Ventura, A Beautiful Gem in Southern California
Ventura, A Beautiful Gem in Southern California
- October 3, 2023
- 1.48 mi
- 0:41:42 hrs
- 72 °F
One of our destinations while staying in Thousand Oaks, CA was Ventura, CA. Ventura is also nicknamed the Whispered Secret of Southern California. Its downtown area had indeed a friendly, small-town atmosphere, a cute place with a mix of historic buildings, local shops, breweries, and restaurants. We loved the pedestrian zone in the city’s Main Street; parts were closed off to traffic, so we could stroll around conveniently.
Also on Main Street, we discovered San Buenaventura Mission, one of the 21 Spanish missions in California. We paid a quick visit to this beautifully restored historic site.
More information can be found in the San Buenaventura Mission post.
The Mermaids of Ventura
- October 6, 2023
- 2.07 mi
- 0:58:35 hrs
- 79 °F
A few days later, we returned to Ventura around lunchtime. We went for a stroll along Harbor Cove Beach, a small, sandy beach. We expected to see a crowd on this beautiful day, but were pleasantly surprised to see mostly locals: families with young children, a few swimmers, and surfers. On this particular weekday, the beach felt like a hidden gem with no parking fee, which, for many California beaches, is rare.
I had already seen the Mermaid with Flute sculpture when we sailed to Channel Islands National Park, but now we got to see its twin up close. The impressive bronze statue, the Mermaid with Cello, along with the Mermaid with Flute, was donated by immigrants Alec and Tatyana Benke to the City of Ventura as a symbol of the couple’s love for their new homeland.
