Page 60 - 2023-2024 Travel Guide to California

VENTURA
A carefree beach town sixty miles north of Los Angeles, Ventura feels worlds
away—a throwback to family fun, outdoor adventure and wild islands
B Y L E N O R E G R E I N E R
WINE, DINE,
CRUISE,
INDULGE
VISIT VENTURA
INFORMATION
VisitVenturaCA.com
Experience where the wild things are at the
Channel Islands National Park, above; Cruise
along the Ventura coastline and take a few
stops along the way, below.
Family Fun
In Ventura’s small-town downtown, two
blocks from the beach, park for free and
walk everywhere. Here, you’ll find a lively
array of locally owned stores, unpreten-
tious art galleries, restaurants, craft
breweries, and thrift stores brimming with
antiques and bargains.
Ten minutes from downtown at pretty
Ventura Harbor Village, enjoy fresh-off-
the-boat seafood, shop for beachwear, sip
California wine, or treat the family to ice
cream. Perfect for kids, nearby Harbor
Cove Beach protects small swimmers from
big swells.
Need more beachy ease? Play or surf in
world-class waves surging from the
horizon on Ventura’s two-mile-long San
Buenaventura State Beach.
Natural Adventures
Go hiking and biking in Harmon Canyon,
a 2,100-acre nature preserve minutes
from downtown. Time travel to an earlier
California of majestic oaks, coastal sage
hillsides, tree-lined creeks, and expan-
sive views. In the quiet, watch for native
wildlife: coyotes, raccoons, deer, and
bobcats.
Bikers will love peddling the flat Rincon
Bike Trail alongside a sparkling Pacific
Ocean. Starting at the Ventura Bike Depot,
you’ll find chances for dolphin sightings or
to stop for a swim.
Cruise to the Galápagos
of North America
One of America’s least-visited national parks,
the Channel Islands National Park and
Marine Sanctuary, lies only an hour boat trip
from Ventura’s shoreline. Over 2,000 species
of plants and animals thrive here with 150
species found nowhere else in the world.
After landing on the closest of the park’s
five untamed islands, Santa Cruz or
Anacapa, expect to confront a wild silence.
In this empty yet wondrous place, settle on
a beach where you can hear yourself think.
Offshore, you’ll spy whale spouts hanging
in the air like phantom sails. Or observe
island foxes, the size of house cats,
scamper through Seuss-like flower fields.
At day’s end, a Ventura sunset’s colors
spill from the horizon to daub the sky with
brilliance. Create moments to treasure for-
ever while indulging in beach days, hiking
or exploring. When visiting Ventura, life is
uncomplicated.
58 2023-24 TRAVEL GUIDE TO CALIFORNIA
VISIT VENTURA