Ventura County: From Beaches to Movie Ranches
The name “Oxnard” doesn’t roll off the tongue like Catalina, La Jolla, or Coronado, but the city called Oxnard claims some of the most open and accessible beaches in the state and a plethora of nearby attractions that make it definitely worth considering. base camp for your next beach getaway in the Golden State.
Although this part of Southern California boasts plenty of sun, sand, and scenery, your Oxnard getaway prices are likely to be a bit less than the more famous beach communities. And in the current economic climate, that becomes an important consideration for many families who don’t want to give up their getaways entirely, but who also want to be mindful of costs. Driving about 60 miles northwest of Los Angeles helps cut those costs.
Don’t let Oxnard’s suburban appearance fool you. Oxnard is a fairly bustling suburban city with a central location, so you can easily visit attractions like the Reagan Library, the Paramount Movie Ranch, or nearby cities like Ventura or Santa Barbara. And about seven miles from our convenient location off Highway 101 was the beach and nearby Channel Islands Harbor.
When you visit Oxnard, the main attraction is that beach, a place we have visited on several occasions and have never seen more than a few families and surfers scattered on a large stretch of sand. While the surf can get a bit busy due to the angle of the beach to the sea, that’s just another plus for people who prefer wave action. As you explore the area, you begin to realize that there are many luxury homes along the beach areas and lots of public parks and hotspots.
You’ll want to visit Hollywood Beach, where Clark Gable once lived and where Rudolph Valentino made a movie. In fact, movies like Spartacus, Only You, It’s a Mad, Mad World, Pee Wee’s Big Adventure, and Back to the Future were all filmed on Hollywood Beach.
McGrath State Beach is where bird watchers flock, and you’ll especially enjoy the dunes at Mandalay Beach, where you’ll also find jogging trails, volleyball courts and barbecue areas, a sort of Venice Beach for ordinary families.
Downstairs at Fisherman’s Wharf, we enjoyed exploring the Ventura County Maritime Museum with its extensive collection of vintage sailboat models, maritime paintings, and various marine-themed exhibits. There are also waterfront restaurants and shops in this part of Channel Island Harbor.
After visiting nearby attractions, we spent some time soaking up the sun by the pool at the Courtyard Marriott Oxnard Ventura, a hotel with amenities that appeal to both the leisure and business traveler. Our King Suite, with its two oversized bedrooms, gave us plenty of room to stretch out and was especially convenient for us because we were combining business with pleasure: a nine-year-old who couldn’t wait to turn on a Disney. blaring movie and a father who had business to do while he was away. Solution: separate the suite into a business side and a children’s side. If you have a smaller room, the hotel has an elaborate business center where you can work without interruption.
This Courtyard is fully updated and has nice color schemes as well as many traveler friendly amenities. The new fitness center, pool, lobby areas and service are top notch and consistent with Marriott’s excellent reputation in the hospitality industry. Also, don’t miss out on the hotel’s full buffet breakfast offered each morning: an amazing array of hot and cold dishes at a reasonable price.
This Courtyard is actually a bit larger than most I’ve seen, and all of the rooms are especially spacious. The Plaza Grill restaurant offers breakfast, while lunch and dinner are served in the lounge, which is also a popular spot for business travelers to gather in the early evening. The hotel’s location is especially convenient if you want to take advantage of your stay in Oxnard to visit nearby cities and attractions. It’s quick to hop on the freeway north to Ventura and Santa Barbara, or south to Reagan Library and Paramount Ranch.
Paramount Ranch was on our must-see list on this trip because we had always wanted to visit a movie ranch, a place where they filmed westerns in the heyday of that genre. Paramount Studios purchased the 2,700-acre ranch in 1927 and proceeded to use it for decades to shoot major movies with many of the biggest stars of the 1930s, ’40s, and ’50s. Movies shot on the ranch include Gunfight at the OK Corral , The Streets of Laredo, The Virginian, and Hopalong Cassidy Returns.
Paramount Ranch was later used for such television shows as The Cisco Kid, Have Gun Will Travel, Rifleman, Bat Masterson, and most recently Charlie’s Angels, Chips, the Dukes of Hazard, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, and Diagnosis Murder.
Today the ranch is still used for occasional filming, but has been converted into a recreational park that is great for hikes and picnics and just enjoying the wooded mountain scenery in this part of the Santa Monica Mountains. The main attraction at Paramount is the walkable western town, the setting for many TV westerns or movies.
If you plan ahead, you can use Oxnard as a launching point for a trip to Channel Islands National Park; half-day or full-day excursions are offered. These magnificent islands are off the coast and visitors will find that they are completely isolated once the ship leaves them to camp on one of the islands.
If you just want to get out on the water, there are kayaks, paddle boats, and power boats available for rent at Channel Islands Harbor. During the winter and early spring, you can go on whale-watching excursions out of the harbor and you can go fishing or enjoy watching dolphins and other marine life any time of year.
Wine lovers will enjoy the Ventura County Wine Trail, a progression of several different wineries, all relatively close together and mapped out for visitors to follow.
Drive about a half hour east from Oxnard and you’ll find the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, which we made it a point to visit in Simi Valley. The library has a fascinating collection of artifacts, photos, and records that help us learn more about our former president.
The library’s most spectacular exhibit is Air Force One, the plane Reagan flew on his historic trips around the world.