Lara Scott: A Trip to the Channel Islands

5.15.2014

A Trip to the Channel Islands

For almost ten years, every time my husband and I have driven north on the 101 we have talked about going to check out the Channel Islands, a chain that's off the coast of Oxnard/Ventura/Santa Barbara, about 90 minutes north of Los Angeles. Finally, for his birthday this year, I made some calls to arrange a weekend trip for us, and it was just wonderful. Pictures can't do justice to how beautiful and peaceful Santa Cruz Island (the largest of the Channel Islands) is, and just how quiet it is, which was a welcome change from the frenetic pace of lala land.

One important thing you should know: There is no cell service on the island, which kind of freaked me out at first, but then was really nice, as it wasn't possible for me to obsessively check email and social media every ten minutes.

Also, Downtown Ventura is just a few minutes away. After our day on the island, we hit Main Street to check out some cool historic buildings and wander in and out of some great thrift and vintage stores. We had a fantastic dinner at Lure Fish House, and I (I'm a vegetarian) enjoyed a delicious strawberry salad with lots of veggies on the side while my hubby had some of the freshest salmon I've ever seen. Our server said that it was so fresh you could actually eat it raw!

Enjoy the pics! And even if you can't make it to the Channel Islands, I hope that you're able to plot some kind of getaway, however long or short, to carve some time out of your busy life to just BE.