When I first visited Guadalupe — getting lost in the dunes, eating sopes at El Tapatio, appreciating the colorful architecture, learning about its multiethnic history — I was smitten and vowed to return regularly. More than 20 years later, I’m embarrassed to say that I’ve only been back a handful of times, rarely finding a visit convenient, given that the remote city in the northwestern corner of Santa Barbara County sits so far off of 101.
Meanwhile, I’ve watched Guadalupe endure years of heartache. It was one of the few cities in California to nearly go bankrupt (it didn’t), then the first in 40 years advised to dissolve (it didn’t), and even lost its primary landmark, the Far Western Tavern. That restaurant moved to Orcutt in 2012 due, in part, to the costs required to retrofit the old brick building. Those expensive earthquake-safety requirements scared off new businesses from investing as well, so I was left thinking that Guadalupe’s somewhat subdued status quo would go on forever.
I’m happy to report that I was wrong. I finally made it back to Guadalupe earlier this year, and found a much more vibrant downtown strip than I remember. It still showed the charm of a sleepy Mexican farming pueblo — which makes sense, given the population is nearly 90 percent Latinx, most employed in agriculture — but there was palpable energy and bright coats of paint to the mercados and taquerias along Cabrillo Highway.