ベンチュラのブリュワリー・スルーハイキング （後編）｜by リズ・トーマスのハイキング・アズ・ア・ウーマン＃40

ad time to explore the Botanic Gardens, the Spanish mission and archeological site, and even the local mountain hike.

To quench our thirst after all that hiking, we walked down main street, home to Anacapa Brewing. During the pandemic, Ventura closed the roads to cars and each restaurant built a patio and outdoor seating over what was formerly parking spaces. The new outdoor patios were so good for attracting business, that the city decided to keep the thoroughfare permanently.

Urban Hike in the ventura.

The Ventura Botanic Garden uses trails to climb up the hillside and view flowering plants.

One of my favorite breweries in Ventura is Ventura Coast Brewing, named after one of the Channel Islands, makes what I think is the best IPA in town. We enjoyed fish taco leftovers in their plant-filled patio where we could see downtown Ventura’s famous murals.

Ventura Coast Brewing company has a great selection of IPAs.

As we hiked between breweries, I read notes on the architecture shared with me by my friend and urban hiking mentor Bob Inman. This historic district of town boasts one of the world’s first urban malls, as well as Italian Renaissance to Mayan Revival to Art Deco.

Khachapuri cheesebread at Fluid State.

My favorite Art Deco building on the drag is now home to Fluid State, an upscale tap bar. While few of the beers are local, they curate only the best and also serve excellent food. We ordered a Khachapuri, a Georgian cheesy flatbread, that we both decided was the best thing we ate on the entire trip.

The Bank of Books bookstore was a fun break.

To take a break from beer and food, we headed to the Bank of Books, a local bookstore packed from floor to ceiling with fun finds. Downtown’s six breweries are all attainable within a two-mile walk, so we had to pace ourselves. For a pick me up, it was coffee time at the local Prospect Coffee Roasters.

Cute bungalow neighborhoods took us to open garage door setting of Transmission Brewery, where we played a board game while we enjoyed Peelin’ Out, an Ojai Pixie wheat beer .

Playing bananagrams, a word game, at Transmission Brewery.

Eager to get in some more beachside miles, we hoofed it to the second location of MadeWest Brewing. Built on the longest wooden pier in the US next to what I think is the best fish taco place in Ventura, it’s hard to beat watching sunset from the deck while eating good food and drinking good beer.

Taking a break at the beachside hotel picnic area.

A little more beach walking led us back to the downtown Topa Topa location to enjoy another Nitro Ube stout before ending the night at Leashless Brewing. A woman-owned brewery, it specializes in gluten reduced beers—which, after a day of beer, cheesebread, and tacos—was much appreciated.

Liz enjoyed beach walking.

The last day of the Ventura Brew Thru was the most ambitious—18-miles, including the 13 mile walk on the Ventura River Trail, a National Recreation Trail from the mountains to the sea. We walked in reverse, starting along the dunes and estuaries to the source of the river to the town of Ojai.

The beginning of Day 3 started in the estuary boardwalk trails near the sand dunes.

The Ojai Valley is an artsy community surrounded by orange and avocado orchards. Wild mountains surrounding everything. An hour from LA, many celebrities consider it their local mountain getaway. The town has an upscale feel. The mountains are home to the endangered California Condor, so thousands of acres are closed to any humans—including hikers. Still, it adds to the enchanted feeling of the Ojai Valley.

Art City.

As we left Ventura, the trail took us by a strange monument with a sign that said “Watch for Rocks.” We had to investigate. We were led to a garden filled with car sized sculptures of all styles and made of rocks, glass, sea wreckage, and metal. Art City Studios is an outdoor art collective where artists display and work on sculptures too big or heavy for most art studios.

The trail to the Ojai.

Our next, and last taco stop, for the hike was in West Ventura. With a high population of immigrants predominantly from Mexico, this neighborhood is part of Ventura’s famous Taco Trail. We stopped at Taqueria Ventura Doña Raquel, which arguably is the most famous of all the taco shops, to get our upcoming picnic lunch.

Lunch break at a peaceful swimming hole.

After six miles of hiking along the river, we took lunch break at a peaceful swimming hole, surrounded by trees, reeds, and the sounds of birds. It was surprising that an urban hike could take us to a place that felt so wild and peaceful.

The Ventura River Trail climbs into the foothills where horse riders use the trail, as well as cyclists and hikers. As we got closer to town, we stumbled upon a child selling lemonade by the side of the road. It was a warm day, and we were happy for some cold hydration.

Liz walks past a sign for the Ojai Valley Trail.

The Ventura River Trail itself ends in the heart of town, just a few blocks from Ojai Valley Brewery, our last stop. We enjoyed our last beers in a garden outside, proud of the distance we had walked and all that we had seen along the way.

The city of Pjai, the goal of this trip

One of my favorite things about beer hiking in Ventura is that it a laid-back town. It has all the makings of a tourist destination but isn’t packed with tourists or over-run with souvenir shops. Ventura feels like a local’s hangout and they’re welcoming to share it with anyone who comes to town. The things that tourists do in Ventura are the same as what locals do—hike, surf, bike, and grab a beer.

Liz and Shawnté Salabert