Four miles inland from the Pacific
Ocean in the Santa Maria Valley lies downtown
Guadalupe. Several blocks of historic buildings
looking like a Hollywood stage set are, in fact,
used for movies.
A
production company for the "Rocky and Bullwinkle"
movie which featured Rene Russo and Seinfield's
Jason Alexandar, worked on location in Guadalupe,
making several modifications of the theater and
surrounding buildings for location filming. Looking
like a mix of "The Last Picture Show" and a bit of
Mexico, Guadalupe will not remain stashed away in time
forever. This road stop sits just a few miles from the
Pacific Ocean on the rapidly-growing Central California
coast. Nearby housing developments in Nipomo, Santa
Maria and Pismo Beach can hardly keep up with demand of
Northern and Southern Californians escaping the big city
for a slower pace on the Central Coast. Guadalupe is
surrounded by farms, housing tracts and a huge set of
sand dunes to the north and west.
On a warm
afternoon, a few children walk to the store, a mother
and her kids take a stroll and those wandering by stop
at a bright, red truck parked in a lot. It contains an
opened door in the back with a shrine. A rich blue
curtain and bed of artificial flowers provide staging
for a ceramic statue of a woman with hands clasped in
prayer. She wears a pale blue robe and cape that covers
her body from head to toe. Signage taped on the truck in
both Spanish and English says, "Fatima Rosary Mission.
Shrine of Fatima. This statue has touched the original
Fatima statue. Consecrate by Archbischop Mons. Wolfgang
Haas."
A pizza parlor, bar, grocery store, hotel and the international
Waller Flowerseed Company call Guadalupe home. The largely Hispanic population's
primary employers are commercial farms that seasonally employ thousands
who work fields of strawberries, flowers, wine grapes and other fruits
and vegetables. Family-owned farms of the early 20th century have
given way to agri-business that's the lifeline of
Guadalupe. Protected by zoning, prime coastal
property with ocean views continue to support an
international demand for food. Some of the most fertile land
combined with the unique weather conditions make the
Santa Maria Valley a hub of farming activity.
Guadalupe's
economy is tied to farming. Services in Guadalupe
include Amtrak. There's a train station where the Amtrak
train makes a daily stop. The city contains a police
station, fire department, school, huge water tower,
historical museum and a scattering of businesses. On the
busiest of days, the city isn't very crowded. Small
beach cottages, houses and apartment complexes are in
various states from pristine to weather-worn.
Change will come and in time,
the town of Guadalupe will be an upscale residential community along the
California Coast. Interest in reviving the historic buildings with antique
shops and boutiques is currently underway but like San Luis Obispo 30 minutes
north, earthquake retrofitting will be required to make
the structures safe and if San Luis Obispo offers any
glimpse into this costly effort, some building owners
cannot afford the price.
For those traveling by train, Guadalupe has a new depot
and regularly scheduled Amtrak stop.
Things to see include:
Dunes Discovery Center, 951 Guadalupe Street, (Hwy 1),
(805) 343-2455, Open Fri. 2 pm - 4 pm., Sat. and Sun. Noon to 4 pm. Information
and displays about the history of the dunes and plant and animal life which
thrive in the protected region.
Guadalupe Beach offers fishing and a nearly deserted
beach with expansive views of the Pacific Ocean. Also enjoy the Guadalupe
Sand Dunes, part of the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Region which runs
from Guadalupe and Oso Flaco Lake north to
Pismo
Beach.
An historical mural colonnade from visual artists,
Judith Baca, best known for her large scale public murals. This art involves
extensive community organizing and participation and addresses multi-cultural
audiences. Baca is recognized for works such as the internationally known
GREAT WALL OF LOS ANGELES mural in the Tujunga Wash Flood Control
Channel.
