Touring * Slalom *

From U.S. 101, take the Grand Avenue exit in Arroyo Grande and head east, passing through downtown. Veer right at Branch Street to go around Crown Hill, then turn right onto Huasna Road, which becomes Lopez Drive a mile down. Just before the Lopez Lake entrance station (another nine miles away), take a right onto Pozo Road. Continue across the cattle guard and follow the road another mile to the entrance sign at Ranchita Estates. Turn left and park near the sales office.

The friendly atmosphere of old Arroyo Grande (my hometown) is enhanced by the western-style storefronts and antique shops that line Grand Avenue, the main street. Just a short drive away, you'll find a skater's paradise. Located in the hills beyond the Lopez Lake Recreation Area east of town, Ranchita Estates is beautiful in the cool green of California's midwinter. At press time, the local real-estate market was in a slump, and the housing development consisted of only three or four homes served by curbed streets meandering among oaks, with most lots occupied only by numbered signs. Skating up and down the wide asphalt streets, you may see a herd of deer grazing on a hill. Right next to the streets, cows watch humans rolling by on wheeled shoes with alert interest, ready to lumber away when startled. Keep your eyes peeled, don't make any sudden moves or approach mothers with calves, and you should be okay. Only four or five houses have been built on two or three of the streets, and the other roads, save for the occasional cow pie or patch of gravel, remain in good repair. You will find three or four gently rolling hills steep enough for uninhibited schussing and wide enough for exciting slaloms.