Arroyo Grande Morning

Arroyo Grande Morning

Arroyo Grande, Grande Avenue

Arroyo Grande means ‘Big Gully’ in Spanish.

   A.G. as it is known locally, is the town north of us. Technically it is the town we are attached to, our phone bill says we are in A.G.  But in our canyon, we prefer to say we are in Nipomo, because it is just over the hill.
   A.G. is a very nice town. It has a flavor of the West combined with a hint of ‘East Coast’. The people here are really interesting also, there is a very substantial hint of ‘Old Hippie’ in this town…I fit right in.

Arroyo Grande, Grande Avenue

  I like AG for the architecture, the old buildings, many from the late 1800′s and early 1900′s. False-front Western-style buildings rub shoulders with stone or brick buildings that look like they were brought over from Massachusetts. There is a huge diversity of shops, antique stores and boutiques which will keep many people browsing for hours. There are also some specialty butchers who process the wild game which is taken in the nearby hills, you can get some great sausage made at my favorite butcher shop on this street.

Arroyo Grande, Grande Avenue, Pub

   AG also has some fine bars and pubs. The one in this photo is an Irish pub, and has a lion in the front window.

Arroyo Grande suspension bridge

  The village of AG has a lot of reasons that tourists and travelers should stop by for a day or two.  One of them is the strange ‘Swinging Bridge’ that joins the two sides of the town as it crosses over the arroyo. This bridge was actually originally constructed in 1875 by a fellow named Newton Short who own property on both sides. He built it as a suspension bridge without sides. The sides were added in 1902. When the village of Arroyo Grande was incorporated in 1911, Mr. Short donated the bridge to the city.

Arroyo Grande suspension bridge

   It’s fun to walk across this little bridge, it swings and sways, and you have a nice look deep into the gulch it is built over. Even more fun is watching the people who cross it, many people cannot seem to keep from standing in the center and making it swing just a bit side to side. Grown men become little boys when they are on something like this.

The suspension Bridge in Arroyo Grande from the creek

  This is a view from the bottom of the gully, looking up over the rushing waters from the recent rain, at the swinging bridge. It is easy to see why Mr. Short would have wanted a bridge to cross over the gully, it would considerably shorten the daily walks back and forth. But having it built without sides is a bit of a perplexing thing.  But I suppose after walking over it a few times without sides, it would become a regular part of the day, and not a big worry after all.  Much like working alongside a busy freeway or high up in the air on a  building. Bit by bit, the human organism becomes accustomed to the things that cause worry and consternation when first introduced.

   Arroyo Grande is right on Highway 101, about halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco (a bit closer to LA), so anytime you are cruising through, do take the time to pull off for a pleasant break in a quaint little town.