Next to Cuernovaca

Second Hand Shop

 1119  N. Ventura Ave.

Ventura, CA

I always think of this place as "the place next to Cuernavaca (an excellent and inexpensive Mexican place that now has branches in Oxnard and Santa Barbara)," and I'm starting this post without knowing what the name of the place is. It's on the Avenues, between Cuenavaca and Airway Glass.

I've been working on this for a few weeks, and there's no identifying name or anything on the outside, and the people who work inside are a bit difficult to understand. But over the years, I've poked my nose in several times, and have made enough purchases where it's a regular stop when eating at Cuernavaca. Prices are pretty good, and the guy who runs the place, with a thick Mexican accent and a wandering eye, will haggle a bit, too.

Since I first walked in, I've picked up a great, 4'  faux bamboo fountain for the yard for $50, an old Crate modeling practice amp for $25, a foot tall wooden Buddha statue for $10, and lots of dvd's and video games for $3 each. He has lots of tools, and lots of stuff to tack up your horse. On my last visit, I picked up a vintage UCLA pennant, and almost picked up Dodgers and Padres ones, too, for $2 each. I've almost bought things as varied as cowboy boots and vintage bicycles while in there as well.

If I could think of a place to put the marlin, I'd probably buy that too.

But really, there seems to be a lot of everything, and picked reasonable well. It's a small space, and packed in a way that's most likely an  ADA violation, and I usually make two complete laps around the store to make sure I don't miss anything odd or that I might want to purchase.

Probably not worth a special trip, (though there have been a few times that I've been bored around the house and made up a reason to go by),  but not a bad place to walk through while waiting for a table next door.

Ventiki

VenTiki

701 E. Main Street

Ventura, CA

With a collection of Aloha shirts that would fill a fair size Hawai'ian shirt shop and enough ukuleles to cover the ukulele section of Guitar Center, I believe that I do have some of that "Tiki Vibe" that is necessary to live the kitsch-ee lifestyle of the 50's Tiki Trader. And when VenTiki opened up last year, I knew that I wanted to try it out.

So why did it take a year?

A modest friend

A couple reasons. First, I just don't hit the bars that much. Second, and more importantly, my wife didn't want to go.

But after the Ventura ArtWalk, a pleasant Saturday evening of strolling Main Street and looking at art, we decided to give VenTiki a try. 

Most of the activity at VenTiki takes place on the lanai out front, and just at the edge of the business district, the lanai makes a great location to people watch and enjoy the sunset. I especially enjoyed the blue glass fire pit that was lit just after we sat down, a feature that I'd like to someday put in my own backyard. Bamboo tables and chairs placed under large umbrellas and an aluminum awning create a comfortable outdoor space.

Though we split the ahi tuna roll, and it wasn't bad, I wouldn't consider this a food place.Like most of Hawai'i, I don't think the food goes beyond edible-my apologies to those who think that Spam, eggs and rice are the pinnacle of tropical cuisine. It was an ahi tuna roll, no more, no less. The other food I saw coming out of the tiny kitchen, which I could look into from my seat, seemed the same way. 

But it's not the food you're here for. In the tradition of Trader Vic's, (quoted on the VenTiki website) VenTiki is:

"Dedicated to those merry souls who make drinking a pleasure, Who achieve contentedness long before capacity; Who, when they drink, prove able to carry it, enjoy it, and remain ladies and gentlemen."

VenTiki is a drinking bar, but in a good way. The drinks are a bit expensive, and also a bit strong. The idea is that you're going to be there awhile. Though my wife and I were at a table for two, the lanai is conducive to larger groups, and there were groups in attendance.

In hindsight, I wish I'd have tried a traditional tiki drink, which is generally rum based, and I will on my next visit. Instead, my wife and I both had the 'modern' tiki drinks. I had the 'Shrunken Head,' which is whiskey based, while the wife went with 'The Fuzz,' which is a hibiscus fused, tequila drink. Both were strong but good. Still, when you think of classic tiki drinks like a mai tai or a zombie, you're thinking of a combination of light and dark rums. Again, at about $10 a drink, they were on the high side.

Rumor is that VenTiki is going to expand, and though I'd like the cocktails to stay the same, a more adequate 'tapas' style kitchen would be a welcome addition. 

A great place to spend the afternoon.

Rubicon Theatre Company

The Rubicon Theatre Company

1006 E. Main Street

Ventura, CA  93001

I went to the Rubicon once before, just after they moved into this historic, 1920's era church, and I don't remember it being bad. I just don't remember it being really good. 

I seem to remember that the seats were a mess, and it was really uncomfortable watching whatever production was on stage. It was a bit pricey, too, but I think that might have had something to do with the babysitter I had to hire, which factors into the cost. I do like live theater, but I just don't remember enjoying my Rubicon experience that first time.

But, a friend of my daughter's was in the Rubicon summer production of Beauty and the Beast, Junior, and my daughter wanted to see it. It was a busy weekend for us, but we were able to get home Sunday, take a short rest-I took a very rare nap-and get dressed up to go. I wanted my daughters to have the experience of live theater, and I wanted them to be somewhat rested so that they could enjoy the experience. I also wanted them to get the idea that live theatre is something to dress up for, and I wanted to make sure they had time to put on dresses and fix their hair. My high school aged son wasn't interested, and though the experience would have done him good, I'd like to take him to see something that he might enjoy more, so he was off the hook.

On a side note, I think it's great that my daughter wanted to support her friend by seeing the show. It's something that I wasn't real good about when I was my kids' age, and I'm trying to get better about now, and I encourage my kids to do the same.

Middle school students putting on a play sounds like a recipe for badness, but it wasn't. One of the more interesting aspects of living in Southern California is that there seems to be a wealth of stage talent, even in a place 75 miles from LA, like Ventura. And with a good director and choreographer, quality stage productions take place everywhere. The Rubicon has some fairly well off benefactors, and has been getting really good reviews over the years.

So we went. First, if you can, buy tickets online. It's cheaper, and it was a bit of a hassle buying tickets at the door. The tickets were sold at a table in the vestibule. Those who had printed their tickets online were able to go right into the lobby-those of us who didn't had to wait awhile. The theater seats just about 200 people, and the show was almost sold out, so I'm glad we were early. My daughter had spoken to her friend, who had told her that there would be plenty of seats-it's always best to double check the information gathered from middle-schoolers.

They had three seats together, center stage, in the very front row. I almost passed, but was assured that I wouldn't have to look to far up, and the other seats in the theater would have split us up, so I went with it.

The lobby has a small snack bar area, which was selling messages to cast members starting at $1, a really cute idea for the middle school aged actors, and my daughter bought one for her friend as we went in. 

Secret Picture. Note my ear.

I tried to take some pictures in the theater itself, but was told that it wasn't allowed. I snuck a few anyway. I found our seats, and the thing I liked about being in the front was there was lots of leg room. The seats, which I remembered being horribly uncomfortable, had been repaired, too, and were actually quite nice. I asked my girls if they were okay, and they said they like being really close. We did need to look up  slightly, but it really wasn't bad, and we had a great view of the actor's expressions. 

The play itself was very good. with great costumes and very good sound. All of the children sang their own songs, and though there were a few flubbed notes here and there, overall the singing was much better than I expected and really quite good. Both my daughters were mesmerized by the performance, and after we all talked about seeing another show.

The cast posing for pictures

After the show, my daughter's friend rushed out to say hello, and all the cast welcomed their friends and family, a fun thing to watch and another way it's different from the movies. 

So now I'm looking at the Rubicon schedule, both to see about another kids play, and to see what's playing for the adults.

Stiix Billiards

Stiix Billiards

2520 E. Main

Ventura, CA 93003

There’s trouble,

Right here in River City

That’s trouble with a capitol T

That rhymes with P

That stands for Pool!

Robert Preston as Professor Harold Hill, The Music Man

I’ve always liked shooting pool, and I’m not bad. That’s not to say that I’m good, but I manage to string enough good shots together where some of the people that I’ve played with will tell you that I’m really good. My normal game involves two or three impressive shots, followed by some interesting flukes and the occasional win.

And I had a few favorite pool halls down south, like Yankee Doodles in Long Beach, a kind of grungy, cavernous place where I smoked big cigars and spent quality time in my 20’s, and Jakes of Pasadena, down in their basement pool room where I would take dates when I was a Pasadena resident. (Interestingly, I never had a hamburger at Jakes, which is what they’re known for). I also convinced the 20 somethings I worked with at Nordstrom Glendale that I was a pool shark, when I took down my Nordstrom manager in the 90's at Charles Billiards in Glendale. He was actually much better than I was, but I got a lucky run, sinking 5 in a row to pull the win and impress the crowd.

I have good associations playing pool. My father was pretty good, and I remember one of my Aunts had a table that my sister and I enjoyed playing on at family gatherings. Latter, in college, realized that I didn’t drink as much when I was holding a pool cue, and I since I never really liked the idea of just going out for a drink, shooting pool was perfect. And finally, you could tell how much a woman liked you by how much they leaned over and how many buttons were unbuttoned while shooting a game of pool.

Of course, that last one doesn't matter to me anymore, and now when I'm playing pool it's just like when I'm playing poker. I'm out with friends, and the conversation is more important than the game. The game is the backdrop, making it easier to talk.

And Stiix Billiards is perfect for that. I've been there Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, and I've been in in the afternoon, too. Every time it's the same. It's clean, and the tables are very well maintained. They serve beer, but the beer is a by-product of the surroundings, not the reason that people are there. There is a small bar/snack area, and there's always some people there, but they're having a drink between games, not shooting pool between beers. The guys that work there are always friendly, and know the regulars well.

I'm not a regular, but I'm in often enough to be recognized.

I've brought my son in, (the staff usually comments on how much he's grown) mostly to show him where he could have a cheap evening out, and a possible double date location, and I've brought my daughter in too, much to my wife's chagrin. ("Ladies don't go into pool halls").

You rent tables by the hour, and it's a touch more pricey on the weekend. But on a recent Sunday evening, my kids and I were in, each had a root beer and played for an hour for under $15, including a tip. As I was trying to explain to my son, a double date, two hours of pool in a clean, safe place, sodas and a $1.25 hot dog, and he could be out of there for under $20. It allows for interaction with his date, too, unlike the movies.


It's not a bar with pool tables, but a pool hall that serves beer. It's a great place to go.

The Vagabond

The Vagabond Coffee Shop and Restaurant

760 E. Thompson Ave.

Ventura, CA

In my 5/30/14 post on the Main Street Restaurant and Steakhouse, I wrote that I miss the old diners and coffee shops that seemed to be so prominent when I was growing up back in the 70's, lamenting on how they've been replaced by Mexican places and restaurant chains. I had forgotten that Ventura also has the Vagabond Coffee Shop and Restaurant, adjacent to but not affiliated with the Vagabond Inn.

First, a few words about the Vagabond Inn. If you need a place to stay, and you don't really plan on spending much time in your room, the Vagabond is perfect. It's clean, and two blocks off the water. It has a pool, which is also well maintained. That's really about it-nothing special. My in-laws like it because it's reasonably priced and gives them some level of privacy when they stay up here for a few days. 

When my in-laws were up for this year's Roadshow Revival (the headliner, who I've seen many times in the past 30 years, was Los Lobos, but the show itself wasn't as much fun as last year's-see 7/31/13), we had both dinner and breakfast at the Vagabond. 

About the wait staff...we had two different waitresses, both older than dirt and neither very happy. But they did bring our food to us in a quick and professional way, no muss, no fuss. Both answered questions in a brisk and business like fashion, neither wanting to be engaged in much small talk. On both Friday night and Saturday morning, the restaurant was busy, and they didn't waste any time with chit-chat, either with my father-in-law, who'll talk to anybody or anyone else that I could see. Here's your food, here's your coffee, and I'm moving on. As I thought about it after, I wouldn't want to spend my 60's-and they were in their 60's if they were a day-slinging hash in a coffee shop in Ventura. My in-laws tip well, and I'm certain that both these waitresses put the time in and deserved every bit.

The decor is likely unchanged from the 70's, and somehow appeared to be dark, even with the wealth of windows on a sunny summer morning. Maybe it's something about the muted earth tones, formica and naugahyde that keeps places like this in dark light, but it always reminds me of those early 70's cop movies, where everyone is a bit ugly.

For dinner, I had a rare indulgence that both my doctor and my wife say I should never eat, the Chicken Fried Steak. There's a choice of sides, and I think I went with a green salad and a desert. At $12.95, my initial thought was it was a bit much, but as I thought about it more, I'm not sure where else I can get chicken fried steak, so it was a rare delicacy. Though not exceptional, it was good.

For those of you unfamiliar with chicken fried steak, it's breaded cheap steak pan fried and then smothered in gravy. It's a southern dish that was common in coffee shops in my youth, but kind of hard to come by now, and is bad for you on a variety of levels.

Breakfast the next day was also good. It could be something about flavors accumulating year after year on a grill, or it could be that places like this have no worries about things like "cholesterol", but breakfast food always seems to taste better at a coffe shop. My father-in-law had the Vagabond Style Huevos Rancheros, while I went with the Vagabond Original Hobo Omelette. Neither was stop the world good, but they weren't bad. They were the same as millions of breakfasts served at coffee shops around the country. 

And that is the charm of the Vagabond.

San Buenaventura State Beach

San Buenaventura State Beach

It's the beach, right? What's to write about?

Glad you asked. San Buenaventura State Beach is like most beaches in So. Cal. It has water, sand, bathrooms, showers and parking. Sometimes the water is warm, relative to when it's really cold, and sometimes it's really cold. There are lifeguards in the summer, and crowds on the weekend. Parking seems a bit pricey, especially since it's walking (a long walk, but walking) distance from the house.

Many years ago, before we remodeled, we were thinking about just moving to a bigger house, and my wife entertained the idea of moving to Camarillo. I said that I wouldn't move to Camarillo, that it reminded me of living in Downey, and I wanted to live close to the beach. She asked me why, since I never went to the beach anyway. I don't surf, and I don't like getting in the ocean particularly. I told her that I liked knowing it was there if I ever decided that I did want to go.

While my kids were in Junior Guards, a great program that I should probably write about at another point, I went daily. Since I was there anyway, I would usually go in my running clothes, and take a run. Then, I'd have my workout in for the day, and all was right with the world.

If you start at the Jolly Oyster, an oyster shack where they preach the gospel of fresh oysters to everyone willing to listen, and to those that aren't as well, and take the bike path all the way past the Fairgrounds to the Main Street Bridge, the distance round trip according to my iPhone is just a touch over 4 miles.

For the most part, it's all flat. Most of it is blacktop, which is easier on the feet than concrete, but there is a concrete section by the pier. There's no shade, so on a sunny day it can get warm, but it's still the beach, with plenty of water faucets, showers and bathrooms en route.

Looking South

From the Jolly Oyster and the Wheel Fun bike rental stand and the fancy bathrooms near it, heading north, you first pass the Lifeguard Headquarters, and Sanjon Road, where there is generally some free parking.

Continuing, the Pier and the businesses (see Beach House Tacos,  3/11/13) at the end come next. This is the spot where you'll most likely run into crowds. The playground on the north side of the pier is really nice. That's my iPhone photo of the pier at the top of the blog.

Looking South again.

Next is a slight uphill on the concrete boardwalk, past the Crown Royal Hotel and some condos. From this point to the mouth of the Ventura River is where the waves break for some nice surfing, and many people are preparing their boards, talking about the surf or just watching the long waves break.

Surfer's Point

This would be Surfer's Point in the parlance of the locals. In this particular area, there's erosion of the beach, and a few organizations are creating plans to, I dunno, I'm reluctant to say "restore" because erosion is part of the beach, too. But some of the erosion is due to the damming of the Ventura River, which effects the amount of silt coming from the inland. That lack of silt, as well as the various breakwaters nearby, effect the beach. I'm just going to leave it alone for now.

Estuary

Continuing brings you to the estuary at the mouth of the river. Many birds inhabit this area, and the trestles and freeway bridge add an interesting contrast to the view. The back of the Fairgrounds are opposite.

Back of Fairgrounds

Rounding the corner and crossing the train tracks takes you away from the beach and up the river trail. The bike path at this point runs all the way to Ojai, and it is the course for the different marathons that take place in Ventura (that I'd like to someday try).

As you head inland, there is a slight rise in elevation, which makes sense since if it dropped lower it would be below sea level. At Main Street, which makes a good turn around point, there is a free parking lot and some public art, like this large tuning fork or compass, depending on how I look at it. At the base is the pithy phrase, "Who Marks to leave a mark" (sic).

Heading back 

Even in the morning, there are a few people walking or jogging, as well as bicyclists, skateboarders and dogwalkers. Like every place in the United States these days, there are homeless who gather in spots to do a bit of panhandling. But, it's still the beach.

And running down the boardwalk beats working.