San Simeon California
In the shadow of Hearst Castle
San Simeon
San Simeon, CA
Coastal Adventure Recreation
Coastal kayakers enjoy “The Cove” and beyond, windsurfers favor Arroyo Laguna, as do kite surfers and board surfers. Historians enjoy Indian artifact hunting. Add ocean fishing, & Big Sur! This stretch of coastline if world renowned for some of the best beaches, best waves, best coastal hiking… The list goes on. San Simeon is more than Hearst Castle; a perfect location to watch boats come and go. Locals and visitors can avail themselves of kayak and equipment rentals and lessons. Acknowledged as the best way to get up close to marine wildlife; sea otters, seals, whales et. al. Bring your camera and expect to sometimes get wet 🙂
San Simeon California
It isn’t accurate to say that San Simeon would not exist if it were not for William Randolph Hearst. It is close however. Perhaps the most famous piece of Hearst real estate is La Cuesta Encantada; Spanish for The Enchanted Hill.. After the death of William Randolph Hearst in 1951, it was deeded to the State of California and is now a tourist attraction. Mr. Hearst’s fortune came from the publishing industry and with it he embarked upon a mission to create a US castle that would rival those found in Europe. Hearst Castle, officially known by the State of California as the Hearst San Simeon State Historical Monument.
Photo:Â San Simeon Cove by Flash Alexander – HQ Secure Global Internet
Castle Party Time
Hearst Castle was the scene of many extravagant gatherings that included many of the rich and famous from Hollywood to national governments. Hundreds of legendary figures joined Mr. Hearst on La Cuesta Encantada. Most of the castle’s and grounds and architecture was designed by San Francisco architect Julia Morgan.
History
Prehistorically the local area was inhabited by the Chumash people, who settled the coastal San Luis Obispo area approximately 10,000 to 11,000 BC, including a large village south of San Simeon at Morro Creek. San Simeon is located on the Rancho Piedra Blanca Mexican land grant given in 1840 to José de Jesús Pico. In 1865, Pico sold part of the rancho to George Hearst, the father of William Randolph Hearst.
The first persons to settle in the immediate area near the bay of San Simeon were Portuguese shore whalers under the command of Captain Joseph Clark. They had previously been whaling at Portuguese Bend, but came to San Simeon Point in 1864 to homestead land that had been declared to be public. Captain Clark built a small wharf after arriving to tie up his dead whales, but the date of its construction remains unknown.
Central Coast Transportation
County bus service to San Luis Obispo. Monday through Saturday. No service to Hearst Castle. Amtrak, Airlines, Greyhound terminals and rental cars available in San Luis Obispo. Local Morro Bay Trolley to take you all over town including the water front.
Distance to major cities:
40 Miles to San Luis Obispo
165 miles to Santa Barbara
242 miles to San Francisco
258 miles to Los Angeles
271 Disneyland, Knox Berry Farm.
RTA Route 15 Central Coast Transit Information
Route 15 runs from San Luis Obispo to San Simeon 7 days a week. It also runs up to the Hearst Castle visitors center on Saturdays and Sundays. View »
Hearst Wine Tasting
Sebastian’s is also the gathering place to sample the wines of Hearst Ranch Winery. Local residents and visitors from all over the world savor the amazing Chardonnay, RosĂ©, Tempranillo, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Late Harvest Zinfandel and our Red CuvĂ©e, White CuvĂ©e and Barrel Select CuvĂ©e Blends in our quaint and inviting tasting room.
Historic remnants of the past alongside the inlaid copper bar top and rustic barn wood siding take you back to the turn-of-the-century when Old San Simeon Village was the center of rural commerce.
San Simeon Weather
Climate
Mild 50 to 70 average
No Smog – Seasonal fog
Rainfall normally 20″-25″
Some pollen Fall and Spring
Average Daily Temperature
» Winter :: Sunny days, clear nights
High 61, low 40
» Spring :: Breezy days, cool nights
High 63, low 48
» Summer :: Foggy mornings, sunny afternoons and nights
High 67, low 54
» Fall :: Warm, sunny days, cool nights
High 71, low 49
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]]>The post Pismo Beach California appeared first on Atascadero Inn.
]]>Pismo Beach California
home of the Chumash
The Beginning of the Chumash Tribe
Painting: rom 1992 Outdoor Display in town of Lompoc, drawn by Robert Thomas and a Team of Local Artists.Native Americans have lived along the California coast for at least 13,000 years. The first settlement started over 13,000 years ago near the Santa Barbara coast. The name Chumash means “bead maker” or “seashell people” being that they originated near the Santa Barbara coast. The Chumash tribes near the coast benefited most with the “close juxtaposition of a variety or marine and terrestrial habitats, intensive upwelling in coastal waters, and intentional burning of the landscape made the Santa Barbara Channel region one of the most resource abundant places on the planet”.
The History of people at Pismo Beach starts at least 9,000 years ago with the Chumash Indians, who referred to the area as a place to find pismu, or tar.
The Pismo Beach region has an interesting history going back in time to 1769, when Don Gaspar de Portola and parties camped in the area. According to the diary of Costanso, a member of the Portola party, “the party continued over the sand dunes and then descended to the beach, along which they walked for several miles before camping for the night. Near their camping place was an Indian village of some forty people.” Undoubtedly, the beach walked upon by the Portola party was that known today as Pismo Beach.
European Contact
Europeans first visited the Chumash in 1542. They were met by sailing vessels under the command of Juan Cabrillo. With the arrival of the Europeans came a series of unprecedented blows to the Chumash and their traditional life ways. Anthropologists, historians, and other scholars have long been interested in documenting the collision of cultures that accompanied the European exploration and settlement of the Americas.” Spain settled on the territory of the Chumash in 1770. They founded colonies, bringing in missionaries to begin Christianizing Native Americans in the region. Due to the large mission and Christian influence, Chumash villages began moving to many missions springing up along the coast.
Basketry
Basketry tray, Santa Barbara Mission, early 1800s Anthropologists have long collected Chumash baskets. Two of the finest collections are at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, and the MusĂ©e de l’Homme (Museum of Mankind) in Paris. The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History is believed to have the largest collection of Chumash baskets.
Rock Art
Rock art of the Chumash people and the remains of a developed Chumash culture, including rock paintings apparently depicting the Chumash cosmology, such as Chumash Painted Cave State Historic Park, can still be seen. Painted Rock in Santa Barbara is one remaining popular location.
Before SpanishContact
Archaeological evidence of Native American presence in what were later the Chumash lands date to at least 11,000 years before present.[35] Sites of the Millingstone Horizon date from 7000 cal BC to 4500 cal BC and show evidence of a subsistence system focused on the processing of seeds with metates and manos. During that time, people used bipointed bone objects and line to catch fish and began making beads from shells of the marine olive snail (Olivella biplicata).
While droughts were not uncommon in the centuries of the first millennium AD, a population explosion occurred with the coming of the medieval warm period. “Marine productivity soared between 950 and 1300 as natural upwelling intensified off the coast.”
Some researchers believe that the Chumash may have been visited by Polynesians between AD 400 and 800, nearly 1,000 years before Christopher Columbus reached the Americas. Although the concept is rejected by most archaeologists who work with the Chumash culture (and this contact has left no genetic legacy), others have given the idea greater plausibility.
The Chumash advanced sewn-plank canoe design, used throughout the Polynesian Islands but unknown in North America except by those two tribes, is cited as the chief evidence for contact. Comparative linguistics may provide evidence as the Chumash word for “sewn-plank canoe”, tomolo’o, may have been derived from kumula’au, the Polynesian word for the redwood logs used in that construction. However, the language comparison is generally considered tentative. Furthermore, the development of the Chumash plank canoe is fairly well represented in the archaeological record and spans several centuries.
Spanish arrival and the Mission Era
Chumash musicians at Mission San Buenaventura, 1873
Chumash people first encountered Europeans in the autumn of 1542, when two sailing vessels under Juan RodrĂguez Cabrillo arrived on the coast from Mexico. Cabrillo died and was buried on San Miguel Island, but his men brought back a diary that contained the names and population counts for many Chumash villages, such as Mikiw. Spain claimed what is now California from that time forward, but did not return to settle until 1769, when the first Spanish soldiers and missionaries arrived with the double purpose of Christianizing the Native Americans and facilitating Spanish colonization. By the end of 1770, missions and military presidios had been founded at San Diego to the south of Chumash lands and Monterey to their north.
The Chumash people moved from their villages to the Franciscan missions between 1772 and 1817. Mission San Luis Obispo, established in 1772, was the first mission in Chumash-speaking lands, as well as the northernmost of the five missions ever constructed in those lands. Next established, in 1782, was Mission San Buenaventura on the Pacific Coast near the mouth of the Santa Clara River. Mission Santa Barbara, also on the coast, and facing out to the Channel Islands, was established in 1786. Mission La Purisima ConcepciĂłn was founded along the inland route from Santa Barbara north to San Luis Obispo in 1789. The final Franciscan mission to be constructed in native Chumash territory was Santa Ynez, founded in 1804 on the Santa Ynez River with a seed population of Chumash people from Missions La Purisima and Santa Barbara. To the southeast, Mission San Fernando, founded in 1798 in the land of Takic Shoshonean speakers, also took in large numbers of Chumash speakers from the middle Santa Clara River valley. While most of the Chumash people joined one mission or another between 1772 and 1806, a significant portion of the native inhabitants of the Channel Islands did not move to the mainland missions until 1816.
Beads | Cuisine | Herbalism
Bead manufacture and trading
The Chumash of the Northern Channel Islands were at the center of an intense regional trade network. Beads made from Olivella shells were manufactured on the Channel Islands and used as a form of currency by the Chumash.These shell beads were traded to neighboring groups and have been found throughout Alta California. Over the course of late prehistory, millions of shell beads were manufactured and traded from Santa Cruz Island. It has been suggested that exclusive control over stone quarries used to manufacture the drills needed in bead production could have played a role in the development of social complexity in Chumash society.
Cuisine
Foods historically consumed by the Chumash include several marine species, such as black abalone, the Pacific littleneck clam, red abalone, the bent-nosed clam, ostrea lurida oysters, Pacific littleneck clams,angular unicorn snails, and the butternut clam. They also made flour from the dried fruits of the laurel sumac.
Herbalism
Herbs used in traditional Chumash medicine include thick-leaved yerba santa, used to keep airways open for proper breathing;Â laurel sumac, the root bark of which was used to make a herbal tea for treating dysentery;and black sage, the leaves and stems were made into a strong sun tea. This was rubbed on the painful area or used to soak one’s feet. The plant contains diterpenoids, such as aethiopinone and ursolic acid, which are known pain relievers.
The Chumash formerly practiced an initiation rite involving the use of sacred datura (moymoy in their language). When a boy was 8 years old, his mother would give him a preparation of it to drink. This was supposed to be a spiritual challenge to help him develop the spiritual well being required to become a man. Not all of the boys survived the poison.
Credits
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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]]>Five Cities
Southern San Luis Obispo County
Pismo Beach
Avila Beach
Arroyo Grande
Shell Beach
Grover Beach
Oceano
Nipomo
Welcome to southern San Luis Obispo County – a land of sea breezes, spectacular ocean sunset, miles of sandy beaches, and acres of rolling hillsides. Located northwest of the major hub of San Luis Obispo; Avila Beach and the Five Cities to the south: Arroyo Grande, Grover Beach, Oceano, Pismo Beach and Halcyon. Nipomo, included here is just south of the Five Cities – bordering northern Santa Barbara County. Beach goers love Avila Beach – almost always sunny and the warmest beach in the county.
In Shell Beach, scenic Ocean Boulevard provides access to pebbled coves beneath steep rocky bluffs. Further south is Pismo Beach, home of the famous Pismo Clam, wide-open beaches, classic car shows, and migrating butterflies. Ride horseback along the beach, scout the nearby dunes for unusual shorebirds and vegetation, or marvel at the sight of migrating monarch butterflies clustering in the nearby eucalyptus trees.
For more action, head south to Grover Beach, gateway to the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area – the only drive-on beach in California. The state park designates protected areas to safeguard fragile plant and wildlife, but allows vehicular access to miles of beach, so visitors can experience the thrill of riding All-Terrain Vehicles, dune buggies, and motorcycles along the coastline and in the dunes.
Inland, country roads travel past fruit orchards, pastoral farmlands, and hundreds of acres of premium wine grapes. Cool coastal air and warm dry days help produce some of California’s best wines (especially Chardonnay and Pinot Noir varietals) in the Edna Valley and Arroyo Grande Valley wine regions. Tasting rooms are located throughout the South County.
Weather Conditions
Pismo Beach weather is being used to globally indicate conditions as it is the largest beach area and centrally located in reference to the other beaches. Inland weather is being represented by Arroyo Grande for the same reasons; centrally located and very large.
Pismo Beach
Farmers’ Market
Held May through October, Tuesdays, 4pm to dusk
Dolliver and Main Streets, Pismo Beach
Lopez Lake
13 miles east of the town of Arroyo Grande is Lopez Lake, featuring great windsurfing, boating, water-skiing, fishing and camping. After a day of fun, stay for a cook-out and watch the wild deer and turkey.
Arroyo Grande
Farmers’ Market
Arroyo Grande Farmers’ Market
Saturdays, 12 – 4pm
Short Street behind City Hall, Arroyo Grande
Weather
Avila Beach, Arroyo Grande, Grover Beach, Pismo Beach
| » | Winter :: Sunny days, cool nights High 64, low 39 |
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| » | Spring :: Breezy days, cool nights High 71, low 46 |
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| » | Summer :: Foggy mornings, sunny afternoons High 76, low 55 |
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| » | Fall :: Sunny days, cool nights High 77, low 48 |
The earliest inhabitants of the Five Cities valley and coastal area were Chumash Indians, who conducted extensive trade with other Native American tribes at considerable distance.
The first Europeans to see this stretch of coast were the crew of Portuguese explorer Juan RodrĂguez Cabrillo, working in the service of Spain. The Spanish PortolĂ expedition was the first European visit by land, passing through the area on September 4, 1769. When Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa was established nearby, the PortolĂ trail became part of the road connecting the 21 Spanish missions (today called El Camino Real). Later, agricultural activities expanded into the area. The Arroyo Grande valley was found to have particularly fertile ground, and was given the name meaning “wide riverbed” in Spanish.
Francis Ziba Branch, originally from New York, saw the area on a hunting expedition during the period when California was part of Mexico. Branch married MarĂa Manuela CarlĂłn, and this marriage entitled Branch to file claim for a Mexican land grant. In 1836 he and his wife and baby son moved onto Rancho Santa Manuela. They were managing a successful cattle ranching operation when California became a U.S. territory, and then a U.S. State. But some years later they suffered financial difficulties during a drought when many cattle died. They sold off smaller parcels of land to settlers.
In 1862, the San Luis Obispo Board of Supervisors established the township of Arroyo Grande. Businesses developed along a road called Branch Street to serve local agriculture. A railroad depot was built in 1882. The city of Arroyo Grande was incorporated on July 10, 1911.
The Five Cities area experienced rapid growth in the 1970s and 1980s, partially due to the expansion of the wastewater treatment plant, under an EPA Clean Water Grant, that removed a growth constraint.
from Wikipedia
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]]>Creston
Just East of Atascadero & Templeton
Creston
The rural community of Creston just east of Atascadero and Templeton is noted for scenic horse ranches and lovely oak tree studded rolling hills. Nearby Lake Nacimiento offers fishing, boating, jet skiing, water skiing and more.
If you are looking for a noticeable change of the seasons then look no further. Rich fall colors, verdant spring greens, cold winters and summers that get down right hot. Air conditioning is a Creston summer must have.
Climate » Creston
| » | Winter :: Sunny days, clear nights High 61, Low 31 |
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| » | Spring :: Breezy days, cool nights High 81, Low 44 |
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| » | Summer :: Foggy mornings and nights High 101, Low 52 |
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| » | Fall :: Gentle days, cool nights High 78, Low 36 |
Creston History
Creston (named after Calvin J. Cressy) was founded in 1884 on the Rancho Huerhuero Mexican land grant.
Creston was home to Cardiff Stud Farm (Creston Farms), a place once owned by Canadian-American television personality Alex Trebek, and where a number of retired American thoroughbred racehorses were taken care of, including those below. Cardiff Stud Farm was sold in 2008 and is now an event center called Windfall Farms.
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]]>Morro Bay
A waterfront city in San Luis Obispo County
Morro Bay
Morro Bay is a waterfront city in San Luis Obispo County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 10,234, down from 10,350 at the 2000 census.Located on California’s central coast approximately twelve miles north of San Luis Obispo on Highway 1; is also the name of the large estuary that is situated along the northern shores of the bay itself. The larger bay on which the local area lies is Estero Bay, which also encompasses the communities of Cayucos and Los Osos. The town’s most striking feature is Morro Rock, a 576 foot high volcanic plug which stands at the entrance to the harbor. Originally it was surrounded by water, but the northern channel was filled in to make the harbor. The Rock, as locals call it, was quarried from 1889 to 1969. Public access is restricted, as the rock is peregrine falcon reserve. However, the area around the base of Morro Rock can be visited. Every few years, someone is caught trying to climb the rock. Climbers risk more than fines or jail time as the rocks that form Morro Rock are loose and fall down regularly. The base of Morro Rock is littered with fallen boulders. Morro Rock is one in a series of similar plugs that stretch in a line inland called the Nine Sisters. It is possible that the landscape moved over a volcanic hot spot through the ages.
Morro Bay is a natural embayment with an artificial harbor constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It is the only all-weather small craft commercial and recreational harbor between Santa Barbara and Monterey. Morro Rock was originally surrounded by water, but the Army built a large artificial breakwater and road across the north end of the harbor, linking Morro Rock and the mainland. Some of the rock used for this and for the artificial breakwaters was quarried from Morro Rock itself. Other rock was imported by barge from Catalina Island. The bay extends inland and parallels the shore for a distance of about 4 miles south of its entrance at Morro Rock.
Only relatively small craft are capable of passing the harbor channel. A large natural sandspit, augmented by breakwaters, protects the harbor from the Pacific Ocean to the west. At its northern end, remains of a bridge that used to connect the shore with the sandspit can be seen. Morro Bay Harbor’s channel silts up and must be dredged every three to four years. Previously, the Shark Inlet connected the back bay to the ocean. Some have proposed reopening it to slow the sedimentation that is filling up the bay. There has also been work on reducing erosion in the Chorro Creek watershed to reduce the amount of sediment coming into the bay to form bottom layers of bay mud. Chorro Creek is the bay’s largest tributary. It forms an estuary in the back bay between Morro Bay and Los Osos. The second largest tributary, and the only other significant one, is Los Osos Creek, which empties into the far south end of the back bay.
Climate
Morro BAy
| » | Winter :: sunny days, clear nights High 61, low 40 |
| » | Spring :: Breezy days, cool nights High 63, low 48 |
| » | Summer :: foggy mornings and nights High 67, low 54 |
| » | Fall :: gentle days, cool nights High 71, low 49 |
Mariners are strongly urged to seek local advice prior to making use of the channel, especially when whitecaps or wind-blown water is evident or a small craft advisory is in effect, which is very often. The United States Coast Guard regards the harbor as one of the most dangerous in the entire nation, while others put it in the top six on the West Coast of the United States. In 1995, the Army Corps of Engineering deepened and expanded the channel to improve safety. From 1979 to 1987, 21 lives were lost in boating accidents alone. However, many additional deaths have resulted from sightseers and fisherman being swept off the rocks of the breakwater surrounding Morro Rock. They often approach too closely to the waves and are caught off guard when a big wave set comes in. The slippery and jagged rocks only add to the danger. Public access to the breakwater has been revoked and those who venture beyond the signs do so at their own peril. Coast Guard Station Morro Bay operates two small vessels. Limited transient vessel services are available. Yachtsmen may wish to contact the Morro Bay Yacht Club. A public boat launch ramp is available at the far south end of the Embarcadero.
History
During World War II, there was a U.S. Navy base on the north side of Morro Rock where sailors were trained to operate LCVPs. The breakwater on the southwest side of the Rock was built in 1944-45 to protect the LCVPs entering and leaving the harbor. Soldiers from Camp San Luis Obispo would come to Morro Bay and practice loading into the LCVPs. Many of those men were at Normandy on D-Day.
(from Wikipedia)
More Info
Morro Bay Chamber of Commerce
695 Harbor Street
Morro Bay, CA
USÂ 93442
Phone: (805) 772-4467
Fax: 805-772-6038
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]]>Cayucos
By the Sea
Cayucos by the Sea
Cayucos is a census-designated place located on the coast in San Luis Obispo County, California along California State Route 1 between Cambria to the north and Morro Bay to the south. The population was 2,592 at the 2010 census, down from 2,943 at the 2000 census. Cayucos meets the requirements of a true beach town, quiet, inviting, warm and friendly. Here folks find themselves slowing down to take the time to smell the roses, ocean air and fragrant aromas of local cooking as they waft up and down Main Street. Main Street is where all the action takes place. Like the town it is sized just right were visitors and locals can accomplish all their daily tasks on foot. In the past cowboys, shop keepers and residents would tie up their horse once, visit the saloon then go about their business. Today that saloon is still the best place for a red eye, or any of the modern drinks too!
Cayucos is located on the Central Coast, halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. If antiques are your passion then Cayucos is the place you want to start. Cayucos has earned the distinction as the number one destination on the central coast for antique shoppers.
Antique shoppers will discover Cayucos is home to some of the best antique and collectible shopping in the area. In addition to many antique and gift stores, Cayucos hosts several antique and collectible street fairs throughout the year.
Outdoor enthusiasts can enjoy a variety of activities. Rent a sea kayak for the afternoon, try your hand at surfing or boogie boarding, fish off the pier, explore the tide pools, or just enjoy a swim on Cayucos’ sandy beach. Nearby, Morro Bay, Montana De Oro, and San Simeon State Parks offer great hiking, and beautiful sight seeing.
The town of Cayucos was born from the Spanish Land Grant days and was  part of the Morro y Cayucos Rancho. Surveyed in 1875, the original town was developed by Captain James Cass who built the original wharf, store, and warehouse that provided for commerce throughout the coastal communities. Cayucos enjoyed a colorful youth with gamblers and rum runners frequenting the Cayucos Tavern – a local favorite to this day.
Cayucos is an ideal location from which to view many of the Central Coast’s fantastic attractions. Spectacular Hearst Castle, one of the former homes of media mogul William Randolph Hearst, is less than an hour’s drive away in San Simeon. The Paso Robles wine region produces some of California’s best wines. Spend an afternoon wine tasting and enjoying the scenic vineyards of this area.
Best of all, Cayucos is a great place to slow down, relax, and enjoy life the way it is meant to be. Everything is an easy walk or fun bicycle ride.
Climate
San Simeon, Cambria, Cayucos
| » | Winter :: sunny days, clear nights High 61, low 40 |
| » | Spring :: Breezy days, cool nights High 63, low 48 |
| » | Summer :: foggy mornings and nights High 67, low 54 |
| » | Fall :: gentle days, cool nights High 71, low 49 |
Cayucos History
Prehistorically the local area was inhabited by the Chumash people, who settled the coastal San Luis Obispo area approximately 11,000 to 10,000 BC, including a large village to the south of Cayucos at Morro Creek.
The first European land exploration of Alta California, the Spanish PortolĂ expedition, camped in the vicinity of today’s Cayucos on September 9, 1769. Coming from the previous campsite near Morro Bay, Franciscan missionary and expedition member Juan Crespi noted in his diary that “In the four hours that we traveled, making at the most three leagues, we encountered eight arroyos by which the water from the mountains runs to the sea, along whose edge we traveled. We halted at the eighth watering place in a moderately broad valley, into which enters an estuary fed by an arroyo of good water coming from the mountains.” Crespi translator Herbert Bolton noted the camp location as Ellysley Creek (further along the coast to the northwest), but the description sounds more like Cayucos.
Cayucos is the hispanicization of a Chumash word for “kayak,” or “canoe,” used by the Chumash people to fish in the bay, particularly in the rich kelp beds just north of the current Cayucos pier. The town took its name from the old Rancho Moro y Cayucos, a Mexican land grant awarded in 1842 that includes the present area of the town.
In 1867, Captain James Cass settled on 320 acres (1.29 km2) of this land, and founded the town of Cayucos. Cass began developing the area with his business partner, Captain Ingals. Cass built a 900 foot pier and a warehouse to house cargo bound for San Francisco or Los Angeles. Eventually Cass returned to life on the sea and in 1875 real estate developer C.H. Phillips subdivided and sold the remaining portions of Rancho Moro y Cayucos. The original pier was swept away by a storm but has since been rebuilt.
More Info
Cayucos Chamber of Commerce
P.O. Box 346
Cayucos, Ca 93430
805-995-1200
cayucosChamber at gmail dot com
Website»
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]]>Arroyo Grande
Grand Agricultural Heritage
Arroyo Grande
The picturesque town of Arroyo Grande is largely centered around Grand Avenue with it’s old town built from brick shops. A generous city park becomes a focal point for a variety of events; often social/civic in nature. This ‘center of the valley’ location is surrounded by wineries and sits below Lopez Lake and dam; a very popular boating, fishing and camping destination. The climate is moderate year-round and is surrounded by wineries. Annual town events include the Strawberry Festival and the Harvest Festival, which both celebrate Arroyo Grandes’ agricultural heritage.
Directions
Exit HWY 101 at Grande Avenue. Turn East (mountains) onto Grand Avenue. Continue into town. Public parking available behind shop or street parking available.
Climate
Arroyo Grande, CA, gets 27 inches of rain per year. The US average is 39. Snowfall is 11 inches. The average US city gets 25 inches of snow per year. The number of days with any measurable precipitation is 47. On average, there are 286 sunny days per year in Arroyo Grande, CA. The July high is around 78 degrees. The January low is 42. Our comfort index, which is based on humidity during the hot months, is a 62 out of 100, where higher is more comfortable. The US average on the comfort index is 44.
 Arroyo Grande History
The Arroyo Grande Valley was first opened for settlement in 1868 and the business district consisted of a black smith shop, stage station and schoolhouse. ” The valley was a tangled mass of brush, vines and trees, of so dense a growth that the creek had no channel but spread over the entire valley during a fresher.
Hence the valley has been built up in successive layers, 20 feet or more deep, of decaying vegetation and sediment from one of the richest hill countries to be found in the states. This land today is some of the richest in the world,” wrote land developer, John F. Beckett, in 1898 and quoted by local historian, Jean Hubbard, in the Five Cities Press Recorder on September 21, l994. “Farming in the Arroyo Grande area at the turn of the century had a common thread, which weaves through the life of the earliest settlers of all nationalities. Life was severe requiring arduous labor in their struggle to survive,” wrote Kay T. Fukuhara in the Pacific Citizen Holiday Issue, December 1976. The loneliness especially plagued the women who were so far removed from their homeland and families and were faced with language differences.
“Kinzo Saruwatari family moved to Los Berros where they became the first to grow berries prior to 1922. They packed the berries in wooden boxes before sending them to L.A from the old Oceano depot. The empty boxes were returned to the farm to be refilled and shipped to Los Angles again,” wrote Kay Fukuhara. In 1929, the Berry Growers Association was formed and existed until 1941-42. Los Berros became known as ” strawberry country” before World War II.
The Strawberry industry in San Luis Obispo County ranked ninth in the nation in the 1997 survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “There were 16 million pounds harvested, even though only 500 acres are dedicated to growing strawberries,” stated Robert Lilly, assistant county agricultural commissioner.
More Info
Chamber of Commerce
800 W. Branch
Arroyo Grande, CA 93420
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]]>Atascadero
SLO’s Second Largest City
Atascader
Atascadero enjoys approximately 18,000 residents, Atascadero is the second largest city in San Luis Obispo County. Atascadero spans close to 23,000 acres of gently rolling hills dotted by native oaks and is midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Founded in 1913 by E. G. Lewis, Atascadero became an incorporated city in 1979 and provides governmental administration through a five-member city council. The character of the community can best be described by phrases such as “elbow room” and “rural atmosphere. ” Atascadero should be considered as a place to live by anyone looking for a quality lifestyle including clean air and single-family residences which are not stacked one atop the other. The community boasts of relatively large lots in most areas, invites the ownership of farm animals on the majority of lots and works to preserve the natural flora and fauna.
Atascadero is located within driving range of many popular tourist attractions, such as Hearst Castle, about 45 minutes away; three California missions, San Antonio, San Miguel and San Luis Obispo, are all less than 45 minutes away; and three large fishing and boating lakes, Nacimiento and San Antonio, 25 miles to the north and Santa Margarita Lake, 25 miles to the south.
The city itself boasts Atascadero Lake Park, Sunken Gardens Park, South Atascadero Park, Heilmann Dog Park (Off Leash Pet Friendly :: Map), and the Charles Paddock Zoo.
The city’s elevation ranges from about 125 feet at the Salinas River to 2,436 feet at Frog Pond Mountain with City Hall being about 850 feet above sea level. Several creeks flow easterly and northerly through the city and into the Salinas River.
The average yearly rainfall for Atascadero is slightly above 17 inches, with an average temperature in January of 60 degrees during the day and 41 degrees at night. In July the daytime high averages 95 degrees with the nights dropping to 55 degrees. Even on the warmest of summer days, the ocean breeze cools the city at night. The average rainy season runs from mid-October to mid-April. Frost is common from October through April.
With the historic City Administration Building at its core, Atascadero today is an economically viable city providing social, educational and commercial services for its citizens. The growth of the city in the past decade has been due to emigration from larger metropolitan areas, the availability of economically attractive land and the attraction of the rural lifestyle.
Today Atascadero can boast of an active business community which provides goods and services not only for its local residents but for those who live in smaller communities to the north and south. A regional flair has developed in the city as factory outlet stores, supermarkets, chain drug and department stores, and new motels are locating within the boundaries of the city. Retail sales account for a major portion of the city’s income. Because of the nature of employment in Atascadero, “highs” and “lows” as the economy gets strong or weak are generally avoided.
Climate
Atascadero experiences a hot semi-arid climate. Sixties in the fall winter and spring. Low eighties to nineties in the summer. Average precipitation is six to ten inches of rain per year, most in the winter where there may be three inches in one month.
Current Conditions
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Annual Events
Sweetheart Stroll – Downtown – Saturday before Valentine’s Day – February
Wildflower Bike Ride – April
Central Coast Cinco de Mayo – Saturday before May 5
Atascadero Lakeside Wine Festival – Atascadero Lakeside Park – Saturday – June
Tuesday’s in the Park Community BBQ – Atascadero Lakeside Park – June to August
Saturday in the Park Summer Concert Series – Atascadero Lakeside park – June to August
Ice Cream Zoofari at the Zoo – July
Movies in the Gardens at Sunken Gardens – August
Hot El Camino Cruise Night – Huge Car Cruise on Friday evening – August
Mid-State Cruizers Car Show – Atascdero Lakeside Park – Saturday – August
Colony Days Parade & Celebration – Downtown – Third Saturday in October
Halloween ZooBoo at the Zoo – October
Holiday Boutique at the Pavilion on the Lake – Third Saturday – November
Atascadero’s Annual Holiday Lighting Ceremony – First Friday December
Downtown Winter Wonderland – Downtown – Second Friday in December
Zoo Holiday Magic at the Charles Paddock Zoo – Third Saturday December
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A Peek Behind the Green Curtain
Cambria
360 Panorama Click image to start
At the Foot of Big Sur
At the foot of the scenic Highway One & Big Sur coast, halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, is the quaint seaside village of Cambria. Cambria was settled in the early 1860’s with the towns center located in what is now East Village. By the 1880’s Cambria was the second largest town in the county, with a population of nearly 7000, and an active center of shipping.
Tourism
In 1894, railroad lines were extended into San Luis Obispo from the south, resulting in the decline of coastal shipping and the isolation of Cambria. It was more than a quarter century before the first improved road to Cambria was completed.
In 1927, the area called Cambria Pines was subdivided into small residential lots. Today, tourism and real estate are the town’s main industries. Residents include artists and craftspeople, retirees, professionals ranchers and farmers.
Slab Town
It took almost a decade for Cambria to settle on a name. In 1869, after going by Slab town, Rosaville, San Simeon and Santa Rosa, the name Cambria was officially adopted.
The dramatic coastal drive on Highway 1 in northern San Luis Obispo County has earned its reputation as one of the most scenic drives in the world. This area is home to Ragged Point, San Simeon, Cambria, Harmony and Cayucos.
Moonstone Beach
Cambria’s Moonstone Beach Area At the northwest corner of the county is Ragged Point, an untamed section of coastline. Just south is the Piedras Blancas (meaning “white rocks”) beach, where the 110? Piedras Blanca Lighthouse, built in 1874, still stands as a beacon warning boaters and fishermen of the perilous reefs and rocky shores. San Simeon Pier, built in 1878 by William Randolph Hearst’s father, George Hearst, continues to serve the area’s commercial and sports fisherman.
Can you spot the moonstone?
Monterey Pines
South of San Simeon, between a natural Monterey pine forest and the Pacific Ocean is the charming town of Cambria. This lovely village with a history of dairy farming is now regarded as an artist’s colony, and supports an impressive selection of gourmet restaurants, art galleries, ocean view inns, and one-of-a-kind shops. At the west end of town is Moonstone Beach, named for the shiny moonstones that were once found on the shore. A row of small hotels and bed-and breakfast inns overlook the beach.
For Lovers
Couples young and old choose Cambria as their go to place for gettin’ hitched. Popular locations include Leffingwell Landing, Shamel Park, Cambria Pines Lodge to name a few. Just south of Cambria, one-block-long Harmony (population 18) is home to a post office, wedding chapel, art shops, galleries, a restaurant/bar, and a winery. Further south from there, Cayucos Pier offers legal fishing even without a fishing license. On New Year’s Day, hundreds of swimmers brave 50-degree waters for the annual Polar Bear Dip in the Pacific. The event attracts both young and old participants.
Climate
Cambria, California, gets 20 inches of rain per year. The US average is 37. Snowfall is 0 inches. The average US city gets 25 inches of snow per year. The number of days with any measurable precipitation is 48.
On average, there are 286 sunny days per year in Cambria, California. The July high is around 63 degrees. The January low is 45. Our comfort index, which is based on humidity during the hot months, is a 61 out of 100, where higher is more comfortable. The US average on the comfort index is 44.
Farmer’s Market
When: Fridays, 2:30 – 5:30pm
Where: Min Street next to Vet’s Hall
How Does One Pronounce ‘Cambria’?
An amusing controversy continues over the correct pronunciation of Cambria. Visitors and newcomers usually call it Came-Bri-a, while most residents agree on Camm-bria.
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