Ventura

It seems that the only times I take the time to post something new is when I'm talking about a recent trip or event.  I'll say it again, I need to get better.  Better at time management, better at writing more regularly, just plain better at life.

That being said, we spent the weekend on the coast in Ventura, CA.  Ventura is about an hour up the Pacific coast from Malibu, about an hour across the San Fernando Valley from Los Angeles.  Close enough to get to anything you want while being far enough away to be pleasant.

We recently, in the past few years, began returning to Ventura for weekend getaways.  I say returning because we first met in Ventura more than 33 years ago, we were married there and our oldest daughter was born in Ojai, about 30 minutes north of Ventura.  We have some history there and we like to visit, get reacquainted with the area, explore and just enjoy the beautiful beach and moderate weather.

When I told a friend last week that we were going to Ventura he asked if we were flying or driving.  Logical question.  We drove.  You can fly into the Ventura County airport on regional shuttle flights but last time I checked you could not get one direct from Sacramento.  That means you fly into LAX, or some other major airport, and then catch a shuttle flight on a much smaller airplane.  With airport security and everything else it takes almost as much time as driving, and those shuttle flights are not cheap.  So, we drove.

We were on the road from Sacramento by 12:30PM,   It's about a 6 hour drive down interstate 5 to the northern edge of Los Angeles, then 45 minutes, more or less, through the foothills to Ventura and the coast.

It seems that each trip we have taken lately we have had some different experiences.  This trip was no exception.

We had lunch in Stockton, just an hour after we left Sacramento.  We didn't need gas, just a quick lunch and back on the road.

A few hours later we stopped at Copus Road for gas and a bathroom break.  As I took care of the gas my wife found the ladies room.  We met back at the car where my wife was sitting quietly waiting for me.  I asked if everything was okay and her response was we needed to get on the road.  As we pulled back onto the freeway I asked what was going on.  I missed the excitement by using the men's room.  My wife said there were 3 truck stop hookers cleaning up, getting ready for there next customer in the ladies room.  Before i could ask if she was sure she told me she was sure, there was no mistaking these women and there occupation.

We drove on to Ventura and stopped for dinner as soon as we got to the city.

After dinner we drove down Main Street, the oldest part of the city which includes the original Mission.  The last few times we've been to Ventura we have found the downtown to be reinvigorated.  After dark lights strung between the palm trees lining Main Street are lit up giving the street a festive atmosphere.  Couples are walking up and down the street between those stores that are open and bars and restaurants.  It is very inviting and on this trip we found a parking space and walked a few blocks window shopping and enjoying the cool evening air.

Finally we drove to our hotel.  For the second time we chose the Crown Plaza on the beach at Ventura.  Last year when we stayed there we were subjected to the Thousand Oaks High School Winter Ball on Saturday night.  When we checked in we asked about functions at the hotel for the weekend.  We were informed that Saturday night the hotel was hosting a ball, party, for two squadrons of Navy aviators (pilots).  No wonder the reservation was nonrefundable.

With all of that in mind we checked in and found our room on the fourth floor, only after being pushed aside and forced to share the elevator with a deliveryman and his handtruck.  We opened the door to our room to find the carpet and furnishing have not been replaced since the hotel opened, as a Holiday Inn, in the late 1970's.  My wife opened,and quickly closed, the sliding glass door that overlooks the parking garage next door and to a lesser extent the pier and beach.

The room was stuffy so I turned on the air conditioner, I attempted to turn on the air conditioner.  After a call to the front desk and a visit from the maintenance man the air conditioner was working and we unpacked, showered and went to bed.

Saturday morning we were awakened by a barking dog.  I checked and the window was closed, it was a dog in the hotel.  As w left the hotel for the day we asked about the dog at the front desk.  We were informed that we were on the dog floor.  Now we like dogs, we have a dog, we left ours at home and we did not expect to be dealing with other dogs in our hotel.  Something we would have liked to know before we checked in.

Throughout the day we watched the fog come in and go out.  When we got up in the morning the sun was out and we walked along the beach.  Halfway through our walk the fog came in and the sun was hidden.  Later in the day we rode bikes along the boardwalk and bike trail along the beach.  Again the fog came in and by the time we returned to the hotel room we could barely see a few feet in front of us.

After dinner on Main street, where the fog did not reach, we returned to the hotel to find the fog had cleared and we walked on the pier to watch a beautiful sunset.

One of the reasons for our trip to Ventura was the Flea Market and the Fairgrounds just down the street from our hotel.  Last year it was all but rained out, this year the weather was perfect.

The Flea Market opens at 6 AM so we went to bed early Saturday night.  We were glad to be on the 4th floor, well away from the party on the 12th floor and we didn't hear it.   But, at 12:15 AM we were awakened by some of the pilots returning to their rooms on our floor.  True to their reputation the Navy pilots were drunk and loud as they stood in the hallway near our room and argued about something.  We couldn't understand them but they woke up everybody on the floor.  After about 15 minutes someone convinced them to return to their rooms and it finally quieted down.  Fortunately we got back to sleep fairly quickly.

Sunday morning we woke up, the sky was clear and the sun was up by 6:30.  It was a good day.  Both the Flea Market and the drive home to Sacramento were uneventful.

Before we left the hotel I had to stop at the front desk both to check out and to  let them know that the staff had been wonderful but we will not be returning to that particular hotel.

We enjoyed Ventura, it was part walk down memory lane, part beach getaway.   We will be back!