Tropical Hawaii vs. Arid Carlsbad

Hawaii's unique topography coupled with the abundance of oceanic influence makes for spectacular landscapes. Honolulu has an average day time temperature in the high 70's nearly year round. The north and east sides of the islands receive most of the rain due to the moist ocean winds carried to the base of the coastal mountains where precipitation occurs. These winds now devoid of moisture, move across to the dry western side of the islands. As a result, there are huge rainfall differences in Hawaii's regoinal locations.

Carlsbad is coastal city with an average day time temp of 78. Its location gives it a temperate Mediterranean climate. It only has an average of 11.13 inches of rain each year s it is much more arid than Hawaii.

http://majorchangeacademy.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/hawaii.jpg

The Northern Pacific Coast -Totem Poles & Animals

The native Americans of the Pacific Northwest used totem poles as a means of recording kinship history. The Luiseno Indians of Southern California used totem in another sense. During the Luiseno ritual called the Toloache, adolescent boys that are coming of age use totem animals as spiritual guides to help their journey to adulthood. The hallucinogenic root of the jimsonweed is also incorporated in the ceremony. The Luiseno Indian tribe numbered in the thousands in the Northern San Diego area in the 1870's.

http://www.accessgenealogy.com/native/tribes/shoshoni/luisenoindianhist.htm

http://www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/exhibits/tbird-park/index.html

California Mission Systems

Much has been said about the Spanish Colonial Mission system in California. Carlsbad is located in the middle of two of the most significant missions. Many of the state's fourth graders still prepare reports and models on and about these missions. Some question the accuracy of our California history in regards to the motivation and administration of these working ranches that were, at one time, throughout the state. Many say that the European presence in California was Spain's long, intrusive arm just moving up the Pacific coast from Baja Mexico to the Alta (Upper) regions of what we now call California.

The first mission in Baja was San Bruno, founded by the Spanish Jesuits in 1683, near the gulf town of Loreto. Over time, the Jesuits built a system of fifteen missions in Baja. After King Charles III heard that the Jesuits had been stockpiling wealth they were replaced by the Franciscans headed by Junipero Serra. The San Diego area was the site of two notable missions in this chain. First, in 1769, Mission San Diego became the start of the Alta California mission system that would stretch 650 miles to the north. Years later Mission San Luis Rey was founded in 1798 by Father Fermin Lausen. This mission would be called the "King of the Missions" due the fact that it was the named after King Louis IX and it was the largest of the missions with a population of 2,700. It also had the most livestock with 50,000 head of cattle and 2,000 horses among others. Mission San Luis had an extensive agricultural operations. Good, bad or indifferent, the California Missions are a formative element of our state's history. The story of these missions and our state history are forever inextricably linked. Carlsbad was right there in the middle!

http://gocalifornia.about.com/cs/photos1/l/bl_caslrm_int.htm

Carlsbad - The Southwest Border

As noted in previous posts the diversity in the demographics of Carlsbad is quite limited. It is over 80% Caucasian with less than 1% American Indian and less than 12% Hispanic. This is quite a feat considering the history of California with it being a part of Mexico and coupled with the huge influx of immigration from south of the border into the region. Moreover, San Diego County also has a greater number of native American Indian tribes than any other county in the United States. There are 18 reservations and 20,000 American Indians residing in San Diego County. There a re four tribal groupings in these 18 smaller reservations, the Kumeyaay/Diegueño, the Luiseño, the Cupeño, and the Cahuilla. Still Carlsbad remains a privileged community despite its location.

http://www.sandiego.edu/nativeamerican/reservations.html

The Empty Interior includes the Salton Sea

Carlsbad is not part of the "The Empty Interior" of the United States. However, just a few hours directly to the east is the Salton Sea which is part of this expansive, sparsely populated region. The history of the inland salt water body is marked by extreme change. Located in the area called the Salton Sink, which is 230 feet below sea level, the Salton Sea has appeared and disappeared several times over the last three million years. Depending on the changing flow of the Colorado River north into the Sink, then back to the south again, the lake was created accidentally recently. In the late 1800's farming in the area was supported by irrigation canals pulled from the Colorado River. In 1905, during higher than normal flows, the Colorado River overtook the canals and filled the Salton Sink area forming the largest lake in California. As a result, the Salton Sea has become a vital habitat for 400 species of birds. It is also home to approximately 10 million talapia fish. Unfortunately, the salt level is increasing 1% every year and consequently major devastating ecological events are occurring in the area. If this trend continues unchecked, much of the wildlife in this area is at risk. In recent years, plans are being discussed about how to offset these changes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salton_Sea

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKsK13NDkpg

All of Carlsbad's Water is Imported

Nearly all of Carlsbad's water is imported. It comes from two costly sources, one in Northern California, the Bay Delta and the other from the Colorado River. Both of these sources are overburdened and highly susceptible to drought conditions. As a response to this ongoing problem, the City of Carlsbad has decided to invest in a desalination project. This process not only removes the salts from the Pacific Ocean water that will be used but also removes all the minerals and organic material. The end product will be completely potable water suitable for drinking. This project is currently in production and will be operational in 2012.

Agricultural Core vs. Theme parks

As stated previously in this blog, Carlsbad has a modest agricultural center. The greater San Diego area does have a notable agriculture industry. However, one industry that is big in the San Diego area is theme parks. Sea World and the San Diego Zoo are the top attractions. A relative newcomer is Legoland which is located in Carlsbad. It is one of four Legoland parks with the other three located in Europe; England, Germany and Denmark. The US Legoland opened in 1999 and is geared toward younger kids. The average attendance is estimated at 1.4 million each year. It has stiff competition in this industry with the aforementioned parks a few minutes south and Disneyland, Universal Studios and Six Flags Magic Mountain to the north. It does fit a niche with its focus on smaller children with scaled down rides and exhibits.



http://www.google.com/maps?q=carlsbad,%20ca&lci=com.panoramio.all&iwloc=lyrftr:com.panoramio.all,8767243306314437832,33.126150,-117.311507&ll=33.126150,-117.311507&z=10&ei=8tevS8j9GozatgPHgZXuCw&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=photo-link&cd=1&resnum=1&ved=0CBIQ8wEoADAA

The Southern Coastland - Gulf Coast

The Southern Coastlands of the United States has a rich and diverse tradition in jazz, food, agriculture, tourism and petroleum. From the border town of Brownsville to the large port city of Houston, to the Mississippi delta town of New Orleans, through the panhandle of Florida and down to the Florida keys, this region and its people are as varied as any in the world. Contrast this with my city of Carlsbad, CA that has little to no diversity, forgettable food, only the thoughtful alternative indie rock group "Switchfoot" can be claimed as its native sons.

Agriculture and Demographics

In Carlsbad, there is primarily only small scale agriculture. Due to the sandy soil conditions which aids in drainage and the temperate weather, flowers are grown in and around the Carlsbad area for nearly a century. As one travels southward on Interstate 5, especially during the spring months, fields of flowers can be seen. There a few organic farms scattered about the town.

The demographics in the area are overwhelmingly caucasian accounting for 85% of the population. About 12% is Latino, with less than 1 % being African American. The population demographics and agriculture are much different than that of the Changing South.

Mining vs. Golf

The Appalachians and the Ozarks have little in common with Carlsbad, CA. However, there are a few similarities. First, both areas we late to develop in relation to the surrounding areas close in proximity. The Appalachian Mountains acted as a natural barrier to the original colonies regarding westward movement. No such barrier exists in Carlsbad but the natural ports of San Diego and Los Angeles attracted more settlers and traffic than the nondescript coast of Carlsbad. Also, both regions tend to be more politically conservative. Of course, there are huge disparities as well. The Appalachia and the Ozark are known for extreme poverty while Carlsbad is considered one of the wealthiest areas in the United States. There does not seem to much of a native Indian presence in Appalachia and the Ozark while San Diego County has 18, more than any other county in the United States.

Nothing Like the Bypassed East

Carlsbad, California is the antithesis of the northern New England area of our country. Carlsbad is known for its sand, sun and warm ocean waters. On the other hand, New England is known for its lack of the aforementioned properties. Carlsbad and its surrounding areas have little to no forest while New England, once had extensive forests, was over-forested and now that has become a new second growth forest. New England has 40 to 60 inches of precipitation with a average midwinter temperature of 5 to 10F. Carlsbad has a typical Southern California Mediterranean like mild climate. Much of New England has rugged terrain and chilly ocean waters due to the Labrador Currents flows. On the contrary, Carlsbad draws thousands of swimmers and surfers each year to its warm and inviting beaches.

Carlsbad's Manufacturing Core

Carlsbad has a varied manufacturing commerce. Its largest employer by far is the Callaway Golf Company which makes golf clubs, golf apparel and other related golf items. Another golf company Taylor Made also resides in Carlsbad. It's next biggest manufacturer is Invitrogen which is a bio science company. There are other notable companies in this field with BeckmanCoulter being another. BeckmanCoulter makes analytical machines like the Coulter Counter with performs cell counts on blood and other products. In my current line of work, we use these counters to count yeast cells as we monitor the fermentation process at our brewery. Isis Pharmaceuticals is also in Carlsbad. This company uses the latest RNA gene technology to discover new drugs with many different applications. The Gemological Institute of America resides in Carlsbad. Their world headquarters are here with a research lab, a school and instrument making division.

As you can see, Carlsbad offers many different manufacture items from local companies.

Urbanization

Carlsbad is located in the suburbs of the greater San Diego metropolitan area. It is situated below the two large California counties of Los Angeles and Orange.

It is not quite the Megalopolis of the eastern seaboard although it does share many similar properties. It has several large interconnected urban areas with several suburban and rural towns in close proximity. Southern California has extensive coastal access. It has many cities extended from the coastal area into deeper inland regions. Southern California also has elaborate import and export trade via the Pacific Rim. The larger cities were developed near good harbors that facilities trade. Southern California has urban cities that have spread out through suburbs that have begun to coalesce into one larger populated area. It is quite possible that someday SoCal might be declared the "Megalopolis of the West Coast".

Changing Culture

The local native Indians in the Carlsbad area, the Quechnajuichom, lived a relatively simple existence until Spanish explorers settled in the area. Eventually the San Luis Mission was built in 1798 nearby in what is now known as Oceanside. The Franciscan mission system built along the length of California changed the culture of these indigenous Indian tribes forever.

Physical Environment of Carlsbad

The Carlsbad physical environment is primarily coastal. Within short proximity to the ocean, there are hills resting just beyond the downtown area. The average elevation is 400 foot above sea level. The area is relatively dry with a yearly rainfall of 12.3 inches. One of the noteworthy features of the area are a series of lagoons situated along the coastline of Carlsbad. One lagoon was named Aqua Hedionda by the Spanish explorer, Gaspar Portola, after its pungent odor, which means Stinking Water.

View from the Hill

Carlsbad, CA

Carlsbad, California is a coastal town ideally situated thirty miles north of San Diego. My wife and I are exploring Carlsbad as a possible option for our future relocation. We have vacationed in this area several times in the last few years. We have used this city as a home base as we venture eastward to search for an affordable location which maintains temperate coastal temperatures. Carlsbad's landscape is varied. It has a sandy beach that stretches for several miles which attracts surfers, joggers and swimmers. Adjacent to the beach is a small downtown area with many shops and restaurants. Unique to the Carlsbad area are a series of three lagoons that push gently inland. These lagoons create restful nature areas teeming with wildlife. Further inland are hilly, chaparral expanses. As the urbanization of San Diego increased, suburbanites drifted northward to develop bedroom communities in the North County. As a result Carlsbad's population has grown from below 10,000 in 1960 to over 100,000 currently.