Atascadero

Atascadero, California--located nearly halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco on US Highway 101--is the brainchild of E.G. Lewis. Thought by some to have been a visionary, others considered Lewis a con artist. In spite of his reputation, he founded Atascadero and left in his wake a collection of unique architecture that was the first planned community in the state of California. He established roads, water mains, power grids, agricultural cooperatives, and a 20-mile road to the Pacific Ocean. Atascadero is also home to the nation's first enclosed shopping mall and magnificent art from the 1904 St. Louis World Exposition. Atascadero's creator also founded University City, Missouri, and Palos Verdes, California.