A westbound (heading compass north) Southern Pacific intermodal train passes over Gaviota Creek, led by Cotton Belt GP60 9626, SP SD45R 7484, SP SD45T-2 9242 and SP SD40T-2 8327. As should be obvious, this is SP's Coast Line, skirting the Pacific Ocean from Ventura to Surf. Gaviota, located in southern Santa Barbara County, about 33 miles (53 km) west of the city of Santa Barbara, between the ocean and the Santa Ynez Mountains, features a long, tall steel trestle over Gaviota Creek as it empties into the Pacific. ("Gaviota" is Spanish for "Seagull.") This 80-mile (130 km) section of the SP’s Coast Line was completed between Surf and Santa Barbara in 1900, although more track needed to be laid before the line would reach Los Angeles. As is common between April and September, a Catalina Eddy (aka "Nature's Air Conditioner") has moved cloud cover from the Pacific to the shore. This overcast will burn off later, exposing the clear, blue skies synonymous with southern California. (Gaviota, California – September 13, 1992)
