VENTURA COUNTY
www.countyofventura.org
Population: 798,364 (2007 U.S. Census estimate)
Located on California's Pacific coast, Ventura County is home to Naval Base Ventura County (NBVC) Port Hueneme and NBVC Point Mugu. The county forms the northwestern part of the Greater LosAngeles area and is often referred to as the Gold Coast.

Ventura County is known for being one of the safest populated places and one of the most affluent places in the country. Because it is part of the Tech Coast area, the county has a large presence of technology corporations, such as telecommunications, health care and biotech corporations. Most are located in the Conejo Valley.

The City of Ventura (formally known as San Buenaventura) is the county seat, and the county's largest city is Oxnard.

Ventura County Fairgrounds
(805) 648-3376
www.venturacountyfair.org
Site of the annual 12-day Ventura County Fair, the Ventura County Fairgrounds at Seaside Park is 62 acres of oceanfront property at the western edge of the city of San Buenaventura (Ventura). It hosts a wide variety of events throughout the year, ranging from business meetings, teleconferences and major trade shows to concerts, expositions and equestrian events.

Ventura County Fair
Ventura Seaside Park, 10 W. Harbor Blvd.
www.venturacountyfair.org
July 30 through Aug. 10, 2008
The fair is the only California beachfront fair and attracts more than 300,000 people each year. It features major name grandstand concerts, rodeos, motor sports, carnival rides and games, grounds performers and pig races. More than 500 trophies, ribbons and cash are awarded each year. Exhibits include livestock, agriculture and floriculture, home arts, photography and commercial vendors. The fair also offers carnival rides, games, great food and beverage, a nightly fireworks show, a petting zoo, bungee jumping, livestock auctions and rock climbing. On Military Appreciation Day (August 7), all military with proper identification are admitted free.

Golf Courses
Rustic Canyon Golf Course
15100 Happy Camp Canyon Road, Moorpark
(805) 647-6678, www.rusticcanyongolfcourse.com
18-hole and 9-hole courses

Saticoy Regional Golf Course
1025 S. Wells Road, Ventura
(805) 647-6678, http://saticoy.americangolf.com
9-hole course

Soule Park Golf Course
1033 E. Ojai Ave., Ojai
(805) 646-5633, www.soulepark.com
18-hole and 9-hole courses

VENTURA COUNTY CITIES
Port Hueneme
www.ci.port-hueneme.ca.us
Population: 21,841
A seaside community, Port Hueneme (pronounced "Wy-nee'mee") is located about 60 miles northwest of Los Angeles and 40 miles south of Santa Barbara. The city is 12 feet above sea level with a land area of 4.4 square miles.

Port Hueneme offers a number of recreational opportunities at parks located within the city, as well as a host of options for fun and relaxation in the surrounding area. The median age of the residents is about 30 years old, and the average household size is around three people.

Port Hueneme Beach Festival
(805) 986-6542, www.huenemebeachfest.org
The festival features lots of food and beverages, served up by local restaurants and food purveyors. The children's area offers rides, games and attractions for kids of all ages. Also, pirates often attend the event and bring jolly good spirits.

Port Hueneme City Parks
(805) 986-6542
Bolker Park is a 4-acre neighborhood park with children's play equipment, picnic tables and open grass area. Dewar Park is a mini park area consisting of landscaped seating area with a small plaza.

Bubbling Springs is a 21-acre community park serving as a neighborhood park and home to Port Hueneme Little League. Facilities include children's play equipment, picnic sites, barbecue pits, public restrooms, hardball fields, one T-ball field, concession building and large open grass areas.

Bubbling Springs Recreational Corridor is a drainage control channel that includes landscaping and 7 acres of paths. The corridor connects Bubbling Springs Park to Hueneme Beach Park.

Hueneme Beach Park provides organized activities and special events, such as the Hueneme Beach Festival, seasonal Lifeguard service and city-sponsored Junior Lifeguard program. The 50-acre park provides picnic areas, barbecue pits, flag plaza, Flight 261 Memorial, sand volleyball courts and a snack bar.

Moranda Park is an 8-acre park featuring children's play equipment, eight lighted tennis courts, two softball fields (one lighted), two full basketball courts, multi-purpose building and public restrooms.

Port Hueneme Community Center
This multi-purpose community center is located at 550 Park Avenue and provides meeting rooms and a large multi-purpose room for large-group gatherings. It is used for general recreation classes and programs and has an extensive senior program. It is open weekdays, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Port Hueneme Historical Museum
220 Market St.
(805) 488-2023, phc@huenemechamber.com
Built in 1925, the museum houses historical artifacts, photographs and information on the history of the Hueneme area. The museum is open weekdays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tours are by appointment only.

Point Mugu
Point Mugu, an unincorporated area, is flanked by the Pacific Ocean on one side and farmland, mountains and metropolitan areas on the other sides. Home to Naval Air Station Point Mugu, the area is less than one hour away from several cities.

Camarillo is 15 minutes to the northeast, and Thousand Oaks,Westlake Village,Agoura and Newbury Park are 25 minutes to the southeast. To the Northwest are Port Hueneme, 10 minutes; Oxnard, 15 minutes; Ventura, 25 minutes; and Santa Barbara, 60 minutes. Take a 60-minute scenic drive south along the beautiful Pacific Ocean down the Coast Highway to visit Malibu and Santa Monica.

Located approximately 50 miles northwest of Los Angeles, Point Mugu's name is believed to be derived from the Chumash Indian term Muwu, meaning beach.

Point Mugu State Park
(310) 457-8143,
www.beachcalifornia.com/mugu.html
This 13,300-acre park is located in the Santa Monica Mountains at Thornhill Broome Beach in Sycamore Canyon, 15 miles south of Oxnard on Highway 1 and less than an hour's drive north of Los Angeles.

Five miles of Pacific shoreline with rocky bluffs, sandy beaches and sand dunes provide some of the country's most gorgeous scenery. The designated Watchable Wildlife Site is a birder's delight. The beach features swimming, body surfing and surf fishing. Warm days and cool evenings make layered clothing your best option at the park. The park has more than 70 miles of hiking trails with rugged hills and uplands, two major river canyons and grassy valleys.

Oxnard
www.ci.oxnard.ca.us
Population: 184,463
The largest city in Ventura County, Oxnard is located along a beautiful stretch of Pacific coastline. Oxnard is surrounded by farmlands, boasting some of the richest agricultural land in California. The area's climate, rich topsoil, adequate water and a long harvest season provide favorable conditions for crops such as strawberries. Farmers can often grow double, sometimes triple, crops on the same piece of land during a year.

With education as a prime concern, Oxnard offers state-of-the-art public schools for kindergarten through 12th grade. Recreational amenities include city tennis courts and the River Ridge Public Golf Course.