By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Ventura is a beach town with a laid-back vibe that is the gateway to some great adventures. About an hour north of Los Angeles spectacular day trips in the Channel Islands National Park are waiting for you.  Turn up at the Island Packer dock in Ventura Harbor at about 9 AM with a lunch in your backpack and leave your worries behind. After an hour-long cruise across the channel, passengers are dropped off at Scorpion Anchorage and admonished to be back by 4 PM, or plan on spending the night on the island. Some choose to do exactly that,... Read More