Sunday Reads: Wallace’s excellent Esalen adventure; real talk with an OB-GYN
My Esalen experience: Big Sur’s ‘one-of-a-kind, you-gotta-be-kidding-me, is-this-a-dream?’ kinda day

Turns out the universe has a lottery, and today I’m holding the winning ticket, both soaking in the hot springs and washing dishes, at this Nirvana on a hot edge of the Pacific. This is a peak experience for those with aging worn-down bodies, and I’m thinking of all those who may have trod these paths and seen these sights. Did Alan Watts or Joseph Campbell stand in this spot and admire this view? Did Ram Dass or Aldous Huxley sit on this grass? Wallace with the experience here.
CLICK HERE TO BECOME A LOOKOUT MEMBER
Conversations with Jody: An OB-GYN talks life post-Roe and why Santa Cruz could soon see more late-term abortions

Laetitia Oderman is one of two Santa Cruz doctors who provide second-trimester abortions. In this first “Conversations with Jody,” feature, she talks to Community Voices editor Jody K. Biehl about the end of Roe and what bans on abortions in dozens of states will mean for California, Santa Cruz and for her personally. That conversation is here.
- Project, Development and Operations Lead at Temple Beth El Jewish Community Center
- Horticulture Programs Technician at Cabrillo College
- IT Business Systems Analyst at The County of Santa Cruz
- Bus Operator (Driver) at Santa Cruz METRO
- Executive Director at Family Service Agency of the Central Coast
- Box Office Staff at Santa Cruz Shakespeare
- Director of Finance and Human Resources at Habitat for Humanity Monterey Bay
- Community Engagement Program Manager at Central California Alliance for Health
- Senior Health Services Manager at The County of Santa Cruz
- Manager of Volunteers and Events at The Diversity Center of Santa Cruz County
A creative, nuanced addition to the traditional comforts of Rio Del Mar
Venus Beachside: Sand dabs, lobster and tastes of the low country. The second Venus brings a bit of Westside panache to Aptos’ Rio Del Mar area as mid-county grows its fine dining scene. Lily Belli reviews the new kid on the block.
In case you missed it
- ‘We’re on a bridge to some new normal’: Cabrillo, UCSC summer sessions in full swing
- Big Basin Redwoods State Park partially reopens to visitors July 22
- Santa Cruz’s flavored tobacco ban: County now leads the state in latest regulations
- County’s CORE Investments to fund 57 public service programs out of 127 that applied
- First probable monkeypox case in Santa Cruz County diagnosed
- With $25 million in state funding near, Watsonville Community Hospital purchase becomes more likely
- Going to bat for affordable housing: In passionate tug of war over Soquel project, supporters get loud
Programming Note: There will be no Morning Lookout on Monday as we celebrate the holiday. Enjoy it yourself and we’ll see you Tuesday.