Film Ventura County

By Debbie Stock

Oxnard, the hidden retreat for celebrities escaping the glaring lights of Hollywood, has long honored its stars with beaches named Hollywood and Silverstrand. But in Oxnard, star power is more about gazing up at the sky on a warm, summer night or watching starfish cling to rocks at Anacapa Island than a celebrity sighting. Becoming the preferred destination for affordable beach vacations near Los Angeles, I discovered a beach named Mandalay and experienced nicer accommodations than at other L.A. beach hotels I’ve shared with likes of Britney Spears. 

Sure, Oxnard has its rich and famous guests—it’s been the training camp for the Dallas Cowboys, film location for the hit TV series, Beverly Hills 90210, and home to stars Sonny & Cher, John Carradine and James Cameron who wrote, directed and produced the hit movie, Titanic. Harbor mansions and multi-million dollar bungalows in this elegantly-understated sand paradise share the same beaches accessible to travelers on a budget. “So many celebrities and film stars come into our beach cafe that we don’t really pay much attention,” said a waitress at Mrs. Olson’s Coffee Hut near Channel Islands Harbor.