We got up early to check out the Ventura Pier...
There are a few restaurants at the base of the pier, including the Deck at Eric Ericsson's Fish Co. We would be having our lunch elsewhere that day.
The tall building in the back is the Crowne Plaza, a fancy hotel that we saw while up on the hill at Serra Cross Park.
The beach on the southern end of the pier had a lot of rocks. On the northern end, sand.
Hardly anyone was out this early, 8:30'ish.
View of Crowne Plaza Hotel and the beach. Sadly, while taking this photo, we saw a "gang" of seagulls viciously attacking a non-seagull. It was flopping around and they were just messing with it, taking turns pecking at it. I couldn't watch too much of it. :(
The northern end of the pier.
The pier itself isn't that exciting but it does have a lot of history. Here is a snippet from the Ventura.com website:
"Originally built in 1872, the pier once served steamships and was a vital mode of transportation in and out of Ventura. In the early days, getting in and out of this harbor town was a challenge. With the advent of the pier and the visiting steamships, the areas rich and abundant produce could make it off to market. New settlers and their supplies also found it easier to boat in than to go over the mountains. The current wooden structure is 1958 feet long and is reputed to be the longest in California. "
After getting a bit of walking done at the pier, we went back to the car to see another "attraction" (kind of touristy, I know but since we were...), Ventura Harbor Village. It's kind of like our Seaport Village at the Embarcadero. There are shops, eateries, an arcade with a carousel, docks for boats and such. There are also boats that can take you out to the Channel Islands.
These Zoltar fortune telling things freak me out!
TC was able to get a Ventura souvenir penny (.51, ironically for a penny souvenir) near the carousel.
Near where we parked we noticed this...It's at the end of a parking lot, overlooking the harbor and in between two restaurants that we ate at (yes, BOTH on the same day, ha ha).
As you can see, it was a lovely and clear day and it was also quite warm.
Lunch was next on our list. Part 1 and Part 21
Here's a short video about the Ventura Pier:
Article:
"Ventura Pier closed, damaged as high surf pounds coast; streets flooded"KTLA.com, Dec. 11, 2015
Well I guess the pier has been fixed since last winter. Pretty scary how much havoc Mother Nature can do to these piers.
Ventura Pier
74 Harbor Blvd.
Ventura, CA 93001
Info: www.lotsafunmaps.com/Ventura
Reviews from tripadvisor & that four lettered site
Ventura Harbor Village
1583 Spinnaker Dr.
Ventura, CA 93001
(805) 477-0470
www.venturaharborvillage.com + reviews from you know where
The restaurants were both beginning to open now; 11 am was a bit early for lunch but we were hungry since we had a very light breakfast back at the hotel. First up, lunch part 1.
No comments:
Post a Comment