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Show f by JUDITH STOCK Photos by Kirk D. McKoy Surfin Carpenters Shop, CALIFORNIA A surfer rides a waves crest If the American orkers of more than 200 Indian woodw- years ago from around still were Calif., working today, they Carpinteria, be surfboards instead of oceangoing making might canoes. The seaside oasis of Carpinteria (pop. 1,19 1), just a few miles south of Santa Barbara, came by its name in 769, when the Caspar de Portola expedition 1 1 An ancient Torrey Pine towers 28 feet over the town. at famed from Spain saw local Chumash Indians building large, seaworthy fishing canoes. De Portolas soldiers called the village La Carpinteria, or the carpenters shop. Today, Carpinteria is more noted for its famous surfer's paradise, lush avocado and flower fields, high-tec- h companies, and diversity of rich sea life, birds, d Linden Avenue, Carpin-teria- 's and native plants. main artery from Highway Tree-line- 101 Rincon Point, eulogized in the Beach Boys' classic Surfin' Safari. Carpinteria is a farming and beach town, where agriculture is still number one, says Griggs. We are one of the last small towns along the coast. The beach is an obvious source of pride. Protected by an offshore reef with little or no rip currents, Carpinterias sandy stretch of oceanfront has been called the world's safest beach. -- to the beach, also boasts a covey of antique, collectible, and resale shops. The beauty of its natural setting the mountains, the ocean, and the best climate in the world makes this town a stand- out," says Carpinteria Valley Museum of History director and curator David Griggs of the locale below the Los Padres coastal mountain range. "It's the classic small town. You cant run an errand in 10 minutes because everyone stops to talk." The area truly claims a part of towns balmy oCP a 3 23 surfing legend. Nearby lies Rincon Point, eulogized by the memorable Beach Boys hit of the 1960s, Surfin Safari. Rincon d Linden Avenue offers a potpourri of antique and collectible shops. Point is still queen of die surfing Not far from the shoreline sands lie abundant spots on the California coast," says Matthew Roberts, director of Carpinterias parks and recreation. avocado growing fields (Santa Barbara County is claims to fame The town has its North America's third-largeavocado Tree-line- I - lesser-celebrat- too, having once produced North Americas first commercial lima bean as well as the first offshore oil well in the Carpinteria Valley. 4: V; -- - st producer). Last year marked the citys 15th anniversary of the California Avocado Festival, which honors the avocado as king. More than 140,000 festivalgoers annually |