Lompoc Flower Fields have nearly
disappeared in the past decade, but not before we captured some of the great
views of one of California's most beautiful regions. For decades,
Lompoc has held two titles as the home of the Vandenberg Air Force Base
where satellites continue to be launched, and as Valley of the Flowers.
Each year tourists used to head to
Lompoc to drive around the farms in May and June and view the latest flower
crops. Stretching for miles were purples, pinks, yellows and countless hues
of color seldom seen. When you approached certain roads the fragrance of a
type of flower could send you into Nirvana. An annual celebration in
June at Lompoc's Ryon Park continues to celebrate the community and its
assets. The bands play, the floats pass by, vendors sell wares and everyone
comes out to the community festival to have a good time, minus the flowers
in the fields for which the Flower Festival was named.
Flowers grown for seeds have barely
made a profit in recent times as South America has grown them much cheaper. Lompoc Valley
is situated in a lush valley 9 miles from the Pacific Ocean along scenic Pacific Coast Highway 1
and Highway 246. Once known as
the mustard capitol of the world (circa 1920's), the hills on the edge of town are still covered
in mustard in spring time.
In the 1930's, Lompoc became the apple capitol.
What will the future bring? If the Central California coast building
trends continue, the genesis of this land will be housing developments to fill
the insatiable demand for growth in a region that enjoys mild temperatures all
year long.
If you go to Lompoc hoping to see
flowers, you may get lucky and discover some seasonal plantings adjacent to
a crop. Or at any given time you may discover an entire field spring up with
colorful blossoms. But we suspect the good old days are gone, and in
so believing, have captured some photos for posterity. Glad to have
discovered these fields (thanks to visitors to our web site who alerted us),
the experience was wonderful while it lasted. Just looking at a photo can
help jog your memory. A sweet intoxication, feeling of inspiration and soul
uplifting are possible thanks to nature's perfect gift.
