Island Escapes, Mountain Air and Cool Local Treats
(CLAIR | Simi Valley, CA) — You don’t need a passport or a week off work to get away. A real break can be a quick boat ride to an island with no traffic, trading valley heat for mountain pines, or just grabbing fresh goodies at a weekend farmers market before a morning walk. Simi Valley and Moorpark sit within easy reach of all three.
Catalina Island: Little Paradise Across the Sea
Catalina sits 22 miles off the coast and feels nothing like Southern California. No freeways. Just golf carts and fish tacos. The Catalina Express makes the crossing in roughly an hour from Long Beach, San Pedro or Dana Point. You step off the boat in Avalon and the whole pace shifts immediately.
According to visitcatalinaisland.com, the Descanso Beach Club runs weekend beach parties with live music on Saturdays and a DJ on Sundays from Memorial Day through Labor Day. For those who want to push past the harbor, the island's waters are considered among the top scuba diving destinations in North America. Snorkeling, kayaking and glass-bottom boat tours are all available. A Zip Line Eco Tour crosses Descanso Canyon at speeds up to 35 mph.
The backcountry, managed by the Catalina Island Conservancy, is open to hikers and cyclists with a free permit. Naturalists lead complimentary guided walks through the Wrigley Memorial and Botanic Garden most mornings.
A day trip is the right call for first-timers. Arrive early, walk the town, get in the water, catch a late ferry home.
Big Bear Lake: High-Altitude Summer Fun
Big Bear runs 15 to 20 degrees cooler than the valley floor in July. Plan on about two to three hours from Simi Valley, roughly 130 miles via the 210. The town delivers what you came for: mountain air, a lake and enough to keep everyone busy, be it for a long weekend or a few weekdays.
According to bigbear.com, the lake's six full-service marinas open between April and late May each year and rent everything from pontoon boats and fishing boats to kayaks, paddleboards and jet skis. Wakeboarding and waterskiing lessons are available. Rainbow trout fishing runs year-round, with guide services and tackle shops nearby.
Hiking and mountain biking trails spread across the surrounding San Bernardino National Forest. The Alpine Slide at Magic Mountain and Big Bear Speedway are worth a few hours with kids. The Big Bear Alpine Zoo, a working wildlife sanctuary for injured mountain animals, is worth a visit on its own.
Book lodging ahead for high season getaways. For anyone considering an alternative to Yosemite, Big Bear delivers the pine trees, the cool air and the mountain setting in a fraction of the drive time.
Close to Home
Sometimes the best trip is the one where you're back in your own bed by dinner, sunburned in that mild, satisfied way, with a bag of peaches on the counter and sand still in your shoes. Ventura County and Malibu's farmers markets provide the treats and can double as an excuse to wander somewhere new, and each one comes with its own reason to stick around after the shopping's done. Just bring a cooler to keep your purchases fresh.
Ventura: Market, Main Street and the Pier
The Downtown Ventura Certified Farmers' Market sets up every Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to noon on the 200 block of East Main Street. According to vccfm.org, it's the original Ventura County certified farmers market, running continuously since 1986. It draws more than 45 California farmers and food vendors year round, rain or shine.
Shoppers will find vine-ripened produce alongside fresh meat, honey, eggs, nuts, juices, jams and cut flowers, plus artisan bakery goods, hot prepared food and fish straight off the boat.
Once the bags are full, Main Street itself is worth the walk. The strip is known for its antique shops, and the market sits close enough to the water that a stroll down to the Ventura Pier is an easy add-on before heading home.
Channel Islands Harbor: Market by the Water
Out in Oxnard, the Channel Islands Certified Farmer's Market runs every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 3600 S. Harbor Blvd., next to the Marine Emporium Landing Shopping Center. Channelislandsharbor.org describes more than 30 farmers selling fresh produce and flowers each week, along with baked goods, garden supplies and arts and crafts vendors, with live music playing through the morning.
The harbor setting makes it easy to turn the trip into a full outing. Kayak and paddleboard rentals are available right on the water, so shoppers can cool off with a paddle around the harbor after loading up on produce.
Malibu: Market, Canyon and the Coast
The Malibu Farmers Market sets up every Sunday, rain or shine, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 23555 Civic Center Way, according to malibufarmersmarket.net.
Getting there is part of the appeal. Malibu Canyon Road cuts a scenic route down from the valley and passes directly by Malibu Creek State Park, four miles south of Highway 101 on Las Virgenes/Malibu Canyon Road. According to parks.ca.gov, the park's popular trails include the easy Rock Pool and Century Lake routes and the moderate hike out to the M*A*S*H filming site, where the bridge was reinstalled this spring. Vehicle day use runs $12, and dogs aren't allowed on the trails. Given the summer heat by midday, an early morning or late afternoon hike is the more comfortable call. Parking along Mulholland Highway is free for those lucky ones who arrive early.
Back toward the coast, the Adamson House is a short walk from the market and makes a good spot to enjoy whatever fruit or treat you got at the farmers market. The grounds are open daily from 8 a.m. to sunset and free to walk, according to parks.ca.gov, though touring the historic house itself runs $7 for adults.
From Malibu, the drive home doesn't have to retrace the same path. Kanan Road offers a different canyon route back toward Agoura Hills, with its own share of curves and views. For a longer, coastal finish, Pacific Coast Highway north through Camarillo connects to the 118 for the drive back to Simi Valley and Moorpark, trading canyon switchbacks for a stretch of open coastline.
Some summers you chase the horizon. Some you just chase the shade of a farmers market tent. Either way, the only thing standing between you and a good story is deciding to go.
