Page 97 - 2020 Travel Guide to California

CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY
Channel Islands, right: Channel Islands
Harbor, Oxnard, below; Santa Cruz Island
hiking, opposite top; Ventura harbor,
opposite bottom.
family-friendly activities, chalk art and
prize drawings that include whale-
watching excursions. Make your home base
the Ventura Beach Marriott, conveniently
located within easy reach of the region’s
attractions, and duck into Rumfish Y Vino,
a gastro-bar in downtown Ventura.
Summer
The long days of summer are ideal for a
voyage from either the Ventura or Oxnard
harbor to visit Channel Islands National
Park, where the “Galapagos of North
America” is revered for its endemic plants
and plentiful wildlife. Launch water adven-
tures (by kayak, board or boat) and land
delights (like the carousel, arcade games,
and numerous shops and restaurants) at
Ventura Harbor Village for a day closer to
town. Look up in the sky for the old-time
barnstorming air show, Wings Over Camar-
illo (August 15-16), which also includes
classic cars on familiar terra-firma. Enjoy
the sounds of summer at the Oxnard Her-
itage Square Summer Concert Series, with
performances every Friday night by bands
from old school to classic rock to Latin jazz
to rhythm and blues and even more. Lay
your head at the Crowne Plaza Ventura
Beach for front-row beach views, as it’s right
on the beach and just two blocks from his-
toric downtown Ventura. Head to nearby
Social Tap for upscale pub cuisine.
Autumn
When have you set aside a day to celebrate
a favorite yellow crescent fruit? The Port
Hueneme Banana Festival (September 26)
gives you a full-day delight in banana
treats and ocean breezes, and you’ll also
learn a little about the port. Ventura
County Farm Day (November 7) embraces
farmers and ranchers across the region,
and shows you where your food comes
from, among the more than 100 types of
crops in the region. In Camarillo, explore
delicious local wine on the Old Town
Wine Walk (late September), or celebrate
Adolfo Camarillo’s birthday (last week of
October) at historic Camarillo Ranch with
the famous Camarillo white horses and
tours of Adolfo Camarillo’s 1892 Queen
Anne Victorian mansion. Stay in a sweet
suite on the beach at the Embassy Suites
by Hilton Mandalay Beach Resort in
Oxnard, and zip over to Slate Bistro & Craft
Bar in Camarillo for gastro chic American
culinary bites.
Winter
Ring in the winter holiday season at the
Ventura Winter Wine Walk & Holiday Street
Fair (December 5), where revelers have the
chance to sample wine and beer, stroll
down Main Street surrounded by live enter-
tainment and beautiful holiday lighting,
and get the jump on your gift shopping. If a
cruise is on your wish list, check it off by
taking an Island Packers whale-watching
cruise to spy California gray whales on their
annual migration. Some folks want to cele-
brate the season by signing up for a run, and
they’ll be pleased to participate in the Holly
Jolly Half Marathon in Camarillo or the
Santa to the Sea Half Marathon in Oxnard
(December). Relax after the holiday immer-
sion at the Residence Inn Oxnard River
Ridge, and visit the Waypoint Café in the
Camarillo Airport to get inspiration for a
return journey.
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