Oxnard (pop. 200,000) is a growing coastal town west of the San Fernando Valley, known for its uncrowded beaches and easy access to Channel Islands National Park. The city has no less than twenty miles of shoreline, the sand is soft and the surf is excellent, if, unfortunately, the wildest breaks are only accessible to members of Point Mugu's Navy base.

What Oxnard may be especially known for, though, is its agriculture. This is the lima bean and strawberry capital of the world, a fact celebrated by the California Strawberry Festival every summer. (Lima beans, although very healthy, rarely inspire festivals.) The soil here is some of the most fertile in the world, the climate is perfect and Farmers Markets are plentiful.

Culture is another one of Oxnard's big deals and some of it may surprise you. Although Oxnard has its share of professional theatres and musicians, as evidenced by the excellent New West Symphony and the Elite Theatre Company, it's also home to thriving punk and hip hop scenes. Indeed, the "Nardcore" punk movement originated here. If you won't want to miss the music, you won't want to miss the museums either. The Carnagie Art Museum is here and the Seebee Museum, and these are two of many.

Oxnard is located on the southwest California coast, about 35 miles east of Santa Barbara and 60 miles northwest of Los Angeles.