Some Philippines- and US-based members of our family were in
California for the summer. We tried to bond together at the Universal Studios
in Hollywood, but we did not find enough time for more bonding moments. So we
planned a picnic instead in Gaviota, Santa Barbara, California. This is because
my cousin Lori and Aunt Heidi are residents of Lompoc, also in Santa Barbara.
They invited me over for a few days to see what ‘rural’ California is all
about. This ‘rural’area, as Lori calls it, is a city in Santa Barbara,
California. It turned out to be different, but not less of an adventure than
the other side of LA. I loved my stay in Lompoc because of its beautiful
scenery and flowers, the nice and friendly US-Filipinos and its nearness to
important tourist attractions.
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| The Lompoc sign as you reach the City. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lompoc_CA_welcome_sign.jpg) |
Lompoc. When I first arrived at the US immigration in Los Angeles Airport (LAX), the officer asked where I was planning to stay. I answered him, “Lompoc”.
And the big, burly, bearded immigration officer asked, “Where is Lompoc?” I
asked him back, “You don’t know where it is?” I did my research about Lompoc
and later, experienced it first hand.
Few
people may have heard of Lompoc. But if you’re a fan of the movie, The Fast and
the Furious (2001), Toretto said he spent "Two years in Lompoc. I'll die
before I go back." Later in the same series in 2009, Toretto was sentenced
25 years to life at the Lompoc Prison (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lompoc,_California).
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| Welcome sign at the train station. |
From LA,
Lompoc may be reached by train. The picture above is near the Surf Station, an
Amtrak rail station, west of the city of Lompoc. However, Lori (my cousin) and
Satur (Lori’s husband) drove me in their car (below L-R: me, Lori and Satur), a
red Mustang with plate named ‘Maton’, Pilipino term for street thug. It took
about 2 ½ hours from LA to Lompoc.
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| Maton is the red mustang that ferried us to Lompoc. |
City of Arts and
Flowers. Lompoc is also called the City of Arts and Flowers. As
you drive down their field called ‘Valley of Flowers’ during summer, you will
witness a profusion of colors (below). These come from the different varieties
of cut flowers and those grown for seeds. They include Sweet Peas, Larkspur,
Stock, Marigolds, Sunflowers, Queen Anne's Lace, Bachelor Buttons, Delphinium,
among others (http://wikitravel.org/en/Lompoc).
Maybe this is why Lori calls Lompoc ‘rural’.
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| Picture of a Flower Farm in Lompoc. (https://ph.images.search.yahoo.com/images/view) |
Friends. As
long time residents of Lompoc, Lori and Satur have found strong friendships with
other US-Filipino neighbors. Their hobby is to eat Filipino dinner together.
When I was there, I was introduced to about 15 US-Filipinos. They were deep into
conversation and dining in bowls-and-heaping-bowls of Pinoy dishes: pakbet,
lechong kawali, kare-kare, kaldereta, lumpiang shanghai, pansit, etc. I
remember Vic was the house owner and everyday host of this event. Their
activities did not only include this get-together-dinner each night, I also
heard a lot from Lori about other pursuits like dancing, singing in the church
choir, joining Philippine Independence day celebrations, among many
others. As of this writing, Lori is the President of the Filipino-US community in Lompoc.
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| The baby of the house. |
Tourist base. As
a hospitable Pinay herself, Lori billeted me in their lovely house. I remember
their cat dominating the house and having a special place in their living room,
in this photo above, the glass-topped table. Lori’s house became my base as we visited
nearby tourist areas of Solvang, Gaviota and San Simeon. More of Lompoc and
nearby areas as I plunged head-on in my adventures as featured in other stories in this
blog.
I wouldn’t mind spending my old age in places like Lompoc.
The environment is pleasant, the people are kind and hospitable and it is easy
to move around to other interesting places.
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