Atascadero,
California, San Luis Obispo County, Elev: 880' atascadero.org
Placed on the Register of National
Historic Places, the Atascadero Administration
Building at 6500 Palma (pictured above) was
completed in 1918 as the headquarters for the
Atascadero Colony, a model community
envisioned by Edward G. Lewis. Designed by Walter D.
Bliss of San Francisco and built of reinforced
concrete and locally produced brick, it has also
served as a private school for boys, a veteran's
memorial building and county offices. It was the
seat of the municipal government until a 6.5
magnitude earthquake caused damage to this building
and 200 other structures in Atascadero in December
2003. The building will reopen after repairs are
made and it is declared structurally safe.
Atascadero is a beautiful city
located amongst the rolling hills of the Central
California coast 17.5 miles inland from
Morro Bay
and the Pacific Ocean. It is also located
approximately 5 miles from Templeton and 10 miles
from Paso Robles, farming cities that stretch along
Highway 101 between Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Home to wineries,
orchards and farms, the region features spacious
expanses of public park land with Charles
Paddock Zoo, four public golf courses, Atascadero
Lake, Lake Naciemento and Santa Margarita Lake. This vacation spot enjoys warmer, dryer daytime
climate than its coastal neighbors to the west and
is the perfect place to spend a night or several
days enjoying the lakes, wine tasting and touring.
Located along the beautiful Highway
101, the more scenic route that runs adjacent to the
coast, it's easy to pass by Atascadero and never
stop. With only a few exits, you'd be
wise to get in the right hand land.
Be sure not to
miss the farmer's market held weekly in the city. It
offers farm fresh food, fruits, honey, nuts and
produce that you won't find elsewhere.
San Luis Obispo < Atascadero >
Templeton
