City of Ventura California...route of The King's Highway

Photo above...The main entrance to the Ventura County Court House, Ventura California.

It's a comfortable feeling being back in Southern California, even though many things have changed it still feels like home. So, much like Dorothy, I find myself saying; "There's no place like home", and no matter where I might live this area will always be a part of me. A place held close to my heart and dear to my soul.

Before I married my husband, John, I worked in the California coastal city of Ventura or, as the Spanish Father's named it, San Buena Ventura. The city abuts a steep foothill and homes have sprouted up along the hill side like exotic plants, each house nestled in amongst California laurel oaks, each resident clamoring for a piece of the ocean view.

Photo above...City Hall (Court House) of San BuenaVentura.

At one time I worked at the Ventura County Court House, as a legal processing clerk in the Superior Court Clerk's Office. The Court House is a grand old building perched high on the hillside with breathtaking vistas of the Pacific Ocean and the city below it. During the time that I worked in this grand old building the very top floor had to be condemned and was cordoned off . No one was allowed up on this top most floor as it was deemed unsafe. The county had it inspected and a host of structural engineers evaluated the building, their consensus was that it was repairable but at an exorbitant cost, at least at that time it appeared to be exorbitant. Now it appears that restoration work is being done on this top most story.

Photos above...Green construction netting covers the top floor of this magnificent old building. Outside the main entrance is a small plaza that houses a couple of historic monuments; one is a bronze statue of Father Junipero Serra who founded the mission here and gave the area its name "San BuenaVentura" later shorten to Ventura. Alongside the statue is one of the many trail makers that mark the historic "El Camino Real" or in English; "The King's Highway".

Photo above...Bell marker for "El Camino Real" The King's Highway.

Photos above and below...Statue of Father Junipero Serra.

Photo below...Showing front of Court House and its many arched windows.

Photo below...There is a bust of a Franciscan Monk above each large arched window, each bust features a slightly different face so no 2 are the same.

Photo below...Taken at the steps of the Court House, looking down the steep incline through the center of the main street with the ultimate view of the Pacific Ocean in the background. A truly amazing panorama !

Photo below...Some of the lovely, quaint shops that grace the street below the Court House.