Don’t skip the Santa Barbara County Town of Lompoc

We woke up to the hotel shaking – from a different kind of earthquake – as a rocket launched 24 satellites into space from nearby Vandenberg Space Force Base, outside Lompoc (“lom-poke”). This California Central Coast town has the best vantage points for viewing rocket launches and is the only place in the US that launches unmanned satellites into orbit. Learn more about Lompoc and our favorite … Continue reading Don’t skip the Santa Barbara County Town of Lompoc

Escape LA: Lompoc, a Santa Barbara city

Founded in the 1880s as a temperance colony, Lompoc was originally conceived as a booze-free utopia. (Note: this is not to be confused with a free-booze utopia, which, I’m sorry to say, is not a real thing). William Hollister, a wealthy rancher who was once considered the state’s largest producer of wool was interested in cheap labor and clean sobriety. Today, wages are still low … Continue reading Escape LA: Lompoc, a Santa Barbara city