Ship Ahoy

September 11, 2014
Destination: Ventura and Oxnard

Cost: $18.75 plus gas

This time, the DMV decided my getaway. I needed to take care of some business, and I could get an appointment in the Valley in four weeks, Thousand Oaks in two weeks, or Ventura in one week. Heck, I love Ventura! What better excuse to head up the coast.

With only light traffic, I arrived early for my 9:50 a.m. appointment and so had time for a quick side trip to Foster’s Donuts on Main St for a yummy “glazed buttermilk” with just the right crunch on the outside and tenderness within. By 10:15 a.m. my DMV chore was over and the day was free.

I made the short drive over to Channel Islands Marina and sat near the breakwater watching lovely yachts head out to sea on a fresh September morning. I arrived at the Channel Islands Maritime Museum, just after it opened at 11:00 a.m. – and I was the only visitor there, so a friendly volunteer docent gave me a personal tour of the whole (somewhat small) facility.

She provided me with full details on every 17^th century seafaring oil painting in the gallery, as well the history of each ship exquisitely modeled in miniature by Ed Marple. Her eyes lit up as she told the tale of Zheng He (displayed as a life-sized mannequin in rich brocaded robes), an ocean voyager during the Ming Dynasty, who some think may have inspired the tales of Sinbad the Sailor.  Best of all, just outside the large museum windows, a pod of sea lions snuggled on the boat docks, barking when kayakers came too close.

Because of the lavish attention showered on me at the museum, I spent much longer there than anticipated. Finally back out in the sunshine, I strolled along West Channel Park until I reached Marine Emporium Landing. There I discovered Sea Fresh, a casual restaurant with an extensive, reasonably priced menu. I settled on calamari and chips, but opted to switch out the chips for their salad bar (no extra charge). What a treat to sit on the attractive harbor front deck and feast on the generous portion of slightly spicy tempura battered squid. A great find!

There was still time for a stop at San Buenaventura State Beach (undergoing restoration) and a late afternoon stroll along Ventura’s charming Main Street, vanilla bean frappucino in hand. What a fun way to turn a dreaded DMV visit into a vacation day.