L.A. Road Trip: A Saturday in Ventura

I headed to Santa Barbara on Friday morning to take part in a day-long seminar at UCSB on the "Law & Order" brand; Maria and the boys took the Amtrak and joined me later that evening.

After lunch the next day at La Super Rica, we decided to pass on our usual jaunt down Santa Barbara's State Street and instead explore Ventura -- specifically, Ventura's old town.



Formally known as the City of San Buenaventura, Ventura was a tiny, sleepy town for most of its existence. The population now stands at about 110,000. The city is named for Mission San Buenaventura, which was founded by Father Junípero Serra in 1782.


Ventura Theatre

Ventura's old downtown feels similar to what Old Town Pasadena was like prior to the arrival of major chains and the over-commercialization. Ventura downtown has major retailers, but it's also still home to several mom and pop stores -- and a large number of thrift stores.

A few more pics:


Mission San Buenaventura


Downtown


Car for sale


Another car


Ventura City Hall

A Day with Thomas the Tank Engine in Fillmore

Driving to the small town of Fillmore, in upper Ventura County, you get a sense of what the San Fernando Valley must have been like in the days before development. Orange groves; wide, open land; and lots of railroad tracks.

We made the trek up to Fillmore to attend a Thomas the Tank Engine-themed event (yes, that Thomas business is quite a racket) at the Fillmore & Western Railway. (It was for Blogger Kid's pal, who celebrated his 5th birthday.)

The railway is located near Fillmore's historic downtown (some of which was rebuilt after the 1994 Northridge quake), which is also worth a visit.

Founded in 1888 by Southern Pacific Railroad superintendant Jerome A. Fillmore, the small city has a population of 13,640. Agriculture remains the chief driver for the town, which is accessible either by the 23 or 126 highways.

The 23 is the way to go -- the highway winds through hills, mountains and valleys on the way north to Fillmore from the 118. It's quite a site, and a refreshing drive outside of the urban sprawl of Simi Valley.

Productions regularly shoot in Fillmore, which can easily double for small town America. Besides "A Day Out with Thomas," the railway also features regular rides throughout the year -- as well as special events for Christmas, and a popular murder/mystery train ride.

Some pics from our day with Thomas in Fillmore:


(That term is bothering me -- "Historical Downtown" sounds a bit too much like "Hysterical Downtown." Why not just "Historic Downtown"??)


(Lose the kids in a maze for several minutes? Tempting.)


(The real oranges of Ventura County.)