The final leg of our 12-day California trip took us from Napa all the way down to Ventura County, and this part of the trip felt completely different from the first two.

Part 1 was all about Monterey, Carmel and Pebble Beach, including some bucket-list golf. Part 2 took us to Napa Valley for wine tastings, incredible food and a few days that were a little more relaxed.

For Part 3, we packed up the car and headed south.

And this time, the main reason for our destination wasn't golf, wine or even the California coast. We were heading to Ventura County to meet our oldest son's girlfriend's family!

Driving From Napa to Ventura County

This is a pretty long driving day, and before we left I had approximately 47 ideas for places we could stop along the way. 😂

In reality, we kept it pretty simple. But there was one very important California experience we needed to check off the list: my husband had never had In-N-Out Burger.

Obviously, this needed to be corrected.

We pulled through the drive-thru and ordered burgers, and my husband took ONE BITE of his, turned the car around and got right back in the drive-thru line to order another one!

So I guess we can officially put him in the In-N-Out fan club. 😂

Our main stop of the day was Novo Restaurant & Loungein San Luis Obispo, right in the heart of downtown. We had lunch on their beautiful creekside patio, and it was the perfect place to get out of the car, have a good meal and break up the drive.

We didn't spend much time sightseeing in San Luis Obispo since we still had a little over two hours to go before reaching Oxnard, but I was really glad we chose it for our stop. It's definitely somewhere I'd like to spend more time on a future California trip.

After lunch, we got back on Highway 101 and headed toward Oxnard. The last portion of the drive ended up being my favorite. As we got closer to Ventura County, the scenery became absolutely beautiful, with gorgeous views of the California coastline and perfect weather to go with it.

And naturally, as we got closer to Ventura, we turned on "Ventura Highway."

How could we not?

Beautiful weather, the Pacific out the window, "Ventura Highway" playing in the car and a husband who was now officially an In-N-Out convert. 😂

It was a pretty great way to arrive in Southern California.

Where We Stayed in Oxnard

We stayed at Zachari Dunes on Mandalay Beach in Oxnard, and let's start with the best part: our view.

PERFECTION.

The location right along the beach was incredible, and I could not get over the beaches in this part of California. They are SO deep! There was this enormous stretch of sand between the resort and the ocean that seemed to go on forever.

Our room was nice, the property was beautiful and we really enjoyed having that oceanfront location.

That said, I always want these travel posts to be helpful and honest, so there are a few things I would want to know before booking.

This is definitely a busy, family-oriented resort. There were a lot of children and activity around the property, so it didn't have quite the quiet, upscale resort atmosphere we had experienced earlier in the trip. If you're traveling with kids, that might actually be a huge plus. If you're looking for a quiet couples' getaway, it's just something to keep in mind.

Food and drinks at the resort were also surprisingly expensive. I believe a bottle of water was around $8, and the line for the coffee bar in the morning could get VERY long.

Overall, though, we enjoyed our stay. The location was fantastic, and waking up to that view every morning was amazing!

A Little About Oxnard

If you're not familiar with Oxnard, it's a coastal city in Ventura County, about an hour northwest of Los Angeles and just south of Ventura. It's also about 35 miles south of Santa Barbara, so you're in a great spot for exploring this stretch of the Southern California coast.

One thing that really surprised me about the area was just how agricultural it is. You can be near the beach one minute and driving past huge fields the next. We saw strawberry fields everywhere, along with all kinds of farmland, which wasn't necessarily what I pictured when I thought of Southern California!

Oxnard also has incredibly wide, deep beaches that seemed to stretch forever, along with a marina and canals running through parts of the area. It felt much less touristy than some of the better-known California beach towns we've visited. We weren't there to pack in a bunch of sightseeing, but it made a great home base for the few days we spent in Ventura County.

Oxnard beaches… soft golden sand for miles!

Meeting the Family

The first night was one of the biggest reasons we'd come to Ventura County in the first place: meeting our son's girlfriend's family.

We met them for dinner at Yolanda's Mexican Cafe in Oxnard, a local Mexican restaurant right along the canal.

It was casual and relaxed, which was the perfect setting for everyone to meet for the first time. There's always a little anticipation when you're meeting people who are important to someone your child loves, but we immediately felt comfortable and had such a nice evening together.

Thankfully, that was only the beginning of our time with them.

Golf at Saticoy Club

Of course, we managed to work some golf into this portion of the trip, too.

The next day we played Saticoy Club, and let me tell you, this was NOT an easy golf course!

After playing Pebble Beach and Spyglass earlier in the trip, you'd think we'd had enough challenging golf for one vacation. Apparently not.

Saticoy is a beautiful course, but it definitely tested me. I was so glad we had the chance to play it, especially because I'd heard my son talk about it so many times. And isn't there something special about finally getting to see the places your kids frequent and hearing about their lives there? I love being able to picture it all a little better once I've been there myself.

Visiting the Cross Above Ventura

While we were in the area, we also visited the Serra Cross, which sits high above Ventura.

I'm so glad we took the time to go up there. The views over Ventura and out toward the Pacific are beautiful, and it's an easy stop that gives you a completely different perspective of the area.

It was also one of those places we probably wouldn't have known to visit if we hadn't been spending time with people who knew the area.

Dinner at Rumfish in Ventura

That evening we had dinner at Rumfish y Vino in Ventura, and this one gets a BIG recommendation from me.

The atmosphere was great (we sat outside), the food was excellent, and it was exactly the kind of restaurant I love finding when we travel.

If you're visiting Ventura, put this one on your list.

Kristy, Peyton, Morgan, Devon, Brendan, Me, Randy and Darin

A Girls' Day in Ventura

The next day, the guys headed out for another round of golf.

We girls had other plans. 😂

Devon’s mom, sister, aunt and I went to brunch and spent some time shopping and exploring.

I actually love having days like this built into a longer trip. Not every hour needs to be filled with a tour, reservation or scheduled activity. Sometimes having brunch, wandering through shops and just enjoying the area ends up being one of the best parts of the trip.

And after all the golf we'd already played on this California adventure, I was perfectly happy to let the guys have this round to themselves!

The Best Meal Was at Home

Our final night in California ended up being one of my favorite nights of the entire 12-day trip.

Instead of going out to another restaurant, our son's girlfriend's parents invited us to their home for dinner.

Her dad, Darin, had been deep-sea fishing just a few days earlier and made us fresh fish tacos using fish they had actually caught.

I mean...does a California dinner get much better than that?

He also made fresh ceviche, homemade salsa and guacamole, and everything was SO good.

But as incredible as the food was, that's really not what made the evening so special.

It was sitting around their home, eating dinner, talking, laughing and getting to know their family better. They made us feel so welcome, and it was such a lovely evening.

After nearly two weeks of beautiful hotels, famous golf courses, wineries and wonderful restaurants, one of the most memorable evenings of the entire trip happened around someone's dinner table.

Funny how often that happens.

It was also the perfect way to end this part of our trip and, really, our entire California adventure.

Take me back! This ceviche was incredible!

They have a grapevine in their backyard with the most incredible tasting grapes! Plus lemon and lime trees…. to a midwestern gal, this is just too cool!

Three Completely Different California Vacations in One

Looking back, this really did feel like three completely different vacations rolled into one 12-day trip.

We started with the dramatic coastline, incredible scenery and bucket-list golf of Monterey, Carmel and Pebble Beach.

Then we headed inland to Napa Valley for private wine tastings, amazing meals and a few days that felt completely different from the first part of the trip.

Finally, we drove south to Ventura County, where the trip became less about what we were doing and more about who we were there to see.

And I loved all three parts for completely different reasons.

By the end of 12 days, was I ready for my own bed, my normal routine and probably a meal I could track in my FASTer Way app?

Absolutely. 😂

But this was one of those trips that reminded me why I love travel so much.

Sometimes it's the bucket-list golf course or the beautiful winery you'll remember.

Sometimes it's driving down Highway 101 with the Pacific Ocean outside your window and "Ventura Highway" playing in the car.

Sometimes it's watching your husband take one bite of an In-N-Out burger and immediately turn the car around to buy another one.

And sometimes it's fresh fish tacos, homemade guacamole and a long evening around someone's dinner table.

Those are the moments that make the trip.

California Road Trip Part 3: Napa to Ventura County