Mundane Explorations: Part 1

When I lived in San Francisco, my favorite thing to do was simply walk around a new neighborhood and explore.  I loved to just look at the old buildings, peek in the windows of unique little shops, test out coffee at a newly discovered cafe, rest in a nearby park or veggie garden and admire the street art I came across.  There is so much beauty in the seemingly mundane.  The everyday nooks and crannies of a town is what makes it a special place.

Now my home is in Ventura, a small beach town that was like a second home to me as I grew up since my Nana lived here.  Some of my fondest memories as a child took place in Ventura.  Now that I live here I have taken to exploring the nooks and crannies that I missed as a young girl.  I will share some favorite spots and some newly discovered hidden gems.

My first stop is an old standby and Ventura landmark: the pier.  It can't be missed as you drive the 101 into town, its outstretched wooden arms that bask just beyond your reach.  Although the pier mostly fascinates tourists and the daily fishermen who set up pools along its edge, I have always loved walking its weathered wooden planks whenever I get the chance.  I have a very old polaroid (which is still with me & sits on my fridge) from when I was about 8 years old of the waves crashing from the pier.  I love the photo because I remember my dad letting me take it with our old polaroid camera & just the two of us walking on the pier at sunset, talking & enjoying the views.  Every time I walk it, I fall in love again with the beat up wood, industrial lamps, one-of-a-kind characters that call the pier a second home, and the smell of ocean air.  Then I make it to the end and am always rewarded with the most breathtaking views, reminding me of why I live here.

Come along on my exploration of the Ventura Pier today!