Lompoc California Flowers

I had the good fortune to travel California's Central Coast and begin vacationing there over a decade ago. My good fortune came through exposure to an industry that has since left California, pretty much. The  flower seed industry so prominent in Lompoc (near Vandenberg Air Force Base) is gone, making way for more lucrative crops since the region and farmers' profits were squeezed out by competition from South America.

Oh, the good old days! Fortunately there are memories through pictures and that these pages will provide as dedication to what once was.

Today Lompoc continues on its path as a Central Coast city with lots of great housing near Ocean Beach, located just on the edge of town, as is Vandenberg and Vandenberg Village.

Lompoc was once the flower capital and its annual flower festival included maps to go see the flower fields. Today the flower festival remains, and includes a flower show and flower parade, minus the flower fields to enjoy and drive around to see.

Painted murals around the city have slightly helped fill the missing void, though nothing can ever replace those colorful, expansive fields of flowers in colors red, purple, pink, white and orange! Awesome!