Lompoc's flower fields bring floral splendor to the space city

BLOSSOMS AND THE GREAT BEYOND: So many terrific California towns rock their own distinctive "thing," with tall trees, date shakes, gorgeous lakes, hidden coves, and fanciful food traditions serving as their quintessential calling cards. Then there is lovely Lompoc, a Santa Barbara County burg that is so colorful, and so cosmic, that it has several boast-worthy features. The colorful element found around town? Large-scale murals are plentiful in Lompoc, but if you look a bit further out, you'll find all sorts of eye-catching flower fields. These aren't strollable fields, mind you, like the ones found in Carlsbad, but you can admire their delicate beauty from a distance. And the cosmic part? Vanderberg Space Force Base is nearby, giving rocket lovers frequent sky-high thrills.

JUNE, though, is very much about sweet peas, stock, larkspur, and other blossoms. There's the annual Flower Festival — that will open its petals from June 20 through 23, with the big parade set for June 22 — and opportunities to embark on a self-guided drive to see what is growing in the verdant area. The festival, which is marking its 78th outing in 2024, has a slogan that gives a nod to Lompoc's space-ier side: "Shoot for the Stars" is the uplifting theme. Surely, several festival visitors will want to cruise by some flower fields and get to know the more galactic doings of this delightful destination through geocaching tips. Murals, flowers, and space... and wait, a taco trail, too? Lompoc, you have everything going, and more.