SLO LIFE Dec/Jan 2017
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<strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
magazine<br />
HIP LOCAL TASTE<br />
CENTRAL COAS<br />
STORYTELLER<br />
WALK THE LINE<br />
REAL ESTAT<br />
BY THE NUM<br />
EMBRACING<br />
THE VO<br />
SLEEP<br />
SOU<br />
BREW<br />
HAV<br />
slolifemagazine.com<br />
DEC/JAN <strong>2017</strong><br />
MEET<br />
TAYLOR GILKEY<br />
PRESERVING HERITAGE<br />
& DESIGNING SUCCESS<br />
dec/jan <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | 1
2 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | <strong>Dec</strong>/jan <strong>2017</strong>
dec/jan <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | 3
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Children’s<br />
Museum<br />
Creamery<br />
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Marsh<br />
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Garden<br />
Chorro<br />
Morro<br />
Osos<br />
Marsh St. Garage<br />
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4 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | <strong>Dec</strong>/jan <strong>2017</strong>
dec/jan <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | 5
6 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | <strong>Dec</strong>/jan <strong>2017</strong>
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dec/jan <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | 7
<strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
magazine<br />
CONTENTS<br />
Volume<br />
7<br />
Number 6<br />
<strong>Dec</strong>/<strong>Jan</strong> <strong>2017</strong><br />
32<br />
TAYLOR GILKEY<br />
We caught up with this young<br />
entrepreneur to get her take on<br />
everything from farming to fashion.<br />
12<br />
14<br />
16<br />
18<br />
Publisher’s Message<br />
Info<br />
On the Cover<br />
Inbox<br />
8 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | <strong>Dec</strong>/jan <strong>2017</strong><br />
24<br />
28<br />
Timeline<br />
We look back at the most recent newsworthy events from<br />
in and around the Central Coast over the past two months.<br />
View<br />
More like a painting than a photograph, MIMI DITCHIE<br />
captured a magical sunset at Piedras Blancas.
dec/jan <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | 9
| CONTENTS<br />
30<br />
Q&A<br />
With over 27 years of medical practice<br />
under his belt, DR. VAN SCOY shares how<br />
doing good and being kind guide his life.<br />
64<br />
Health<br />
Getting a good night’s sleep can often feel like a<br />
fleeting attempt. Here we take a look at a few tips,<br />
based on the latest research, to maximize shut-eye.<br />
42<br />
44<br />
46<br />
Music<br />
With a sound inpired by folk, country, and<br />
90’s alternative music, THE CRESTON LINE<br />
is slated to release a full-length album in<br />
spring of <strong>2017</strong>.<br />
On the Rise<br />
San Luis Obispo High School senior<br />
JIBREEL CADER melds his love for the<br />
outdoors with academic excellence.<br />
Dwelling<br />
Inspired by the natural beauty of the<br />
Central Coast, CHUCK and NINA EBNER<br />
open the door to their hillside retreat.<br />
70<br />
78<br />
86<br />
90<br />
Storytellers’ Corner<br />
In his first installment, New York Times bestselling author<br />
FRANZ WISNER reveals the inspiration for his writing.<br />
Opinion<br />
With ample open space and plenty of spectacular views,<br />
JOHN ASHBAUGH ponders the possibility of Diablo<br />
Canyon preservation.<br />
Travel<br />
After discovering a new path for adventure from Chamonix,<br />
France to Zermatt, Switzerland, KIMBERLY WALKER<br />
explores the 120-mile trek known as the Haute Route.<br />
Business<br />
When three generations of family work together<br />
through all the ups and downs over 40 years, a<br />
successful legacy is built.<br />
92<br />
Taste<br />
Buttery, flaky, and feather-light, the perfect croissants<br />
can be found baked right here on the Central Coast.<br />
Lucky for us, JAIME LEWIS has sniffed them out.<br />
54<br />
58<br />
62<br />
Architecture<br />
In partnership with the American Institute<br />
of Architects, we present two top-ranking<br />
projects along the Central Coast designed<br />
by local architects.<br />
Real Estate<br />
We share the year-to-date statistics of<br />
home sales for both the city and the county<br />
of San Luis Obispo.<br />
Explore<br />
After hearing that float tanks bring peace<br />
and soothe physical ailments, PADEN HUGHES<br />
steps in to give it a try.<br />
100<br />
102<br />
104<br />
Kitchen<br />
There’s nothing quite like a bowl of steamy tomato soup<br />
to warm up a cold winter day. CHEF JESSIE RIVAS<br />
creates the perfect combination when he pairs his<br />
favorite recipe with cheesy toast points.<br />
Brew<br />
With this season’s apple harvest in mind, local expert<br />
BRANT MYERS reveals his favorite Central Coast<br />
hard ciders.<br />
Happenings<br />
Looking for something to do? We’ve got you covered.<br />
Check out the calendar to discover the best events<br />
around the Central Coast in <strong>Dec</strong>ember and <strong>Jan</strong>uary.<br />
10 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | <strong>Dec</strong>/jan <strong>2017</strong>
Where Old World Charm<br />
Meets New World Style<br />
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Featuring Spode dinnerware, vintage ornaments, collectibles, decorations, and more...<br />
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HOURS: Mon-Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 12-5pm<br />
tthomeconsignments.com<br />
We are across from <strong>SLO</strong> Airport.<br />
Andrea, Phil, Linda & Nick<br />
look forward to meeting you!<br />
dec/jan <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | 11
| PUBLISHER’S MESSAGE<br />
party line<br />
I’ve heard it said that “the more things change, the more they stay the same,” but I haven’t really understood it<br />
until just recently.<br />
The other night, I was sitting on the couch lost in a book when a cell phone across the room pinged,<br />
registering that a text message had arrived. I looked up briefly, figured I’d check it later, and returned to my<br />
book. Moments later it chimed again, then again, again, and again. Annoyed that I was taken away from<br />
the flow of the story, I got up and grabbed the phone when I realized it was my 13-year-old daughter’s.<br />
“Geneva!” I called out down the hallway, “Your friends are blowing up your phone and messing up my vibe!”<br />
She emerged from her bedroom, giggling at my choice of words, scooped up her phone and with her thumbs<br />
dancing across the screen offered, “Sorry, Dad.”<br />
Hi-tech when I was my daughter’s age meant you had a push button phone. But, we were late adopters and were stuck with a rotary dial phone at<br />
our house—with a very long 30-foot cord for privacy (basically, you went into the garage and shut the door). We also had a second phone in my<br />
parents’ bedroom, but since they shared the same line, this did more harm than good because you never knew when someone was listening in on your<br />
conversation. With two little sisters, there was a pretty good chance that one or both of them was wiretapping at any given time. You could usually figure<br />
it out when there was a lull in the conversation and could hear someone breathing. Or, if something funny was said you could sometimes catch a muted<br />
snort from the eavesdropper in a failed attempt to hold in the laughter. Invariably, in the middle of just about any conversation, I would a have to yell,<br />
“Emily, get off the phone!” Or, “I know that’s you, Katie—hang up!”<br />
All of that aside, technology has made it much easier for today’s youth because they don’t have to deal with parents. Back in the day, you actually had to<br />
talk to adults to get anything done. I remember having a crush on a girl in the seventh grade, and I would have to listen to the theme song from “Rocky”<br />
three times in a row before I had enough courage to call her because her dad always answered the phone—and dads are scary. Also, it made it very<br />
difficult to orchestrate clandestine operations with your buddies when one of the parents would answer. “Oh, hi, Mrs. Feller… Where are we going?...<br />
Um… Does my mom know about this?... Uh… What time are we going to be home?… Huh… Who’s going to be there?... Gulp…”<br />
Advances in communication, however, were inversely related to my level of maturity. I remember the day my friend’s parents installed two different<br />
phones with two different numbers at his house. It was life-changing; not because we could both talk, but because we could both listen. Somehow,<br />
since both phones had a 3-way calling feature, also known back then as a “party line,” we figured out that we could each call two different people and<br />
somehow connect them, all without anyone knowing. The timing had to be perfect, but it was pure magic when it worked. And, I’ll never forget how<br />
hard we would laugh after listening in on two sworn enemies from our high school suddenly calling each other. “Hello?”… “Who’s this?”… “What<br />
the…?!”… “What do you want?!”… “No, you called me! What do you want!?” We pored over the phone book, scanning for teachers’ phone numbers;<br />
sometimes, when the stars aligned, we’d get them on the phone with a failing student. The best ones happened when we’d call a recently broken up<br />
boyfriend and girlfriend, except when they would decide to get back together—then it was just annoying.<br />
The next big advance, answering machines, was a game changer. Those little cassette tapes meant that you could actually leave the house when you were<br />
expecting a big phone call. And there is something about phone messages, or voicemail, that can feel almost like a time capsule. I love it when my kids<br />
call me; and I often upload and save those messages on my computer. Every once in a while I’ll have a listen and it reminds me that—whether it be a<br />
smartphone or a rotary phone—it really doesn’t matter. And, if I ever find myself doubting that, I’ll queue up a message from my 7-year-old son: “Hi,<br />
Dad, it’s me, Harrison. I was wondering if we could play catch when you get home? Bye, Dad, I love you.”<br />
I would like to take this opportunity to say “thank you” to everyone who had a hand in producing this issue of <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine and, most of all, to<br />
our advertisers and subscribers—we couldn’t do it without you. And, to you and your family, my best wishes for a happy holiday season and a healthy<br />
and prosperous <strong>2017</strong>.<br />
Live the <strong>SLO</strong> Life!<br />
Tom Franciskovich<br />
tom@slolifemagazine.com<br />
12 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | <strong>Dec</strong>/jan <strong>2017</strong>
TILE SHOWROOM & SLAB YARD<br />
FEATURING 100+ COLORS OF STONE TO CHOOSE FROM<br />
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dec/jan <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | 13
Treat Yourself for <strong>2017</strong>!<br />
<strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
magazine<br />
4251 S. HIGUERA STREET, SUITE 800, SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIFORNIA<br />
<strong>SLO</strong><strong>LIFE</strong>MAGAZINE.COM<br />
info@slolifemagazine.com<br />
(805) 543-8600 • (805) 456-1677 fax<br />
PUBLISHER<br />
Tom Franciskovich<br />
CREATIVE DIRECTOR<br />
Sheryl Disher<br />
Wine Closet Conversion!<br />
Convert your unused storage space<br />
into your private wine collection.<br />
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS<br />
John Ashbaugh<br />
Paden Hughes<br />
Dawn <strong>Jan</strong>ke<br />
Jaime Lewis<br />
Brant Myers<br />
Jessie Rivas<br />
Kimberly Walker<br />
Franz Wisner<br />
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS<br />
Mimi Ditchie<br />
Lance Kinney<br />
Mary Maclane<br />
Vanessa Plakias<br />
Trevor Povah<br />
Jay Winter<br />
CONTRIBUTIONS<br />
Have some comments or feedback about something you’ve read here?<br />
Or, do you have something on your mind that you think everyone should<br />
know about? Submit your story ideas, events, recipes and announcements<br />
by visiting us online at slolifemagazine.com and click “Share Your Story” or<br />
email us at info@slolifemagazine.com. Be sure to include your full name and<br />
city for verification purposes. Contributions chosen for publication may be<br />
edited for clarity and space limitations.<br />
ADVERTISING<br />
If you would like to advertise, please contact Tom Franciskovich by phone<br />
at (805) 543-8600 or by email at tom@slolifemagazine.com or visit us<br />
online at slolifemagazine.com/advertise and we will send you a complete<br />
media kit with loads of testimonials from happy advertisers.<br />
SUBSCRIPTIONS<br />
Ready to live the <strong>SLO</strong> Life all year long? It’s quick and easy! Just log on to<br />
slolifemagazine.com/subscribe. It’s just $24.95 for the year. And don’t<br />
forget to set your friends and family up with a subscription, too. It’s the<br />
gift that keeps on giving!<br />
NOTE<br />
The opinions expressed within these pages do not necessarily reflect those of<br />
<strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole<br />
or in part without the expressed written permission of the publisher.<br />
CIRCULATION, COVERAGE AND ADVERTISING RATES<br />
Complete details regarding circulation, coverage and advertising rates,<br />
space, sizes and similar information are available to prospective<br />
advertisers. Please call or email for a media kit. Closing date is 30 days<br />
before date of issue.<br />
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR<br />
info@slolifemagazine.com<br />
4251 S. Higuera Street, Suite 800<br />
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401<br />
www.slogreengoods.com<br />
14 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | <strong>Dec</strong>/jan <strong>2017</strong><br />
111 South St. <strong>SLO</strong> 805 543 9900<br />
Letters chosen for publication may be edited for clarity and space limitations.
刀 攀 挀 攀 椀 瘀 攀 愀 ␀ 䜀 椀 昀 琀<br />
眀 栀 攀 渀 礀 漀 甀<br />
匀 栀 漀 瀀 䐀 攀 挀 ⸀ 猀 琀 ⴀ㈀ 㐀 琀 栀<br />
嘀 椀 猀 椀 琀 猀 琀 漀 爀 攀 昀 漀 爀 搀 攀 琀 愀 椀 氀 猀<br />
䔀 砀 挀 氀 甀 猀 椀 瘀 攀 一 攀 眀 䘀 椀 渀 搀 䘀 爀 漀 洀 吀 愀 渀 稀 愀 渀 椀 愀<br />
smart, eclectic, art to live on<br />
㐀 ☀ 㠀 䜀 愀 爀 搀 攀 渀 匀 琀 ⸀ 䐀 漀 眀 渀 琀 漀 眀 渀 匀 䰀 伀<br />
眀 眀 眀 ⸀ 䜀 愀 爀 搀 攀 渀 匀 琀 爀 攀 攀 琀 䜀 漀 氀 搀 猀 洀 椀 琀 栀 猀 ⸀ 挀 漀 洀<br />
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(at the corner of Grove Street, across from Pepe Delgados)<br />
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We understand the value of real<br />
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A firm handshake. A face-to-face<br />
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Mortgage Loan Representative, San Luis Obispo, CA<br />
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dec/jan <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | 15
| ON THE COVER<br />
A SNEAK PEEK<br />
BEHIND the scenes<br />
WITH TAYLOR GILKEY<br />
BY VANESSA PLAKIAS<br />
I met Taylor at her house, which was decorated so beautifully. It<br />
reminded me of something you would see in Taos, New Mexico. Her<br />
fiancé, Matt, was there with a friend. And, I was introduced to her two<br />
dogs: Juno and Nala.<br />
Right away she reminded me of Sunnie Brook Jones, who is<br />
now a famous hair stylist; she was from Pismo and this was back<br />
when she was working at Fantastic Sams, she must have been 19.<br />
Immediately, when I started talking with Taylor, that’s who she<br />
reminded me of, she had a very similar vibe.<br />
We hung out [laughter]. We got along great! I just loved<br />
looking at her handbags and taking a look at all of the things<br />
she said inspire her. Lots of books, magazines, and some really<br />
cool, eclectic decorations and furniture.<br />
I always ask about music<br />
during these shoots. Taylor<br />
said her favorite song was<br />
“Box #10” by Jim Croce.<br />
He’s the same guy that<br />
sang “Bad, Bad Leroy<br />
Brown” and “Time in a<br />
Bottle.” Her fiancé chimed<br />
in and mentioned that<br />
she also likes JJ Grey &<br />
Mofro. I’ve noticed that a<br />
lot of twenty-somethings<br />
like that band. They’re<br />
cool, bluesy, I guess you<br />
would say modern blues.<br />
I listened to them while I<br />
edited her shoot. <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
16 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | <strong>Dec</strong>/jan <strong>2017</strong>
1301 LOS OSOS VALLEY ROAD • LOS OSOS<br />
www.SageLandscapes.net<br />
dec/jan <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | 17
| INBOX<br />
Take us with you!<br />
Hey, <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> readers: Send us your photos the next time you’re relaxing in town or traveling far and<br />
away with your copy of the magazine. Email us at info@slolifemagazine.com<br />
LAKE LOUISE, ALBERTA, CANADA<br />
HIGHLANDS, SCOTLAND<br />
Bob Pittman<br />
My husband and I returned home to Scotland for a visit.<br />
Here I am with <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine at the highest point<br />
on the Bealach na Bà road to Applecross with the Cuillin<br />
mountain range with the Isle of Skye in the background.<br />
— Lisa Pollock<br />
KOTOR, MONTENGRO<br />
MONET’S GARDEN IN GIVERNY, FRANCE<br />
Wayne and Linda Lewis<br />
Carol Mees and Marlene Fissell<br />
18 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | <strong>Dec</strong>/jan <strong>2017</strong>
CRANS-PRÈS-CÉLIGNY, SWITZERLAND<br />
Betty Johnson<br />
LAUGARVATNSHELLAR, ICELAND<br />
These caves were originally used for protecting sheep for the winter, but<br />
in 1910 a newlywed couple made it into their home. A stunning 2 week<br />
Iceland trip took us only 1/3 around the island. We must return!<br />
— Carol and Richard Mortensen<br />
TOUR DU MONT BLANC<br />
We did three countries and 170 kilometers with <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> on the Tour du<br />
Mont Blanc (TMB). From the Grand Col Ferret viewing Mont Dolent where<br />
the boarders of Italy, Switzerland and France meet.<br />
— Stephanie and Gary Ruggerone<br />
dec/jan <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | 19
| INBOX<br />
You showed us...<br />
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK<br />
FREIBURG, GERMANY<br />
Dean Estin and Virginia Estin Rohde<br />
UKRAINE<br />
Joel and Kerry Sheets<br />
CÁDIZ, SPAIN<br />
We were visiting friends and working at summer<br />
camps for kids.<br />
— Jim and Ruth Overton<br />
Hans Eggers<br />
20 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | <strong>Dec</strong>/jan <strong>2017</strong>
PLACE DES VOSGES, PARIS, FRANCE<br />
The Mannings on a superb bike tour. Thinking of Wally’s amazing story.<br />
— Emily, Cathy, Atalie, and Chris Manning<br />
KAILUA-KONA, HAWAI`I<br />
This photo was taken right after Christine Bare (on the left) completed<br />
the Hawaii Ironman World Championships. Amy Olin (part of her support<br />
crew) is on the right.<br />
dec/jan <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | 21
| INBOX<br />
RAVELLO, AMALFI COAST, ITALY<br />
HAVANA, CUBA<br />
Peter and Yvonne Jurgens<br />
MUNICH, GERMANY<br />
Jeff and Cindy Wolcott<br />
BORA BORA<br />
Ian and Taylor Starkie<br />
Amy and Brett Garrett<br />
22 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | <strong>Dec</strong>/jan <strong>2017</strong>
NANTUCKET ISLAND, MASSACHUSETTS<br />
Enjoying the <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> at sunset on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts. We<br />
went from generations of Vermont Life to continue generations of <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong>.<br />
- Laura Heiden<br />
ROVINJ, CROATIA<br />
I just took a trip to Rovinj, Croatia and of course brought my <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine<br />
along. As I was hiking along the coastal path viewing the many islands off of<br />
the coast of Croatia, I took a break to read my <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine. It is such a<br />
peaceful town on the Adriatic Sea; the perfect place for a good read. Thanks<br />
for the wonderful magazine!<br />
— Kelsey Tigh<br />
live the<br />
<strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong>!<br />
Please send your photos and comments to info@slolifemagazine.com<br />
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Letters may be edited for content and clarity. To be considered for publication, your letter should<br />
include your name, city, state, phone number or email address (for authentication purposes).<br />
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dec/jan <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | 23
| TIMELINE<br />
Around the County<br />
OCTOBER ‘16<br />
10/1<br />
Preliminary findings from<br />
the testing conducted by the<br />
Central Coast Regional Water<br />
Quality Control Board failed to<br />
find trichloroethylene (TCE),<br />
a toxic solvent that had been<br />
found in 13 nearby wells, at the<br />
<strong>SLO</strong> County Regional Airport.<br />
Fifty residents, who live near<br />
Buckley Road adjacent to the<br />
airport, had filed claims with<br />
the county charging that TCE<br />
showed up in their drinking<br />
water as a result of the solvents<br />
used in aircraft maintenance.<br />
The investigation into the<br />
source of the chemical remains<br />
ongoing.<br />
10/5<br />
Amid raucous cheers, the County Planning Commission announced its<br />
3-2 vote in opposition to the Phillips 66 oil-by-train plan. Two weeks<br />
later the energy conglomerate filed paperwork to appeal the decision<br />
to the Board of Supervisors. The final ruling is expected early next<br />
year; however, with the addition of the new District 1 Supervisor, John<br />
Peschong, who has pledged to recuse himself from the vote since his<br />
company, a conservative lobbying firm, received payments from Phillips<br />
66, the outcome will likely be a 2-2 deadlock, effectively upholding the<br />
Planning Commission’s denial.<br />
10/11<br />
Cal Poly began selling beer for the first time at the Student Union,<br />
reversing its status as a “dry campus.” Although the university had<br />
served alcohol at the on-campus Sage Restaurant and at the Performing<br />
Arts Center, administrators began debating the issue over the summer<br />
and many permanent residents have suggested that allowing alcohol on<br />
campus would go a long way toward easing town-gown tensions over<br />
rowdy partying in nearby residential neighborhoods.<br />
10/19<br />
By a 4-1 vote, with John Ashbaugh against, the <strong>SLO</strong> City Council<br />
approved a four-story, 27-apartment development at the intersection<br />
of Chorro Street and Foothill Boulevard near Cal Poly’s campus. The<br />
project ignited debate locally where critics claimed that while it had<br />
been promoted as affordable housing, it was likely to become just<br />
another opportunity to house college students off-campus in a city<br />
neighborhood. The project, known as 22 Chorro, is being developed<br />
by El Segundo-based attorney, Loren Riehl, who is also proposing the<br />
development of 34 apartments at nearby 71 Palomar.<br />
10/25<br />
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service<br />
announced that it would continue to<br />
open the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes<br />
National Wildlife Refuge to visitors over<br />
the next 15 years; however, it would be<br />
limiting public access to just six months<br />
each year. The 2,553-acre area is home to<br />
the county’s highest concentration of rare<br />
plant and animal species—estimated at<br />
120—and sits south of the nearby Oceano<br />
Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area.<br />
24 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | <strong>Dec</strong>/jan <strong>2017</strong>
NOVEMBER ‘16<br />
11/2<br />
Ground was broken at 40 Prado Road when a handful of locals<br />
dug their golden shovels into the site where a $5.4 million,<br />
20,000-square-foot homeless services center and overnight<br />
shelter is expected to open sometime next fall. The facility will<br />
offer drug, alcohol, and mental health therapy; feature after<br />
school programs for children; medical services; a commercial<br />
kitchen; laundry room; showers; lockers; pet kennels; a<br />
community garden; and computers.<br />
11/8<br />
Election returns showed that John Peschong had bested Paso Robles mayor<br />
Steve Martin for the District 1 seat vacated by Frank Mechum on the<br />
County Board of Supervisors, while Adam Hill survived a challenge by Dan<br />
Carpenter to retain his District 3 seat. The City of San Luis Obispo elected<br />
a new mayor, Heidi Harmon, who upset the incumbent, <strong>Jan</strong> Marx, by 47<br />
votes, and newcomers Andy Pease and Aaron Gomez were elected to city<br />
council. Caren Ray returned to Arroyo Grande’s city council, and California<br />
Coastal Commissioner Erik Howell, retained his seat on the Pismo Beach<br />
City Council. Republican Jordan Cunningham topped his opponent, Dawn<br />
Ortiz-Legg, a Democrat, for the 35th District of California’s Assembly,<br />
while Democrat Salud Carbajal will head to Washington to represent the<br />
24th Congressional District. Meanwhile, Measure J, which would have<br />
raised sales taxes to generate $25 million per year for nine years to fund<br />
local transportation projects, narrowly failed passage.<br />
11/15<br />
11/22<br />
The County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to grant a<br />
A sharply divided Board of Supervisors passed a series of ordinances<br />
permit to the Japanese company Hitachi Zosen Inova so that it<br />
designed to give developers incentives to build affordable workforce<br />
could build a green waste and food processing facility, which will housing in the county. The two supervisors who voted against the pilot<br />
generate electricity from the food scraps gathered in the 51,000<br />
program, Bruce Gibson and Adam Hill, argued that the legislation,<br />
compost pails its garbage company partner, Waste Connections, which caps prices on the sale of the house initially, does nothing to<br />
delivered to county residents earlier this year. The cutting edge<br />
prevent an investor from buying the home and then “flipping” it and<br />
plant, which is called a “digester,” is expected to employ 120<br />
pocketing the difference between the mandated lower value and current<br />
people, dramatically reduce the amount of waste going into<br />
market value. Gibson claimed that without deed restrictions, which<br />
the Cold Canyon Landfill, and generate renewable energy for<br />
prohibit that sort of profiteering, the effort does nothing to create truly<br />
approximately 650 local homes. affordable housing. <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
dec/jan <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | 25
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dec/jan <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | 27
| VIEW<br />
ALL AROUND<br />
BEAUTY<br />
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MIMI DITCHIE<br />
About five miles northwest of San Simeon, Piedras<br />
Blancas has stirred the imaginations of locals and<br />
visitors alike. Revered by Native Americans for<br />
thousands of years for its consistently abundant<br />
and diverse sea life harvest, it played a crucial role<br />
for our earliest locals. The site received its name,<br />
which translates to “white rocks,” from early Spanish<br />
explorers, who deemed the miniature peninsula<br />
with topography that was easily identified through<br />
the spyglass of a passing ship, an ideal navigational<br />
landmark. In 1875, the United States, with its<br />
bustling maritime commerce, built a lighthouse<br />
on the site. Recently, busloads of area politicians<br />
and Central Coast residents staged a rally at the<br />
site imploring the federal government to add the<br />
ecologically and historically significant 19 acres to the<br />
California Coastal National Monument.<br />
It was around this time of year, back in 2013, when<br />
Mimi Ditchie was standing near the lighthouse,<br />
scanning the horizon seaward just after the sun had<br />
dipped into the water for the night. To her right<br />
and to her left, members of the San Luis Obispo<br />
Camera Club were furiously clicking their shutters<br />
in an attempt to capture the last bit of oceanscape<br />
while the ambient light lingered. As she scanned the<br />
scene before her, she thought, “Maybe I ought to<br />
look behind me.” Ditchie then wheeled around 180<br />
degrees to find The Fog Building perfectly placed<br />
in the foreground against something that appeared<br />
to have been painted by a Nineteenth Century<br />
Frenchman. The moment was fleeting, but by the<br />
time the image passed through the aperture of her<br />
Canon 5D Mark III, Ditchie was able to capture this<br />
photograph, which she shared of her experience at the<br />
site, “Beauty can be found all around.” <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
28 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | <strong>Dec</strong>/jan <strong>2017</strong>
dec/jan <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | 29
| Q&A<br />
On Call<br />
It has been a milestone year for San Luis Obispo resident DR. STEVEN VAN SCOY,<br />
as it marks his 20-year anniversary as the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)<br />
Medical Director for Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center at the same time the<br />
hospital celebrates the 30-year anniversary of the formation of its NICU. We<br />
caught up with the sleep-deprived doctor one recent morning, following a longer<br />
than expected night shift…<br />
Tell us, Dr. Van Scoy, was medicine<br />
something you always wanted to do?<br />
Not exactly, no. My first experience as a<br />
kid was not a good one. I actually broke<br />
my doctor’s glasses when he gave me an<br />
immunization. I punched him. He hurt me,<br />
and I wanted to hurt him. He didn’t realize<br />
when he gave me the shot in my right arm<br />
that I was left-handed. He wasn’t ready for<br />
the roundhouse. I refused to go see him after<br />
that. I didn’t start off with a friendly view<br />
of the medical community. It’s ironic now<br />
that I wake up, honestly, at least once a week<br />
and think to myself, “I just love what I do; I<br />
love being a doctor.” And I’ve been doing it<br />
since 1989, when I graduated from medical<br />
school. The fact that I’m not burned out and<br />
still feel lucky to be doing what I’m doing is<br />
pretty cool.<br />
Do you have to close yourself off emotionally<br />
when you work? No, it’s never been that<br />
way for me. And, I’ve got to say that I<br />
really struggled with the decision to do<br />
neonatology when I started because it’s a<br />
whole different world. There were a lot of<br />
kids coming out who didn’t do very well.<br />
They were very sick during their stay in the<br />
hospital; a lot of deaths. I was talking with<br />
my wife one day as I was struggling with<br />
the decision about whether or not to go into<br />
neonatology. I told her, “I just don’t know if<br />
I want to make these little kids who go out<br />
as damaged kids and have to live this life<br />
that’s difficult for everybody.” She said, “Go<br />
into it and make fewer of those kids.” I just<br />
said, “Wow, okay. I’ll do that.” And, that’s<br />
been the way I’ve gone about it.<br />
And, you stay in touch with many of your<br />
“neonates”… That’s right. We do a reunion.<br />
We have it at Santa Rosa Park, every year in<br />
the fall. When I first started we had maybe<br />
20 people come; now we have well over 600.<br />
Everybody has a great time. We take over<br />
the whole park. It’s just a crazy scene. It’s my<br />
favorite day of the year. I just walk around<br />
and think to myself, “This is awesome.” It’s<br />
so cool to see the kids grow up. We have a<br />
great time catching up. And, even for the<br />
kids that can’t make it we’ll sometimes get<br />
letters saying, “Geez, sorry we can’t make it<br />
this year. Our 19-year-old is in Las Vegas<br />
playing a gig.” So, he’s a guitar player for a<br />
rock band now? Cool! And there will be kids<br />
that have gone off to college on the East<br />
Coast somewhere and can’t be there. That, to<br />
me is the best, too. It makes all those nights<br />
of 2am wake-up calls well worth it.<br />
Let’s talk about your career path. Sure, I’m<br />
the first doctor in the family. My mom was<br />
a teacher. My dad worked for Standard Oil<br />
forever, Chevron. I did a program in marine<br />
biology and found that I loved scuba diving.<br />
I went on and did some shipboard research.<br />
I taught at a junior college. Waited tables.<br />
Bartended. Worked construction. I was<br />
sitting with my mom one night visiting<br />
with her at home and she asked me what<br />
I was going to do with my life and I said,<br />
“I’m not sure.” She said, “Sometimes I feel<br />
that you are trying to find your vocation by<br />
process of elimination.” I said, “Yeah, but<br />
I’ve found important negatives with each<br />
one, so I never have to try them again.”<br />
She said, “You like people, right? You like<br />
science, right? Have you thought about<br />
medicine?” I looked at her and said, “No,<br />
but that’s a good one.” That’s all it took,<br />
thirty seconds from my mom to put me in<br />
medicine. And, later it took thirty seconds<br />
from my wife to put in me in neonatology.<br />
So, listen to the women in your life!<br />
[laughter] That’s the lesson.<br />
What about when you’re not making<br />
rounds at the hospital? There are so many<br />
things I like to do. I ride bikes, play tennis,<br />
play guitar, ride motorcycles, I used to race<br />
cars. I like backpacking, rock climbing,<br />
photography, scuba diving. I have so many<br />
interests and cannot imagine ever being<br />
bored. I love teaching my son, who is<br />
autistic, how to do things. We live on an<br />
acre, so there’s a fair amount of work that<br />
has to be done. He’s out there helping me all<br />
the time. I love working on different skills<br />
with him. He’s 19. And hanging out with<br />
my wife; and supporting my 17-year-old<br />
daughter and telling her how proud I am of<br />
her. I think that no matter where you are or<br />
what you do, if you leave a trail of good, and<br />
of kindness, then you are a success. That’s<br />
what it really boils down to for me, and<br />
that’s what I try to do. <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
30 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | <strong>Dec</strong>/jan <strong>2017</strong>
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dec/jan <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | 31
| MEET YOUR NEIGHBOR<br />
VALLEY GIRL<br />
Inspiration struck San Luis Obispo resident TAYLOR GILKEY as she sat at<br />
her kitchen table, sketching her vision for the perfect handbag. As she honed<br />
the design, she decided to take a leap and turn it into a business she calls Gilkey.<br />
By working two jobs and saving every penny along the way, she slowly brought<br />
one product at a time to market. In a nod to her San Joaquin Valley upbringing,<br />
where her family has farmed cotton for four generations, her brand is rooted in the<br />
longtime California agriculture tradition. Here is her story…<br />
PHOTOGRAPHY BY VANESSA PLAKIAS<br />
32 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | <strong>Dec</strong>/jan <strong>2017</strong>
dec/jan <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | 33
Taylor, tell us about where you are from originally. I grew up in<br />
Corcoran, which is in the Central Valley. I was actually born in Hanford.<br />
No one wants to be born in Corcoran; it’s okay to die there, but when<br />
you live in Corcoran, you drive to Hanford to have your baby. My greatgrandfather<br />
started Gilkey Farms—technically I’m fourth-generation—<br />
and he got involved with some sort of program to buy the land at a<br />
discount. I mean, it’s Tulare Lake and it’s not the best farmland; that’s<br />
why we can farm cotton. He was an immigrant from Scotland and<br />
Canada and he bought a plot of land when he came here; it was some<br />
sort of special tax write-off or something. And so, of all the places, he<br />
picked Corcoran. We’ve always said, “Why the heck didn’t he pick a<br />
place like Napa or something?” [laughter]<br />
34 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | <strong>Dec</strong>/jan <strong>2017</strong><br />
How was it growing up? It was a pretty<br />
awesome childhood. My family still farms, and<br />
farming was up and down, so we didn’t have a<br />
ton of money, but we always had a good time.<br />
I was a super active dancer. My mom drove<br />
my cousin and I to Hanford five days a week.<br />
I love dancing, but I was also a really good<br />
swimmer. As a kid, the neighbor boys and I<br />
rode our bikes every day to the YMCA and<br />
we would swim for hours. During the summer<br />
we would come over to the coast just about<br />
every weekend to Pismo. Boogie boarding
all day long, no wetsuit, sand in every possible crevice. I was always<br />
pretty happy-go-lucky. And, I was definitely a tomboy. If a boy was ever<br />
missing on the boy’s swim team, I would jump in and swim in his place.<br />
You know, we found joy out of playing roller hockey in the street and we<br />
would catch snakes and stupid stuff like that. We built forts every single<br />
day. After high school it was like, “Oh crap, what am I going to do?”<br />
I wanted to leave the valley, so I went to Cuesta and then to Cal Poly<br />
where I was a dairy science major.<br />
I A N S A U D E<br />
JEWELRY & <strong>LIFE</strong>STYLE<br />
Sounds like you must have shifted gears at some point. Yeah. It<br />
was, I believe it was, a career day on campus or something. And<br />
don’t get me wrong, I love to get dirty. I love to put shit kickers on, I<br />
mean I was born and raised in the Central Valley, my family farmed.<br />
All my best friends had cow dairies. And I thought, “Okay, I can be<br />
a vet, which I would love to be a veterinarian—a large animal vet.”<br />
But then, you know, you have at least four more years of school. That<br />
was daunting and every other job, I mean there’s not a lot of activity<br />
unless you own a dairy. There just wasn’t a lot of opportunity and none<br />
of it inspired me. Up until that point, I don’t think that I had really<br />
ever thought about making money. I’d been working at Coverings<br />
downtown and at Firestone. I was really into fashion and design and<br />
art, but there was nothing at Cal Poly that really fit. So, I started<br />
looking around and found FIDM [Fashion Institute of Design &<br />
Merchandising] in Los Angeles.<br />
Dangle Pave Shard Earring<br />
18k Yellow Gold - Blue Topaz<br />
and Hematite, Cognac Quartz<br />
framed in Light Brown<br />
Diamonds<br />
Dangle Pave Shard Earring<br />
18k Yellow Gold - Blue Topaz<br />
and Hematite, Green Amethyst,<br />
and Light Brown Diamonds<br />
So, what happened? I had a “come to Jesus” moment. I was sitting in a<br />
7-Eleven parking lot one day and my brother called me and said, “Tay,<br />
you just need to be happy. If you want to go to FIDM, tell Dad.” Now,<br />
my dad is a pretty conservative dude and something like FIDM was<br />
completely out of his realm of thinking, but he has always been so proud<br />
of me. So, I called him. I talked to him and he knew my mind was made<br />
up; I didn’t want to go back home and work on a dairy. He supported<br />
my decision, and it has been such a blessing. It was an awesome<br />
experience. I met such incredibly interesting people there. But, I was so<br />
nervous and felt really out of place at first. I just think you have to go<br />
with your gut. The people and the professors I met there have helped me<br />
so much, and continue to help me to this day.<br />
What came next for you? I moved back to <strong>SLO</strong> and started designing<br />
ski apparel for Hot Chillys, which is a technical base layer company. I<br />
would source fabric from Vietnam or China or Japan and then build a<br />
garment, and it was awesome, but there’s no upward mobility in design,<br />
I realized, unless you move to L.A. or New York. So, my friend was<br />
working for an aerospace engineering firm in Silicon Valley and they<br />
were looking for a position in business management, so I moved there to<br />
see what that was all about. It was a start-up. I was working long hours<br />
and after a while I said to myself, “What am I doing here?” I decided<br />
that I wanted to move back to <strong>SLO</strong> and would do whatever it took, so I<br />
found a job opening in the wine industry. It was for an account manager<br />
with a company called Wine Direct. It was great because I wanted more<br />
business experience, and it was kind of like a start-up itself, so I was able<br />
to wear a lot of different hats and learn so many things. I was happy<br />
there, but I was still missing the design aspect of the person that I am.<br />
So, I made a bag and got so many compliments on it, so I said, “Shoot,<br />
I’m going to start a brand.” And so I did—it’s my last name, Gilkey, and<br />
I began by having the bags made here in San Luis Obispo.<br />
Are they still made here? The gentleman I had making the bags did a<br />
great job, but just couldn’t keep up with demand. So, I’ve since moved<br />
production to downtown L.A. and so many opportunities have come up.<br />
They’re just really unique bags that sell themselves. I wanted to make<br />
a brand that was timeless and that I could grow, not something super<br />
trendy, and kind of capture “farm-to-closet,” if you will. There’s a lot of,<br />
you know, food farm-to-table that’s going around right now and, yeah,<br />
people sometimes give me grief about using cowhides. But, hopefully, I<br />
can actually talk about agriculture and livestock and have people really >><br />
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dec/jan <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | 35
understand, because people don’t understand it. They don’t understand<br />
that California is a giant agriculture state, and I would love to do my<br />
family some justice by talking about that. I think I’m kind of unique in<br />
the sense that I’ve worked in the tech world and worked in wine, and<br />
now I’m making these bags and presenting them countrywide. I want<br />
the brand to be timeless and about family and really have a meaning<br />
behind it, versus just making a product and having it be pretty. I really<br />
want it to be about family and history and working hard and keeping an<br />
important tradition alive.<br />
Okay, did you go out and get a loan? Line up an investor? No, I just<br />
decided that I was going to make this bag business work myself. I picked<br />
up another job working at Firestone at night. That’s where I worked<br />
during college, so I went back just to make extra tip money to go towards<br />
the bags. And I did that for a while. I saved up a good chunk of money<br />
and started off with just a single basic tote. I worked with a pattern maker<br />
that I had worked with at Hot Chillys to make the pattern. I would do<br />
it on my lunch break. I’d zoom over to Edna Valley and meet with the<br />
pattern maker; we’d sketch things out. After the tote we made a side<br />
satchel and then we made a clutch. And it’s kind of just evolved into many<br />
more products. They’re all handmade from Brazilian cowhides, and are<br />
very high quality. They’re not cheap, I mean, a basic tote is $375. People<br />
love them. They’re beautiful. I’ve been doing all the marketing through<br />
Pinterest, Instagram, things like that. It’s been difficult to decide whether<br />
or not to sell them in retail locations, but I think that selling direct to the<br />
consumer through the website is best because I am getting a full profit.<br />
This is something I have been able to learn from my job at Wine Direct<br />
because I see all these wineries doing so much better by selling their wines<br />
directly to the end user, the customer, rather than going through a retailer.<br />
It’s the way of the future, and so much more profitable.<br />
As a 28-year-old Millennial, your approach to business seems a little<br />
old school. Maybe so, I mean, you’ve got these kids, and they’re smart,<br />
forward thinking, but a lot of them think they can just build an app. >><br />
36 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | <strong>Dec</strong>/jan <strong>2017</strong>
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dec/jan <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | 37
And, there are a lot of investors who will drop some dough on an idea.<br />
I don’t want to be that Millennial. I think that you have to put in your<br />
time, that’s where you learn. You know, our elders are modest about what<br />
they’ve done. They’ve gone through good times and bad. So, I try to set<br />
myself apart from that kind of mindset. But, I will say that I actually<br />
I read the article probably three times that night and then sent him an<br />
email asking if he would meet me for coffee. I’ve learned so much from<br />
him; he’s one of my mentors. I think it is important to reach out because<br />
people do want to help. But, you’ve still got to do the hard work, bust your<br />
butt, and put in the time.<br />
I think you have to put in your time, that’s where you learn.<br />
think that the internet, and particularly social media, is making all of us<br />
a little more anxious because we are comparing our lives to others. I just<br />
think that we all need to put our time in and learn from people who have<br />
already done it. Great example, a few years back, there was actually an<br />
article in <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> about Enrique Sanchez-Rivera, a swimsuit designer.<br />
He owns a company called La Isla and had just relocated to San Luis.<br />
Okay, Taylor, what do you do for fun? I’ve turned into such a <strong>SLO</strong><br />
junkie and try to take advantage of everything there is to do here.<br />
I ride my bike everywhere. I go to the swap meet every Sunday<br />
at the Sunset Drive-In; it’s amazing. They have everything from<br />
tube socks to tamales there, and you have people selling stuff like<br />
Sorel boots that are used, but who cares? I bought a lot of my >><br />
38 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | <strong>Dec</strong>/jan <strong>2017</strong>
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furniture there. I love quirky, different pieces. I think there’s a lot<br />
of inspiration in San Luis, too, and I think that’s when I’m most<br />
happy. I can just absorb it all and apply it to my home and to my<br />
bags. It’s a lot of inspiration for the brand that I’m building, as<br />
funny as that sounds. Yes, this is an expensive place to live and as<br />
much as I would love to own a home instead of renting, I do think<br />
that you get what you pay for. I mean, literally, behind my house<br />
is the Irish Hills. I can run my dogs every day. I can take them<br />
to the dog park there. I don’t have to worry about anything. The<br />
Central Valley is a hundred and ten degrees, and my dogs would fry.<br />
The cost of living is very high, but you’re paying for an awesome<br />
lifestyle here. The beach is right around the corner. But, the flip<br />
side is that most of the jobs here do not pay well. That’s why I<br />
moved into sales. I had to. I would have gotten a little salary raise,<br />
you know, every two years or whatever, but being on commission<br />
allows me to put more money into my bags.<br />
What does the future hold? It would be my dream to have a ranch in<br />
Edna Valley, but how much is that going to cost me? And it’s a bummer<br />
that money gets in the way, but, you know, you’ve just got to keep busting<br />
your butt and figure out where it’s going to take you. I would love to be<br />
out there driving around on a quad with six dogs running behind me. And<br />
it would be awesome to have a crop where I could actually feed my family,<br />
but also big enough to make a profit. Yeah, there’s a side of me that likes<br />
the more quiet, tranquil life that’s about the simple things. My grandma,<br />
growing up, she always said, “A simple life is a good life.” And now that<br />
I’m older, I have an appreciation for dirt, and being able to grow your own<br />
product, and that simple life my grandma always talks about. She’s been a<br />
huge role model for me, always reminding me, “You’re not responsible for<br />
anyone’s happiness except your own.” I try to take that to heart, and try to<br />
be the most successful version of myself every single day, which is a good<br />
thing because it pushes me to want to learn and grow. And if you can get<br />
to that spot in life, I really do think that’s where magic happens. <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
40 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | <strong>Dec</strong>/jan <strong>2017</strong>
dec/jan <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | 41
| NOW HEAR THIS<br />
THE CRESTON LINE<br />
With his new band, The Creston Line, singer-songwriter Jon Bartel pays tribute to the oak-filled agricultural<br />
preserve lands of Creston, where he grew up “wandering past windmills, walking all day, and finding nothing.”<br />
BY DAWN JANKE<br />
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARY MACLANE<br />
42 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | <strong>Dec</strong>/jan <strong>2017</strong>
ormed in 2014, The<br />
Creston Line is relatively<br />
new to the local music<br />
scene, but its imprint has<br />
already extended beyond<br />
<strong>SLO</strong> County. Earlier this<br />
year, in fact, Bartel was<br />
contacted by the digital<br />
music service Spotify about<br />
the licensing of the band’s<br />
Fsingle “Great Depression,”<br />
which will be featured in the second season of its<br />
online short series “Trading Playlists.” Bartel says,<br />
“While the licensing of songs isn’t foremost among<br />
my songwriting goals, it was nice to learn that the<br />
ostensible tastemakers think that The Creston Line will<br />
appeal to a broader audience.”<br />
And appeal to an audience, they do: The Creston Line<br />
released its debut EP, “Great Depression,” through<br />
local label Twang N Bang Records in August 2016 to<br />
a packed crowd at Dunbar Brewing Public House in<br />
Santa Margarita, and the title track went on to place<br />
in the Reader’s Choice category of the New Times<br />
Music Awards. The song was drawn thematically from<br />
the human toll of the Civil War and the economic<br />
tragedies of the Dust Bowl years, a connection Bartel<br />
conceived over two days as he battled a fever and<br />
watched Ken Burns’ documentaries.<br />
Bartel and pedal steel player Brenneth Stevens loosely<br />
began the band a few years ago as a duo called The<br />
Shots. Stevens, a Stanford University graduate student<br />
who is also a member of the Shawn Clark Family Band<br />
and a local session player, helped Bartel morph The<br />
Shots into The Creston Line’s five-piece ensemble with<br />
Bartel on guitar and vocals, Stevens on lead guitar and<br />
pedal steel, Adam Nash on lead guitar, Kirk MacLane<br />
on bass and vocals, and Taylor Belmore on drums. For<br />
all intents and purposes, Bartel says, “I would have had<br />
a hard time doing any of this without Bren.”<br />
Stevens is not the only member of The Creston Line<br />
who is involved in a variety of local music projects.<br />
Bartel has played lead guitar for American Dirt since<br />
2011; Belmore plays viola da gamba for Mothra; and<br />
Nash is a touring musician who currently travels up<br />
and down the coast playing gigs with several bands,<br />
including San Francisco-based Blind Willies. Bartel<br />
says, “I want everyone in this band to be open to other projects,” and the<br />
group members’ support for one another is evident on and off the stage. Nash<br />
describes his bandmates in The Creston Line as a group of “musicians of the<br />
same caliber and genuine goodness where it feels like we’re just hanging out<br />
with close friends.”<br />
Bartel, in particular, cannot speak highly enough about this ensemble of<br />
talented performers. Of Nash and Stevens, Bartel says, “They are the two bestsuited<br />
guitar players for what this band intends to do. They play different styles<br />
and they play off each other so well; their sound comes across as passionate<br />
chaos.” He says of the drummer, “Belmore plays drums like a songwriter<br />
thinks about drums: she’s really open and lays stuff down in a way that feels<br />
good. And she has a killer voice, which we at some point intend to employ on<br />
the new album.” Finally, in praise of MacLane, Bartel simply states, “Kirk has<br />
been doing this for so long—music is just intuitive for him.”<br />
Great Depression was co-produced by Bartel and MacLane and recorded<br />
and mixed at Bartel’s home studio, Northwall Studio, where he also recorded<br />
much of Shawn Clark’s most recent album as well as some other local music<br />
projects. About the studio name, Bartel explains, “We had a canyon due<br />
north from our house in Creston—I guess the north has always been my<br />
direction of exploration.”<br />
Wherever he and the band travels, The Creston Line continues to hone its<br />
sound, which Bartel sees as “a mixture of the Lemonheads, Soul Asylum,<br />
Uncle Tupelo, and Whiskeytown,” a blend of the 90’s alternative scene during<br />
which he came of age. The band’s material skirts the edges of folk, old country,<br />
and Americana, as well.<br />
Next, The Creston Line is preparing for the recording of its full-length album,<br />
slated for release in spring of <strong>2017</strong>. The LP will feature ten songs that are more<br />
mid- to up-tempo than those on the EP and will include some that the band<br />
has been performing live for a while now, as well as others that are new to all<br />
of them. Bartel, who played classical piano from the ages of six to sixteen, says<br />
he especially wants to spend time with the rhythm<br />
tracking on the upcoming album and may add piano<br />
to the mix. In sum, he states, “I feel like the album<br />
will reflect the best songs I’ve written.”<br />
As The Creston Line moves forward with more live<br />
shows and studio rehearsals, Bartel aims to have a<br />
well-practiced band that can adapt to any audience,<br />
or as MacLane puts it, “bring some moodiness<br />
into the music.” “The bottom line is, our music<br />
doesn’t have to be pedal to the floor all the time,”<br />
Bartel says. “We will play however it feels right—<br />
sometimes loud and driving and sometimes quiet<br />
and swampy.” He adds, “However we do it, The<br />
Creston Line is not going to rush the process.” <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
DAWN JANKE, Director,<br />
University Writing & Rhetoric<br />
Center Cal Poly, keeps her<br />
pulse on the Central Coast<br />
music scene.<br />
dec/jan <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | 43
| ON THE RISE<br />
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT<br />
Jibreel Cader<br />
The future is bright for this San Luis Obispo<br />
High School senior, who employs his passion for<br />
helping others to guide his future.<br />
What sort of extracurricular activities are you involved in? I’m lucky to be a part of<br />
San Luis Obispo High School’s Harvard Model Congress this year.<br />
What are your hobbies? I love to do almost anything that gets me outdoors: surfing,<br />
mountain biking, hiking, snowboarding.<br />
What recognition have you received? Honor Roll and Academic Excellence every<br />
trimester of my high school career.<br />
What is going on with you now? A big part of my family is dedicating ourselves to<br />
helping others. Aside from college apps and grinding through senior year, I assist<br />
my dad when he teaches Tactical Medicine to Law Enforcement. Our whole family<br />
works hard to make each and every training a success.<br />
What is your favorite memory? When I was in fourth grade my family went to<br />
India. One night my dad took me and my brother out into the surrounding city of<br />
where we were staying. We went out and bought some food supplies and created<br />
fifteen care packages, which we gave out to impoverished families living out of tents<br />
on the street. It took a little effort on our part but we were able to sustain those<br />
families for a month.<br />
What career do you see yourself in someday? I’d like to go into emergency<br />
medicine. I see it as a career where I’d have a unique skill that can really be applied<br />
to help people.<br />
Who has influenced you the most? My mom, for sure. She is a constant model of<br />
forbearance and limitless compassion.<br />
What do you want people to know about you? Nothing in particular. I’m just a<br />
Muslim American born here in <strong>SLO</strong> and I feel blessed to call this my home.<br />
If you won $1 million, what would you do with it? I would invest $400,000.<br />
Donate $200,000 to charity. Keep $300,000 aside to pay for my brother and sister’s<br />
education. Then just hold onto $100,000 and see what happens next.<br />
What do you dislike the most? Malicious people. I have yet to see a malicious person<br />
bring any benefit to humanity.<br />
If you could go back in history and meet anyone, who would it be? Martin<br />
Luther King Jr. would be interesting. I feel like he’d be very insightful in how to<br />
face grave adversity.<br />
What is something that no one knows about you? I got circled by a Great White<br />
one time when I was surfing under Pismo Pier.<br />
What schools are you considering for college? Just UC’s. Berkeley, Santa Barbara,<br />
and San Diego. <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
Know a student On the Rise?<br />
Introduce us at slolifemagazine.com/share<br />
44 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | <strong>Dec</strong>/jan <strong>2017</strong>
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dec/jan <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | 45
| DWELLING<br />
FULL CIRCLE<br />
Last year, CHUCK and NINA EBNER finished building the home of their<br />
dreams. Nestled on four acres overlooking an Atascadero valley, the couple<br />
has set themselves up for the long haul and no detail has been spared.<br />
PHOTOGRAPHY BY TREVOR POVAH<br />
46 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | <strong>Dec</strong>/jan <strong>2017</strong>
dec/jan <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | 47
ROOM WITH A VIEW The sliding door in the living room disappears into the wall maximizing the space and giving the<br />
feeling of an indoor-outdoor room with a nearly 180-degree perspective of the surrounding hillside landscape. Steel wire<br />
railings are a cost-effective way to add modern styling, while also expanding the view. And a generous overhang provides<br />
protection from the elements and refuge from the sun, which makes the deck an extension of comfortable living space.<br />
48 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | <strong>Dec</strong>/jan <strong>2017</strong>
Chuck Ebner first put his boots on the ground of the Central Coast<br />
when he was stationed at Camp Roberts and later at Fort Hunter<br />
Liggett as he served in the U.S. Army in the mid 80’s. “I loved<br />
the area, the landscape, the wine,” he states in a no-nonsense,<br />
straightforward manner revealing his military background. The young<br />
Ebner, who went to “the other” Cal Poly in Pomona, made his way<br />
into a long, twenty-year career as the Community Development<br />
Director for the City of Lakewood, a municipality of about 80,000<br />
people in Los Angeles County. Later, he found himself back at Fort<br />
Hunter Liggett, this time in the Army Reserves, when he rekindled<br />
his love for the Central Coast. >><br />
dec/jan <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | 49
STRENGTH IN NUMBERS Many exposed<br />
engineered wood beams add structural<br />
strength, while also contributing to the<br />
styling of the modern hillside home. Since the<br />
supports are manufactured, unusual bends<br />
and curves were designed into the beams.<br />
Before long, the couple found themselves huddled with San Luis<br />
Obispo-based architect Bill Isaman trying to figure out how to design<br />
the home they had envisioned: all one level with a common living<br />
area flanked by a master suite and a guest area, complete with an<br />
underground garage. As the plan evolved to reflect the realities of the<br />
terrain and the construction budget, an elevated structure manifested,<br />
which was designed to follow the slope of the hillside as well as<br />
blend into the surrounding landscape. By February 2014, the general<br />
contractor, also of San Luis Obispo, Stalwork, Inc., broke ground on<br />
the four-acre property. Chuck confesses that the project would have<br />
gone a lot faster had he “not made so many changes along the way.” >><br />
50 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | <strong>Dec</strong>/jan <strong>2017</strong>
dec/jan <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | 51
BACKBONE An oversized<br />
center supporting wall<br />
running through the middle<br />
of the home, known as<br />
a “spine wall,” serves as<br />
the center of the building<br />
making it attractive and<br />
intriguing as a design<br />
element, while also providing<br />
load-bearing strength as a<br />
structural component.<br />
In the end, Nina, who relishes the thrill of the chase involved in decorating<br />
the home and confesses to spending much of her time at thrift shops,<br />
consignment stores, and on Craigslist, counts the view and the quiet as her<br />
favorite aspects of the home. “It’s the landscape, and the beauty, and the<br />
tranquility of the area that we love the most.” While the home is certainly<br />
quiet, it is seldom without company. Although their 24-year-old son rarely<br />
is able to break away from his work to come out for a visit, the couple<br />
hosts a steady stream of friends and family. And, sometimes when Chuck<br />
is enjoying one his favorite glasses of wine out on the deck, he thinks back<br />
to his days as a young G.I. when he gazed out at the bucolic Central Coast<br />
landscape and wondered if he might be lucky enough to find himself here<br />
again one day. <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
TREVOR POVAH is an<br />
architectural photographer<br />
here on the Central Coast.<br />
52 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | <strong>Dec</strong>/jan <strong>2017</strong>
“<br />
Our REALTOR Sarah Weber did an<br />
amazing job helping us find two<br />
exceptional properties and we are now<br />
in the process of building our dream<br />
home in San Luis Obispo. We are<br />
thankful for her hard work, dedication<br />
and professionalism. She was so fun to<br />
work with and we would recommend her<br />
to anyone.<br />
”<br />
Billy and Laura Reeves<br />
San Luis Obispo Realty is proud of our<br />
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dec/jan <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | 53
| ARCHITECTURE<br />
DESIGN<br />
+<br />
BUILD<br />
In this ongoing feature, <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine is proud to partner with the American<br />
Institute of Architects California Central Coast to unveil its current project winners and highlight<br />
our local design and engineering talent. Each month, the organization reviews submissions<br />
and selects the top Central Coast projects. Below are two recent installments in this series.<br />
<strong>Dec</strong>ember Project Recognition<br />
The Butler Hotel, San Luis Obispo<br />
Architect garcia architecture + design<br />
Interiors garcia architecture + design<br />
Structural Engineer Ashley & Vance Structural Engineers<br />
Mechanical Engineer BMA Mechanical<br />
Electrical GECE Electrical<br />
Contractor Pacific Builders<br />
Photography Studio 101 West, garcia architecture + design<br />
After sitting vacant for years, local<br />
architect George Garcia saw the potential<br />
that lay hidden within the shell of an<br />
abandoned, ivy-covered metal and steel<br />
building. Looking for an alternative hotel<br />
experience to offer his out-of-town clients<br />
and colleagues, he envisioned a one-ofa-kind<br />
hospitality experience that lay at<br />
the intersection of technology, design, and<br />
luxury. By repurposing yet respecting the<br />
existing industrial structure, this new hotel<br />
offering creates a unique visitor experience<br />
unlike any other.<br />
The heavily patinated concrete floors<br />
and rusting steel panels of this existing<br />
building yield no clues as to what lies<br />
inside. As guests enter through the<br />
historic 1950’s façade, they immediately<br />
find themselves in an eclectic haven<br />
infused with industrial yet modern design.<br />
Once inside, this boutique hotel’s rough<br />
exterior gives way to an unexpected array<br />
of sophisticated modern details. A striking<br />
monochromatic color scheme contrasts<br />
with the faded yet authentic character of<br />
this former auto repair garage.<br />
Secret passcodes and live video check-in<br />
work in harmony with historically<br />
significant artwork and repurposed<br />
elements, a concept the design team<br />
coins “Retro-Tech.” The styling<br />
continues in each of the meticulously<br />
appointed guest rooms, featuring classic<br />
mid-century furnishings alongside<br />
bespoke wood cabinetry that celebrate<br />
modern design. Guests are free to relax<br />
in the intimate library lounge, spin<br />
some vinyl on the vintage phonograph,<br />
or enjoy an afternoon sitting on the<br />
sun-drenched outdoor patio.<br />
Each luxurious guest room features lush<br />
carpeting, custom lighting fixtures, and<br />
individually curated artwork. The elegantly<br />
finished bathrooms include floor-toceiling<br />
porcelain tile and custom marble<br />
and walnut counters, along with modern<br />
yet eco-friendly lighting and plumbing<br />
fixtures. From the custom hand-crafted<br />
casegoods designed and built in-house,<br />
to the individually carved “Do-Not-<br />
Disturb” walnut and maple placards, no<br />
detail was overlooked. The design team<br />
even hand-picked the linens, duvets, and<br />
pillows, as well as all bath amenities, in<br />
a deliberate effort to promote a unified<br />
design consciousness, while providing<br />
a memorable and lasting hospitality<br />
experience here in San Luis Obispo.<br />
54 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | <strong>Dec</strong>/jan <strong>2017</strong>
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dec/jan <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | 55
<strong>Jan</strong>uary Project Recognition<br />
Chris Anholm House, San Luis Obispo<br />
Architect Greg Wynn, AIA<br />
Interiors Vickie Knemeyer, Sea Country Interiors<br />
Landscape Gardens by Gabriel<br />
Contractor Ryk Kluver Construction<br />
In 2009, the Chris Anholm House went through a major renovation<br />
to restore the neglected structure and site. The home was reconstructed<br />
to the original sense of time and place through extensive research<br />
and archived photographs while meeting the owner’s programmatic<br />
requirements of today. With exterior porches for every time of day, a<br />
central clerestory volume above, and landscaped vistas to distant framed<br />
views, the open floor plan and clear circulation define California living.<br />
Because much of the building and infrastructure was beyond repair,<br />
builder Ryk Kluver de-constructed the home and salvaged usable siding,<br />
windows, and framing lumber for later re-use in the project. Artifacts<br />
found that maintain the historical integrity of the house include original<br />
siding boards bearing Chris Anholm’s signature, which were verified<br />
through building permit records and are on display in the entry foyer.<br />
Passive ventilation at the clerestory, radiant floor heat, extra insulation,<br />
and quality wood-frame windows provide efficient thermal comfort,<br />
while rainwater catchment and a premier succulent landscape foster<br />
sustainable and beautiful outdoor areas. These areas feature entertainment<br />
zones with a pizza oven and fireplace, an intimate writer’s studio and<br />
creekside deck.<br />
With city council approval of Master List Historic status and a Mills<br />
Act conservation contract, the Chris Anholm house is recognized as<br />
the finest home in the Anholm Tract, as it was in 1925. Architect Greg<br />
Wynn noted, “I like to think that if Mr. Anholm were with us today, he<br />
would instantly recognize his family home and appreciate the work done<br />
to restore it.”<br />
About the AIA CCC<br />
The American Institute<br />
of Architects has been<br />
the leading professional<br />
membership association<br />
for licensed architects,<br />
emerging professionals,<br />
and allied partners since<br />
1957. The local California<br />
Central Coast division<br />
works in collaboration<br />
with <strong>SLO</strong> Life Magazine<br />
to showcase its monthly<br />
award winning projects<br />
demonstrating notable<br />
concepts that have<br />
been constructed after<br />
being designed by local<br />
architects. <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
56 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | <strong>Dec</strong>/jan <strong>2017</strong>
dec/jan <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | 57
| <strong>SLO</strong> CITY<br />
REAL ESTATE<br />
BY THE NUMBERS<br />
laguna<br />
lake<br />
tank<br />
farm<br />
cal poly<br />
area<br />
country<br />
club<br />
down<br />
town<br />
foothill<br />
blvd<br />
johnson<br />
ave<br />
Total Homes Sold<br />
Average Asking Price<br />
Average Selling Price<br />
Sales Price as a % of Asking Price<br />
Average # of Days on the Market<br />
Total Homes Sold<br />
Average Asking Price<br />
Average Selling Price<br />
Sales Price as a % of Asking Price<br />
Average # of Days on the Market<br />
Total Homes Sold<br />
Average Asking Price<br />
Average Selling Price<br />
Sales Price as a % of Asking Price<br />
Average # of Days on the Market<br />
2015<br />
62<br />
691,440<br />
673,980<br />
97.47<br />
73<br />
2015<br />
30<br />
748,326<br />
733,260<br />
97.99<br />
65<br />
2015<br />
21<br />
769,333<br />
734,019<br />
95.41<br />
58<br />
2015<br />
Total Homes Sold<br />
14<br />
Average Asking Price<br />
1,126,786<br />
Average Selling Price<br />
1,074,814<br />
Sales Price as a % of Asking Price 95.39<br />
Average # of Days on the Market 51<br />
Total Homes Sold<br />
Average Asking Price<br />
Average Selling Price<br />
Sales Price as a % of Asking Price<br />
Average # of Days on the Market<br />
Total Homes Sold<br />
Average Asking Price<br />
Average Selling Price<br />
Sales Price as a % of Asking Price<br />
Average # of Days on the Market<br />
Total Homes Sold<br />
Average Asking Price<br />
Average Selling Price<br />
Sales Price as a % of Asking Price<br />
Average # of Days on the Market<br />
2015<br />
39<br />
693,067<br />
589,067<br />
85.03<br />
46<br />
2015<br />
40<br />
734,738<br />
723,987<br />
98.54<br />
28<br />
2015<br />
53<br />
760,619<br />
738,865<br />
97.14<br />
39<br />
2016<br />
44<br />
702,545<br />
694,981<br />
98.92<br />
46<br />
2016<br />
32<br />
847,128<br />
821,839<br />
97.01<br />
44<br />
2016<br />
28<br />
768,346<br />
757,727<br />
98.62<br />
25<br />
2016<br />
20<br />
1,298,350<br />
1,244,900<br />
95.88<br />
80<br />
2016<br />
59<br />
688,951<br />
683,149<br />
99.16<br />
30<br />
2016<br />
38<br />
818,905<br />
802,039<br />
97.94<br />
45<br />
2016<br />
52<br />
818,874<br />
801,020<br />
97.82<br />
65<br />
+/-<br />
-29.03%<br />
1.61%<br />
3.12%<br />
1.45%<br />
-36.99%<br />
+/-<br />
6.67%<br />
13.20%<br />
12.08%<br />
-0.98%<br />
-32.31%<br />
+/-<br />
33.33%<br />
-0.13%<br />
3.23%<br />
3.21%<br />
-56.90%<br />
+/-<br />
42.86%<br />
15.23%<br />
15.82%<br />
0.49%<br />
56.86%<br />
+/-<br />
51.28%<br />
-0.59%<br />
15.97%<br />
14.13%<br />
-34.78%<br />
+/-<br />
-5.00%<br />
11.46%<br />
10.78%<br />
-0.60%<br />
60.71%<br />
+/-<br />
-1.89%<br />
7.66%<br />
8.41%<br />
0.68%<br />
66.67%<br />
*Comparing 1/1/15 - 11/20/15 to 1/1/16 - 11/20/16<br />
SOURCE: San Luis Obispo Association of REALTORS ®<br />
<strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
58 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | <strong>Dec</strong>/jan <strong>2017</strong>
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755 Santa Rosa Street, Suite 300, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401<br />
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dec/jan <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | 59
| <strong>SLO</strong> COUNTY<br />
CRUSHED GRAPE<br />
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REAL ESTATE<br />
REGION<br />
BY THE NUMBERS<br />
NUMBER OF<br />
HOMES SOLD<br />
2015<br />
2016<br />
AVERAGE DAYS<br />
ON MARKET<br />
2015<br />
2016<br />
MEDIAN SELLING<br />
PRICE<br />
2015<br />
2016<br />
Arroyo Grande<br />
275<br />
283<br />
76<br />
60<br />
661,000<br />
635,000<br />
Atascadero<br />
348<br />
294<br />
64<br />
59<br />
486,958<br />
471,500<br />
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Avila Beach<br />
Cambria/San Simeon<br />
16<br />
132<br />
17<br />
150<br />
91<br />
108<br />
170<br />
104<br />
912,150<br />
582,500<br />
915,000<br />
564,500<br />
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Cayucos<br />
Creston<br />
Grover Beach<br />
44<br />
10<br />
76<br />
30<br />
7<br />
105<br />
104<br />
132<br />
55<br />
116<br />
162<br />
41<br />
815,000<br />
480,000<br />
461,500<br />
806,250<br />
566,000<br />
505,000<br />
Los Osos<br />
164<br />
139<br />
52<br />
66<br />
453,500<br />
535,000<br />
Morro Bay<br />
137<br />
137<br />
81<br />
61<br />
575,000<br />
599,000<br />
Nipomo<br />
228<br />
228<br />
71<br />
62<br />
539,500<br />
577,450<br />
Oceano<br />
50<br />
43<br />
51<br />
56<br />
394,950<br />
422,000<br />
Pismo Beach<br />
100<br />
93<br />
63<br />
90<br />
795,000<br />
809,592<br />
Paso (Inside City Limits)<br />
459<br />
429<br />
68<br />
57<br />
415,000<br />
445,000<br />
Paso (North 46 - East 101)<br />
40<br />
34<br />
85<br />
59<br />
390,000<br />
412,500<br />
Paso (North 46 - West 101)<br />
89<br />
87<br />
116<br />
123<br />
445,000<br />
515,000<br />
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60 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | <strong>Dec</strong>/jan <strong>2017</strong><br />
Paso (South 46 - East 101)<br />
San Luis Obispo<br />
Santa Margarita<br />
Templeton<br />
Countywide<br />
59<br />
328<br />
17<br />
100<br />
2,823<br />
46<br />
331<br />
20<br />
98<br />
2,727<br />
*Comparing 1/1/15 - 11/2015 to 1/1/16 - 11/20/16<br />
103 95 450,000 494,250<br />
53 52 666,000 710,000<br />
124 48 423,500 378,000<br />
92 108 582,500 577,071<br />
75 69 515,000 549,000<br />
SOURCE: San Luis Obispo Association of REALTORS ®<br />
<strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong>
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dec/jan <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | 61
| EXPLORE<br />
TAKING RELAXATION<br />
TO THE EXTREME<br />
Sensory Deprivation Floating<br />
BY PADEN HUGHES<br />
62 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | <strong>Dec</strong>/jan <strong>2017</strong>
The word deprivation doesn’t usually come to mind when we think about<br />
experiences that will enhance our lives. But what if acquiring a unique<br />
experience meant you had to deprive yourself of your senses of sight, sound<br />
and touch? If that piques your interest, I highly recommend floating.<br />
Without too much convincing, I talked my husband into joining me to try something<br />
new. We pulled up to a beautifully landscaped home and met Barbara Combs, a passionate<br />
nutritionist and wellness enthusiast who runs the Living Well Gallery & Spa. Using a float<br />
tent, Combs provides sensory deprivation floats out of her home in Atascadero.<br />
Flotation chambers, also known as isolation tanks and sensory deprivation tanks, were<br />
first developed by John C. Lilly in 1954. In the 1970’s the practice also became known as<br />
REST, or Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy. The Zen flotation chamber used<br />
by Combs is a rectangular tent about the size of a twin bed. It is pitch black inside and has<br />
about 12 inches of water that is heated to 95 degrees and infused with Epsom salt. I have<br />
experienced the buoyancy of highly concentrated salt water when I floated in the Dead<br />
Sea in Israel, with 33.7% salinity, but to put this experience in perspective, the Living Well<br />
Gallery & Spa’s float tent is set at 80% salinity.<br />
“People describe floating as a womb experience. It’s incredibly freeing of your mind to<br />
strip away the distractions our senses can provide us. Floating can feel so timeless you<br />
almost slip into a trance. I’m passionate about floating because of how many psychological<br />
breakthroughs and health benefits this spa treatment can give people. It’s especially effective<br />
for people recovering from trauma,” explained Combs.<br />
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According to Combs, floating, originally popular in the 70’s, is making a big comeback<br />
because it provides: relaxation—it slips you into a meditative state removing the external<br />
stimuli that distracts our minds from the purity of our thoughts; absorption of magnesium—<br />
most Americans are deficient in the mineral, which is detoxifying, helps keep blood<br />
pressure normal, bones strong, and the heart rhythm steady; psychological and emotional<br />
breakthroughs—floating leads even the most inspiring executives to make mental and<br />
emotional connections to problems they have been too distracted to solve.<br />
So how does it work? Before floating you cover any cuts with Vaseline—open skin doesn’t<br />
feel good when it comes in contact with the Epsom salt—put in earplugs, and wear an eye<br />
mask. Entering into the chamber, the water temperature is designed to match your body<br />
temperature, so it feels neither hot nor cold. Laying back, you instantly feel weightless,<br />
hearing only your breathing.<br />
I started off with some breathing exercises I remembered from my<br />
yoga days, sinking into relaxation with each exhale. It felt like I<br />
was slowly orbiting in circles in complete darkness. I lost a sense<br />
of time, sight, and sound. I can only explain it as feeling peacefully<br />
detached from reality.<br />
Nicole Pazdan, CSA,<br />
Being seven months pregnant I did not totally lose my sense of<br />
touch as my growing baby girl decided it was time to wake up and<br />
start moving. So, I placed my hands on my stomach and was able<br />
to use the time to connect with my emotions about motherhood<br />
and enjoy feeling the baby shift around. The hour flew by. My<br />
husband let me know the hour was up, and I took a hot shower to<br />
rinse off all the salt. Floating was a surreal experience for me. I felt<br />
incredibly light, euphoric and had the kind of “post massage buzz”<br />
that has yet to go away. <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
PADEN HUGHES is<br />
co-owner of Gymnazo<br />
and enjoys exploring<br />
the Central Coast.<br />
Contact us today for FREE placement assistance.<br />
(805) 546-8777<br />
elderplacementprofessionals.com<br />
dec/jan <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | 63
| HEALTH<br />
Better Sleep<br />
a key to good health<br />
It appears that the author, Shawn<br />
Stevenson, is on to something.<br />
Check out our seven favorite tips.<br />
Who doesn’t crave to wake up<br />
renewed and refreshed? We recently<br />
stumbled upon a book titled “Sleep<br />
Smarter: 21 Essential Strategies<br />
to Sleep Your Way to a Better<br />
Body, Better Health, and Bigger<br />
Success.” Inspired to get a good<br />
night’s sleep, we adopted some of<br />
its recommended practices and the<br />
results couldn’t have been better.<br />
No. 1<br />
GET A LITTLE SUNLIGHT<br />
This may sound counterintuitive, but the facts are hard to<br />
deny. Like almost everything else we humans do, hormones<br />
are making it happen. And, sleep is no different. Through<br />
a finely choreographed series of hormonal release we make<br />
our way through the day. One of the key hormones for<br />
sleep is serotonin, which our bodies release when exposed to<br />
sunlight. And our circadian rhythms suggest that our body’s<br />
receptors—our skin and our eyes—are most responsive to<br />
the sun’s ultraviolet rays early in the morning, from sunrise<br />
to 8:30am or so. Lucky for us living on the Central Coast,<br />
sunshine is common at those hours. Try getting a little sun<br />
first thing in the morning—yes, without sunglasses and<br />
sunscreen—and see for yourself if it makes a difference for<br />
your sleep quality.<br />
64 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | <strong>Dec</strong>/jan <strong>2017</strong>
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dec/jan <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | 65
No. 2<br />
No. 3<br />
TRY MIGHTY MAGNESIUM<br />
It turns out that an estimated 80% of Americans are deficient<br />
of this mineral, which is sometimes referred to as the “antistress<br />
mineral.” A study published in the Journal of Intensive<br />
Care Medicine showed that people deficient in magnesium were<br />
twice as likely to die early. And, Mark Hyman, MD, director<br />
of the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine states,<br />
“This critical mineral is actually responsible for over 300 enzyme<br />
reactions and is found in all of your tissues—but mainly in your<br />
bones, muscles, and brain. You must have it for your cells to make<br />
energy, for many different chemical pumps to work, to stabilize<br />
membranes, and to help muscles relax.” We bought ourselves some<br />
of this stuff in a spray form as the book recommended and, while<br />
it could have been a placebo effect, each of us reported having<br />
excellent, deep sleep that night.<br />
FIX YOUR GUT<br />
This one, too, was a surprise. It seems that everyone these days is talking<br />
about gut health. It all started to make sense when we learned that<br />
approximately 95% of the body’s serotonin is located in the gastrointestinal<br />
tract. There is far too much to cover here, but if you are serious about<br />
optimizing your sleep this is a great place to focus. Entire books are written<br />
about gut health, but Stevenson shares some of the major causes that have<br />
been clinically proven to damage or disorient gut microbiome: agricultural<br />
chemicals, processed foods, repeated antibiotic use, food additives and<br />
preservatives, and chlorinated water. Getting your gut right, it appears, may<br />
take you a long way toward a better night’s sleep.<br />
No. 4<br />
TIMING IS EVERYTHING<br />
Stevenson describes how in less than one hundred<br />
years—a very short time when measured against<br />
human evolution—we have disconnected ourselves<br />
from the diurnal rhythms of the earth… yes, we know<br />
that sounds like “trippy hippy” talk, but it does make<br />
sense if you think about it. All through our evolution<br />
we went to sleep when it became dark and rose with<br />
the sun. Therefore, and research proves this, our most<br />
restful sleeping hours are from 10pm to 2am. Instead<br />
of allowing our bodies to repair themselves, many<br />
Americans are watching Netflix. Our hormones do<br />
weird things when we are awake past 10pm, it turns out,<br />
as there is a “second wind” phenomenon, which is the<br />
release of a series of stress hormones that kick in that<br />
provides a boost of energy if we miss this window. This,<br />
of course, makes it harder to settle in for a deep sleep<br />
allowing our bodies to repair and rejuvenate. Repetitively<br />
missing this cycle can spell trouble, as the International<br />
Agency for Research on Cancer now classifies overnight<br />
shift work as a Group 2A carcinogen.<br />
No. 5 BLACK IT OUT<br />
Make your room as dark as possible, pitch black if you can. And, research<br />
shows that an eye mask alone won’t do it because your skin can actually<br />
“see.” That’s right, according to a Brown University study, our skin is full<br />
of photoreceptors (the same ones that react to sunlight in our first tip)<br />
that respond to light. A follow-up study at Cornell University tested these<br />
findings by shining a quarter-sized light on the backside of their subjects’<br />
knees. Results showed that this consistently resulted in much lower quality<br />
sleep. Consider putting in some room-darkening drapes and ditch the alarm<br />
clock (blue and white digital clocks are the worst offenders, red is better), or<br />
do as the book recommends: cover it with a sweatshirt or something while<br />
you sleep and lift it up to peek at the time only if you have to.<br />
66 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | <strong>Dec</strong>/jan <strong>2017</strong>
dec/jan <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | 67
No. 6 BE COOL<br />
This one seems obvious, as so many of us here on the Central Coast do not have airconditioned<br />
homes and have experienced a night of tossing and turning that accompanies<br />
a hot spell. As it turns out, body temperature has a lot to do with sleep. According to a<br />
study conducted by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, researchers fitted<br />
insomniacs with “cooling caps.” The results were astonishing: when the subjects wore the<br />
caps, they fell asleep faster (about 13 minutes compared to 16 minutes for the healthy<br />
control group), and remained asleep 89% of the time they were in bed, the same as the<br />
non-insomniacs.<br />
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68 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | <strong>Dec</strong>/jan <strong>2017</strong><br />
No. 7<br />
KICK YOUR “FRIENDS” OUT<br />
Remove all electronic devices from your bedroom, which Stevenson refers to as your “sleep<br />
sanctuary.” That means no cell phones, televisions, desktops, laptops, iPads, Kindles, tablets, etc.<br />
Research is fast catching up in this area, but all of it—including those studies coming from<br />
the mobile companies themselves—is not good. In one trial conducted at the Loughborough<br />
University Sleep Research Centre in England, it was found that brain wave patterns were altered<br />
so significantly by cell phone usage prior to bedtime that it took one full hour on average to<br />
return to normal patterns after the phone was turned off, which significantly disrupted sleep.<br />
Same goes for watching TV in bed. Instead, try shutting it off an hour or two before sleep and<br />
reading a book (a real, printed one) under a dimmed incandescent light (not LED). And, if you<br />
must use electronics, consider wearing some of those funky, space-aged amber hued glasses,<br />
which filter out much of the sleep depriving blue light that is emitted from electronic screens. <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong>
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| STORYTELLERS’ CORNER<br />
BEGIN AGAIN<br />
In this ongoing feature, New York Times Best Selling author<br />
FRANZ WISNER teams up with <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine to explore<br />
the magic of an age-old tradition: storytelling.<br />
BY FRANZ WISNER<br />
Only in America can a guy can get dumped at the altar and turn it into a<br />
career. I am exhibit A, Franz Wisner, professional dumpee/storyteller.<br />
My story began when my fiancée called off our Sea Ranch, California wedding just a few<br />
days before our planned vows. With guests (and wine) en-route, I decided to go ahead and<br />
join the weekend festivities, attempting to smile during the golf tournament and rehearsal<br />
dinner. “Well, you’ve already paid for it,” I told myself. “Might as well try to enjoy it.”<br />
Of the 150 people invited to the wedding, 75 showed up—my side of the aisle. They gave<br />
me hugs and made me feel a little better about my situation, at least until I returned to my<br />
corporate communications job the next week and learned I had been demoted.<br />
Dumbfounded and depressed, I did something rash. I grabbed my recently divorced brother,<br />
Kurt, and took him on my prepaid honeymoon to Costa Rica. Just a quick trip to shake<br />
things up a little, I told him. That turned out to be a bit of an understatement.<br />
At the end of two weeks, I convinced Kurt to continue the honeymoon… for two years<br />
and 53 countries. We quit our jobs, sold our homes, unplugged our lives, and continued<br />
exploring this big ole planet of ours.<br />
We chased wildlife in Botswana and nightlife in Rio de <strong>Jan</strong>eiro, feasted on pho soups<br />
at sidewalk cafes in Vietnam and got sick after devouring a Subway sandwich in Peru,<br />
slept on couches, negotiated every purchase, dumped the guidebooks, and relied solely on<br />
recommendations from locals. Midway through our travels, I realized I had a new best<br />
friend, a guy who just happened to be my brother.<br />
FRANZ WISNER is a New<br />
York Times bestselling<br />
author and the founder of<br />
The Bestsellers Group, a<br />
storytelling agency.<br />
I also found love. No, not a future bride. I discovered a passion<br />
for writing and storytelling. Up until that point, I’d spent my<br />
career writing for others, penning speeches for politicians and<br />
CEOs, and crafting press releases that relied heavily on words<br />
like “synergy” and “stakeholders.”<br />
Out on the road, with some time on my hands, I began to<br />
write for me. My writing took the form of essays at first,<br />
quirky stories about intrepid backpackers or awful taxi drivers.<br />
For the first time in my life, I wrote from the heart. It felt<br />
liberating and exciting, like somebody handing me a giant box<br />
of Crayolas after I’d spent my life coloring in gray.<br />
At the end of the honeymoon, I received a couple offers to<br />
go back to the corporate world. But my world had changed.<br />
The heart is a powerful thing. Once you write from it, all<br />
other types of writing ring hollow. I didn’t want to go back<br />
to “synergy.”<br />
I decided to write a book titled, you guessed it,<br />
“Honeymoon with My Brother.” From day one, the<br />
book took on a life of its own. We launched on The<br />
Today Show and told our story on Oprah. Book clubs<br />
embraced it, sending us photos of wedding cakes with<br />
miniature grooms on top and brides fleeing off the<br />
side. “Honeymoon with My Brother” made the New<br />
York Times Best Sellers list.<br />
My publisher, St. Martin’s Press, wanted a follow-up<br />
book. “Oh no,” I said. “I’m not getting dumped again.”<br />
They assured me I could write about anything I wished,<br />
and I hit the road anew with Kurt to pen a book called<br />
“How the World Makes Love,” a lighthearted look<br />
at dating and marriage around the globe. At the end<br />
of that process, I met a woman in California, fell in<br />
love, and proposed. She said, “Yes.” Better, she actually<br />
showed up to the wedding, a first for me.<br />
Around this time, I started teaching and helping<br />
individuals and companies with their storytelling<br />
efforts. I got a huge charge out of seeing their stories<br />
come to life. I realized how essential storytelling is<br />
to our time here on earth. It’s how we see everything<br />
around us. It’s how we relate to others. Data and<br />
superlatives go in one ear and out the other. Stories<br />
resonate, inspire, and remain inside us.<br />
At the same time, I feel storytelling is neglected in our<br />
society. We charge on with our hectic lives and our<br />
businesses, too often bogged down by minutia, rarely<br />
taking the time to think, “What’s my story?” When<br />
we do carve out a little time for some storytelling, we<br />
struggle with how to do it.<br />
That’s why I was thrilled when Tom Franciskovich<br />
approached me about writing for <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong>. I loved<br />
the idea of a regular column devoted to storytelling.<br />
Our lives and businesses are stories, essential ones,<br />
with new chapters being written every day. Time to<br />
give that storytelling a little TLC.<br />
In the coming months I plan to write about the art<br />
and craft of storytelling, offer some literary techniques<br />
to help with your stories, and explore the stories that<br />
move us. I’m calling this column The Storytellers’<br />
Corner (plural possessive) because I see it as an<br />
interactive effort. I want to hear your stories and<br />
answer your questions about storytelling.<br />
The best stories are ones that use shared experiences<br />
and emotions to connect. That’s exactly what I hope to<br />
do with this column.<br />
So our story begins. <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
70 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | <strong>Dec</strong>/jan <strong>2017</strong>
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76 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | <strong>Dec</strong>/jan <strong>2017</strong>
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dec/jan <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | 77
| OPINION<br />
PECHO COAST<br />
NATIONAL SEASHORE<br />
Outgoing San Luis Obispo City Councilman JOHN ASHBAUGH shares his innovative<br />
idea for the future of Diablo Canyon after its nuclear facility is decommissioned in 2025:<br />
turn it into a National Park.<br />
BY JOHN ASHBAUGH<br />
PHOTOGRAPHY BY LANCE KINNEY<br />
78 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | <strong>Dec</strong>/jan <strong>2017</strong>
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dec/jan <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | 79
Like most Americans, I am utterly<br />
enthralled with our National Parks.<br />
Much of my childhood was lived in<br />
Lassen Volcanic National Park near our<br />
home in Redding, and we car-camped in<br />
many of the western National Parks. My<br />
family has continued that tradition from<br />
San Luis Obispo.<br />
This year, the National Park Service (NPS) is celebrating its Centennial<br />
at all of its 412 units, covering 84 million acres of spectacular landscapes,<br />
beaches, deserts, forests, and waters. Californians are blessed with nine<br />
National Parks, eleven National Monuments, and a variety of National<br />
Recreation Areas, Preserves, Trails, and a National Seashore (Point Reyes<br />
in Marin County).<br />
For me, the National Parks are a place of respite, inspiration, and<br />
connection to the magic of the natural world. They also serve to remind<br />
all Americans of our history, and the even longer “pre-history” of the<br />
many cultures and communities of Native Americans who once inhabited<br />
these lands.<br />
I was reminded of this connection many times over this summer<br />
of the NPS Centennial—and it got me to thinking: Why don’t<br />
we have a National Park here in San Luis Obispo County? In my<br />
considered opinion, we should—and there’s a great candidate right<br />
in our own backyard.<br />
Recent events suggest an opportunity for this community to take<br />
the initiative to propose a new National Park here: The Pecho Coast<br />
National Seashore.<br />
Last June, PG&E announced that the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power<br />
Plant (DCNPP) would begin the long process of decommissioning<br />
in 2025. This facility is the last operating nuclear power plant in<br />
California, and with its closure, our region will see a net economic loss<br />
of about $1 billion annually.<br />
The County, school districts, and nearby cities are reeling in the face of<br />
this announcement. Over the last few months, a coalition of cities have<br />
urged PG&E to negotiate strategies to mitigate the economic impacts<br />
that we will feel in this region.<br />
Even before the planned closure was announced, I had been urging<br />
local leaders to launch “post-Diablo” planning so that we can transition<br />
smoothly into a future without Diablo Canyon. For over a half-century,<br />
we have benefitted from economic stimulus from the power plant, but<br />
that will end soon. For Diablo Canyon to continue as an operating >><br />
80 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | <strong>Dec</strong>/jan <strong>2017</strong>
&<br />
dec/jan <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | 81
nuclear power plant, PG&E would have to invest billions to upgrade the<br />
facility. They have other priorities now, and have committed to exceed new<br />
state requirements to derive 50% of their electrical power from renewable,<br />
sustainable sources by 2030—they are going for 55%.<br />
The closure of Diablo Canyon will require careful deliberation and<br />
intelligent leadership for at least the next decade. With such guidance, we<br />
can seize a unique opportunity that presents itself due to the fact that this<br />
energy company has exercised such careful stewardship over the 12,800<br />
acres of pristine coastal lands surrounding the nuclear power plant.<br />
Why not take advantage of that vast protected area and combine PG&E’s<br />
holdings with the 8,000-acre Montaña de Oro State Park nearby, to<br />
assemble a continuous coastal area that qualifies as a unit of the National<br />
Park Service? Let’s think even bigger by adding the 5,500 acres of the<br />
Hibbert Preserve and Wild Cherry Canyon, which is owned by PG&E<br />
but subject to a long-term lease controlled by a developer.<br />
Let’s also consider adding the historic 1892 Point San Luis Lighthouse,<br />
owned by the Port San Luis Harbor District, at its southern end. Together,<br />
about 25,000 acres could easily qualify as a unit of our famed National<br />
Park system, right in our backyard.<br />
What is required to create such a magnificent park? The most<br />
important ingredient is the land itself—and anyone who has<br />
experienced this area knows that it is worthy of National Park status<br />
on the basis of its raw beauty alone—not to mention its unique flora<br />
and fauna, geology, and history.<br />
Beyond that, we will need strong cooperation with the landowners,<br />
both public and private, enthusiastic support within the surrounding<br />
communities, and unified local political leadership. Only Congress<br />
can declare a National Park. For example, Pinnacles National Park is<br />
credited to Monterey Congressman Sam Farr, who retires at the end<br />
of this year. A National Monument like the Carrizo Plains requires<br />
only an executive order by the President under the Antiquities Act<br />
of 1906. President Bill Clinton created the Carrizo Plains National<br />
Monument on <strong>Jan</strong>uary 17, 2001, just three days before leaving<br />
office. Many National Parks were first designated by the President<br />
as National Monuments. In another instance, Theodore Roosevelt<br />
declared Pinnacles a National Monument in 1908. In that same year,<br />
he also proclaimed the Grand Canyon as a National Monument, but<br />
Congress made it a National Park just after Roosevelt’s death in 1919.<br />
Creating a Pecho Coast National Seashore will provoke controversy, >><br />
82 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | <strong>Dec</strong>/jan <strong>2017</strong>
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without a doubt since National Park designation requires an Act of<br />
Congress, in this case the State Legislature would be asked to transfer the<br />
State Park to the NPS. Federal control might be a hard pill to swallow,<br />
but federal support would be enormously helpful in securing the funding<br />
needed to buy out the interests of PG&E and its partner in Wild Cherry<br />
Canyon, HomeFed Corporation of Carlsbad.<br />
A few hundred acres in and around the power plant would need to be<br />
carved out of the National Park boundaries for DCNPP decommissioning,<br />
and for safe storage of spent fuel—at least until the Nuclear Regulatory<br />
Commission can find some other place for it to go. In my view, the<br />
federal government is already a major stakeholder in our post-Diablo<br />
future. A National Park would come with federal dollars to secure the<br />
conservation values of this outstanding area, while also securing the<br />
radioactive waste.<br />
The communities of Los Osos, Avila Beach, Morro Bay, San Luis<br />
Obispo, and the Five Cities would need to get on board. So, what’s in<br />
it for them?<br />
National Parks typically bring in substantial non-local visitors with dollars.<br />
A recent study by the NPS showed that Point Reyes National Seashore,<br />
for example, yielded these numbers: the park attracted 2.5 million visitors<br />
in 2015, who spent over $100 million in Marin County. This spending<br />
in turn generated 1,400 jobs that provided $58 million in labor income<br />
(earnings) in that year.<br />
Support from many local interest groups would be key to the grassroots<br />
campaign to create a National Park. We would need backing from<br />
the Land Conservancy, Sierra Club, Audubon Society, California<br />
Native Plants Society, Point San Luis Lighthouse Keepers, Morro Bay<br />
Natural History Association, Surfrider Foundation, and the many land<br />
preservation organizations now working in this community. Historical and<br />
archaeological preservation advocates as well as local Chumash leaders<br />
would play an integral role in helping us learn how best to protect historic<br />
and pre-historic sites.<br />
A National Park or Seashore would be perfectly<br />
compatible with the proposed Chumash<br />
National Marine Sanctuary, stretching from<br />
Estero Bay to Point Concepcion. That area,<br />
once accepted by the National Oceanic and<br />
Atmospheric Administration, would focus on<br />
marine resources and sustainable fisheries.<br />
We are very privileged on the Central Coast<br />
to have the opportunity to hold out to the<br />
nation, and to the world, an outstanding<br />
JOHN ASHBAUGH founded<br />
complex of coastal headlands and seascapes<br />
the Land Conservancy in<br />
that offers so much to so many. It is time to 1984, and served eight years<br />
on the San Luis Obispo City<br />
begin a conversation here, in Sacramento, and<br />
Council. He teaches U.S.<br />
in Washington about what we can do together History and Global Studies<br />
at Hancock College.<br />
to create the Pecho Coast National Seashore—<br />
right here in our own backyard. <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
84 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | <strong>Dec</strong>/jan <strong>2017</strong>
dec/jan <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | 85
| TRAVEL<br />
UNPLUG<br />
“Distance changes utterly when you take the world on foot. Life takes on a neat<br />
simplicity, too. Time ceases to have any meaning. It’s quite wonderful, really.”<br />
— Bill Bryson, author of “A Walk in the Woods”<br />
BY KIMBERLY WALKER<br />
86 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | <strong>Dec</strong>/jan <strong>2017</strong>
“T<br />
he Average American Spends Over 10 Hours a Day<br />
Staring at Screens” said the CNN headline I read on my<br />
iPhone while waiting in line at Scout Coffee. Up to that<br />
moment it had not occurred to me to classify the phone,<br />
computer, TV, and iPad into one category: “Screen.” I wanted<br />
to burn my precious devices in protest and head for the hills. Instead, I<br />
sat down with my cappuccino, opened my laptop, and started Googling<br />
“remote adventures; long walks through the wilderness; and hikes through<br />
the mountains.” After hours of online research, I settled on hiking the<br />
Haute Route, a 120-mile trek between Chamonix, France and Zermatt,<br />
Switzerland. National Geographic ranks it as one of the 20 best hikes in<br />
the world. The route is safe, entirely non-technical, requires no ropes or<br />
crampons, and while challenging because of its daily elevation gains and<br />
distances, it is achievable by any hiker in reasonably good shape.<br />
One month later, my fellow screen addict and I were starting our first day<br />
of hiking the Haute Route, beginning in Zermatt on our way through the<br />
greatest concentration of 4,000-meter peaks in the Alps.<br />
I must first point out, the Alps are not like our California mountains. They<br />
come at you from all sides and angles; they loom over you, and make you<br />
feel like a small, powerless being. They are diverse, both in weather and<br />
landscape. Staring up at them, knowing that we would be delving into them<br />
over the next eight days was a humbling and profound experience.<br />
Twenty miles into the first day, I started questioning my belief that weekly<br />
hikes up San Luis Mountain were proper training for hiking the Alps with<br />
a 35-pound pack strapped to my back. We had passed through spacious<br />
woodlands, bustling streams, high pastures, and delved into a stony<br />
wilderness, all in just the first day. As we slowly shuffled up the last ascent<br />
of the day, I clung desperately to the tiny religious shrines that sporadically<br />
lined the single-track path up the mountain, as if they were strategically<br />
placed at the top of each very steep pitch.<br />
The sun was setting just as we reached the small village at the top of<br />
the trail. We quickly discovered a large pond and grassy knoll to set up<br />
camp beside. As achy and tired as we were, we were even more desperate<br />
for some Swiss wine to pair with our feast of dehydrated chicken curry,<br />
turkey jerky, and chocolate peanut butter Clif bars. We discovered a tiny<br />
hamlet, flush with Swiss wine and German beer. Prost! We ate and drank<br />
like kings at our camp, retelling stories of our adventurous day, and then<br />
retiring early to our tent. Sleep came quickly after ten hours of hiking.<br />
Sunrise came even faster.<br />
And so began the morning ritual of hoisting my 35-pound backpack. The<br />
pack is always heaviest in the morning, because it’s full of a day’s supply of<br />
water. As our journey progressed, we passed many hikers from all over the<br />
world, each time making eye contact and greeting us with, “Bonjour, Buenos<br />
Días, Guten Tag, Salaam, Ciao, Good Morning.” My mind wandered<br />
back to all the people I pass on a daily basis walking down Higuera, staring<br />
down at our iPhones as we walk from place to<br />
place. Aside from that, why did all of these hikers<br />
have much smaller packs than ours? At first, I<br />
thought they were day hiking a different route, as<br />
Switzerland boasts over 37,000 miles of official<br />
hiking trails throughout the country, many of<br />
which are in the Alps. But on the eighth hour into<br />
what the Swiss hiking signs indicated to be a sixhour<br />
day, I started scheming about how to lighten<br />
my pack.<br />
KIMBERLY WALKER is<br />
a writer, traveler, and<br />
entrepreneur who lives in<br />
San Luis Obispo.<br />
Weight of the pack aside, the Swiss are world<br />
famous for being fit and healthy; many of the<br />
Swiss hikers we met on the trail were over 70 years<br />
old. Hiking is as much their culture as Swiss >><br />
dec/jan <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | 87
chocolates and cheese. Have screens become America’s<br />
culture?<br />
The next day included bouldering over our third 9,000-<br />
foot pass. My knees and spirit were exhausted, and I found<br />
myself singing an odd rendition of “Edelweiss” to keep<br />
my mind off the terrain in front of me. I misjudged one<br />
of the rocks, lost my balance, and was thrown backwards<br />
by the weight of my heavy pack. Although it cushioned<br />
what could have been a painful fall, my pack became firmly<br />
wedged between two small boulders. There I was, stuck<br />
in the middle of a massive rock pile, with my legs, arms,<br />
and hiking sticks flailing in the air, like a turtle turned on<br />
its shell. No matter how much I wriggled and jerked, I<br />
could not set myself free. A group of French hikers finally<br />
noticed my distress and as they were rushing to assist, I<br />
broke free of the rocks and hobbled my way back to my<br />
feet. Angry with both my headphone clad hiking partner<br />
for not hearing my squeals for help and myself for having<br />
a ridiculously heavy pack, we decided to ditch the camping<br />
theme of the trip and opt for the comforts of the Cabane.<br />
Cabanes are the Swiss word for hostel or dormitory. Most<br />
have large sleeping rooms that house 20-30 guests. Each<br />
guests is provided with a sleeping pad, small pillow and wool<br />
blanket. Guests pay between $60-150 per person per night<br />
including dinner and breakfast. Communal bathrooms and<br />
showers are standard, as are family-style dinners. Having<br />
stayed in plenty of hostels, I found them quite comforting,<br />
like going home for Thanksgiving, but my hiking partner,<br />
having never slept in a communal room, found the whole<br />
experience a bit disturbing, at the very least, undesirable.<br />
Some Cabanes were settled in small towns, others were<br />
perched on a hillside, or nestled in a valley at the bottom of<br />
a steep descent. Although unique in structure and landscape,<br />
each was filled with a similar cast of characters from all over<br />
the world: hikers wearing zip-away pants, hikers reading<br />
guide books, hikers clinging to their Nalgenes, hikers sharing<br />
stories of adventures in different languages. Despite all the<br />
different religions, philosophies, and beliefs, gathered around<br />
the table each night, we were all united in our common<br />
mission to walk the Alps. Our complicated lives had become<br />
simple. When the sun rises, we wake up, eat breakfast, and<br />
begin to walk. When it sets, we shower (if lucky), eat dinner,<br />
and go to sleep. And, in between, is the sole task of putting<br />
one foot in front of the other. There are no task lists, or calls<br />
to make. No cell service or Wi-Fi. Our only connections are<br />
the people around us.<br />
The farther into the Alps we delved, the landscape changed<br />
from pastures and boulders to snow and shale. Each day<br />
offered a different shade of nature. As if all of its various<br />
facets were laid out for us to explore: lakes, rocks, woods,<br />
snow, rain, sunshine, wind. The Alps served up a kaleidoscope<br />
of natural beauty that leaves its visitors in awe.<br />
By the end of our adventure, I not only had a much lower<br />
bar for enjoyment: Nescafé became invigorating, a ham and<br />
cheese sandwich was divine, sleeping on a floor pad felt like<br />
heaven, and a $10 bottle of red wine was a treat. I also felt<br />
inspired to trade two of the ten hours a day I normally<br />
spend on my screen, to just being outdoors. San Luis<br />
Obispo County, with its vast open spaces, captivating<br />
peaks, and miles of hiking trails should easily trump<br />
staring at a screen. So let’s put down our devices, and head<br />
for our hills. <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
88 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | <strong>Dec</strong>/jan <strong>2017</strong>
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HOW WILL I BE<br />
NOTIFIED<br />
IN AN EMERGENCY?<br />
• A key step in preparing for emergencies is knowing the<br />
ways in which you may be notified. In San Luis Obispo<br />
County, officials will utilize different public alert and<br />
notification systems based on the type and severity of the<br />
emergency. Some of the options available include the Early<br />
Warning System sirens, the Emergency Alert System (EAS),<br />
and Reverse 911. • Should an emergency occur at Diablo<br />
Canyon Power Plant that requires the public to take action,<br />
the sirens and EAS would be the primary method of public<br />
alert and notification. These systems provide rapid and<br />
consistent information throughout the Emergency Planning<br />
Zone. • During an emergency, it is important to stay tuned<br />
to local radio and TV stations to receive current information<br />
and any actions you may need to take.<br />
• For more information on how you can be kept informed<br />
of local emergencies, please visit:<br />
www.slocounty.ca.gov/oes or call (805)781-5011.<br />
OUR ALERT & NOTIFICATION SYSTEMS MAY BE USED FOR ANY LOCAL EMERGENCY<br />
OUR ALERT AND NOTIFICATION<br />
SYSTEMS MAY BE USED FOR<br />
ANY LOCAL EMERGENCY<br />
TSUNAMI FLOOD NUCLEAR FIRE HAZMAT<br />
dec/jan <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | 89
| BUSINESS<br />
FAMILY TIES<br />
Three Generations of the Rizzoli Family Celebrate 40 Years in Business<br />
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAY WINTER<br />
The ’69 Chevy, a white Camaro, shook the ground as it inched up to the<br />
starting line. Things had fallen into place on this day, and five rounds<br />
later, the dragster from San Luis Obispo, of all places, most improbably<br />
remained undefeated. But, the stakes were higher now; this was the final round and a<br />
national television audience was tuning in. The winner of this race would be crowned<br />
champion of the annual NHRA Toyota Nationals. Whoever made it to the end of the<br />
quarter-mile track first was the champ, pure and simple—winner takes all.<br />
A green light flashed and the driver tromped on the gas pedal, launching his car forward.<br />
Tires gripped the track as the vehicle stayed true and straight, and after a few moments of<br />
ear-splitting fury Kyle Rizzoli had bested 70 of the country’s top Super Stock racers. The<br />
crowd erupted at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and the Rizzoli family jumped up and<br />
down, embracing and laughing. Grandma Mary, who following the race back in San Luis<br />
Obispo, called to share in the excitement. And, once again, three generations of Rizzolis<br />
were together, as one.<br />
After 24 years working as an auto mechanic for another shop in town, Mario Rizzoli was<br />
ready to go out on his own. He had been planning and saving for the right opportunity,<br />
so when he found a corner lot with a dilapidated old, falling-down house just off Broad<br />
Street in an area of town then known as Little Italy, he knew it would be perfect. And, he<br />
took comfort in the fact that the new shop would be located just down the street from the<br />
garbage company that his father, Augusto, had founded with a partner. That much could be<br />
considered a good luck omen, but when he learned that he had actually lived in the house<br />
briefly as a baby, he knew he was definitely on the right path. The structure was razed and a<br />
shiny, new auto shop rose up in its place, the same shop that has continuously operated, in<br />
good times and in bad, for forty years in San Luis Obispo.<br />
When Mario’s son, Jim, was just nineteen years old, he joined his father as he opened<br />
the doors to the start-up business, and the father-and-son team began welcoming their<br />
first customers to the town’s newest auto repair<br />
shop. The two worked together over the years,<br />
cautiously expanding the shop during that time.<br />
Then, Jim and his wife Kay brought their own<br />
children into the world, the third generation of<br />
Rizzolis, first Kyle and then Karen. Both of them<br />
went on to Cal Poly, Kyle graduating in mechanical<br />
engineering, and Karen with a degree in business.<br />
“I’ve seen my dad work very, very hard. It’s not the<br />
easiest, or most glamorous industry,” Kyle reflects.<br />
“Growing up, I didn’t want to get into the business.<br />
I told my parents, ‘I’ll give you five years, and then<br />
I’m out,’” he laughs. “That was almost ten years ago;<br />
and I wouldn’t change one moment.”<br />
Recently, Karen joined the family business and the<br />
brother-sister duo are preparing to fully take the<br />
reigns of the operation from their parents. “It feels like<br />
something that is bigger than yourself,” Kyle shares.<br />
“We have customers that were my grandpa’s customers.<br />
Some of them have been with us for forty years.<br />
They’ve had a relationship with my grandpa, my dad,<br />
and now me. That’s pretty powerful, and that’s what<br />
has kept me going. It’s very fulfilling to maintain those<br />
bonds with people in the community.” Continuing<br />
her grandson’s thought, Mary reveals, “I think that it’s<br />
wonderful, and I only wish that Mario was here to see<br />
it because he would think so also. Never did I dream<br />
that this would happen, but it couldn’t be better.” <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
90 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | <strong>Dec</strong>/jan <strong>2017</strong>
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dec/jan <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | 91
| TASTE<br />
CROISSANTS<br />
Ubiquitous, Yet Miraculous<br />
BY JAIME LEWIS<br />
crois·sant<br />
a buttery, flaky, viennoiserie-pastry named for its well-known crescent shape; croissants and other<br />
viennoiseries are made of a layered yeast-leavened dough; the dough is layered with butter, rolled<br />
and folded several times in succession, then rolled into a sheet, in a technique called laminating; the<br />
process results in a layered, flaky texture, similar to a puff pastry;<br />
JAIME LEWIS is a world<br />
traveler, and food writer, who<br />
lives in San Luis Obispo.<br />
92 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | <strong>Dec</strong>/jan <strong>2017</strong>
dec/jan <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | 93
“I’ve been baking croissants for five years and still, every day, we ask, ‘Did the croissants<br />
turn out okay?’ They’re way more of a miracle than people realize.”<br />
I’m sitting at a sidewalk table with Dan Berkeland outside his Back Porch Bakery in<br />
Atascadero, talking croissants on a Tuesday morning in the pretty October sunshine.<br />
Inside, customers gather at tables beneath the bakery’s Old World exposed brick, wood<br />
and brass.<br />
Known for his croissants, Berkeland produces approximately 20,000 per month for local<br />
restaurants and cafes, in addition to his own. He recalls what got him into croissants in<br />
the first place. “I was a bread guy, but I read that croissants are just laminated bread. So I<br />
used my bread recipe and laminated it. It was a game-changer.”<br />
The concept of lamination is key to understanding croissants (and croissant people—<br />
more on that in a bit). Essentially, a croissant is multiple alternating layers of thin dough<br />
and butter, rolled into a shape and baked. Sound easy? It’s not; making croissants takes<br />
three days, two fermentations (risings), and, Berkeland adds, knowledge, craft, muscle,<br />
and intellect. “A croissant is far more than the sum of its individual parts,” he says.<br />
The origins of the modern croissant are hazy, but many believe it to be the love child of<br />
an Austrian crescent-shaped biscuit and France’s leavened puff pastry (pâte feuilletée,<br />
literally “leafy dough”). The first documented croissant appears in a French recipe<br />
written in 1915, smack dab in the middle of World War I—an interesting fact given the<br />
scarcity of baking ingredients at the time.<br />
Which leads me to ask Berkeland, “Are croissants the product of necessity, like so many<br />
other dishes, traditions, and foodways?” He laughs, and points to my croissant. “There is<br />
nothing necessary about that. That’s all about gluttony and luxury.”<br />
Tucking into the Back Porch Bakery croissant before me, I have to agree. The skin,<br />
burnished from the caramelization of natural sugars, snaps like a tree branch as I pull<br />
apart the croissant’s coiling layers. The flavors are salty and sweet, with just a hint of<br />
sourdough-like tang. >><br />
94 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | <strong>Dec</strong>/jan <strong>2017</strong>
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dec/jan <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | 95
Berkeland is warm, exacting, opinionated, and tenacious, a<br />
personality blend I also find in Mark Evans, the baker and<br />
owner of Breaking Bread Bakery in <strong>SLO</strong>. Evans and his wife,<br />
Glenna, opened their bustling bakery inside the County building<br />
on Higuera Street a few years ago and have quickly earned a<br />
following for croissants made by in-house croissant baker, Lane<br />
Hughes. The keys, according to Evans? A light touch, experience,<br />
and really good butter.<br />
“We use eighty-three percent butterfat, unsalted, European-style<br />
butter,” he says, explaining that the high fat-to-milk-solids ratio<br />
keeps the butter from “shattering,” or “breaking,” when rolled<br />
very thin. These details, numbers and ratios are the norm when<br />
talking about croissant-baking; every baker I interviewed referred<br />
to many pages of notes or complicated matrices that documented<br />
their hard-earned pastry wisdom.<br />
Whereas Evans is passionate and methodical, baker Lane Hughes<br />
is quiet and more laissez-faire. I watch as he measures and cuts<br />
squares of dough for ham and cheese croissants. (Breaking Bread<br />
Bakery makes multiple varieties of croissants, including almond,<br />
chocolate, jalapeño-cheddar, and a riff on traditional stollen bread<br />
with rum-soaked raisins, candied fruit, and almonds.) “You have<br />
to take your time and be gentle,” Hughes says, patting a croissant<br />
as it proofs. “The layers come out better that way.”<br />
Layers are a big deal to croissant people. As Evans slices into a plain<br />
croissant and separates the two halves for a closer look, I’m reminded<br />
of buttresses supporting a cathedral wall; the interior’s lacy honeycomb<br />
appearance is a product of cold butter melting as layers of yeasted<br />
dough rise and bake. When I taste this croissant, I’m struck by its<br />
creamy sweetness and the crispy bite of browned skin. >><br />
96 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | <strong>Dec</strong>/jan <strong>2017</strong>
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dec/jan <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | 97
Those who bake real croissants deserve all the pride they have in their<br />
work, nobody more so than Marcus Marren, the pastry chef and manager<br />
of Pagnol Boulanger in Los Osos-Baywood Park. The newest bakery of<br />
the bunch, Pagnol opened in August as a second location for L.A.-based<br />
award-winning bread baker Mark Stambler. While Stambler commutes<br />
weekly to Baywood from L.A. and is definitely “a bread guy,” Marren<br />
resides here full-time and produces all of the bakery’s pastries.<br />
While the croissants at Back Porch Bakery and Breaking Bread Bakery<br />
differ in nuanced ways, those from Pagnol differ significantly and on<br />
many levels. First, for lack of space, Marren rolls his dough and butter by<br />
hand—they’re not fed through a sheeter like at the others—a punishing<br />
task only for the most committed baker. Second, Marren’s croissants<br />
are composed, in part, of whole grain Sonora white winter wheat from<br />
Kandarian Farms in Los Osos, a big deal because whole wheat flour is<br />
usually considered too heavy, dense or tough for a croissant’s delicate<br />
structure. Lastly, Marren’s croissants are leavened 100% naturally, without<br />
any commercial yeast, like a true sourdough. “You know, for being so<br />
delicious,” he says, “these croissants really are the healthiest version of<br />
themselves.”<br />
Marren’s different methods definitely show up in the final pastry, the<br />
most notable being a sourdough tanginess. That acidity plays nicely across<br />
the interior’s sweet softness and the exterior’s crisp flakiness. Sharing a<br />
Pagnol croissant with my friend Jen on the bakery’s front patio, we feel<br />
the fortune of our find—Marren only bakes croissants twice per month<br />
and they usually sell out in just two hours—and indulge in uncoiling the<br />
buttery, beautiful dough, layer after layer. <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
98 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | <strong>Dec</strong>/jan <strong>2017</strong>
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dec/jan <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | 99
| KITCHEN<br />
WARM WINTER FAVORITE<br />
OVEN ROASTED CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP<br />
WITH CHEESY TOAST POINTS<br />
There is nothing quite as comforting as tomato soup on a cold day and Chef Jessie Rivas<br />
creates a rich, creamy bowl bursting with bright flavors. And one dip with his perfectly toasted<br />
rustic baguette topped with cheese and you will satisfy even the most discerning palate.<br />
BY CHEF JESSIE RIVAS<br />
100 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | <strong>Dec</strong>/jan <strong>2017</strong>
JESSIE’S TIP:<br />
To create another layer of flavor, add<br />
an herb oil drizzle to the bowl just<br />
before serving. To make herb oil:<br />
mix 1 cup minced basil, 1 cup minced<br />
!arugula, 1/4 olive oil, salt and pepper.<br />
OVEN ROASTED CREAM OF TOMATO<br />
SOUP WITH CHEESY TOAST POINTS<br />
4 lbs Roma tomatoes cut in half lengthwise<br />
¼ cup olive and canola oil blend<br />
2 medium yellow onions roughly chopped<br />
4-6 cloves garlic roughly chopped<br />
4 Tbs butter<br />
½ tsp Allepo chili flakes or a few dashes of<br />
Tabasco sauce<br />
1 16 oz can tomato sauce<br />
1 Tbs thyme<br />
1 bunch fresh basil<br />
2 bay leaves<br />
1 qt vegetable or chicken stock<br />
½ cup heavy whipping cream<br />
Kosher salt and black pepper<br />
Rustic baguette<br />
Grated Gruyere or Parmesan cheese<br />
Soup:<br />
Preheat oven to 375°. Layer tomatoes on a cookie sheet with the cut side up.<br />
Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for one hour. This<br />
may be done up to 24 hours in advance.<br />
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In a non-reactive stockpot, sauté onions and garlic<br />
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tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili flakes or Tabasco,<br />
bay leaves, basil, thyme, and stock. Simmer for 30<br />
minutes.<br />
Remove bay leaves. In a blender purée soup in<br />
batches. After soup is puréed add cream and adjust<br />
salt and pepper to taste. Return to stove and keep<br />
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Cut baguettes into several pieces on a bias and lay<br />
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dec/jan <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | 101
| BREW<br />
FRESH<br />
HARVEST<br />
BY BRANT MYERS<br />
Coming fresh off the heels of <strong>SLO</strong> Beer Week,<br />
I desperately needed a break from my daily<br />
bread—ales and lagers. Luckily, grapes and<br />
grains aren’t the only fermentables on the<br />
Central Coast. Let’s talk about another local<br />
crop being grown right in our own backyard,<br />
or maybe even your front yard—apples.<br />
Some people eat them raw or bake them, but my favorite way to<br />
consume apples is to drink them. Hard cider, as opposed to apple<br />
cider, the non-fermented, non-filtered juice of pressed apples, has the<br />
addition of yeast making it alcoholic and... amazing. Not to be confused<br />
with the mass-marketed swill that’s been on our grocery store shelves<br />
for decades, this local stuff is true to the educated consumers’ demand<br />
for elevated products and thoughtful craftsmanship. Look no further<br />
than five cideries right here in our county to see the resurgence this<br />
crisp and flavorful beverage has made in recent years.<br />
We’ve had our fair share of tour stops heading toward North<br />
County breweries with a refreshing break at Bristols Cider House in<br />
Atascadero. Their focus on dry ciders is changing the perception of beer<br />
drinkers and wine drinkers alike, turning them into true fans of the<br />
craft. It’s not just the drying champagne yeast that makes them stand<br />
out, it’s the boundary-breaking techniques being employed. Raise a<br />
glass of bright pink Mangelwurtzel to the light and see for yourself.<br />
This unique brew has fifty pounds of Bull’s Blood beets added per ton<br />
of apples to give it an earthy flavor that compliments the acidity of the<br />
apples. Another brew that’s sure to convert even the most diehard beer<br />
drinkers into the world of apples, and one we love to highlight, is the<br />
dry-hopped Rackham. Utilizing classic citrus-forward flavors of West<br />
Coast hops, this cider stands out as the bridge to gap both worlds.<br />
Travel further up Highway 101 and you’ll visit the newest cider house<br />
to hit the Central Coast, Tin City Cider Company. You can enjoy<br />
their creations around the city of <strong>SLO</strong> both finding their tap handles<br />
around local watering holes and their cans in grocery stores or your<br />
favorite sandwich shops. Their Original Cider uses nine apple varieties,<br />
six yeasts, three fermentation vessels, and two hops to make one batch. Not<br />
bad for the daily drinker. Want to get funky? Sharing a wall with Barrelhouse<br />
Brewing’s sour facility it’s no wonder they borrowed some blonde wheat wort<br />
and added Brett and Lacto, barrel-aged, dry-hopped and bottle-conditioned<br />
with Brux to make their Sour Blonde cider.<br />
Avila’s See Canyon is renowned as our local apple producing region with its<br />
perfect blend of hot sunshine and moist ocean air. When headed south we<br />
love to dip into the winding tree-lined roads of Avila and explore two cider<br />
makers with tasting rooms in the heart of their orchards. Kelsey See Canyon<br />
makes not only beautiful wines and labels, but tasty beverages as well. Grab a<br />
bottle of Red Delicious, a blend of rosé wine and cider, and head straight to<br />
the Sycamore Mineral Springs with this bottle of “Hot Tub Wine.” Visit the<br />
namesake See Canyon Ciders as they poise to reopen their tasting room with<br />
ciders made right there on-premise and be the hit of your dinner party with<br />
a bottle of Premium Dry, bottle conditioned for two years and cellared for an<br />
additional four years. It is a great alternative to champagne.<br />
Go further down the coast and you might bump into the very new Meraki<br />
Cider. Run by husband-and-wife team Travis and Quincy Storm, they use<br />
apples from their family farm to make the crisp and clean flagship Totem.<br />
Catch them at cider events around the county to<br />
sample seasonal variants like their persimmon and<br />
coriander versions, or wait until spring for bright<br />
additions of lemon, ginger, and tart cherries.<br />
Lucky for you they deliver growlers to your door<br />
and we will start seeing Totem bottles hitting<br />
shelves in Pismo and beyond.<br />
BRANT MYERS is owner<br />
of Hop On Beer Tours, a<br />
concierge service for craft<br />
beer enthusiasts along the<br />
Central Coast.<br />
So, whether you’re into the rich complexities<br />
of wine or the refreshing drinkability of beer,<br />
cider has a place in your fridge. Start to keep<br />
an eye out for our neighborhood brands<br />
popping up, give them a shot, or better yet visit<br />
the source, and take part in the revolution as<br />
local artisans fight to take back the great name<br />
of hard ciders. <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
102 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | <strong>Dec</strong>/jan <strong>2017</strong>
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dec/jan <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | 103
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| HAPPENINGS<br />
CHRISTMAS AT THE CASTLE<br />
Take in the impressive sight of<br />
Hearst Castle decked out for<br />
Christmas circa the 1920’s creating<br />
an impressive spectacle and a special<br />
atmosphere that is sure to make the<br />
season bright.<br />
<strong>Dec</strong>ember 1 - 31 // hearstcastle.org<br />
architectural<br />
photography<br />
trevorpovahphotography<br />
architects | interior designers | engineers<br />
contractors | landscape architects | & more<br />
www.trevorpovahphotography.com<br />
DECEMBER<br />
THE SANTALAND DIARIES<br />
Out of work, this slacker decides to<br />
become a Macy’s elf during the holiday<br />
crunch. Witness this battle-weary and<br />
bitter elf transform into our hero with<br />
uncharacteristic moments of goodwill<br />
just before his employment runs out.<br />
<strong>Dec</strong>ember 5 - 21 // slolittletheatre.org<br />
A CHRISTMAS CAROL<br />
Enjoy the full-length holiday classic “A<br />
Christmas Carol” presented by Ballet<br />
Theatre San Luis Obispo with Principal<br />
Ballerina Theresa Slobodnik.<br />
<strong>Dec</strong>ember 16 -18 // pacslo.org<br />
Join us on HIGUERA STREET<br />
(BETWEEN OSOS & NIPOMO STREETS)<br />
EVERY THURSDAY 6-9PM<br />
DOWNTOWN<strong>SLO</strong>.COM<br />
104 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | <strong>Dec</strong>/jan <strong>2017</strong><br />
THE NUTCRACKER<br />
It’s Christmas Eve and Clara is about to have<br />
the night of her dreams. Marvel at the magic<br />
and wonder of this spectacular, professional<br />
production brought to you by the Civic Ballet<br />
and accompanied by the Opera San Luis<br />
Obispo orchestra and the <strong>SLO</strong> High Choir.<br />
<strong>Dec</strong>ember 10 - 11 // pacslo.org
Serving the Central Coast for over 15 years as<br />
Same trusted service. Same owner. New Name.<br />
Full service automotive repair • Fast, reliable, same day service • Smog while you wait<br />
Conveniently located downtown <strong>SLO</strong> • Free shuttle service<br />
(805) 541-3070<br />
426 Higuera Street, San Luis Obispo<br />
dec/jan <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | 105
| HAPPENINGS<br />
PRESENTING THE BEST<br />
VARIETY OF PROFESSIONAL<br />
ENTERTAINMENT<br />
AT THE PAC !<br />
CALPOLYARTS.ORG<br />
POLAR BEAR DIP<br />
Kick off the New Year by<br />
jumping into the cold waters of<br />
the Pacific Ocean off Cayucos<br />
as part of the 36th Annual<br />
Carlin Soulé Memorial Polar<br />
Bear Dip. Most participants<br />
wear swimming suits or come<br />
in costume, but be warned,<br />
wetsuits are frowned upon. The<br />
festivities begin at 9:30am, with<br />
the Polar Bear Dip at noon.<br />
<strong>Jan</strong>uary 1 // cayucoschamber.com<br />
JANUARY<br />
RESTAURANT MONTH<br />
Visitors and locals alike can experience the region’s<br />
locally-inspired cuisine throughout <strong>Jan</strong>uary as<br />
participating restaurants offer various special menus<br />
and promotions, most featuring a three-course<br />
prix fixe menu. Reservations recommended. Prices<br />
and offers vary by restaurant. Dine out during this<br />
delicious month celebrating some of the finest<br />
cuisine on the Central Coast.<br />
<strong>Jan</strong>uary 2 - 31 // visitsanluisobispocounty.com<br />
SENIOR DISCOUNT . Mon & Tues 10 to 2 . $15<br />
LA CUESTA RANCH TRAIL RUN<br />
The race will take place at the gorgeous La Cuesta<br />
Ranch, just outside of San Luis Obispo on Loomis<br />
Road backing up to Poly Canyon and West Cuesta<br />
Ridge. The start/finish area will be staged at the<br />
historic ranch barn. This event features dirt trails<br />
and ranch roads with fantastic views of the West<br />
Cuesta Ridge.<br />
<strong>Jan</strong>uary 7 // ultrasignup.com<br />
1351 Monterey Street . San Luis Obispo<br />
(805)783-2887 . clippersbarber.com<br />
106 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | <strong>Dec</strong>/jan <strong>2017</strong><br />
RENT<br />
A re-imagining of Puccini’s La Bohème,<br />
Rent follows an unforgettable year in the<br />
lives of seven artists struggling to follow their<br />
dreams without selling out. With its inspiring<br />
message of joy and hope in the face of fear,<br />
this timeless celebration of friendship and<br />
creativity reminds us to measure our lives<br />
with the only thing that truly matters—love.<br />
<strong>Jan</strong>uary 17 // pacslo.org
“My whole attitude improved<br />
as soon as I got my great new<br />
smile. Now, I’m a much<br />
more positive coach.<br />
Thanks Swiss Dental.”<br />
Eric Wagner<br />
coach, trainer, mentor<br />
Support your lips with proper dental implant and esthetic reconstruction.<br />
Whatever your lifestyle, we can help you achieve<br />
the self-confidence you deserve.<br />
ask about<br />
Sedation Dentistry<br />
and our<br />
VIP Hygiene Program<br />
SWISS<br />
DENTAL CENTER<br />
3046 S. Higuera Street, Suite C<br />
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401<br />
805·541·1004<br />
Make a complimentary consult appointment<br />
SwissDentalCenter.com<br />
Honored Fellow, American Academy of Implant Dentistry · Diplomate, American Board of Oral Implantology / Implant Dentistry Carol L. Phillips, DDS<br />
dec/jan <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | 107
We’re proud to announce that HAVEN PROPERTIES has affiliated with Better Homes and<br />
Gardens Real Estate. The two companies together are now the most recognizable name<br />
in your home. The Better Homes and Gardens brand has been synonymous with<br />
everything home, family and lifestyle since 1922. HAVEN PROPERTIES has built a<br />
reputation of representing our friends, clients and local community with a commitment<br />
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BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS REAL ESTATE | HAVEN PROPERTIES is able to<br />
better serve our local community and meet your needs before, during and after your<br />
purchase or sale like no other real estate company.<br />
We are excited to share with you what partnering with this iconic brand will mean for<br />
you, your family, and your friends as you look forward to buying and/or selling a home.<br />
LEARN MORE AT WWW.HAVEN<strong>SLO</strong>.COM<br />
MAIN: 547 Marsh Street | San Luis Obispo | California | 93401<br />
GALLERY: 1039 Chorro Street | San Luis Obispo | California | 93401<br />
Office: 805.592.2050 | Haven<strong>SLO</strong>.com<br />
108 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine | <strong>Dec</strong>/jan <strong>2017</strong>
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