County Will Be Destination Central for Thousands of Weekend Revelers

Whether it’s the call of the breeze-swept Channel Islands or the urge to tee off on a sun-baked golf course, tens of thousands of people will turn Ventura County into Destination Central over the Fourth of July weekend.

Listen to Michael Bratcher, an Ojai Valley Inn employee, who was fielding calls Wednesday from golfers making reservations to play on the resort’s course.

“Friday is insane,” Bratcher said. “Saturday is busy. And Sunday is sold out.”

Sold out. Full. Try another weekend. These should become familiar refrains for anyone trying to find space at local campgrounds and other vacation spots at the last minute.

Wes Chapin, spokesman for the state’s Channel Coast parks district, said the campground at Emma Wood State Beach in Ventura was the only place to park a tent that was not booked solid through Sunday.

“People are just used to camping on the Fourth of July,” he said. “It just seems part of the American tradition.”

The National Weather Service predicts that clouds expected this morning will burn off by the afternoon, when temperatures should reach the 80s along the coast and 90s inland.

Temperatures may climb even higher over the weekend, possibly topping the century mark in some places, meteorologist Vladimir Ryshko said.

He added that fog tonight should roll in around 10, but holiday revelers should still have clear views of the eight fireworks shows planned across the county.

The aerial exhibitions, set to begin at dusk, are expected to clog streets near the viewing areas with cars, the California Highway Patrol said. But otherwise, the CHP does not anticipate any major bottlenecks over the weekend, except for the usual Ventura Freeway traffic heading north near the Santa Clara River bridge in Oxnard.

Nevertheless, the CHP is putting every available officer on duty over the long weekend as part of its maximum enforcement period that began at 6 p.m. Wednesday.

“We will be looking for speed violations, drivers following other drivers too closely,” CHP spokesman Dave Cockrill said. “Obviously, the big emphasis is going to be the drunk drivers.”