The murals of Lompoc

A tiny town named Lompoc

Lompoc, pronounced /ˈlɒmpoʊk/ LOM-poke, is a city in Santa Barbara County on California's Central Coast. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 43,834. About half of Santa Barbara, which was 87,533 in the census of 2022. Santa Barbara itself is considered a small town. Compare it to the population of San Francisco 808,437 (2022)or San Jose 971,233 (2022)

For a visual comparison, here is a horizontal graph for you

History

The area has a rich history, with the Chumash people inhabiting it for thousands of years. They named the area "lumpo'o̥," which translates to "in the cheeks" in the local Purisimeño language. The Spanish later renamed it Lompoco after Fermín de Lasuén established Misión La Purísima in 1787. In 1837, the land became part of the Rancho Lompoc land grant under Mexican rule. After the U.S. took control of California, several settlers acquired land in the Lompoc Valley, including William Welles Hollister. Hollister sold the land surrounding the mission to the Lompoc Valley Land Company, which established a temperance colony. Lompoc was officially incorporated as a city in 1888.

Today, Lompoc is often seen as a military town due to its proximity to Vandenberg Space Force Base.

The tiny, sleepy town has numerous vibrant, large-scale murals adorning the walls of buildings throughout its downtown area. These murals depict various themes, from historical events, cultural heritage, and community pride to natural landscapes, local flora, and fauna. The Lompoc Mural Society has played a significant role in commissioning and preserving these artworks, contributing to the city's identity and attracting visitors interested in public art and cultural exploration.

I learned about this charming little town while searching for options to entertain my in-laws near Santa Barbara. I love murals. My MIL enjoys both flowers and art. So, I felt it would be a unique experience we both would enjoy.

Unfortunately, the flowers grown commercially in the fields peaked at the end of June this year.  I found a pamphlet for the Lompoc Flower Festival that happened on June 20-23, 2024. The Festival featured carnival rides and games, arts and craft exhibitors, food booths, and commercial vendors - all fun things. But we were a tad late. Here is a glimpse of what we saw- 

Delphinium growing in the flower fields for commercial use. 

It is next to a medium-security federal prison. The prisoners are known to have been involved in agricultural work historically, though I could not find any current data on it. They are given vocational training in hydroponics and construction

This mural interested me because octopuses are often considered "aliens" due to their unique and otherworldly characteristics, which set them apart from most other life forms on Earth. 

(If you are interested, click here to read why they are thought of this way.)

Of course, I had to take a picture of the mural celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Landsat satellite program, which consists of a series of Earth-observing satellite missions, jointly managed by NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). My husband was a part of the Landsat science team during his stint at NASA Ames.

A field of canna lilies

I absolutely loved this flora and fauna of Lompoc valley mural

There were some fun ones like this T-Rex 

And some historic ones like this

A little unusual in the corner here

But the one that made me pause the most was this one, which is obviously about a serviceman who had died in the field.  

A United States flag is provided to drape the casket or accompany the urn of a deceased Veteran who served honorably in the U.S. Armed Forces. It is furnished to honor the memory of a Veteran's military service to their country.