Page 53 - SLO Visitors Guide Spring 2021
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 Atascadero Outdoor activities abound
 The city of Atascadero, originally founded by E.G. Lewis in the early 1900s as a utopian community, is a popular location for shopping, dining and strolls along the lake shore. Home to the Charles Paddock Zoo, the town has a large selection of restaurants offering a range of cuisine from rib-sticking American style to Asian, Mediterranean and more. Breweries, wine tasting, bakeries, antique stores, specialty shops, boutiques and art galleries are tucked away in locations along the main El Camino Real and
on side streets around the Sunken Gardens. Popular area wineries are only a short drive from downtown and any of the town’s several hotels.
Attractions
Historic City Hall
Atascadero’s historic city hall is probably the city’s best known historic building. Located at 6500 Palma Ave. and gracing the back of the Sunken Gardens, the double-domed Italian Renaissance building was originally constructed in 1914 as the Atascadero Administration Building. After founder E.G. Lewis declared bankruptcy
the building was purchased in
1927 and, over the years, served
as three different private schools
and a bank. It became the Veterans Memorial Building when acquired
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by the County of San Luis Obispo in 1954, and served as a community building. When the City of Atascadero incorporated in 1979, government offices occupied the building until it suffered major damage in the 2003 San Simeon Earthquake. After years of reconstruction and restoration, Historic City Hall opened again in 2013.
Atascadero Lake Park
A 1.3-mile easy walk path circles the lake in the park providing views
of the lake, the many varieties of
birds that frequent the lake and other visiting wildlife. Bring binoculars; more than 48 species of birds have been sighted at the lake and recorded on ebirds.org. Leashed dogs are allowed and the path is also a favorite place for cyclists. The park has restrooms, small barbecue and recreation areas. The Faces of Freedom Veterans Memorial occupies the edge of the park facing Morro Road and is well worth a visit. The park is located at 9305 Pismo Ave, Atascadero just off of Morro Road (Highway 41).
Charles Paddock Zoo
The zoo is one of only 211 zoos accredited by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association, this zoo was founded in 1955 by Charles Paddock, a county park ranger who nursed
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