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