Disclaimer: We visited Ventura on a paid partnership with ... playground at its base with kids’ swings and the boardwalk along the beach is great for walkers, skaters, bikers, you name it.

Forget about the glam. Bring flip-flops to Ventura, a vintage beach town at the northern edge of Southern California where “chill” is a way of life. Locals are big on hiking, biking or just ...