Tony's Tips - Family Fun - Places To Go In Ventura

Besides fantastic beaches, surfing, and breathtaking vistas to hike, Ventura County offers a cornucopia of feasts for shoppers, historians, mystery buffs, art lovers, hikers, theatergoers, and coffee aficionados alike. From galleries, perfumeries, jewelry, dress and bookshops that dot the alleys and main thoroughfares to the almost secret harbor hideaways that only savvy Angelinos and some Venturans know about, Ventura offers you a plethora of day trips for you to enjoy with or without children.

Did You Know That

Ventura is one of California’s oldest communities and the home of the first orange trees that were brought here from Peru?

Thompson Boulevard was originally a racetrack in the 1830’s, which explains its perfectly straight route; and Main Street use to be the Camino Real?

The Ventura Pier was the site of the sinking and burning of the world’s first oil tank in 1887?

In 1886 the original City Hall was above a saloon on Main Street, which is now the site of restaurant Capriccio.

The current City Hall at the top of California Street is the old Court House, which is reported to be haunted according to California historian and parapsychologist Richard Senate.

So Many Things To Do!

Plan a day discovering that rare find in one of the many antique and thrift shops on Main Street. Visit the galleries, perfumeries, jewelry, dress and bookshops that dot the alleys and main thoroughfares.

Book a ghost tour with Richard Senate, historian, author and resident expert on Ventura history. Senate knows all the scuttle about past and present witches, ghouls and goblins as well as those unsolved Ventura mysteries. Visit his website http://www.ghost-stalker.com.

For day hikes in Ventura County go to http://web.venturacountystar.com/hike.

For elegant self-indulgence and well being, go to the Spa at the renovated Ojai Valley Inn, (only 11 miles from downtown Ventura) where from Monday to Thursday, non-guests can use the spa facilities for $50/day. (This includes pools, sauna, steam room, Jacuzzi, exercise rooms, luxurious lounges with fireplaces, etc.) With any of the massage services, the spa is $20/day. Visit http://www.ojairesort.com/ or call 805-646-5511 for information and reservations. The golf course is available for $65 after 2:00 PM, $170 before.

Leave time to take in a play at the Rubicon Theatre at 1006 East Main Street. Enjoy a star-studded cast of professional actors and outstanding plays. http://www.rubicontheatre.org or check your local newspaper listing.

Don’t miss the Ventura County Museum of History & Art at 100 East Main Street (805-653-0323). Explore early Chumash culture, the vibrant Mission and Rancho era, the great rush of 19th century settlement and 20th century growth through their award-winning long-term exhibit, Ventura County in the New West. This small museum is filled with murals and replicas of furnishings, homes, businesses, and agricultural equipment from the 18th though 20th century. This is a great place to bring your kids.

Across from the Ventura County Museum is the Albinger Archaeological Museum, a fun museum that features the five major cultures that have found home in Ventura - Chumash, Spanish, Chinese, American and Mexican. You can also see artifacts dating back 3,500 years. Outside is the foundation of the “lost mission church,” an ancient earth oven and the oldest standing structure in Ventura County – the mission filtration building.

You will find the San Buenaventura Mission at 225 E. Main Street. One of the original California missions, it was founded in 1782 and completed in 1809; the present mission includes a restored church and a small museum which opens into a garden. The entrance is through the gift shop. This beautiful mission is the last built by Padre Junipero Serra, the force behind many of the missions here in California.

Off the beaten track, Ventura Harbor Village is a secret known to some savvy Angelenos and Venturians, yet still to be discovered by the rest of the world. Nestled in a marina next to the waterfront, the Village offers you hours of surprise shopping, restaurants, harbor cruises, music and comedy. Harbor Village features over 30 specialty shops and restaurants, comedy club, hoppin’ music on weekend afternoons, a 36-horse carousel, narrated harbor cruises; pedal boat, electric boat, and kayak rentals; sport fishing, dive shop and charters. The Village faces a marina filled with motor and sailboats, yachts and fishing vessels.

If your children – of any age - are getting tired of sight seeing, take them to the Carousel Marketplace (805-644-3234) in the Harbor Village where they will find pinball machines of all types, games galore, and a real merry-go-round.
The Marketplace also has a room to rent for birthday parties right next to the carousel.

Ventura Dive & Sport (805-650-6500) sells and rents diving equipment, sport clothing and accessories. They will be your center points for outfitting you and reserving the dive boats to Channel Islands that leave from the Harbor Village marina.

Pacific Sailing (805-658-6508) offers sailboat charters, harbor cruises, coastal excursions, sunset cruises and Channel Island trips on their 30-foot boats.

Go fishing off the Ventura Pier with other local fishermen; or take a long stroll, bike or roller blade on the paved bike trail along the waterfront and beaches that lead to the pier.

Visit Olivas Adobe, a wonderful example of Spanish architecture depicting how the wealthy and powerful lived. This adobe is over 150 years old and featured on the National Register of Historic Places. Look for “Cowboys, Heroes & Outlaws,” an event designed for the entire family to get to know more about American Cowboy Western heritage. There will be a children's "cowboy college" and a Chumash Village. Go to http://www.ci.ventura.ca.us for more details.

Also don’t forget to check your local listings and the above website (#14) for the schedules for two annual events for everyone: the Ventura County Fair at Seaside Park (August) and the downtown ArtWalks (April, August, and November.)

As you can see, there is so much to do, see and discover right here in Ventura, your perfect day-trip just minutes away

Something To Think About

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” –Winston Churchill

“Confidence...thrives on honesty, on honor, on the sacredness of obligations, on faithful protection and on unselfish performance. Without them it cannot live.” –Franklin D. Roosevelt

“Always fall in with what you’re asked to accept. Take what is given, and make it your own way. My aim in life has always been to hold my own with whatever’s going. Not against: with.” –Robert Frost

Why should you refer your family and friends to Tony's Body Shop?

What we offer with every repair job:

Guaranteed color match

Accurate panel to panel alignment

Repairing the vehicle to a safe condition

Your 100% satisfaction is our goal.

At Tony's Body Shop you can still find service, a smile, and a sincere thank you if you allow us to service your auto body needs.

Please feel free to call us if we can be of help or guide you in any way.

This newsletter is brought to you by an independent who has to work harder to make your car repair decisions easier.

Home | Table of Contents