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For an entertaining meal back on the mainland, The Greek serves up platters piled with kebabs, dolmades (stuffed grape leaves), spanokopita (filo stuffed with feta cheese and spinach), tyropita (cheese-stuffed puff pastry), gyros, and saganaki (flaming goat cheese - a sizzling, fiery show in itself). Plates fly; music plays; agile waiters balance glasses on their heads and tables in their mouths; belly dancers twirl. Diners, who perhaps indulged in a few sips of ouzo, form clumsy dance circles. When all this exuberance is over, it’s probably time for an after-dinner cocktail – for this you can’t beat a margarita on the upstairs patio of Margarita Villa.

BEACH

This is why I come to Ventura. The beach, pier and oceanfront promenade are always quiet, never crowded. See what it looks like now.

Surfers ride waves at Surfer’s Point and, thanks to the stiff breezes, watching kite surfers makes for an entertaining show. The bike path stretches more than 12 miles, past the sandy beach, along the rocky wild shore and grassy promenade. The path continues to the Ventura River Estuary —part of the Central Coast Birding Trail — with hundreds of pelicans, cormorants, ducks, egrets, herons, and other seabirds.

The Ventura County Fairgrounds butt against the beach, so city promoters brag about their 'county fair with ocean air'. The County Fair attracts topnotch, old-school entertainment, along with rides, exhibits and other typical fair fun. In the past few years, The Beach Boys, Doobie Brothers, KC & the Sunshine Band and The Four Seasons have performed —free with fair admission.

If you decide to stay for a spell, the Crowne Plaza, Ventura’s only oceanfront hotel, is right on the boardwalk. For the most sweeping vistas, ask for a room facing north, the higher the better.

BEST BEACHSIDE BETS

EAT: You can’t beat the setting or sunsets at Eric Ericsson’s, perched on the pier, but frankly, the food is so-so compared to the great downtown restaurants. I suggest appetizers in the upstairs bar; then walk downtown for dinner.
DRINK: Aqua, the indoor/outdoor lobby lounge at the Crowne Plaza, opens out to lovely ocean views.
PLAY: Get your wheels at Bike Depot Or stake your spot on the sand. If you didn’t bring your own chair or gigantic umbrella, get one here.

For more information on California, visit our destination guide

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About the writer:

Maryann is a lifelong Southern Californian who regularly covers travel – often with a health, spa or soft adventure angle – for publications such as
Cosmopolitan, The Los Angeles Times, US Airways magazine, Delta Sky, Sunset, Sherman’s Travel, Celebrated Living and Town & Country.

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