Anne Tibbets’ Oxnard/Channel Islands

Our L.A. series

This friend hang was different. I’m not exploring L.A. this time, which may seem like a rule since it’s part of the title, BUT it’s a place driveable from me that I have not spent time AND I got to spend that time with Anne. And I’m not really sure why I’m making so many excuses, I go where I want. Anyway, ten years ago my friend Robin and I decided to organize a Writer’s Night Out in the L.A. area. We extended the invite to all local writer friends we knew. The attendees of our writer’s night out would vary, but Anne (and also Nicole, Nadine and Robin) became part of the core group. Anne is so funny, super easy to talk to, and talented. Writer, literary agent, Star Trek game content creator,  former bookseller, singer (we’ll talk about that in a bit), and grant writer. She also makes the long ass drive to our writer’s nights. People who are willing to drive to you in SoCal? That’s a love language. So it’s only fair that I leave L.A. county and travel the furthest away from my home that I’ve gone for this writing series. I put on my audio book (The Court of Mists and Fury by Sarah Maas) and I drove through city and suburbia and farmland and then to the sea in Ventura county.

Hollywood Beach with the Channel Islands off in the distance

Anne lives in a cute condo in Oxnard with her husband. I can’t stop thinking about the shelf of typewriters on her stairway. I have a similar typewriter obsession. We walked  across the street to the beach. Depending who you talk to it’s Mandalay Beach if they were new and bougie, Oxnard Coast according to Google maps, and if they’ve lived here forever, it’s Hollywood Beach because The Sheik starring Rudolph Valentino (among other movies) was filmed there. The expansive sand beach was the perfect set to replicate a desert.

Rudolph Valentino in The Sheik 1921

Photo credit unknown

It was a beautiful day. Warm for October. The water and sand between my toes felt refreshing. Now, I am not a beach person, but when I do go I remember how healing water and the salty air can be. We walked along the shore line passing surfers, fishman, the heron waiting by the fishman’s bucket (he’s no dummy), and the tiny Sandpiper birds playing like little kids do with the tide going in and out. The Channel Islands hung on the horizon. These beautiful nature sanctuaries are also places I have never been. And honestly places I might never go, because let’s face it I’m not one for roughing it.

A heron looking for a meal

We turned inland and walked to the Channel Island Harbor.

How do you feel about kayaking in harbor? She texted me when we were planning.

My answer: I’m willing to get out of my comfort zone!

Which is true. This is part of the point of these adventures. I am not a water person. I am not coordinated but dammit I’m fifty years old. I could learn how to kayak.

We rented our kayak from the harbor rental shop, put on our life vests, grabbed our paddles and off we went. I’m glad she humored me with tandem. Single kayaks probably preserve relationships from what I gather, but I think we did pretty well! I learned. Eventually. Sort of, how to steer. It was gorgeous. And as luck would have it, it was the Pumpkin Paddle.

Everyone was dressed in costumes (including some adorable dogs) up on paddle boards and in kayaks. Witches, mermaids, Waldo. Great vibe. We paddled and talked. Anne grew up in Orange County, went to Cal State Fullerton and lived in the valley before moving out here to her beach house a few years ago. She told me about her work in progress manuscript which I will not divulge the plot but I’ll just say… move over Off Campus… I would definitely kayak again. It was a workout! As I write this my arms hurt, my core and legs are sore. It’s good though. I needed it.

For the first time in a long time I wanted to jump in the ocean. I wanted to feel more than the splashes from the water coming into the kayak. I think I did OK on the kayak, even though I’ve never done it before and I’m definitely not a coordinated person, but she put up with me in a two person kayak which I know wasn’t her preferred method.

After our harbor adventure, we needed some lunch. She took me to The Look Out, a no frills, but warm and wonderful bar and grill. She said hello to a few people that she knew. It’s a close knit community I could see. Anne got our order in as the place filled up with drunk young people. The bartender was sweet and clearly thinks highly of Anne. The burger and onion rings were delicious. This place was also a karaoke bar on some nights. In this town Anne is a bit of a karaoke legend. I learned this about her when I attended her birthday festivities a couple years ago. An incredible singer. The Look Out has live band karaoke (Gary-oke) and one day she decided to learn a song, the rest is history. Her repertoire is now up to 25 now. I let her in on my secret singing past. Something I grew up doing but let fall away. She gave me some encouragement to maybe learn a song or two for fun.

The Look Out

After lunch we headed back the way we came. We had seen the year-round beach dweller life and now for the more fancy, resort side of things. The Zachari Dunes on Mandalay Beach hotel is gorgeous. Beautiful grounds, a bar with yummy drinks I’m told, s’mores fire pit, a pool and spa. I’d stay here. Picked up a postcard for my memento.

We wandered over to the public park. So many palm trees. For as long as I’ve lived in California, I never get sick of them.

We talked about parenting. She has two girls as well. It’s hard. But we all really are just doing the best we can and we all make mistakes.

I really respect Anne a lot. We had never spent any one-on-one time before. Our writer nights out are pretty great though. We talk about writing of course, but because our group is small we’ve always like been able to talk about the really rough things that happened too. I remember when I was going through the hardest time of my life she looked and said, “You’re gonna be OK.  I’m so sorry this is happening.” I held onto that.

We got back to her house and her phone alarm sounded. We’re both virgos so I appreciate she had an alarmed itinerary. We were right on schedule.

Off to learn my karaoke song now. Africa by Toto maybe? Or a Jefferson Starship duet?

Had to get a Reese’s for the ride home