Some 70 minutes from Los Angeles is the city of Santa Paula. Surrounded by mountains and the last great citrus greenbelts of Southern California, Santa Paula is a city of genuine grace and historic charm, of tree-lined streets, parks and pleasant river valleys, just 15 minutes from the Pacific Ocean.

Santa Paula's pedestrian-friendly downtown offers broad sidewalks, bench seating, old fashioned street lights, trees and planters. Parking meters are non-existent and original storefronts and family businesses bid welcome.

In a century-old city, one is bound to find an antique shop or two. Santa Paula has a dozen, many like The Mill (c. 1890) in buildings that are themselves antique. Here are the memorabilia and minutiae of bygone times - jewelry, furniture, bric-a-brac and curiosities - that make the perfect gift.

The private Santa Paula Airport has an Aviation Museum and offers tours of its vintage collection including open cockpit aircraft, staggerwing biplanes, gullwing Stinsons, a Lockheed 12, experimental, aerobatic and high performance planes.

Santa Paula has produced a number of remarkable artists and many art galleries are spread throughout the downtown including the Society of The Arts of Santa Paula, featuring works by local artists.

One of Santa Paula's most popular attractions is the Santa Paula Union Oil Museum. This is the original building that housed Union Oil when it was founded in 1890. A tour of the museum offers an insight into the development of the area including the growth of the oil industry with the arrival of the railroad in 1887.

Heritage Valley is one of the shining stars of the southern California Countryside. The destination has an informative and inspirational Web site to help plan a visit; see the information box for more information and links.

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