<– Day 24 – Apr. 12th: Dan’s FCs and The Lost Romanian | OVERVIEW | Day 26 – Apr. 14th: Gorditas Make Me Sleepy –>

Dinner off of Hwy 1 overlooking the Pacific Ocean. After all the craziness of the northern LA traffic, we found a peaceful spot for some dinner with a postcard-perfect view.

Our first objective on Sunday was to grab a bagel at the Old New York Deli & Bakery Company in Newberry Park, California. I’d spotted the bagelry when it delivered some bagels for an event at the Hampton Inn where we stayed Saturday night. They looked so good, that I made the bagel place a must stop. Thankfully, the bagels didn’t disappoint. They were chewy and tasty. If you are in the area, give them a try.

A map of our trip from Thousand Oaks to Pismo Beach.

From Newberry Park, we drove to Port Hueneme to visit the new Seabees museum. If are like me, you are unsure how to pronounce the name of that Port. I learned it is pronounced Port Why-Knee-Me, named for a local tribe. Again, Hueneme = Why-Knee-Me

On the way to the museum we encountered this terrible fire. Ann determined it had been a medical building (we pulled up to a gas station to fill up while watching the action).

We put the fire behind us and soon arrived at the new Seabee museum. Unlike the old location (which is the only address we had), the new address does not require access to the Naval Base, making it less of a hassle for non-military visitors to visit the museum. It’s very easy to spot the museum by the large “Seabee” out front:

You can see Henry parked in the background.

The beautiful new building apparently replaced some leaky, smaller buildings. The entrance sure looked welcoming:

Inside the building is a spacious lobby where a change in exhibits was in progress:

This was a creative use of landing grates:

There were several rooms that shared the history of the Navy’s civil engineering program. One question we had was how did the Seabee’s originate and get their name? The answer involved the problem of civil engineers fighting in a war.

The Navy knew they’d need a variety of projects completed in the Pacific Theater war zones.  Because of the danger, the engineers would have to be armed. If they took up weapons and had to fight, they would be considered guerrillas and could be executed. Therefore, the Navy decided to create a Battalion within the Navy: The Naval Construction Battalion or NCB. The first mascot considered was the beaver. However since the beaver tends to turn and run in the face of danger, that animal was abandoned for the bee. Given the NCB initialism, one can easily see how CB became Seabee.

One thing we didn’t find was the WWII jeep I expected to see, but I did see a reference to a jeep in this painting. It’s there in the center.

Wondering why I hadn’t seen the jeep (they do have a M-151A2 and a Hummer), I asked the very helpful Kadi Shell at the visitor’s desk where it was.  She explained that the Pacific Theater exhibit still needed to be completed. After I explained what I did with eWillys, she gave us a sneak peak at the upcoming exhibit, which includes the jeep. We got some photos, but I was asked not to publish them until the exhibit officially opens. [Ed note: That was six years ago, so I expect it is safe to publish them now … the lighting wasn’t the best]

The Seabee museum was a neat little place that has some great information. Their gift shop had a good collection of Seabee t-shirts and other items that are likely hard to find elsewhere.

Santa Barbara Art-in-the-park

After leaving the museum, we took our time driving north to Santa Barbara. Our plan was to walk the pier, but we got VERY distracted by the art-in-the-park event that’s held every Sunday. There was some great stuff and we bought several items, including these water colors by a local artist named Bill Richardson who must have been in his 70s. He gave us a great price.

After walking away from the art market with empty pockets, we drove to meet Anthony Bordin to see his truck projects. He’s a real estate agent in Santa Barbara (if you are buying or selling in the area, try giving him a call).

Anthony had a Willys truck early in his life. Recently, he decided to get another one and rebuild it as a project. He said he doesn’t drive fast anyway, so a Willys truck is perfect for him. One truck led to two as he found good pieces to combine into a single vehicle. He’s promised to provide us with some updates when he gets the chance.

After our meeting with Anthony, we took off for a drive up Highway 1 to see some of the California coast. We soon got hungry, so we pulled over any enjoyed a relaxing picnic dinner of cheese, crackers and some slices of bison meat.

Here’s the view down the coast looking southwest. We made our picnic behind the jeep (see top pic of post)

It was a beautiful way to leave Southern California behind. Thanks to everyone who made our stay in the area so memorable!

Tonight we are staying in the Pismo Beach area. Monday we drive north on Highway 1 through Big Sur.

<– Day 24 – Apr. 12th: Dan’s FCs and The Lost Romanian | OVERVIEW | Day 26 – Apr. 14th: Gorditas Make Me Sleepy –>