May 16th, 2010 | 
Author: San Buenaventura State Beach In Ventura California: Concierge Service
San Buenaventura State Beach in Ventura California has an unusual amenity especially for a public beach: a concierge.
Park administrators don’t call Anne Dominguez a “concierge” but it’s OK for visitors to call her that. She’s been special events coordinator at San Buenaventura State Beach for the past 12 years. She helps church groups corporations fundraising committees and even families orchestrate the details of a beach picnic event.
Room for 3000 Beachgoers
And with good reason. The dayuse beach is so busy and so big that it requires a fulltime staff member to help visitors especially groups to make their visit one to remember.
The beach is arguably the perfect largegroup picnic venue. It starts south of Ventura’s 1700 footlong municipal pier and stretches south for two miles with a small lagoon. In its center area jetties frame swimming beaches staffed by lifeguards. Behind sand dunes the beach offers enough picnics lawn barbeques parking lots and the allimportant showers for 3000 people. It’s the largest dayuse picnic area at a state beach in Southern California according to state parks officials.
Anne has helped facilitate events ranging from the annual Aids/Lifecycle bicycling fundraiser which draws thousands of participants to corporate teambuilding picnics to families planning a baptism.
She especially enjoys helping church school and youth groups since many of the children participating are making their first visit to the beach. For those kids just being at the beach is thrill enough Anne says. But she can help group organizers find kidfriendly hotels cater picnic fare at the barbecue areas even recommend vendors for jollyjumps and other activities.
She also likes to arrange for the lifeguard staff to give a talk so the kids have a waterfriendly experience.
“We want everyone to be aware of what to do in the water” she says.
Ventura Hotels Nearby
The beach is close to the Crowne Plaza just to the north near Ventura Pier and the Marriott to the south a few yards’ walk from the entrance to the state beach. Families and smaller groups can also find smallscale hotels and bedandbreakfasts an easy walk or drive away.
San Buenaventura State Beach is also a good “hub” beach for vacationers looking for a Southern California beach vacation that includes not only sun and sand but also day excursions. Ventura Harbor is two miles’ south with restaurants shopping and charter boats for whale watching and trips to the Channel Islands National Monument. The monument’s headquarters are actually at the harbor. Santa Barbara is a halfhour drive to the north the Camarillo Premium Outlets shopping area is a halfhour south and Ventura itself has plenty to entice tourists in its charming downtown and its Ventura County Fairgrounds right on the ocean.
To reach San Buenaventura State Beach take U.S. Highway 101 to the Seaward Avenue exit in Ventura. Turn south onto Seaward Avenue left on Harbor Boulevard and then left on San Pedro Street. The state beach entrance is at the end of the block.
Cost to enter is 8 per vehicle. Groups of more than 30 people may require a permit fee. The park recommends large groups call ahead for reservations. For families and groups of smaller than 30 people the park is available on a firstcome firstserved basis.
About the writer: Annie King writes for http://www.westcoastbeachvacations.com and hits the beach every chance she gets. Visit the site’s Ventura Beaches page at http://www.westcoastbeachvacations.com/venturabeaches.htm Annie can be reached at anniewestcoastbeachvacations.com
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