape to experience a series of artfully crafted light shows.

At its more complex it is a blending of art, nature and contour to evoke emotion, a sense of awe and joy, one that can create a deeply emotional experience. 

I’ve been meaning to make the trek up to see it for years. This year my wife Yvonne and I finally committed to making that happen.

Paso Bound

The drive from Santa Barbara is just over two hours. 

The route is a simple one: follow Highway 101 for two hours through San Luis Obispo to the State Highway 46 turnoff leading east to Fresno, then follow that for about 4 miles to the Sensorio entrance.

The drive is casual. Lunch in SLO Town; dinner at the Riboli Family’s San Antonio Winery; settle in at the La Quinta Inn just a few miles from Sensorio; and a bit after 4 p.m. head a few more miles to the entry point.

Better to stay over rather than drive back that night. We planned this as a weekend event. Saturday overnight in a motel, lunch the next day in Cambria, short stops in Cayucos and Morro Bay and a beach walk along the way.

A perfect two-day getaway.

Juxtaposition of Expectations and Experiences

Though plenty of our friends have shared pictures of their visits to Sensario, I’m still at loss to know what to expect. 

Most of the images I’ve seen are of what is known as the “Field of Light.” The views are spectacular, but I’m wondering what it will be like to experience them firsthand.

I’m excited as we pass through the entry gate, first to check our bags and then get bracelets that ID which parts of Sensorio we’ll be allowed to visit. 

Basically there are two primary passes: the Munro Pass (Adult $45; Child $22) that provides access to everything but this year’s newest exhibit, Dimensions; or the All-Access Pass (Adult $65, Child $30) which provides access throughout.

Or for those who’ve been to Sensorio before and would like to visit just the Dimensions exhibit, there is a pass just for that (Adult $30, Child $15).

Field of Light

Once past the entry point, the path is somewhat innocuous as it leads up to an area known as the Mercado. There’s a cafeteria-style spot to eat, an outdoor area filled with tables, heaters and gas-fed fire pits, and an events stage that features live music.

Beyond the wide-open roadway narrows to a path-size width with a surface that appears similar to a decomposed granite. This makes for easy walking, and the gentle grades provide a thoughtful experience for those in wheelchairs.

A small knoll keeps the Field of Light hidden from sight until the moment. Suddenly, there it is: fields covered by what I’ve been told are 100,000 or more points of light. Each will emanate a color chosen to blend into a larger tapestry.

At this point the path divides with paths meandering along either side of a long sloping watershed, each side contouring downhill where they rejoin. In between are thousands of what almost look like translucent ping pong balls than expressions of art.

On closer examination it is easy to see the massive numbers of optic cables leading to each emanate from carefully located solar panels that provide the sole source of power for the lights. Rather than the sticks I pictured at first glance, they turn out to be optic tubes designed to carry the light up to each of the flowers.

I can’t wait. 

Changing Light

As the last of the sunlight fades away an amazing thing begins to happen. Like the pathway lights you may have at home, as the daylight begins to fade, the optic cables begin to feed light up into the tubes and from there to what have turned magically from ping pong balls to globes of light.

Within minutes each of the lights begins to take on color. Blues, greens, yellows, oranges, purples, and other colors of the rainbow. The bands of color arranged a way to mimic the topography, to heighten the sense of landscape.

The transition from daylight to night is gradual, the colors becoming more intense as the sky turns black. The experience is perhaps an hour long, the color shifting so slowly that it is difficult to notice.

We sit for a bit and enjoy the moment but decide to walk through the area to experience the Field of Light from varying perspectives. A sense of immersion begins to develop as the darkness grows. At this point there is just enough light to move around. In the growing darkness the people around us seem to be fading into it, leaving us as if we are there alone.

A Guiding Light

I think we’ve walked most of that hour before we decide to rest for a bit on the south side of the Field of Lights. Suddenly we look up and realize the moon is about to appear. 

Last night has been the last of the blue moons for the year. Ours tonight is almost as spectacular as that. Not quite, but what a bonus. A perfect transition for us to leave the Field of Lights and visit the other Sensorio exhibits.

A connecting pathway cuts through the several smaller light shows. The first of these is the Light Towers, six dozen or so colorfully lit columns, each composed of wine bottles, in total of thousands of them that change in color set to music.

Beyond these are two other exhibits, Fireflies and Gone Fishing, fanciful displays that mesmerize after a few moments of quiet. Though spectacular they pale in comparison to what is around the corner.

New Dimensions

Another narrow pathway leads to the final part of the Sensorio experience, and it needs to be experienced rather than described.

If Field of Lights provides a quiet, thoughtful visual experience, the last Dimensions is the most intense. Composed of various geometric shapes and smaller shapes within them that might be thought of as pieces of a fanciful village, inviting exploration and discovery.

Ever-changing colors ensure the totality of the structures never appears the same. Technicolor homes, structures, buildings and what look like teepees shape-shifting to create a kaleidoscope of colors and patterns.

Many of these are located on poles that can be spun, spinning and melting their exteriors into the colors of others nearby.

If you are like me, you will find it really difficult to leave the Dimensions exhibit, though having a Mexican food truck nearby with plenty of tables and fire pits to enjoy and an order of tacos to savor is certainly helpful.

The Stroll Back

While one exit from Dimensions leads directly back to the parking area, for Yvonne and me it felt more important to retrace our steps back to the Field of Light for one last moment there.

Later in the evening there is a quiet to the area, almost as if those who’ve remained have settled in to the moment. We stop for a bit at the top of the field for one last look. 

Nearby is a spot nearby called the Terrace that, for an additional fee, offers a warm cozy place to eat, absorb the quiet, get cozy next to a warming fire and enjoy the panoramic view over the Field of Light.

At most the experience at Sensorio will last a bit over four hours. Emotionally it will seem like it has lasted longer.

Next time we visit we may opt for dinner at the Terrace to experience that first hour as night comes and the colorful field of lights emerges or experience it just as we did tonight.

Regardless, we will be back. 

We’ve heard a breathtaking new Bruce Munro exhibit titled FOSO (Fibre Optic Symphonic Orchestra) will open in 2025 that promises to be a breathtaking addition that blends light, music and art in ways you’ve never seen before.

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Currently Sensorio is open Thursday through Sunday, though the schedule will change in the early 2025 months due to timing issues relating to alignments with the solar-powered nature of the exhibit. January will only be open on Saturdays and Sundays; February, Friday through Sunday; and starting in April resuming the Thursday-Sunday summer schedule.

Sensorio also offers a jazz series on Sunday afternoons titled “Radiant Rhythms.” The series is in partnership with Paso Robles’ own Libretto Jazz Club and Amsterdam Coffee Shop. For more information see the section on the jazz series at the Sensorio website.