Serra Cross Park

The motel we stayed at was a vintage hotel. Not fancy, but good enough for the night. The guy working there was really helping in giving us recommendations on where to see some cool sights and where to dine.  We thought we would check out the one of the highest points in Ventura...

We made our way up the hill, past City Hall and near Father Serra's statue...

Grant Park, which includes the Botanical Gardens also has another park, Serra Cross, known for its spectacular views...

So that is where we went that afternoon...

It's pretty easy to get up here and once you are at the top, there is a parking lot.  Up here, you have a pretty nice vantage point of the town of Ventura and the ocean.  On a clear day, you can see out to the Channel Islands.

You can also see the Ventura Pier as well as Crowne Plaza, a fancy hotel (the tall building near the pier).


At the top of the hill is a wooden cross in a circular area. I saw online that a lot of folks like to get married up here. It's certainly a lovely place to hold a ceremony especially on a clear day like today was.


Below the cross were several walking trails...

The park was named after Father Junipero Serra, the Spanish priest that founded the mission system in California. The Mission San Buenaventura was founded by Serra in 1872 and a wooden cross was put up on this hill for travelers. The current cross has been there since 1941 (having been replaced numerous times over the previous decades)



In the photo above, you can see stones flanking the steps, on the Serra Park website, this is what I learned about them:
"In January 2010, stoneworkers from around the world came to Ventura to work on a ramparts project at the Serra Cross Park.
Led by a family from Japan who has built castle ramparts and walls for eight generations, the project was constructed in 10 days using stone from a quarry in Ojai. The Stone Foundation brought expert "rock knockers" from several states to learn the Japanese method of dry stone walling, which uses no mortar and relies on gravity to hold the stones in place for centuries. Massive stones were shaped by hand, using ancient tools. Of special interest is the spherical stone which sits atop one of the ramparts."


That's pretty amazing that there was no mortar used for the ramparts! Very cool to know!

A few last looks before exploring downtown Ventura...





Once again, City Hall...

and some interesting solar powered bobble toys from a local trinket store.  I liked the mariachi musicians!

I wish our local dollar store had these! I can't believe these were being sold for $5 each! Highway robbery, I tell you, ha ha.

Here is a neat video here (taken on a sunny and clear day).  It includes the park, the Pier and the Harbor:


When looking to see who else had been here, I wasn't surprised to see a post by Josh of California Through My Lens.  Check out his cool photos in his post, "Serra Cross Park, Ventura" Feb 16 2014

Serra Cross Park (at Grant Park)
398 Ferro Dr.
Ventura, CA 93001

serracrosspark.org + reviews from tripadvisor

Other  San Diego area parks with crosses at the top:
Mount Soledad
Mount Helix Park

and another one in SF that I haven't posted on yet, Mt. Davidson Park (featuring the giant cross seen in "Dirty Harry"! I'm working on those posts to go out soon.