The hook
A citrus town that time mostly left alone still calls itself the Citrus Capital of the World, its main street lined with murals and a century-old oil headquarters turned museum.
01Why it's worth it
Santa Paula grew rich twice over, on the oranges and lemons of the Santa Clara River valley and on the oil discovered in the hills around it, and the downtown it built in that boom is still standing and still working. Nine large murals around the center tell the town's story in paint, from the Chumash through the citrus ranches to the movies, and you can walk them in an afternoon. The California Oil Museum fills the 1890 building that was the original headquarters of Union Oil, the company founded here. There's a well-regarded little art museum too, and out at the airport on the first Sunday of each month, private owners roll open their hangars full of rare antique planes and stand around to talk about them. It's an unpolished, real place, the kind of California town most people only ever drive past on the 126.
02How to experience it
It's on Highway 126 between Ventura and the 5, about six hours from the Bay. The downtown is walkable and free to wander; the museums keep their own hours, and the aviation hangars open mainly on first Sundays. Pair it with Ojai up the road or the Ventura coast.