The Push to Turn Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant Into a “Clean Tech Innovation Park”

••• The nifty house at 3568 Toro Canyon Park Road got a whopper of a price cut. It’s now $19.995 million, down from $27 million.

••• REACH, the “Regional Economic Action Coalition uniting public, private and civic leaders across the Central Coast,” announced a proposal to convert the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant (between Pismo Beach and Morro Bay) into a “clean tech innovation park” run by Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Here’s more info.

••• Author Geoff Dyer will be at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art on May 26 in support of his new book, The Last Days of Roger Federer. Back in the late 1990s, when I was an editor at Travel + Leisure magazine, I fell in love with Dyer’s meditation on jazz, But Beautiful, and I assigned him a story on Death Valley. It’s still online, and it’s still a treat, even the title got changed from “Hot and Bothered” to “Hot, Not Bothered.”

••• Press release: “New Santa Barbara County nonprofit SYV Pride has plans in place for the first Pride celebration to grace the Santa Ynez Valley’s various wine country towns, a multi-day event to be held Wednesday through Sunday, June 22-26, 2022. […] Scheduled for the inaugural SYV Pride week is a Wednesday, June 22 Welcome Party at Solvang’s Dana V. Wines tasting room and outdoor patio (4 p.m.), to include a DJ, drag queens, cabaret by Billy Hurbaugh, wine specials, and food available for purchase from Peasants Feast. On Saturday, June 25, the SYV Pride Parade (11 a.m.) will roll through downtown Solvang with floats, a Pride march, music, and more, ending with Pride Fest in the center of town, in Solvang Park (noon to 5 p.m.). Festival attendees should expect a family-friendly afternoon complete with beats by DJ Keelez, who will open for Area 51; a play area, kiddie bumper cars, and bounce houses; a beer garden sponsored by Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co.; food vendors such as Rudy’s Fresh Mexican Food and the Doggy Door hot dogs; and an inspirational lineup of special guests and speakers.” Let’s take a moment and mull how much the world has changed when gay pride events include a play area, kiddie bumper cars, and bounce houses. “Sunday, June 26, will bring an all-ages-welcome Drag Brunch to Solvang’s newest eatery, bar and entertainment venue, Corque Crafthouse & Kitchen, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Featured will be a brunch buffet with mimosas and bloody marys, a drag show, and auction.”

••• Death Cab for Cutie will be at the Santa Barbara Bowl on October 19, with Yo La Tengo opening.

••• From the city: “On Saturday, May 21, the 11th-annual Harbor Nautical Swap Meet will be held in the Main Harbor Parking Lot from 8 a.m. to noon. Dozens of vendors will display and sell boat rigging, surfboards, fishing gear, inflatable boats, pumps, winches, boat motors, and other marine/nautical items. Spend the morning looking for new gear while enjoying free coffee, fruit, and other refreshments, provided by the the Harbor Merchants Association. Admission is free.”

••• On a recent visit to San Francisco, we checked out the new-ish (October 2020) Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco at Embarcadero in the Financial District. We had stayed in the building before—first when it was a Mandarin Oriental and then when it was reflagged as the Loews Regency. As always, the main draw is the view: the hotel is on floors 38-48, and the two towers are linked by a spectacular glass hallway. While the service was as you’d expect, the decor was pretty cheap, and I can’t imagine it will wear well, so if you’re going to go, do it soon. P.S. The lone social-distancing marker in the elevator lobby cracks me up. UPDATE 5/15: “The FS is currently under contract to be sold,” commented Dave. “You can bet the new owners will be tasked with bringing the decor & furnishings up to FS brand standard.” (As with the Four Seasons Biltmore, hotels are often owned and run by separate entities.)

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