Today was a day of looking for neighborhoods, and homes K & J may want to move to. We went along for the ride to check out the cities and towns around Pismo Beach. We left around 10:30 AM and stopped at Starbucks in Grover Beach on the way to Arroyo Grande. Ken stopped at a real estate office, and Jan went inside to see if she could get any information about neighborhoods and home prices in the area. She did get quite a bit of information from one of the agents. They exchanged contact information, and we were on our way. Jan and the agent texted most of the day. He was immensely accommodating all day.
The first place the agent said to drive through was the neighborhood behind the real estate office. The homes were older homes and well-kept. All the houses had such character; you could tell they were well-maintained. Barry and I loved the area. K & J want a place with some property so they can store their motorhome and pontoon boat on their property, so this neighborhood would not work. When and if we move, that is what we want too.
We drove east per the agent's suggestion. He said to stay on the road the real estate office is on and follow the signs to Lopez Lake. This is still in the city of Arroyo Grande. There was one neighborhood we stopped and drove through. It was a gated community but a UPS driver leaving gave us the gate code....so much for security. These homes were huge, and most had great views. Prices were over $1.2M. No trees, so I was not a fan. We drove around and then headed back down the hill to Lopez Lake.
The lake is full, and the surrounding area is beautiful. It has a great campground and marina. You can waterski and fish. In the summertime, there is an adventure park, zip lines, and a water slide park. It would be an excellent place for our family summer picnic if it was not so far. We may have to check it out in the summer. Here are the links:
We also drove through other parts of Arroyo Grande, but honestly, we drove through so many areas I can't remember. We all decided we liked Arroyo Grande, especially the renewed downtown area.
I need to back up here. In yesterday's blog, I mentioned Jan's paternal grandfather was buried somewhere in the area, and I would research FindAGrave.com to see if I could find anything. I found he is buried in Los Osos Valley Memorial Park, Los Osos, San Luis Obispo County, California. I gave Jan the information this morning, and she was off to the races. She was unaware of FindAGrave before, but now she started looking for other family members this morning. I created a monster. The cemetery was only about 42 miles north of our campground. The plan was to go after Arroyo Grande.
After driving around Arroyo Grande and back from Lopez Lake, our next stop was the cemetery in Los Osos (the bears). We headed north, found the cemetery, drove in, and parked at the office. Jan and I went in to get information about where her grandfather was buried. The attendant that helped us was so lovely. She gave Jan a map of the location for the future. Then, she wanted to get out of her office and walk us to the plot. I asked her if it was possible to get any burial or funeral information for Jan's grandfather. She said, of course, and would get everything they had after visiting the gravesite.
Next to Jan's grandfather was her uncle, and Jan had no idea he was buried there. It was an emotional moment for her, and she shared a few stories about her grandfather. I was so happy to be a part of this event. After cleaning off the gravestone and taking photos, we returned to the office. The attendant met us in the lobby and had a folder for Jan. Inside was the card with the burial plot number, the forms filled out by her father for her grandfather's funeral, the funeral service card, and two newspaper obituaries. I was thrilled for Jan. It was everything a person wanted, especially me as a genealogist. With tears in our eyes, we thanked her for everything and for making today a special day.
The next stop was to find the house Jan's grandfather owned in town. He also had a ranch somewhere in the area. We found the home, and she was able to reminisce a bit. You can tell she loved her grandfather. From here, we found another neighborhood to drive through. It was a great one, and we drove around for about ten minutes. The unanimous vote was this neighborhood was the best one of the day.
Stopped for gas at Costco, you must ensure you have a Costco nearby wherever you live. It is just a thing and an unwritten rule. Now home to cook dinner.
I cooked White Bean and Chicken Chili for dinner. My sou chef, Barry, helped with baking the cornbread. It was an excellent meal for a rainy evening. After the four of us spent a few hours talking, it was off to bed. We had another busy day planned, driving through areas again.
