Being a 70's vintage backpacker, I have fond memories of Banos. It was a nice, tranquil, town with a good climate and spectacular scenery. I went back there last year on a scouting trip to see if it may be a suitable retirement town. I rarely see it mentioned in the many websites I read.
Banos has grown significantly and has a lot of new shopping and many very good restaurants. The problem I had was that it appeared to me to have been done without thought to the preservation of its old self. It's not all bad but when I saw the sign in the attached photo, I gave up.
Maybe I was having a bad day. Should I go back for a second look? What's the word on Banos as a living destination?
