California Weekend Getaway:

Ventura is one of those places that we always wondered about as we drove through this area on our way up to other scenic destinations.

Ventura’s location is really quite an advantage for travelers. For Southern California residents, it’s an easy drive that takes you just beyond the megalopolis where back-to-back cities finally give way to a coastline that is less overwhelmed by development.

For Northern Californians, Ventura is a just close enough to the “Big City” to be a reasonable base of operations for visits to many L.A. tourist attractions, most within an hour’s drive.

Within minutes of arrival we were walking the beach promenade that stretches far from the Crowne Plaza Ventura Beach in both directions along the shore. A more-than-adequate beach, complete with children’s play equipment, is just footsteps from the hotel, as is the Ventura Pier with its seafood restaurants, strolling visitors and die-hard anglers just hoping to reel in some dinner. Bikes and other contraptions are available for rent and, on this Sunday, vendors offered a variety of wares in the plaza just between the beach and our hotel.

A few blocks away is Mission San Buenaventura, established on Easter Sunday, March 31, 1782. For more information, contact the Ventura Visitors and Convention Bureau at (800) 483-6214 or visit www.ventura-usa.com.

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To learn more, or for more vacation ideas, go online to californiaweekend.com.