A TRIBUTE TO
NORTH SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, CA
Templeton, Atascadero, and Paso Robles
Its scenery, its lifestyle, its history, its businesses
My Personal Tribute to the County I Love
In 1993, I had the good fortune to move to
Templeton, California. Until we bought our land here in 1991,
Templeton, Atascadero, and
Paso Robles were only places I'd passed through on the freeway,
names without faces.
Now the names have faces, each community its own special personality.
I have dealt with
local merchants, served local people in my business,
and depended upon other businesses in
the community to meet my needs.
What I like best about the north county is
its lifestyle. When I shop for food,
I usually see someone I know. That is especially true at the Farmer's Markets in
Templeton (City Park on Saturday mornings, 9:30 - noon. )
When I walk into my favorite bank (Santa Lucia in Paso Robles), people
greet me by name
before I get to the window and sometimes recognize my voice on the phone.
We are a community here. People are friendly and local merchants and
business people are
helpful or they don't last long. Word spreads fast in a
community.
My lifestyle can be informal. Except for
church on Sunday, I don't even need a dress.
I can work, eat out, and play in jeans, if I
want to. (Except when I decide to work in
a public place with people who are more
comfortable if I dress more professionally.)
If I'm bored, I can take a walk near my home
and see breath-taking scenery.
The weather is usually mild, though when it rains, it
really rains. (Read more
about the blessings of rain.) And on those
few days during the summer when it's hot, it's really hot.
But
then one can head
to the Lake Park in Atascadero, or even go shopping, to cool off.
And
the beaches in Cambria are only a half hour away. So is a cooler
San Luis Obispo, where
there are also many attractions.
I love the people here. Most I have
met are friendly, helpful, and concerned
about their neighbors. I have a church that is like an extended family. There is community
spirit,
especially evident in activities such as Pioneer Day, in October, or
The Vine Street Showcase,
before Christmas, in Paso Robles.
People come together for many
events in City Park in Paso Robles, such as the
Lavender Festival.
The Fourth of July is a big event in Templeton,
where fireworks are still legal in some parts of the city. So is
Cowboy
Christmas, when snow comes to Templeton.
If you've never been here, I invite you to
come. Plan to relax and explore.
Within an hour's drive we have beaches, lakes, Hearst
Castle, great campgrounds,
and much more.
It's only minutes to taste local wines at our wineries
and talk to local
craftsmen and farmers at our various local Farmers' Markets --
there are four a week
within 15 minutes of my home in Templeton. Walk around the lake,
or just relax at
Atascadero Lake Park. Or visit the zoo next door to it.
Check out the fresh herbs and many gift items at Fat Cat Farms on Highway 46
West,
while your children enjoy the animals they will see there.
© by Barbara Radisavljevic, 2010