Beware , Donna Granada the owner here has a very bad attitude and has no idea on how to deal with…read morepeople in a positive way. She threatens and has a huge issue when things do not go her way. The experience was absolutely horrible.

Focus on the Masters is a wonderful, hard-working and dedicated group that supports artists and…read morearts education. The monthly Artist Spotlight sessions are always fascinating and the Afterglow parties bring together an amazing crowd of artists and arts aficionados. The people involved, and especially the warm, brilliant and talented Donna Granata, are very exceptional and make me feel so lucky to have discovered them when we moved to Ventura County a bit over 2 years ago. Now we never miss an event unless we are out of town. Plus the educational programs run by Aimee French are a priceless contribution to local schools. I don't know who Mr. Grump is with his negative review, but Donna and her team are extremely positive and welcoming and work endlessly for little personal gain. I urge anyone with an interest in the arts to look at the Focus website and come check out an event. See you there!

I went to the 2024 California Avocado Festival on a Saturday and it was crowded. Not as large as I…read moreexpected, but still and enjoyable afternoon in Carpentaria. Many ways to try avocados including avocado ice cream, chips with "world famous guacamole, and avocados with shrimp. With free admission and free parking (if you could find it), it was worth attending. There was much security and my family felt very safe. The music on three stages and the opportunity to walk in downtown Carpentaria made it especially enjoyable.

Let's get avocado!!…read more I came here with my family to walk around the avocado festival, it's small but had quite a few vendors. They had different bands at every block, different ways to eat avocado from ice cream, ceviche, taquitos, beer and more. The shops and restaurants were also open as well and they also participated in avocado products. I will say though this is a quick festival to walk, from one end to the next without stopping it's less than ten minutes. It's also near the beach, so bring a towel and enjoy the sunny weather. Note that it's only street parking so you'll be driving around for a little before you find a spot. Otherwise off the fwy they had a designated area to park and take a bus/shuttle over for free.

Must see and it's free- after too much sun, too much wind burn - take a break for the self guided…read moreSeaBees museum and come away proud!

Free Museum alert! There are not many free museums left plus free parking as well. This Navy museum…read moreis located in Port Hueneme (Oxnard if this helps) in Ventura County. 3201 S. Ventura Road, Building 100, Port Hueneme which is on the base. Opened daily 10a-4pm but closed on Sundays. No reservations needed. Kid friendly location. This museum opened in 1947 which is also the 2nd oldest Navy museum in the US. You can easily spend about 2 hours here because they carry so much actually memorials from the actually event. There are a couple of screening rooms to sit and watch. Vintage heavy machinery like war tanks. Learning about the history with the collections, preserves, and exhibits artifacts related to the history of the United States Navy Engineer Corps. We can learn about Seabees (Navy military) also perform global humanitarian missions such as well-drilling and disaster relief. Established in 1941, they served as the construction force for the Navy during World War II. The Seabees' "Can Do" attitude made them legendary within the Armed Forces, and their character epitomized the resilience of that generation. The "Can Do" attitude still drives today's Seabees. If you are lucky you might even see a few Navy members walking from the base. After your tour you can take the scenic route home on the coast of PCH. Thank you Naval History and Heritage Command for preserving our history. We appreciate all your hard work for US history.

It said it was open to 5 on Saturday, but shut tight at 3:45. It looks interesting thoughread more

I've been meaning to visit this museum for years, but I just never seemed to be there while it was…read moreopen... so when looking for something to do on a summer's day with the kids... this spawned a day trip to Ventura! With easy parking just across the street, we parked (where one would normally park for the Museum of Ventura across the street... another fabulous museum if doing things with kids) and happily ventured towards the "open" sign of the museum. Truth be told, I wasn't sure exactly what this museum was, and we walked in and discovered a relatively small room with various artifacts from several eras... But the SUPER cool thing about this museum is that everything in was estivated by archeologists at this location in a pit (that you can still see) back in 1971! Apparently, after an auto mechanic went out of business and they started getting ready for what came next, they started discovering artifacts... and it kept going and going! What's so cool is that they uncovered artifacts from several different eras and cultures the further down they went! As far as I-forget-the-year BC! But then later the Chumas, the Spanish, the Mexican's, the early American's, then the Chinese! It's super cool to see all these different artifacts from different cultures all discovered in one place! It years makes you think about what lives beneath our feet. Hedge expectations... it's small, but it's also FREE and as a general rule, I always give free museums five stars! Depending on how much you want to read, it's not going to take you too long to get through the museum... there is that one small room, and then you can go out back, see the pit and some various other spots they're set up... all in all it'll take less than an hour... but I love stuff like this! Apparently there are more museums in the US than Starbucks... so I really appreciate small museums. It's RIGHT in downtown Ventura, so it's easy to make a day of it. There are tons of restaurants, shops, the museum across the street and even a new arcade! The museum gave us a map of historic Ventura buildings and we did a bit of our own walking tour, but we actually (I don't know if I'd recommend this all in one day) walked all the way to the botanical gardens and did that after! That's a bit of a walk, and while I absolutely recommend visiting there... that might want to be its own day where you park in the lot. Definitely check it out!

I've been on a kick this year to see more historic parks and landmarks in SoCal. Shout out to…read moreYelper All-Star Derek W. of Lakewood, CA for inspiring me with his awesome photos and experiences! The challenge I'm finding is parks being open through the week, when we (ahem) "more mature folks" like to enjoy less crowds. So when I saw Heritage Square in Oxnard was open, with possible docent tours, on a TUESDAY, I jumped on the opportunity to partake of some local history. We headed for the Square and saw some parking but, being a first timer, I decided to drive around the entire square and see the layout from the street. I decided to park on W Seventh St, to the north and take advantage of shade, and the close proximity to Heritage Coffee and Gifts(separate review), which I knew we would wander into before departing the area. Turns out W Seventh is the perfect place to start. We entered and immediately were taken with the beautiful architecture, landscaping, care and attention to detail this special area exudes. It was all pretty magical and I wasn't sure where to start. Luckily, it wasn't more than a few steps in that we spotted the water tower and visitor's center/gift shop/central hub. We stepped inside and were greeted warmly. I explained that I saw they had docent lead tours and we could sign up online, but I wasn't sure what time we would arrive, so I didn't make a reservation. Was it still possible to get a tour, or was there a self-guided walking tour info sheet? We were asked to wait a moment while the manager and lead docent was found to see if they were available. Gary was available and we began our tour. What a WONDERFUL storyteller! Weaving the families and their history with Los Angeles and Ventura Counties and bringing them to life in front of their very lovingly restored homes! He took us inside of some of the buildings, where operational businesses agree to have the public tours pop in for a moment of show and tell. Details about the original designs, room layouts, furnishings and use were all so amazing to see, touch and learn about. The tour lasted about 45 minutes. We paid $10/pp and it was well worth it! Just to hear the history of the on-site church alone was worth it! But to venture inside, see the details in the hand-made stained glass and the conversion of the oil lanterns to electric. To hear how it has changed denominations over the years and to view the photos inside, documenting the preparation of the Square, the moving process for the homes and the restoration was so intriguing. This is such a beautiful and unique area. I love that these beautiful homes were repurposed and are thriving with businesses! At the end of the tour, Gary encouraged us to check out the annual Holly Trolley Tours, Christmas Tree Lane Event and Gingerbread House Exhibit and tours. All sounded absolutely delightful!. I immediately signed up for their newsletter and I'm REALLY looking forward to returning durning the holiday season and posting more pics of festively dressed docents and delightful decorations. Cheers! "CC"

The tours are such a great way to learn more about Oxnard. Ms. Connie Korenstein and all the…read moredocents who volunteer are gems and so good at what they do. Make a visit soon and plan your trip by visiting their website to get tour schedules and info. Review the expectations before your visit and ensure the littles are able to follow instruction to not climb and explore on the historic grounds.

During my last trip to Ojai, I was attracted by some cool t-shirts, on sale, outside Nomad Gallery…read more It was a funny coincidence since we read recently in Ojai Quarterly a good article about Leslie Clark (the owner of this gallery), her art (she paints beautiful art pieces, mostly inspired by her trips to Africa- Niger) and her foundation and the great work she does to help people in Niger. The gallery is more than a gallery, it's a cool store that sells clothing, jewelry, sculptures, masks, paintings, home decor items mostly imported from Africa, Niger and Mali. Sure, the prices are a bit higher, but everything in here is unique, one of a kind item, hand made by various artists. I had to get a t-shirt, they were cool, cheap, made in Africa, in a process to help women there use their skills to try to make a living. One of a kind t-shirts, fair trade. We had a nice time chatting with Leslie and she was nice and accommodating with me because I had to try the shirt on, make sure it fits me. Beautiful merchandise, nice store. They'll have a major sale on July 8th, if you'll be in the area, stop by. Or whenever you'll visit Ojai, pop in Nomad Gallery, it's next to Libbey Park, but it's a cool place that will transport you far away, on another continent.

Nomad Gallery is my favorite store in Ojai. Unique one of a kind African fabrics and jewelry. I…read morealways stop by to browse and buy whenever I am in Ojai. The owner is lovely and travels there herself to support local tribal artists and artisans.

A minimalist art gallery that displays 3-4 pieces total. The back garden area is simple and…read morenon-fussy to allow the sculpture to be highlighted and provide a relaxing ambience. Worth a quick stop to appreciate the use of negative space.

Cute little art gallery in Ojai. We stopped by as we were walking down the street. There were about…read more4 art works inside (so a really really small gallery). We only spent about 5 minutes tops inside, but the outdoor garden area in the back is serene and a good place to rest.

A wonderful art gallery located in Santa Barbara/Montecito, offering curated fine art of notable…read moreCalifornia living artists. The gallery features work in oil of landscapes, seascapes, still lifes, figures, and Western art. The gallery is, for me, aspirational. It has exactly the sort of work I like to collect and I'd be happy to devote some precious wall space to it!

I saw a seascape in the window that caught my eye while shopping in Montecito but the gallery was…read moreclosed so I snapped a pic on my phone. Upon returning, a week or so later, I asked to see the piece and showed the saleswoman the picture. She found the piece, (which she dragged out of a cupboard unprotected and wedged between several other canvases) and said the price was $2200. I was seriously considering the piece, and asked permission to send a more clear photo of it to my husband for his approval. She became rude and said "No, you already have a picture." Well, that turned me off right then and there. It was actually a rhetorical question. I happen to own two beach homes and I collect seascapes. Too bad this gallery won't be getting any of my business. I have never encountered this type of behavior from any of the galleries that I frequent in Laguna Beach.