Looking for a quick one hour drive getaway? Headed east will take you out to Claremont or Ontario Mills, west will drop you into the ocean, south will take you to somewhere in Irvine, but north will take you to Ventura. And Ventura is the perfect combination of sophisticated eateries, casual burger and taco spots, postcard beaches, unique shops, and a lot of “Hey, this is nice.”
We visited on Presidents’ Day weekend looking forward—apparently like thousands of others—to a long-awaited getaway. Though skies were gray and threatened rain, we checked in happily into the sold-out Holiday Inn Express at Ventura Harbor Village, just a few miles south of the popular Ventura Pier.
Ventura County’s Ventura Harbor is bordered by the City of Ventura on three sides and the Pacific Ocean on the west, incidentally the site of one of the largest squid offloading harbors in North America.
The harbor has a total of 1,500 boat slips, 40 unique shops and dockside restaurants, two waterfront hotels, beaches, green spaces, water sports, and boating and cruising options, all part of an affordable, multigenerational vacation destination.
Our smart, roomy and comfortable quarters overlooked those 1500 boats, gently swaying on the water under thick gray clouds, but we headed out to explore the town, as soon as we unpacked.
Ventura is a favorite location of ours, and we have our favorite spots, but having been offered a discount at Andria’s Seafood, we made a beeline for it. But no sooner had we made the turn into the parking lot, we saw a line stretching out across the lot, some 50 hungry diners strong.
We made ourselves a promise to return sometime, but there were lines seemingly everywhere. But not everywhere. Following an 30-minute-long wait at Beach Tacos on Ventura Pier, we found an empty table, and accompanied by a group of happy young diners armed with a six-pack of Modelo, and in the mood to sing, we scarfed down a pair of grilled fish shrimp tacos each. The gray skies didn’t suddenly turn blue, but our moods most certainly became a lot sunnier.
We strolled Main Street looking for ice cream and coffee, knowing that that would also require a serious line. We happily found that line in front of a local gelato shop, where we sat to enjoy the weekend afternoon people parade.
Sunday evening found us at Aloha Seafood restaurant underneath the Ventura pier, where we dined to the music and gentle rhythm of ocean waves, like you do.
After sleeping like children alongside the gently creaking yachts, we found the wherewithal to arise early on Monday morning, a holiday, and braved the lines at the hotel’s breakfast buffet. Though crowded with families and children, we took a table across the lobby from the buffet and its seemingly magic pancake machine (you’ll have to see it for yourself), and after coffee, the skies opened, the clouds headed for parts east, and Monday dawned with promise.
We made tracks for the Serra Cross at Grant Park, which affords visitors a pretty spectacular 180-degree-plus view of the Ventura coastline, as well as inland Ventura. The 107-acre park also offers hiking trails and landscaped garden terraces along its hillsides.
We pointed south early Monday afternoon, taking the scenic route on Highway 126, through the farmlands and nurseries of Fillmore and Moorpark, refreshed and ready for the week, as visions of tacos and gelato danced in our heads.
You’ll likely travel north some weekend soon, as pandemic restrictions begin to finally lift, so you should know that Mermaid Month has now officially returned to Ventura Harbor Village, and special mer-themed events as well as “live” mermaid sightings are scheduled for select Sundays, March 13th and March 20th, from 1-4 p.m.
Kicking off Mermaid Month is a Kid’s Free Scavenger Hunt, which runs from March 5th to March 31st. Scavenger hunt sheets are available at the Mermaid Gallery in Ventura Harbor Village. On Saturdays in March (March 12th, 19th and 26th from 1 – 4 p.m.) , there is steel drum music along the Village’s Seaside Promenade.
Visitors can meet a live mermaid at the Harbor’s “Mermaid Meet & Greet” on two Sundays, March 13th and March 20th from 1 – 4 p.m., weather permitting. Other enticements include photos with a live mermaid, entertainment, colorful face paintings, spectacular exotic birds, scavenger hunts, and mermaid fashion.
On Sunday, March 13th , there is a live mermaid chalk art demonstration by artist Lysa Ashley, free craft stations courtesy of Macaroni Kid, and new this year- a Mer-mazing Dance Party with DJ Darla.
On Sunday, March 20th festivities will feature a new Pop-Up Mermaid Market from 12 – 4 p.m. in the Channel Islands Courtyard in the Harbor Village. The Harbor’s own talented artisans and makers will display their handmade nautical treasures and treats!
All month long, visitors can also engage in seaside selfie stations, including large mermaid shells and the 20-foot plus sign feature that reads “I Love the SEA” on Ventura Harbor Village’s Promenade.
Shoppers can purchase an array of more than 100 mermaid-themed items that include artwork, soaps, jewelry, pottery, nautical finds, coastal décor, ocean-inspired apparel, and mermaid-themed accessories.
Ventura Harbor Village’s bars and restaurants will also feature themed cocktails, sweet mermaid treats, and freshly caught seafood.
Water babies can rent a kayak, SUP paddleboard, electric boats or popular themed swan, duck or dragon peddle boats daily with Ventura Boat Rentals. More information about Ventura Harbor Village Mermaid Month is available at venturaharborvillage.com/
Ventura Harbor is 20 miles from Santa Barbara, within 15 miles of Oxnard and is 60 miles from Los Angeles International Airport. It is accessible in just minutes from scenic US Highway 101.
For visitor information, contact Ventura Harbor Village at 805-477-0470, online at www.VenturaHarborVillage.com. Ventura Harbor Village is located at 1583 Spinnaker Drive in Ventura. Post, share, and like #VenturaHarbor
