A Summer's Day Along Soquel Creek and a Glimpse of Venice
Tomato Fieldnotes No. 1: Capitola, CA, USA
Introducing Tomato Fieldnotes
I love to wander. Jotting down field notes allows me to notice things in the moment as well as remind me of what I am curious to learn more about later. Tomato Fieldnotes is a diary of my experience of new places, records of eavesdropping and conversations with people I bump into, and a documentation of my natural surroundings. This corner of Tomatokind celebrates the curiosities of a locale’s journey through time and space - both through history and as we personally perceive them in a snapshot in time.
Field Note No.1
Where: The esplanade and surrounding residences of Capitola, CA, USA
When: 3:31pm on a Friday in Aug, 2024 to 5:09pm on the same day
Arriving in Capitola: First Impressions
It was difficult to pinpoint the exact coordinates that divided Santa Cruz’s race-track mountainside with the flatter, wider roads of Capitola. Gradually yet suddenly, I found myself emerging from the grand mountain ranges and landing into the middle of a real-life sandbox.
I probably should not have driven as fast as I did down the narrow strips of asphalt kissing those hillsides. But, it was certainly thrilling…an internal game of maintain-equidistance-between-me-and-the-Audi-in-front-of-me. In my head, I imagined the guy behind the wheel was having a pretty sweet time impressing his lady friend in the passenger seat, swerving tightly along hairpin turn after turn to excitable “whoops” and “woos”.
When I reached the bottom of the forested mountain, the traffic came to a complete stand-still. There was some construction ahead. But, blasting some old Jesse McCartney tracks, I was in no rush. In fact, the seemingly infinite queue of brake lights ahead gave me permission to take in the view on either side of the road: farms, narrow roads, and single story ranch-style houses.
As I inched forward, nearly blocking intersections, I observed two high school-aged girls walks side by side towards a park. Just as they stepped afoot the lawn area, the two accelerated into a sprint and body-slammed themselves into a third girl who emerged from behind a large tree - in absolute bliss. One of them picked the other up, and the trio took turns hopping up and down like they were the first kernels of corn in a pot to be “popped”.
Are these three friends seeing each other for the first time this summer…or the last time? Are they best friends but separated by miles - oceans, even? Or, are they close friends but meeting in-the-flesh for the first time (an online friendship perhaps)?
In any case, their attire of tank tops and flip flops (and infectiously positive energy) made an impression on me.
I imagined a day as carefree as the rolling hills behind me and these young friends.
Discovering Capitola’s History and Vibrant Community
The area now known as Capitola was once - for thousands of years - inhabited by the Ohlone people before the extinction of their community and culture during the arrival of Santa Cruz missions. According to a placard by the Historic Old Riverview Court and Cottages at 315 Riverview Avenue - a peaceful creekside path with cottages lining both shores - “colorful stories have been passed down through the ages of the Ohlone Indians using the land along the Soquel Creek, for special ceremonial ritual. There is an old Awas-was Indian fable of lore about the young ‘Cheif Worob,’ who forever wanders the river’s edge in search of his bride, who mysteriously vanished on their wedding night…It is said that on foggy nights, with a quarter moon, you can see the ghostly figure of Cheif Worob draped in his ceremonial bear and seal skin headress, crying out…’Tomas-adis-na-Manes?’ It’s translation is though to mean ‘Where are you my love?’”
Some claim that, in the mid-1870s, Capitola was founded and named by Captain John Pope Davenport (a Monterey fisherman) after his wife. However, an alternative story tells of the tale of pioneer Samuel Hall, who named the place after a heroine in a novel by American writer E.D.E.N. Southworth when he stood up “Camp Capitola,” a seaside overnight camp to house a growing crowd of travelers visiting the town.
In 1874, Capitola became California’s first city to be incorporated by its residents.
Observing Closely: The Five Senses
During my limited visit, I note what strikes my senses.
Color, Terrain, & Visual Patterns (Sight):
Vibrant-colored buildings with scalloped textured walls
A blinding horizon of sand
Seaside motifs on every storefront
Dense Seurat-like speckles of pastel shorts, swimwear, and sandals
Aromas & Odors (Smell):
Kelp
Beer-breath
Light perfumes
Sunscreen broiled under the red sun
Palette (Taste):
Saltwater taffies
Ambient noises, natural environment, dialogues (Hearing):
Crashing waves and millions of scurrying sand particles
Surfboards and paddle boards slapping onto the sea
Texture & Temperature (Touch):
Sharp rocks underneath bare feet
Soaked pant hems
Swarming sandflies
Splintered boardwalks
Hot pavement like a pizza stone ready for its pie
Final Reflections
I really enjoyed the couple hours I spent in Capitola-By-the-Sea. With Autumn just a short bit away, it was the perfect solo day trip to soak in the summer feels. Some highlights included my peek into artisan jewelry stores (featuring artists like Holly Yashi) and the Homeless Garden Project store, walking along the beach and in between the Venetian Court townhouses, and eavesdropping older couples lengthily discussing the personality of their grand-pets (a.k.a. not grandkids, but rather the four-legged ones).
Thanks for reading, and happy community-gathering!