No Place Like Home

Happy Holidays from our family at SALISBURY VINEYARDS

Schoolhouse in Avila Valley 6985 Ontario Road, SLO facebook.com/salisbury.vineyards.slo 805-595-9463

15% discount for mentioning “SLO Life”

TRUSTED IN-HOME CARE Respect & Care At Home

• Personal Care • Compatibility Guaranteed • Transportation • Affordable Rates • Meal Preparation • State & Federal Compliant • Professionally Managed 4 to 24 Hour In-Home Care

805.781.8156 888.439.8800

The Great american melodrama

By Jeanette trompeter, KSBy newS

the minute you walk in the door, you will realize that the Great american melodrama in oceano is a different world. the oldtime piano playing, the actors in costume showing you to your seats, and the saloontype feel of the place - anyone who’s ever been there will tell you it’s more proof that “there’s no place Like Home.”

the folks at the Great american melodrama put on more than stage productions; they provide an experience. By the time the actors take the stage, you will have forgotten where you are, and wonder why you don’t do this more often.

the place has been around since 1975. It was John and Lynne Schlenker who came up with the idea of turning the old rexall drug store into a melodrama. “I was thinking more of a hobby,” says John. “He was trying to live out a dream to put a live theatre in downtown oceano!” adds Lynne.

John fell in love with melodrama as a performer in other areas of the country. “Virginia City, montana, the Virginia City players, mountain air players, Buckskin Joe, Colorado...” he lists them off. “The gold rush era of the United States is full of melodramas.”

melodramas tell stories through comedy, heroes and villains and usually audience participation. “they were based around american folklore, around happenings in the old west, in streets of new york, and that sort of thing,” explains John. “and because they were about political issues, people would stand up and yell things, and say things or try to correct things, and they got a little bit rowdy.”

a cast of six to eight performers does it all: provide the music, seat the guests, write a lot of the shows, and work the snack bar during breaks. and they are entertaining through out the duration.

“A tip into the jar, a tip into the jar, what a glorious feeling, I need gas in my car,” the actors sing when someone puts a buck in the tip jar. “Somebody will bring their child and they’ll hand him a dollar or something, and the kid’s eyes just light up when they see what happens after they leave a tip. ‘Dad, can I have more money?’” Lynne laughs.

the Great american melodrama is an americana classic, a throwback to the wild Wild West. Tourists book tickets before they book their vacations on the Central Coast. Yet, as often is the case, locals can miss out on the fun. “We run into people all the time, and we ask ‘How long have you lived here?’” explains Lynn. they’ll tell us they’ve lived here all their lives and we ask, ‘Have you ever been to the Melodrama?’ They’ll say ‘No,’ but that they’ve always planned on coming there and can’t explain why they haven’t done so yet.”

even though that’s the case, the melodrama has survived and thrived in its unlikely location because rarely do people come here just once. each performance includes a melodrama, a vaudeville revue, and of course the sing-along. there’s beer, burgers and popcorn so you can eat there and just enjoy an evening appropriate for all ages.

they are heading into the busy season, though. And the holiday show is a tradition for a lot of families around the Central Coast, so if you’ve been thinking about going, give ‘em a call and book it – it’s sure to remind you that “there’s no place Like Home.” SLO LIFE

Jeanette Trompeter, KSBY News anchor and reporter, hosts the “No Place Like Home” series every Thursday evening at 6pm.

Not just a new bike shop, a new way to buy a bike.

Quality road bikes starting at $1100.

Each bike custom assembled to your specs. Instead of selling you a bike in stock, we help you assemble the bike that’s best for you at prices typically 40% below brand names. Because we buy direct from the manufacturers and sell direct to you, we save you lots of money while still offering the best products available. We sell only quality carbon and alloy road and cross bikes and have a full line of wheels including carbon and alloy tubular wheels. We service only what we sell allowing us to focus entirely on you.

142 Cross Street Suite 100 SLO, P805-544-2703 Across from Idlers. Monday through Friday 10-5 Saturday 10-4

Choose Your Adventure

Winter Kayaking

Written by Paden FolloWWill | Photos by VinCent shay

outdoor adventure challenges me in ways the workplace does not. it takes me out of the known and throws me into natural environments that often seem intimidating and unpredictable. Kayaking has helped me handle fear, intimidation, doubt, and physical exhaustion. a compelling element to living the “slo life” is that, unlike most of the rest of the country, our outdoor sports and adventures are not confined to seasons. So here we are with winter upon us, talking about kayaking. We truly live in a glorious place!

Kayaking forces me right into the swells of an ocean i love and fear all at once. it carries power that demands my respect and it hosts a diverse array of wildlife that amazes me. our Central Coast offers a wide variety of jagged islands, crystal coves, seaside caves, ports and jetties ripe for exploration. Originally home to the Chumash, and later becoming a famous whaling and oil port, avila beach now provides a sanctuary to sea life and locals alike. From Port san luis kayakers can paddle out under the pier, alongside the bubbling lava rock cliffs, past Smith Island and continue along the jetty to the open, surging sea.

I enjoy working my way out past the tip of the jetty to head toward the historic Avila Lighthouse. Curious seals bob up and down, surveying you as you move through the water. Otters, like playful water dogs, twirl in the floating kelp beds, looking comically like whiskered old men. they slip and slide, scrubbing their face and body with their flippers with focus and attention to detail. Sea birds of many varieties flock to the jetty in such density, watching your every move. Orange starfish and purple sea urchins stud the black jetty rocks, which stand in vibrant contrast.

Many choose to stay in this sheltered bay, exploring the ins and outs of the wildlife and glassy waters. but for those seeking an adrenaline rush, find a day where the swells are large, and the wind has kicked up. this will thrust you right into the heart of the unpredictable ocean as it swells, breaks, churns, and ripples.

Avila Bay is secluded and protected by a jetty quarried from Morro Rock. Kayakers wanting to feel the contrast of the open ocean waters to the glassy calm waters of the bay can paddle out past the edge of the jetty. Depending on the force of the wind and the depth of the swells, you will need to time your entrance so you do not meet the frothy crash of the waves as they battle the unnatural rock barrier. Once out from the protection of the jetty, you feel smaller than you imagined possible.

Beyond the jetty rests the beautiful Avila Lighthouse, nestled into the mountains behind it. The large and rolling swells effortlessly pull your kayak up 15-20 feet and then leave it to slide down their backside as they move towards the shore. Never breaking but seeming to threaten, the ocean plays games. it sprays your face with icy water, and sends butterflies in your stomach as you roll up and down the largest sets of incoming waves.

SLO LIFE

To get there: From 101 take Avila Beach Drive exit and follow it for about 3 miles until you reach the town of Avila, past San Luis Bay Golf Club. Avila Beach and Port San Luis will be on your left hand side.