Atascadero, California, San Luis Obispo County Pop: 27,000 Elev: 880' Info: www.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.
