I have traveled to every State of our Union and many foreign countries in the course of my work over the past thirty plus years. I love travel; however a secret I learned long ago is to always find things to enjoy beyond the “gig.” Another secret is to only stay overnight in one hotel per trip! Don’t haul your butt all over the countryside stopping in too many spots during one week. Above all, find things to do that are enjoyable while there.

Last night, after a major change in plans I wound up driving to Ventura. I spent a really excellent evening on the Ventura Pier watching people, the ocean, and the sky. This was followed with a rich bowl of New England clam chowder inside the pier’s restaurant. Truly, “How sweet it is!”

I’ve posted a few shots of the ***VENTURA PIER*** taken last night.

“Why did I drive,” you ask? “I thought you were going on the train?” Well, the idiots at Amtrak failed to inform me when I booked my ticket (online) that the segment between Los Angeles and Ventura was closed because of a damaged roadbed from all the rains. Duh!

Ironically, early this morning there was a major RR accident in Los Angeles which killed several and injured over 100. I would have come up yesterday, however it does give one pause.