WPA Era Post Offices Ventura and Oxnard

WPA Era Post Offices

Ventura

675 E. Santa Clara St.

Ventura, CA

Oxnard

1961 N. C St.

Oxnard, CA

When I started this blog, this is really the stuff that I wanted to put into it. 

If you were paying attention in your US History Class, then you heard about the Great Depression of the 1930's. The short version is this-if you want to get your country out of a depression, you put everyone to work. Governments have been doing this forever, and it's important to note yet again-the government jump starts the economy by putting as many people as possible doing whatever work they do. 

One of my favorite examples I discovered inside the Hoover Dam when the family was on a 'Dam Trip' a few years back (my kids loved that part of the trip-"Can we go to the dam gift shop?""I want some dam souviners""Look at the dam clock,""What's the dam tempature?" My wife wanted to go to the "Dam car," but the kids and I explained that we didn't have a "Dam car," that those were inside the dam. At least I think that's what she meant). Inside the Hoover Dam, where almost no one can see it, is some really amazing tile work and terrazzo floors, because the people who did those things needed work, too. Thanks to Jennifer Roberts and her Flickr account for this excellent picture from inside the Dam.

And another example is the murals that ended up inside many post offices and libraries. Ventura and Oxnard both have examples of this work. 

This sign from the Ventura Post Office explains as well as I can. The pictures were taken with my beat up iPhone 4, the same one I use for my "Pictures of Ventura Churches" blog.

I really should get the iPhone 6 if I'm going to do all this picture taking.

I found a website that lists all the WPA Post Offices in California.

Oxnard Post Office

I knew the Oxnard Post Office was from the same era, and I was expecting to see the same type of murals when I went in, but there was only one, and it really wasn't very interesting.

The craftsmanship of the building, however, was impressive, with lots of wood and tile. I also noticed that what appears to be a second floor from the outside is actually just a row of high windows, and I imagine that the idea there was for cooling in the time before air conditioning. Hot air rises, and would be blown out by the afternoon winds of Oxnard.

February 5, 2015

Santa Barbara Post Office

836 Anacapa Street

Santa Barbara, CA

I initially wrote this because the Oxnard and Ventura Post Offices reminded me of the Post Offices of Bell, Maywood and Huntington Park, where I grew up. All of those cities grew around the turn of the 20th Century, and were all hit hard by the Depression, which necessitated Roosevelt's WPA building projects.

The Santa Barbara Post Office is of the same era, but reflects the Mission Style that all of the cities' public buildings display, including the great City Hall. In the lobby, though, everything is Art Deco, including the six plaster reliefs, entitled "Transportation of the Mall." The doors and tables have some great craftsmanship, and it was worth the few minutes that I stopped.

Goleta Coffee, Santa Barbara CA

Goleta Coffee Company

177 South Turnpike Road

Santa Barbara, CA 93111

At the heart of every coffee house is, of course, coffee. And since I started writing the blog and really paying attention to coffee is served, I've come up with some favorites. 

I must confess, as much as I hate to go to chain anythings-restaraunts, stores, whatever, I do like Starbucks. Not that the 800 lb. gorilla of coffee chains needs a plug in my little blog, but I know what I'm going to get going in, and it's consistent, reasonably priced and good. Not only that, they're everywhere-I think there are 8 stand alone shops in Ventura, and more at Vons, Target, etc. There are two Coffee Bean's and one Peet's here in Ventura as well, and I like them, but not as much as Starbucks. The independent coffee houses between here and Santa Barbara usually use Santa Barbara Roast, which I tend to find a bit acidic, or Beacon, which I like and is roasted here in town but not found in as many places.

I've stopped at the Goleta Coffee House a few times before, and have liked their coffee. On a recent Sunday afternoon, there was a crowd but a few seats available for what I was doing-drinking a cup of coffee and reading the paper. I was expecting the usual SB Roast, and was surprised by the smooth smokiness of the Mexican organic. While sitting, I saw several people order the sandwiches, which also looked quite good. There was ample seating up front, outside, and in a rear indoor area that had a fireplace blazing on the cool morning.

Goleta Coffee is reasonable close to UCSB, and what appeared to be several college students were sitting about with books and laptops open, studying-I believe finals were coming up-along with the many locals coming and going, chatting with one another. 

I asked, and discovered that Goleta Coffee used Peerless Coffee out of Oakland, and they keep several types brewed and ready for drinking. A small coffee, or any size of your own cup is $2. With a relaxed, locals favorite atmosphere, it was a good place to sit and have a cup.

No website, but there is a Facebook page. They do have wi-fi. 

Daily Grind, Santa Barbara

Daily Grind

2001 De La Vina

Santa Barbara, CA

2912 De La Vina

Santa Barbara, CA

I've been coming to the Daily Grind since I moved to Ventura and would find my way into Santa Barbara, shortly after they opened their door in the 90's. They have a wide variety of brewed coffees, the usual fancy coffee drinks, pastries and sandwiches. Though I've had some of the pastries, I generally just have a coffee whenever I'm driving through the area, and will detour there when I can. It's alway crowded, not that that's a bad thing, and everyone appears to be enjoying their coffee and food items. I've been meaning to write about them for some time because it's kind of a friendly, funky looking place (in the garage of an old Shell station-the Shell sign is up above the cash register) that exudes Santa Barbara character. Located on the corner of De La Vina and Mission, it's also across the street from another Santa Barbara icon, McConnell's Ice Cream, a great, premium ice cream that I've alluded to before.

Recently, I was driving to a meeting and had a few minutes to stop. As usual, there was a line and I had only a few minutes to get my coffee and be on my way. I took out my phone and quickly snapped the above picture, and then was trying to get a picture of the menu when a guy came out and started to wave. I was trying to line up my shot when I figured out what he was saying.

"No pictures. Hey, no pictures." It caught me a little off guard, and I mumbled something in return. I got in line and got my coffee, but it threw me off. So, remember, don't take pictures when you're there.

About the coffee.

They brew several types-I wasn't able to get a picture and it isn't on the website-which they keep in hot pots on the side. You pay at the register, and they'll hand you a cup. Generally, I'll try a few sips of several before making my decision, and then poor myself a cup. On this trip, the coffee I poured wasn't quite as hot as I'd've liked it-a pet peeve of mine, but it wasn't bad.

I'll continue to go back. I like to support local businesses when I can, but I won't take any pictures.

La Super Rica/Crush Cakes

La Super Rica

622 N Milpas St, Santa Barbara, CA 93103

(805) 963-4940

About five years ago, I read three different articles in the LA Times, Westways and Sunset listing La Super Rica as  a

place that must be visited, and since my kids were in Zoo Camp, I went to check it out. It's good. 

Generally, though, I want tacos and go to Lilly's (Friday, Oct. 28, 2011), which is cheap and fast, but yesterday I felt like Mexican Food. Being near La Super Rica, I headed in. 

LSR has a tapas menu, everything needing to be ordered a la carte, and I usually order two or three items. On this trip, I had the frijole super rica (pinto beans with little bits bacon and chorizo), alambra de filete (tri-tip with peppers, onions and bacon), and from the specials menu, a taco de hongo (mushrooms in a cream sauce on two tortillas). My daughter ordered the arroz a la Mexicana (Mexican brown rice) and lamito suizo (grilled pork and cheese between 2 tortillas). Both of us ordered Mexican soda (they do serve beer).

Looking in the kitchen area, everything is clean, and they are pressing out corn tortillas by hand. 

We got there at 11 AM, and for the first time ever, I didn't wait in line.  Generally, there's a fast moving line extending well out the door, and as the day progresses they run out of various specials.

The dining area is an enclosed patio, with heaters for the rare cold days. Since we were there so early, there was plenty of seating, but having been to LSR later in the day, I know that sometimes the entire dining area is filled.

The food came pretty quick, and it was all delicious. The meat was moist and full of flavor. I really like their pinto beans, and usually add a little of the meat from my other dishes. Fresh tortillas are generally more moist than those from a package, and you can taste more of the corn, which is the case here.

My order

I tried my daughter's food too, and liked it as well, the cheese especially.

My daughter's

If you happen to be a Katy Perry fan, this is the place she name checks in one of "This is How We Do," and apparently it's not unusual to see performers from the Santa Barbara Bowl eat here before their show.

The cost for my daughter and I was just over $20.

Crushcakes
1315 Anacapa Street
Santa Barbara

Later the same day, needing something sweet, my daughter and I headed to Crushcakes for a cupcake. Cupcakes are all the rage, and Crushcakes is in a funky little shop across from Alameda Park that I like just sitting in. It feels happy, and I like the art they have on the walls, and I imagine a world where I can spend all my time drinking coffee and eating cupcakes in cafes around the world.

On this visit, I had a peanut better cupcake with a cup of the house coffee. And for the first time, I was a touch disappointed. The $3 cupcake was a tad dry, and the house blend of Intelligentsia coffee was bitter. I've been in a few times before, and have enjoyed both the location and the food.

But I was back in Santa Barbara a second time, and again needed a cupcake. This time, with the rain cleaning the outside world, I had the coconut cupcake and the Gallo blend of Intelligentsia, and both were much better. The cupcake was moist and the coffee, though strong, wasn't bitter. 

Everyone can have an off day.

The Spot/The Rainbow, Carpenteria

The Spot

389 Linden Ave

Carpinteria, CA 93013

Rainbow Ice Cream

751 Linden Ave

Carpinteria, CA 93013

Beach Crowd

I was just reading the Yelp reviews and they seem to run the gamut for both The Spot and Rainbow Ice Cream. Sometimes these hole in the wall places have issues with consistent quality control.

But based on my experience, both are solid joints in a great location. Both are also “Cash Only,” as things near the beach should be.

A block off the water with outdoor seating, I’ve been coming to the Spot since I discovered it a few years back.

Many of the Yelp reviews slam their burrito, but to me, this is a burger kind of place. If I want a burrito, I go to a Mexican place, and there are a couple of good ones in Carp.

Outdoor Dining

On a recent visit, I went with a cheeseburger and onion rings, while my daughter had a cheeseburger and fries. We sat at one of the outdoor tables. The wait wasn’t too long, the burger and onion rings were quite tasty, and the fries adequate. It’s a touch on the high side, but the location can’t be beat. They also charge extra for refills and certain condiments, but the question becomes, “Do you really need a second soda?”

Carpenteria is a great family beach-meaning usually smaller waves, the state campground (across the street from The Spot) is excellent if you can get a reservation-extremely difficult in the summer and The Spot completes the small town, beachy vibe.

Maybe not worth a special drive, but certainly worthy of a stop if in the area.

After the burger, my daughter and I wanted ice cream. I saw a Rite Aid on Linden, up the road from The Spot, but upon entrance, we discovered that this Rite Aid doesn’t serve ice cream!

My sharp-eyed daughter had noticed the Rainbow Ice Cream shop a block away, so we walked over. The first thing to note is that they serve McConnell’s Ice Cream, a super-premium brand made in Santa Barbara. The Yelp reviews complain about the small size, but this isn’t Rite-Aid, and I felt the size and price were comparable to the two McConnell’s Ice Cream Shops (Ventura and Santa Barbara) that I’ve been to.

I didn’t feel the need to try the featured flavor, Avocado, and instead had butter pecan. It’s rich and creamy, and really quite good. The girl at the counter was young and friendly, and I do like McConnell’s when I want a good ice cream.  The Rainbow is a locally owned mom-and-pop shop.

The shop was small and warm, most likely due to the motors for the ice cream coolers, but there were tables outside, where my daughter and I sat and watched the beach people roll by.

WestWind Drive-In, Goleta (Santa Barbara) CA

West Wind Drive-In

907 S. Kellogg

Goleta, CA

So let's start with this. 

If you happen to be driving between Ventura and Santa Barbara on the 101, remember it is heavily patrolled by the CHP, and they will stop you if you are speeding. Especially on a holiday weekend. 

It's been about five years since my last ticket, so I guess I was due.

The family and I decided to try a drive-in yesterday. We loaded up the car with beach chairs, sodas, fruit juice and candy and headed off to the West Wind Drive-In to catch Despicable Me 2 (if you liked the first one, you'll like this one too). The West Wind is actually beyond Santa Barbara in Goleta, a 40 minute drive that I was going to try to make in 30, hence the above warning.

I haven't been to a drive-in since 1982 with a girl named Mary Beth in either Sante Fe Springs or Norwalk-both theaters long gone now (Mary Beth, too). So with a 30 year gap in between, it was time to give it a try. 

In line to enter-but we could hear the movie!

As you might have guessed, we were late. But the good thing is that the sound is broadcast on FM 96.9, and we were able to pick it up about a block out. The way cars were brought in, you can see the screen as you're waiting to pay, so we didn't really miss anything. Admission is $7.50 for adults and $1 for kids under 11, so it was actually cheaper than going to a regular film. I was thinking about sneaking in my youngest just for fun anyway, and she was actually getting excited about being buried in the back of my car, but opted not to. Start time in the summer for movies is 8:30. Snack bar carries usual movie goodies, and free refills on  large popcorns.

Picture of the movie

As late as we were, there weren't many places to park and we ended up in the back off to the side. Two of my kids like sitting to the side and were perfectly happy, but if we go again, I'm going to try to arrive earlier (obviously) and get a space more toward the center and closer to the front. It was a nice night, so we backed up the car and opened the hatch. Every other car was doing pretty much the same thing as we placed our lawn chairs in a spot where we could see between cars. My youngest watched from inside the hatch. Because every car had their windows down, the sound was very good considering the setting. No stereo sound if you're outside, but if that's what your after, don't get out of the car.

Snack Bar

Sitting in my lawn chair, drinking a soda and looking at stars above the screen, with my kids around me, it really was a nice night. 

When we do this again, we may stop at In-N-Out and pick up some burgers, and I might pack a coffee and hot chocolate for the kids. I had blankets, but I think I would have been more comfortable in pants instead of shorts. It got cold to the point of slightly uncomfortable at about 10.

Without the speeding ticket, it would have been a really fun night, and once I blocked the ticket out, it was fun anyway. 

Willie's Barber Shop and Gino's Pizzeria, Santa Barbara

Willie's Barber Shop

12 W Figueroa St # A
Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Just so that I have something to post this week, I'd like to take a few minutes to talk about my barber, Gil, the son of Willie, the proprietor of Willie's Barber Shop in Santa Barbara. I happened across their shop 7 or 8 years ago, when my kids were at Zoo Camp in Santa Barbara, and I've been coming back on a regular basis ever since.

According to Gil, the shop has been there almost forever, with his dad being the second owner, and he's be there for 50 years. Gil generally cuts my hair, but Willie will once in a while. Both are talkers, and there's something charming to that, listening and chatting about sports and other current events. I've been taking my son there for a long time now, so they've watched him grow-and know his name, but not mine. Actually, I don't think I've ever introduced myself.

Gil remembers who I am though, so that's good. Basically, I go in, get my usual haircut of what's left of my hair, talk about stuff, and feel manly. Not a bad thing, and it's usually just about $20. The shop probably hasn't changed much at all since it opened, and I like that. It looks like a barber shop.

I wrote a Yelp review of it about a year ago, and said pretty much the same thing.

Gino's Pizzeria

12 W Figueroa

Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Today, I went to Gino's Pizzeria, which is right next door, for lunch after. They had a pizza, salad and soda combo for $5.50, which was pretty good-and great for the price. A big, thin sliced pizza served on a paper plate with a fresh ice berg lettuce salad and soda in a can, it's certainly enough for a light lunch. Then my son and I added Garlic Knots, which are small bread dough balls covered with garlic, olive oil and salt, and served with both a white sauce (similar to ranch dressing) and red sauce (cold pizza sauce), a dozen of which went for another $5. Lunch for two for under $20, which works will for me. And on an added note, the coke I had was ice cold, which I really appreciate.

Both places are regular haunts for me.

My picture of the outside didn't come out very well. I'll add some later.

Ty Warner Sea Center, Santa Barbara

Ty Warner Sea Center

Ty Warner Sea Center

Stearns Wharf

Santa Barbara

If I were to win the lottery, along with doing a lot of traveling, I would consider moving to the hills above Santa Barbara. Not Montecito, but the hills above the city, because I like Santa Barbara and all of the things that you can do there.

Still, my Mid-Town Ventura location means that Santa Barbara is only half an hour away, so I still find a way to skip up there on a regular basis. It's far enough to seem like an adventure, but not too far away to make the drive when tired. In fact, the drive up the coast from Ventura to Santa Barbara and back is actually rather invigorating. Sometimes, it's just a beautiful trip.

The ceiling whales

It's Spring Break for me and the kiddies. Last year, we were able to swing a trip to Kona, Hawaii. This year, we can't do anything like that. But to get into the Hawaiian spirit, I threw on a Hawaiian shirt and drove the family to Santa Barbara, for an afternoon at the Ty Warner Sea Center and lunch at Lilly's Taqueria, (See my very brief Oct. 2011 post. Looking at Lilly's website now, I beat the rush).

Shark Petting Zoo

If you have a family of 4 or more, and you live close enough where going twice to this place in the same year is reasonable possibility, I always recommend becoming a member, (over the years, my family has been members of the Santa Barbara Zoo, The Santa Barbara Museum of Art, The Aquarium of the Pacific and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, though not all at the same time). The Ty Warner Sea Center is part of the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, also a nice day trip, and membership to the museum is a tax deduction.

Upstairs

The Ty Warner Sea Center has a shark petting tank, a small underwater exhibit, some research type facilities and generally some traveling exhibit. This time, they had a small exhibit with live jellyfish, which was kind of cool. For a first time visitor, set aside maybe 90 minutes. We've been there so much, an hour seems to do it.

Sign on Stearns Wharf

I got lucky on parking, and was able to find a spot on the street at the end of Stearns Wharf. There is parking on Stearns Wharf, too, which is free for 90 minutes with validation. There are restaurants and gift shops on Stearns Wharf, but they can be a bit pricey, and Lilly's Tacos is cheap. Plus the idea was to burn some of the kids' energy off, so walking to Lilly's was part of the plan. It took half an hour or so to make the walk, where we powered down a ton of tacos.

We strolled State Street to do some window shopping. A side note, Santa Barbara has an electric shuttle for a quarter running up and down State Street, and another running the length of the water front.

It took the edge off the kids energy, which was the goal, and was a nice day as well.