Meaghann Ibba is the President and co-owner, with husband Carlo, of Moke & Sun, the quintessential California beach buggies you may have seen cruising along the 101 in Encinitas. First made famous in the 007 classic “Live and Let Die,” the E-Moke is a small, lightweight, four-wheeled vehicle powered by an electric motor and battery pack.
As Meaghann says, “The Moke & Sun experience offers a chance to slow down, feel the wind in your hair and take a look around. It’s a very ‘dolce vita’ way to travel around town!”
“We were first introduced to the electric Moke in 2018 when we took an RV road trip with Carlo’s parents and saw a Moke rental company in Solvang. Carlo was already familiar with the vehicle because he grew up in Sardinia, Italy where the gas version was a popular choice for summer transportation in the 1960s & ‘70s.”
“With Moke & Sun, we wanted to take our knowledge of hospitality and tourism to the next level and provide an immersive experience for people to slow down and connect to the community around them. It quickly became obvious that the Moke is a perfect vehicle to provide that experience, and Encinitas was the perfect location!”
“We became members of the Encinitas Chamber because we are very keen to connect with other businesses and offer our services for events, photo shoots, weddings and more. Everybody needs a cheerleader, and that’s what the Chamber has been for us.”
Moke and Sun recently partnered with the Alila Marea hotel to offer their guests a unique and fun way to get out and explore Encinitas. They hope to bring locals to the Alila too with fun “Date Night” packages, where you can pick-up your Moke at the resort and enjoy a 2-hour cruise of Leucadia and Encinitas before heading back to enjoy 2 glasses of bubbles and an appetizer. Other packages are 5 or 8 hours complete with an Instant Print camera (polaroid style) and 1 roll of film. Locals receive a 10% discount.
“My perfect day in Encinitas is cruising down the 101 in my Moke to check out the tidepools, the Meditation Gardens, and local historical sites like Pannikin Coffee, La Paloma, the boat houses and the 1883 School House. We could do a whole book on a perfect day out in Encinitas and are working on that! Our digital guide book will be ready within the next month!” www.mokeandsun.com.
