Family Weekend Getaway: Santa Paula

Last Memorial Day weekend (a 3-day holiday weekend in the U.S.) had perfect weather here in southern California, so we made the most of it.   As a rule, we prefer not to travel to tourist spots on the big holiday weekends, because of traffic and crowds.  But staying close to home, we had a meaningful and very pleasant weekend, and really got to relax and recharge.

First, on Saturday Red Bear and more than 1,000 Scouts placed individual American flags on every one of the 88,887 veterans’ graves at the National Cemetery in Westwood. It’s a very touching ceremony, and Red Bear is always so dedicated and proud to be part of it.

Then, on Sunday after church, the weather was so beautiful we decided to take a spur of the moment  family trip to Santa Paula, an historic small town about an hour’s drive away.  It’s a pretty drive, mostly through rolling farmland and other small towns.  When you arrive, you almost feel like you have gone back 50 or more years, to a quieter and slower kind of life than you might be used to in Los Angeles (or any other modern big city in the world).  In the main business district — only 3 or 4 blocks long — most of the buildings look vintage because they really are vintage!  Driving through the residential areas, we saw so many genuine Victorian houses, too.

Santa Paula is in the Santa Clara River Valley, and was developed as an agricultural area, starting with citrus groves; it was called the “Citrus Capital of the World.”  Then a big oilfield was discovered, and it grew some more.  It even had a fledgling movie industry in the days of silent films!  Santa Paula also has a very beloved small airfield that is home to a lot of vintage airplanes, and has a popular coffee shop.  (Actor Steve McQueen used to keep his biplane at that airport; he lived in Santa Paula the last 2 years of his life, I learned.)

We had no real plans, so we mostly just strolled around the downtown area.  When Red Bear said he was hungry, we stopped for lunch at La Terraza, a Mexican restaurant on one of the main corners in the town.  I could say my sister’s dog, Jimmy, chose the restaurant, because he was with us, and we needed a place with outdoor dining so he could sit with us. Turned out Jimmy made a good choice, because my sister and I shared a big bowl of chicken soup (caldo de pollo), full of vegetables and chicken, and it was delicious!  It was also so much soup that it fed 2 hungry girls.

There are plenty of other places to visit and see in Santa Paula (we also love to visit its neighboring town of Fillmore, which has its own charm and unique sights), but we did exactly what we wanted to do at the moment, no more and no less.  I call that a good time!

What I Wore:

Zara Balloon Sleeve Tee (similar here & here)

Isa Arfen Pink Skirt

Chanel Gabrielle Bag

Chanel Pearl Sandals (similar here & Just bought these pearl sandals, too!)

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