Spring Road Trip with Mom

Destination: Camarillo

Go Shopping

Start the trip on a shopper’s high note hunting for amazing finds at Camarillo Premium Outlets. With over 150 stores and a wide range of brands to choose from, it’s the perfect place to refresh your wardrobes—and feel extra good knowing you’re getting the best value. Have her create a wish list of shops she’d like to check out in advance so you can map out a shopping game plan to make the experience feel seamless.

Graze Around

Make dinner a dine around experience. Start your evening over a dozen oysters and a drink Lure Fish House. Share your next few courses at Slate Bistro, where the sushi is just as tempting as the salads and entrees. Cap the night off with an artisanal gelato at Tifa Chocolate & Gelato, a delightful dessert café.

Destination: Oxnard

Perk Up

Put a pep in her step with a fine cup of coffee or tea at one of Oxnard locals’ go-to coffee spots. Honey Cup Coffee House & Creamery is just as well known for their made-to-order Egg-Cellent Croissant breakfast sandwich as they are for their coffees. Ragamuffin Roasters is a solid choice for ethically sourced coffee drinks, pastries and savory toasts.

📸: Honey Cup Coffee House

Sip, Swirl & Savor

Dedicate your afternoon to wine tasting. Herzog Wine Cellars is a state-of-the-art winemaking facility created by the Herzog family, whose viticultural tradition is now in the eighth generation’s hands. Taste more than 25 different wines then rehash the day over dinner at their restaurant, Tierra Sur, which offers a highly rated four-course prix fixe dining experience.

Hit Strey Cellars, who pair their California wines with great vibes, live music and food trucks—all on their big outdoor patio with umbrellas to shade you from the afternoon sun. “In wine there is truth” is the motto over at  Magnavino Cellars, offering a villa-inspired tasting room and big, bold wines made with grapes sourced largely from vineyards in Lodi. Tip: Be sure to check each business website for hours of operation.

Destination: Port Hueneme

Soak Up the Sun

Get your Vitamin D infusion naturally with a day spent at the beach in Port Hueneme. Rent beach cruisers or a surrey from the Wheel Fun Rentals location at the Holiday Inn Express, and take a spin along the waterfront. Walk along the pier and watch the fisherman reel in their catch, or simply relax on the beach with a good book.

Destination: Ventura

Morning Feast

Enjoy a celebratory Mother’s Day Brunch any day of the week at Cafe Nouveau, a sweet restaurant set in a charming 1920’s Spanish bungalow. (The maple bacon beignets are a must to start!) Also open daily, Immigrant Son Caffe puts a delicious Italian spin on breakfast and lunch fare, with dishes like breakfast lasagna and parmesan polenta. On Saturdays and Sundays, Water’s Edge is another refined brunch option right on the water. The Harbor Crab Cake Benedict is incredible, and the views can’t be beat. No matter which spot you choose, mimosas will definitely be on the menu!

📸: @lysseats805 via Immigrant Son Caffe

Harbor Walkabout

Ventura Harbor Village is the perfect place to wrap up your getaway. You can browse the shops and get out on the water in a Duffy boat or kayak. Then settle in for dinner at one of the lively harbor restaurants like Margarita Villa, where the margaritas are excellent, naturally! If the Mediterranean flavors of Greek cuisine call to you more than Mexican, head to The Greek. Before leaving the harbor, ask someone to take your family photo by the “I LOVE THE SEA” sign for the perfect memento of your trip.