Hidden beach escape

The name “Oxnard” doesn’t quite roll off the tongue like Catalina, La Jolla or Coronado, but the city of Oxnard does lay claim to some of the state’s most wide-open, accessible beaches and a host of nearby attractions that make it worth considering as base camp for your next beach getaway in the Golden State.

Even though this part of Southern California boasts lots of sun, sand and scenery, the prices for your Oxnard getaway are likely to be a little less than more famous beach communities. And in today’s economic climate, that becomes a major consideration for many families who don’t want to entirely forgo their getaways, but also want to be prudent about costs. Driving about 60 miles northwest of L.A. helps lower those costs.

Don’t let the suburban look and feel of Oxnard fool you. From our sixth-story room at the Courtyard by Marriott, we could survey a rather bustling suburban city that is within a half-hour drive of such worthwhile attractions as the Reagan Library and the Paradise Movie Ranch, and such famous SoCal destinations as Ventura and Santa Barbara. And about seven miles from our location near the 101 Freeway was the beach and nearby Channel Islands Harbor.

When you visit Oxnard, the primary attraction is that beach — a place we’ve visited on several occasions and never seen more than a few families and surfers scattered over a vast expanse of sand. While the surf can get a little busy because of the beach’s angle to the sea, that’s just another advantage for folks who prefer some wave action. As you explore the area, you begin to realize there are a lot of upscale homes along the beach areas and scads of public parks and access points.

Hollywood Beach is where Clark Gable once lived and where Rudolph Valentino filmed a movie. In fact, such movies as “Spartacus,” “Only You,” “It’s a Mad, Mad World,” “Pee Wee’s Big Adventure” and “Back to the Future” were all filmed at Hollywood Beach.

McGrath State Beach is where the bird watchers flock, and you’ll especially enjoy the dunes at Mandalay Beach where you’ll also find jogging paths, volleyball courts and barbecue areas.

Down at Fisherman’s Wharf we enjoyed browsing the Ventura County Maritime Museum with its extensive collection of antique sailing ship models, maritime paintings and various sea-themed exhibits. There also are waterfront restaurants and shops down in this part of Channel Island Harbor.

After checking out the nearby attractions, we spent a little time basking in the sun poolside at the Courtyard Marriott, a hotel with amenities that appeal to both the leisure traveler and the businessperson. Our king suite, with its two oversized rooms, gave us plenty of room to stretch out and was especially convenient for us because we were combining business with pleasure — a 9-year-old who couldn’t wait to turn on a Disney movie full blast and a father who had business to conduct while on the road. Solution: separate the suite into a business side and a kid side.

Paramount Ranch was on our list of must-sees this trip because we’d always wanted to visit a movie ranch — a place where they filmed westerns back in that genre’s heyday. Paramount Studios bought the 2,700-acre ranch back in 1927 and used it over the decades to film major movies with many of the top-name stars of the ’30s, ’40s and ’50s. Among the movies filmed at the ranch were “Gunfight at the OK Corral,” “The Streets of Laredo,” “The Virginian” and “Hopalong Cassidy Returns.”

Paramount Ranch was later used for such television shows as “Charlie’s Angels,” “The Dukes of Hazzard,” and “Diagnosis Murder.”

Today the ranch is still used for occasional filming, but has been turned into a recreational park that is ideal for hikes and picnics and just enjoying the wooded, hilly scenery in this part of the Santa Monica Mountains. The centerpiece of the ranch is the western town that you can walk through and imagine what it is like when they are filming a western with all of the costumed actors, livestock and extras.

If you plan ahead, you can use Oxnard as your jumping-off point for a trip to Channel Islands National Park — either half- or full-day excursions are offered. These magnificent islands are just off the coast, and visitors will find they are completely isolated once the boat leaves them for a camping trip on one of the islands.

If you just want to get out on the water, kayaks, paddle boats and motor boats are available for rent at Channel Islands Harbor. During winter and early spring you can take whale-watching trips out of the harbor, and you can go fishing or enjoy seeing dolphins and other sea life any time of the year.

Wine lovers will enjoy the Ventura County Wine Trail, a progression of several wineries, all relatively close by and plotted on a map for visitors to follow.

About a half-hour drive east from Oxnard is the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley. The library features a fascinating collection of artifacts, photos and records that help us to learn more about the former president.

The Reagan Library is well organized and includes interesting bits of memorabilia at every turn. Outside the library is a piece of the Berlin Wall, as well as Reagan’s final resting place. Inside are clothing, jewelry, desks, private papers — just about anything you can imagine — taken from various points of Reagan’s life.

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