Spencer Makenzie's Fish Companya great place to eat in Ventura, good reasonable food near the beach. The beach is a great place to go also, the dolphin are usually traveling up and down the coast. Approximately 15 minutes inland is the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa a well known attraction for celebs.

Peter, I stopped in Ventura for a day last year, accompanied by my dog, so the things I did while there were outdoor versus indoor. Ventura has a pier a very rocky beach. There is a nice beach promenade walkway that goes north and south of the pier for a ways. All of this is free. Downtown Ventura has lots of boutiques and shops, and dining with sidewalk seating. If you feel like window shopping, that, too, is free. There is a movie theater downtown, too. I would think that walking the promenade along the beach and hanging out at the sidewalk cafes might be relaxing or fun before race day. And good luck at the race, Peter!!

The Trolley is free. After the race Lure Fish House is excellent. Their is always something going on at C Street in front of the Fairgrounds. I go almost every other week to Ventura.

Ventura I used to go surfing there at C Street Cafe for years. I would recommend going there to check out the surfers. It's a few block from the main drag by the pier. My favorite when your hungry place to eat is the The Habit Burger Grill across the street.