by Alex Wilson Perched atop a mountain promontory on the eastern edge of the Ojai Valley, commanding nearly unbelievable views, Meditation Mount welcomes people of all faiths seeking peace, personal growth and healing. Since its founding in 1971, Meditation Mount has...
By Nancy D. Lackey Shaffer | Photos by Mathew Broughton This is my favorite view,” says Jill Cox, standing on the porch just off her living room and gesturing toward Sulfur Mountain in the distance. “This is what sold me...
By Nancy D. Lackey Shaffer  |  nshaffer@timespublications.com Exploring a picturesque maze of canals and bridges via gondola, a charming gondolier in boater hat and striped shirt at the stern, is probably the single most enduring image of Venice — and...
By Marina Dunbar  |  Photo courtesy of SEEAG November is the month in which the United States celebrates Thanksgiving, and thus it is imbued with an attitude of gratitude. It is a time when many recognize that we are beholden...
By Tim Pompey After a 2020 Christmas season that was spoiled by COVID, the holiday celebrations for 2021 in Camarillo are back. The music, the lights, the decorations, even a brisk “polar plunge.” Like treats on a family table, they...
TAKIN’ IT EASY A colorful sky enhances the wide-open-spaces ambience at Standin’ On The Corner Park in Winslow, Arizona. Photo courtesy Winslow Visitor Center/Chamber of Commerce By Mike Nelson How many records that reached No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100...
By  Vince Burns | Photos by Viktor Budnik Ventura County is putting itself on the map for craft cidermaking thanks to the efforts of several local fermentation pioneers. One of the newest is the husband-and-wife team behind Pier City Cider....
By Mike Nelson | Photos by Viktor Budnik If they haven’t visited Marty and Tom Robinson’s Southwest Pueblo-style home in the foothills of northeast Ventura’s Ondulando neighborhood in, say, five years or more, guests could be forgiven for thinking, “Hey,...
The Miriam and Henry Schwab Music Academy at Ventura College returns with a crescendo. By Mike Nelson Photos by Brandon King/Theotus Media Tears on Monday. Cheers on Tuesday. Lessons, memories and more to treasure for a lifetime. Such is the experience for those...
The Local Love Project is a community lifeline when disaster strikes. By  Alex Wilson | Photos by Viktor Budnik at Merrick grew up on the tiny island of Key West, Florida, the southernmost tip of the continental United States and a...