Posted: Thursday, Nov 28th, 2024
5 Things We’re Grateful For in Ventura
In an age where more is always on the menu and we are constantly sprinting to the next thing, plan, and place, this Thanksgiving, we want to take a moment to stop, breathe, and be thankful for what we already have all around us right here in our beautiful home of Ventura.
And there’s a lot to be grateful for. Step outside and look around. As you feel the warm Ventura sunshine on your face and feel the cool ocean breeze blowing through your hair, we’re sure a few things come to mind.
Maybe one thing to be grateful for is that Ventura is a place where spontaneity thrives. Where one moment you’re in your hotel room and the next you’re sticking your toes in the sand as the sky lights up in the most incredible sunset painting you’ve ever seen. Where you can stand on Main Street in our historic Downtown, look left and right, and have plenty of local eateries to pick from to grab lunch. Where locals will give you a friendly tip on which hiking trail is their favorite as you’re waiting for your coffee.
No, what we’re grateful for has nothing to do with new clothes or the latest gadgets. Instead, it has everything to do with our community and the places and people that make it up.
1. Our beautiful beaches
As a certified small beach town, much of who we are centers around our love for the beach. Whether we get up at sunrise for our daily walk along the sand, rally the crew for a game of beach volleyball over at San Buenaventura State Beach, or simply roll down the windows as we drive along the 101 to breathe in the ocean air and feel the wind, the ocean touches our lives in so many different ways.
We’re grateful for community organizations like the Surfrider Foundation which organizes monthly beach clean-ups and all the volunteers who help keep our beaches clean. We’re grateful for visitors who respect our sandy shores by throwing away trash and keeping a safe distance from the wildlife.
Most of all, we’re grateful to call 30 miles of coastline home. No ticket purchase or reservation is necessary to enjoy the gentle beauty of waves lapping on the shore.
2. Plenty of open green spaces
Up in the rolling hills that frame Ventura lie miles of mountain biking and hiking trails begging to be explored. Within the city, there are dozens of parks perfect for BBQing, field days, picnicking, and much more.
To have acres of open space (Harmon Canyon alone has over 2,000 acres for a great day of outdoor adventure) accessible for all types of outdoor lovers is something in itself to be in awe of.
Arroyo Verde Park offers incredible views of the Channel Islands National Park on a clear day (plus flower-lined trails in the spring) and if you’re looking for an easy nature walk the Ventura Botanical Gardens is the spot to go to for colorful flowers and ocean views.
Our abundance of green spaces —whether they’re parks, trails, or nature preserves— means you can also bring your pet along for the experience! Most trails allow leashed dogs (with some exceptions and rules).
We’re grateful to be in Ventura where everyone can find their fun in our outdoor playground.
3. Small businesses
What really makes our community unique and special is the small businesses that bring creativity, life, and passion to our town on every street corner.
We’re proud to say that over 90% of the businesses in Downtown Ventura along Main Street are local shops, but really, whether you’re in Midtown Ventura, on the East End, or at the Ventura Harbor Village you’re likely to walk through the doors of a store that is owned and operated by people who love this city and call it home.
So if you’re looking for a Ventura keepsake to take home with you or looking to gift a special person in your life a memento of our beach town, keep all of our small businesses at the top of your mind. You’re supporting a small business owner and this community by doing so!
4. Channel Islands National Park
Ocean views, mountain views…and island views? You read that right.
There’s something truly magical as you sit on the beach and watch as the marine layer hovering above the ocean’s surface gives way and suddenly, off in the distance, the rocky outline of Santa Cruz and Anacapa Islands appear on the horizon.
The Channel Islands National Park consists of five islands of untouched natural beauty where you’re just as likely to see a pod of dolphins swimming in the ocean as you are a tiny island fox trotting along the path as you hike on Santa Cruz Island.
The Channel Islands National Park is a place of great beauty and pride for Ventura. It’s one of the most diverse places in California (hence the nickname “Galapagos of North America”) and one of the most beautiful.
Visiting this national park should be on everyone’s bucket list. You’ll make memories you’ll be grateful to have.
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5. Our creative community
Last but certainly not least, Ventura wouldn’t be Ventura without the people.
From the local artists who bring life and color through murals to our grassroots community organizations that bring everyone together, Ventura is a special place.
So dive in, pick up your feet, and maybe put down your phone. It’s a town that rewards the curious, adventurous, and the simply spontaneous. Give yourself the time to let Ventura unfold and it will give you the space. Waiting are unplanned joys of happening upon a local brewery or live music and wine— a stroll on the sand where you roll up your pants but get them soaked by the Pacific anyway. That’s the stuff great stories are made of.
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