San Buenaventura, CA

Ventura sits on California's central coast along Highway 101, about an hour northwest of LA and 30 minutes from Santa Barbara. The historic mission town enjoys year-round mild weather and ocean breezes. Route 126 heads inland toward Santa Clarita, while 101 handles most traffic to nearby Oxnard and Camarillo. The 1782 San Buenaventura Mission contains California's only surviving wooden bells from Spanish colonial times.