Last summer, my family and I journeyed to SoCal for my brother's wedding. With four kids under the age of 10, the obvious
place to visit would have been Disneyland. And I'll admit: My husband Marcus and I were tempted. But when we crunched the
numbers, it just was not feasible. Besides, we wanted Sam, Tyler, Nathan, and Adam to get a feel for the real California,
spending time outside and in the ocean, not waiting in line for yet another ride.
Look for the path less traveled
Our family decided to focus our time and energy on free and cheap attractions, particularly those that are unique to Southern
California. My brother lives in Camarillo, a city of 65,000 situated 50 miles northwest of Los Angeles and 40 miles south
of Santa Barbara, so we scoured the Internet for fun things to do in the area.
What we found surprised us. Free historical museums. Public beaches. Community parks and botanical gardens. A Farmer's Market.
We'd have no problem staying busy. Embrace nature
Southern California is known for its gorgeous climate, so we were a bit surprised to find SoCal cooler than Wisconsin in August.
Soon, though, we noticed a pattern. Mornings started out cool and cloudy, with temps in the 60s. By mid-day, the sun was shining
and temperatures topped out in the high 70s. We'd packed plenty of shorts and T-shirts, but found ourselves wishing we'd thrown
in a few sweatshirts as well.
The cool temps didn't stop us from plunging into the ocean, though. On our very first day, we drove up Highway 101 to Ventura
Beach. There, we parked our blankets on the sand while the kids experienced salt water for the very first time. A few days
later, we were back again, this time with my brothers. They rented boogie boards in town ($10 for two hours) and kids and
adults alike had a blast riding the waves.
We also traveled to the Santa Monica Mountains, a 40-mile long range that traverses the Southern California Coast. Starting
with a stop at the National Park Service Visitor Center, in Thousand Oaks, the kids played with the interactive map while
my husband and I located possible hiking trails.
The gently rising dirt trail at Sycamore Canyon, near Newbury Park, was just the thing for our young family. We explored rocky
hills and dry gullies while enjoying the mountains in the distance.
Go local
Our family enjoyed strolling through the town of Camarillo as well. We bypassed some of the local tourist attractions, despite
reasonable prices, and focused on living like the natives instead. Walking a few blocks to a community park, we spent time
observing the local flora and fauna. The kids caught butterflies, chased lizards, and climbed trees. If we'd had time, we
would have gone back later that night for a free jazz concert.
On Saturday morning, we went to Old Town Camarillo for the Farmer's Market. Held from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. every Saturday,
it was our opportunity to experience fresh California produce. We have a garden at home, but at the Farmer's Market, our children
tasted fruits and veggies they'd never seen before. We sampled white peaches, plumcots, and Asian vegetables before loading
up on strawberries, nectarines, hummus, fresh pita bread, and sweet corn for lunch.
Make the most of memberships
Back home, we're members of the Milwaukee Public Museum via a family membership worth $70 per year. While I knew it provided
reciprocal admission to various museums throughout the United States, I had no idea how valuable it would prove to be.
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