Take Me Home, Country... Lake?

John Denver had a huge hit with his song, “Take Me Home, Country Road”. It was an homage to the country life that he grew up in as a child. The song brought nice thoughts of peaceful times and the supposed ease of growing up in the country. But is it always sunny and peaceful in the country?

According the Paso Robles Chamber of Commerce, “Early history shows that Paso Robles was known to the Salinan and Mission Fathers as the ‘Springs’ or ‘Hot Springs’ due to the many hot mineral springs in the area. This town began as part of a Spanish Land Grant purchased in 1857 by town founders and brothers, Daniel and James Blackburn.”

The weather in my hometown of El Paso de Robles, which is Spanish for “the pass of the oaks” (due to the many oak trees that surround this once old western town), is the reason most of the people live here. Throughout the year it’s usually sunny and clear. You can count on more sunny days than cloudy days, usually.

As a child growing up here, it was nice to be able to play outside often. This was due to the incredible weather that makes this place so popular to visit. In the summer it was filled with visits at a local swimming pool called, The Plunge. But, other than being able to put on comfy clothes and watch the afternoon cartoons on TV whilst sipping on some hot cocoa, I don’t remember the rainy days being much fun when I was a kid. That hasn’t changed much for me as an adult, although I appreciate the rain more now, since I know how much it means in our efforts to make sure the water flows and the environment flourishes.

The paths that take many of the families living off Old Settler Road to and from their homes was not the only thing damaged during this season’s downpours, a retaining wall built nine years ago was also affected after the excessive rains. Built to accent the backyard and separate the yard from the mountain it’s attached to, the once attractive wall was no match for the cascade of water that flowed more this season than ever!

“When the wall came down, we were all surprised!” says Carmen Elisarraras, co-owner of the little ranch, “My sons built it several years ago to make the back yard look good, and it did, and now it’s gone.”

Originally, Paso Robles became famous for its mineral waters and hot springs that led to people traveling here for mineral bathing from several bathhouse locations that had been popular in the late 1800’s to the early 1900’s. Today it’s popular for its many incredible wine vineyards that offer so much entertainment and, of course, world class wine. There’s also the Mid-State Fair that comes around in late August every year.

The residents here in Paso Robles remain here most their lives. I grew up here, moved away for over 36 years and recently moved back for health reasons and the fact that all my family is still here. I forgot how much the weather affected those reasons for staying or leaving. I forgot how warm it gets here. But I didn’t even think about how rainy it is here at times. What I don’t miss at all is the Los Angeles traffic and all the smog that comes with it.

According to the Paso Robles Daily News, “the wettest year was 1941 with 29.19 inches of precipitation and the dryest year was 1947 with 4.24 inches”. Cool drinks help with the weather, so do the multitude of swimming pools in the yards around here. Quick drives to the nearby beaches are a great getaway. But for Paso Robles, the heat is high here, and the rain is wet here, so you’re always going to have one or the other.