Free Free Free! Donations generously accepted!…read more Great spot if your at the Ventura Harbor. Great educational experience on how important it is to keep our oceans clean and learn more about the local islands creatures and climate. Lots of parking but never enough parking spots during great weather. However the parking is free. You can find by driving all the way to the dead end and it's on the right hand side. There is a store to buy souvenirs. Lots of picture ops. Great views to have a picknick and sightseeing. Most importantly this is a great spot to educate our children the importance on a eco friendly environment for our sea creatures and the local islands. There's a auditorium and a short clip constantly running, That's also free. There's a great sight seeing tower that you can walk up and get your stair climb on. There's also an elevator to get to the top as well.

Happy to see that the displays and the gardens have been Updated. An enjoyable place to visit.read more

Oh gosh! I cannot believe I haven't written a review! I really like this hike. It's not too hard…read more There's a bit of an incline going up but you'll survive! The view once you get to the top , where the cross is ... absolutely gorgeous!

Beautiful park with incredible views!! One of our favorite places! There's hiking trails and picnic…read moretables spread out near the grass, cross and off road sides... we bring our dog (on leash) he loves it too!

Happy Earth Day to my fellow tree huggers. In honor of the occasion, I'd like to share one of my…read morerecent faves - a gem of a botanical garden that's hidden in the heart of downtown Ventura. When driving up the 101 from LA to the Bay Area, I love to make a pit stop in Ventura. It's the perfect place to stretch your legs out. And if you're looking for a little more to get your heart rate up, Ventura Botanical Gardens offers a lovely stroll-style hike to unwind from the one-hour-plus drive. The grounds are a mix of tiered levels, winding walkways, and lots of exotic plants. There are stretches of shaded areas, but SPF/hats are advised as it's still exposed to the seaside sun & haze. There are quotes carved in stones along the pathway that are nice to read. And when you get to the top, you get sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean. Time it right, and you can watch the sun dip into the sea. Admission is very reasonable. $7/person and FREE on Fridays. Feel free to bring your dog on a leash on Fridays too. I went on a random Tuesday and arrived at 9:15am, close to opening time. There was lots of free parking near the entrance. That's also where the cutest little gift shop greets all guests. Here, you'll find lots of charming gifts & knick-knacks & small plants to take home too. For those who prefer to lend a hand and yank out the Mustardweed to save the natives, then Tuesdays are a good volunteer day Note: The bathrooms take a little bit of patience. They're built on a septic tank system so just try to follow instructions if you see them posted. According to some intel, permanent bathrooms are in the city's near-future plans. Also note that they are CLOSED on Mondays. So take in all that natural beauty, breathe out all that stress. And make sure you've roamed the gardens enough to work up an appetite. Downtown Main Street is nearby and there's a strip of charming diners, cafes, restaurants, and specialty shops. For the true eco-conscious tree hugger, you'll find stores with handcrafted souvenirs, artisan plant trinkets, and even vintage/used books just about any day of the week. After all, every day is Earth Day, right?

We escaped the fog of the San Joaquin Valley for Ventura. We stopped by the Ventura botanical…read moreGardens around 11 AM. It was seven dollars to get in. There are about 3 miles of trails. A lot of interesting plant life. What we liked is that you can't get lost even though we tried. There are some great views from the higher elevations. This is a great place to visit as it will always be changing

I walked alongside the front of San Buenaventura City Hall recently. I enjoyed my visit. The…read morebuilding has beautiful architecture. There are some great landscape views from it. I would recommend taking precaution when venturing to or from the city hall on foot as there are some steep streets surrounding it.

This is a premier building in downtown Ventura, with Father Serra statue front and center in the…read moregardens below the building. Check out the friars' faces, all different, festooned below the roofline. This building is a classic, resisted being torn down in the 60s- if it is old tear it down and build a box- mentality. City offices are located inside, and strolling the lovely hallways is recommended. Parking is available in a side lot. Access to Grant Park above is via the narrow roadway on the left of the building. Even better, ample parking for the botanical garden trails is directly behind the building.

This is my FAVE park in Ventura because - IMO - it has everything you need for a great day at the…read morebeach. Let's start with FREE PARKING! Some local beaches are starting to charge, but this one still offers PLENTY of free parking. In addition, there are multiple playgrounds - including a pirate galleon from when the park was established during my childhood, a THOUSAND years ago! It doesn't have the zip line that caused me to smash my leg into the concrete side, leaving a still visible scar 1,000 years later, which is probably for the best, but a kinder/gentler playground with more modern amenities for today's active child. There is also an expansive grass area, where you will find many local pups bounding about with joy. On the grassy areas, BBQs! Also a protected, man made beach cove with an easy enter, small to no wave water entry. Lots of families prefer to set up their space on the green grass and then make their way to the beach, which is an ideal way to have your picnic sand free! A foot shower is also available to rinse the beach off before you settle back onto your blanket. Plenty of benches, tables and a bathroom that is, if I'm being completely honest, acceptable, but could use an upgrade. If you're more active, make your way to the public dock to launch your kayak, paddle board, etc. I've also seen people fishing from this dock and launching remote control boats - so cute! If you haven't brought your own board or boat, there is a rental kiosk handily available. This is also a great park to stroll through. A clear path goes from the parking lot to the tip of the Ventura Harbor entrance, known as Soter Point, where a beautiful sculpture stands. When I think of the perfect beach park, I think of Marina Park in Ventura. Cheers! "CC"

Marna Park is a city park that offers close and comfortable access to the beach. There's plenty of…read moreparking, broad lawns, varied picnicking spots and bathrooms. There's a nice oceanfront walkway that leads to a sitting area at the end of the north jetty that guards the entrance to the Ventura Marina.

We had a great experience with Island Packers Cruises two days in a row! I booked our day trips…read morewell in advance to Santa Cruz Island (Scorpion Anchorage) and Anacapa Island. We got super lucky with the weather and both sailings went smoothly. Island Packers staff members were friendly and knowledgeable about the channel and islands. We also got to see so much marine life! Both days we spotted humpback whales, which the staff were quick to point out. We also got to see two massive pods of common dolphins! This was such a cool experience, especially since they love to play in the boat wake. Overall, Island Packers provided a seamless, well-organized experience.

I used this company 3 times to get out to 3 of the 5 islands that are part of The Channel Islands…read moreNational Park and every experience was very good. First day I took this ferry out from Ventura Harbor to the Santa Cruz Island and it was about 90 minutes and we got to see plenty of dolphins and whales. And if wildlife is spotted, they make it a point to stop so we can watch the animals up close! Note that day trippers and campers are all packed onto this ferry. Second day, I took the ferry from Ventura Harbor to Santa Rosa Island and the ride out was 3 hours, so plan for that. Again, we saw quite a lot of wildlife. We also on the way back, got a really nice look at the Painted Cave. Third day, I took the ferry from Oxnard Harbor to Anacapa Island and it was about an hour. This was a much smaller ferry, limited selection in their galley. Again, saw plenty of wildlife and got a nice video of a humpback whale. All 3 experiences were excellent and would use them again. Note that ferry ticket isn't cheap, so plan for that. Also not the different harbors that have ferries out, lots of options. I would definitely use them again next time I return!

Chartered the sunfish for a two hour sunset whale watching cruise last night and it was incredibly…read morefun!!!! Roger was a terrific captain. He was friendly, knowledgeable, and just all-around awesome. Cheyenne was terrific as well. My group of 10 could not have had a better time. We weren't even sure we would see whales and we saw tons of them and we saw about 100 dolphins and adorable sea lions and other fish just swimming around our boat. What a phenomenal experience! So highly recommended!!!

If you're thinking about taking this tour just do it! From the moment you arrive these guys treat…read moreyou like your best friend visiting the islands for the first time. They show you all the cool stuff answer all your questions. It's been a few days and we're already missing them! They are truly lovely to chat with. When it was time to hit the activities they went to work showing their skills and knowledge. FYI we're vegetarian and the lunch was lovely- so make sure you order that too! Thanks Captain Dan and crew! It was a bucket list day we won't forget!

This vintage 1892 house was the home of successive generations of the Dudley family up to the…read more1970s. The house was originally situated at the corner of Telegraph and Ashwood. The old girl is in remarkably good condition for 131 years old (I think she's had some work done). The interior is set up to reflect daily life in Ventura in the early 1900s. Many of the furnishings inside are original pieces the family used in their daily routine. One imagines the difficulty of cooking a meal on the vintage stove, or how exhausting it would be to iron clothes with a pair of ten pound irons (they had two so one would always be hot, forget taking a break for two damn minutes), or making a phone call on the old crank style phone (the Dudley's had one of the first telephones in Ventura). The house is open to the public on the first Sunday of every month. Admission is free. You can learn a lot about the Dudley family and life in turn of the century Ventura from the docents on duty. The docents here are very informative and exceptionally good at contextualizing everything you see. They share as much about the Dudley family as they do about the house. Attired in appropriate period clothing, their narrative really captures and holds your attention. All of the above is why I rate The Dudley House five stars. I encourage you to visit. But this place isn't for me. This place gives me the creeps. See, as it turns out, this is a haunted house. This isn't something that is well-known at all. But I tell you, I knew before I even set foot on the property that there was an evil presence here. Yet, whatever presence I was sensing didn't seem malevolent, so I ventured inside. I took the tour. Just after the tour started, I was surprised and a little shocked when one of the other guests straight up asked the Docent if the place was haunted. It seemed like the question came out of left field. Sure, people often ask that question about any old wood frame house. But I've gone on a great many tours of historical homes and adobes across the Southland and I've never heard someone ask it during any other Docent's spiel. And just to reiterate, this site is not at all well known for being a haunted house. I've read a lot about the house online and there's no mention of the house being haunted. Even so, as I said, I had a sense about the place from the get go. And then, seemingly from out of nowhere, this question from another guest. The question surprised me, but the answer didn't. The Docent answered Yes. According to our Docent, some people say that The Dudley House is haunted by at least two ghosts. I mentally patted myself on the back and said, Mikey, you totally called it. (Lol) But then I come to find out the evil here is much, much than just a couple ghosts. And it's personal. See, this was a farm house, or ranch house, whatever way you want to call it. The Dudley's grew walnuts. On the other side of Telegraph Avenue they had a sprawling walnut orchard. In addition to walnuts, in the fertile fields where Ventura College now stands, the Dudley family grew Lima Beans. The Dudley Family made their fortune growing and selling Lima Beans. Hearing that made my skin crawl. Immediately I knew that was the dark presence I sensed before I sat foot on the property. Lima Beans. Lima Beans were once one of my most despised vegetables. I say "once" because now, as an "adult," I love Lima Beans. But when I was a kid I was haunted by the damned things. Because more than once they were the vegetable in the old "You're going to sit there until you finish your vegetables" game parents used to like to run at Dinner Time. I don't think many parents play that mess these days, but when I was growing up it was a thing. For so many years I considered Lima Beans to be concentrated evil that it's impossible to shake that association. It doesn't matter that I like them now. I'm still haunted by the things. And there I was. I was standing in the house of the guy that grew the beans that I hated so much for so long. It was chilling, yo! Not taking any stars off. It really was a great tour led by a very knowledgable Docent. But this place ain't for me. Mikey C says: You go ahead inside, Ima sit in the car and listen to the radio.

Plan ahead to visit this gem in eastern Ventura. They're only open to the public on the first…read moreSunday of each month for guided tours of the Dudley family home. While the clan's land holdings were once large, as befitting a farm family, the Victorian home they built was adequate, not a big mansion. The house features Victorian-era craftsmanship, highlighted during our visit with bunting ahead of the 4th of July holiday. The docents all dressed in period costumes to further highlight the times when the home was built. Many Dudley family possessions are displayed throughout the house. Though it's a museum, it doesn't feel fussy. Its aura is that of a well-loved family gathering place with music and games in the parlor, and scratch-made biscuits in the kitchen. The docents are delightful - knowledgeable and welcoming. They bring humor and life to the tour around the common rooms and five bedrooms. Tucked into the largest bedroom downstairs sits a small gift shop. I understand their pride and joy is their holiday boutique in December. They decorate the home for the occasion and it must be all volunteers on deck for the event. We'll have to check it out this year. Very glad that the Passport 2 History led us to Dudley House.

This Golf N' Stuff location is absolutely amazing. they have…read morea little bit of everything: miniature golf, arcade, bumper karts, go-kart and more. Everything is affordable. They have a snack bar: pizza, chips hotdogs etc.

Cool little spot to have some family time especially when we get competitive. There's a lot you can…read moredo golfing, bumper boats, go cart racing, arcades, food. We enjoyed it. I do got to say tho, one of the works that was cleaning the restroom didn't look so happy. Especially when a woman asked if she can use the restroom while he was cleaning it. He could've have told her is she can wait a few minutes while he finished. But he stopped what he was doing and let her in which was nice, but while he did that he was kicking the his equipment with frustration and shaking his head. He definitely didn't hide that he was upset. Then dragging the bag instead of picking it up taking his gloves off after cleaning definitely was not having a good day.

I love everything about Cafe Fiore. That's my favorite restaurant in Ventura. The food is…read moredelicious, excellent service, and also, the ambiance is beautiful and cozy. Believe me, I'm a very picky person ;)

Went for happy hour and the red sangria was ahmazing! Our…read moregroup had chicken lettuce cups, the pizza with carmelized onions. The string beans and calamari. Great service What a great way to end our afternoon of shopping on main