Margarita Adventures — Local services in Atascadero

Yeeeeeehaw! Awesome! What a great experience! This was a ton of fun - the guides were terrific, the equipment was safe and the adventure was so good.

Our party of 4 met at the retail shop on El Camino for our 9 a.m. Saturday morning tour (we booked ahead). There were 14 on our tour in total, loaded onto the little bus up to the Ranch. Our driver gave a really informative and entertaining narration along the 20 minute drive, telling us about the history of the town of Santa Margarita and of the working cattle ranch and vineyard (and now zip-line adventure spot) we were heading through.

Bus driver dropped us off at a gear shack where a team of 5 guides were waiting with our harnesses all prepped and ready for us to step right into - metal harness holders made getting into the full-body harness quick and easy. In no time at all, the guides had everyone strapped in, and fitted with helmets and gloves, then we all loaded into a transport Hummer for a short drive up the hill to the first zip-line.

A note to those who've been here prior to this season - new for 2016 - the Double Barrel 2800' zip-line (a side by side pair of lines - two people at a time) - is exhilarating! A great new addition, and now 6 zip-lines instead of 5.

The guides hitched our pulley system to our harnesses, then it was just an anxious wait for the green light indicating the line was clear and our guide telling us to have fun! Soaring across the vast ravine to the other side of the valley, with the hillside and oak trees dropping away below, over rows of grapevines green with this year's crop... I wish I'd been able to carry enough speed to say I made it all the way to the landing area, but like most in our group, they had to send out the "robot" retriever to grab my pulley and tow me the last couple hundred feet of cable in. Robot retriever - seriously! (The first and last lines have the robots, the rest are shorter runs that they will send a rope out to you to pull you in if needed, but only the first one really had any need for help).

The other 5 lines were lots of fun, too. Clearly I can't write enough praise about my group's experience. We thought the guides were great. The bus driver's narration was so informative. The sense of safety (as a former rock climber and having done zip line tours elsewhere, I can appreciate safe procedures) and equipment redundancy was first rate. We...

My friends and I were visiting SLO for the weekend and we wanted to do something spontaneous and were committed to going to a vineyard while in the central coast region. We found this Zip and Sip tour online that looked like the perfect mix adventure and wine tasting. This tour did not disappoint. Santa Margarita is this cute little town about 15 minutes outside of SLO. They offer a few start times throughout the day. We did the 11:30 a.m. tour, which was perfect for us. It wasn't too hot and was perfect timing for us to not have to rush to evening plans we had booked for later. You check-in at the local store and are then transported to the privately-owned vineyard. During the transport to and from the vineyard, you are given a really thorough history of the vineyard, the land, and the region. All of the staff were so fun and accommodating. You do six different zip lines, each with its own fun and dynamic quality (some are longer, some are more steep, etc.). I felt so safe the entire time. The staff help you into your harness and gear, show you how to safely and properly zipline, and are there every step of the way. There were at least half a dozen (if not more) highly trained zip line staff members that accompany you throughout the entire course. It was such a thrill (and it also didn't hurt that we got in a bit of exercise before wine tasting). You have to hike to a few of the zip lines, so I would recommend wearing comfortable shoes and wearing athletic clothing. It was such a thrill flying over beautiful vineyards with gorgeous mountain views in the distance. The views and scenery were unmatched. After ziplining, you are transported back to town where you go to Ancient Peaks to relax and enjoy a wine tasting and charcuterie board. The staff were the best. Very kind, very knowledgeable, and they tailor the tasting to your preference. For instance, I am more of a white wine drinker, so they brought me various types of white to enjoy while my friends (who enjoy more red wines) were taken on a more red wine journey. We bought a few bottles after as well to enjoy later. My personal favorite was the Peaks Sauvignon Blanc. My friend really enjoyed the Renegade (red wine). Would definitely recommend this experience to anyone looking for the perfect mix of thrill and chill in the central coast...

Experience:10/10 Parking: small parking lot next to the building where there is a wood fence. If the lot is full, there is parking outside on the street. Inside: it’s a cute little gift shop inside with different displays to look at. Also some seating so if you get there early, there’s a small hangout spot that can probably fit about 8 people. There are two restrooms, T-shirt’s, stuffies, snacks, and drinks. There’s also some sunblock, ponchos, etc. Only negative is that we purchased two stuffies at 11.99 a piece and one Gatorade and it came out to $35; with taxes and crv, price should have been slightly cheaper so possibility they raised prices and didn’t update their signage (Edit: the cashier called us back this morning and indicated there was an issue and refunded the difference back… customer service 10/10 :) ) Experience: you load the tram and it’s a 15-20 minute drive to the zip line. You get entertained about some cool information on the way up from the driver. Once you get off the tram, you get your gear on and begin the tour. I had ride alongs and they got to go in the humvee/jeep and we met back up on the 5th zip line. They didn’t zip line, but enjoyed the scenery none the less and their guide, Justin, was great. Zip lines: There are 6 and the first and last are the longest. Immediately after the first you get on a suspension bridge which makes you feel like you’re Shrek about to rescue Fiona. It’s a small little hike to zip line number two but a good workout. Next zip lines were shorter but just as fun. After the 5th zip line is another mini hike. This one was much harder. Had to take some breaks but they had benches to rest on. Also, they had water stations at each zip line which was a necessity. Staff: everyone was super nice and helpful and they checked your equipment each time. Plenty of communication amongst everyone and so sweet. Felt completely safe. Even though I zip lined by myself since my group were ride alongs, everyone on the tour was nice to each other. Be sure to have cash on you to tip them. There is a container in the gift shop and another at the end of the tour after the last zip line. Overall,...