What we’re about
We're a meetup for over-50 active seniors. We walk and hike every week: there is a "start-the-week-off-right" walk every Monday [generally at either Seabridge or Marine Emporium Landing in Oxnard] and at least one longer hike, generally in the 5 to 7 mile range. We mix "elevation" hikes [Ray Miller Trail, Zuma Ridge, Sulphur Mountain, etc.] with flatland hikes [Lake Casitas, Sycamore Canyon, Ormand Beach, etc.]. Sometimes we mix the two. For example, at Sycamore Canyon part of the group may opt to stay on the flat trail while the rest hike up one of the side trails. Last year went to Santa Cruz Island for some hiking, and we'll probably go back. We throw in bike rides, on occasion, knees permitting. I'd like to do some camping, and we do have a camp, but tent camping is a hard sell to many in the over-50 crowd. I would like to camp at Jalama Beach and Santa Cruz Island in the next year.
We also do many less rigorous things. Cultural things, for example. Classical music is a focus. So we organize all six of the New West Symphony yearly concerts as MEETUP events. We've gone to one or two Hollywood Bowl concerts most seasons. Each season, the Metropolitan Opera simulcasts 10 operas from New York to various theaters around the world, including the Century at The Collection in Oxnard. We go to nearly all of them. The experience is really much better than if you attended live in NY: more comfortable seats, better than front row view of the action, popcorn or whatever to chomp on.
Continuing on the cultural theme, The Bolshoi Ballet broadcasts several ballets a year. We see those at The Collection as well. Then there are the plays from National Theatre Live: we've seen everything from War Horse to Frankenstein streamed to a local theater. And we throw in an occasional live play. We've also attended various arm chair museum and other tours. The one on Pompeii was my favorite. One night we saw "Last Night of the PROMS," probably my favorite of all the events we've seen. [For you non-Brits, PROMS is a summer series of concert events that are sort of like a combination of the Hollywood Bowl and a party.]
Each year we go on a fireworks cruise out of Ventura Harbor. Another yearly event is a special charity BBQ for St Jude Hospital.
A special opportunity last year was the Flamenco Arts Festival in Santa Barbara-- a movie [called, fittingly "Flamenco, Flamenco"] and a live performance. Flamenco is not everyone's cup of tea, but for some of us...No Festival in 2018, but it will return in 2019.
Then there are the special musical events offered at the theater at The Collection. Which brings us to the other "classic" music we favor--classic rock and blues. Examples include the Rolling Stones Latin American tour, Grateful Dead concerts raised and remastered from the Jerry Garcia era, the Who in concert, Eric Clapton's "Crossroads," and more. Nonmusical special events at The Collection have included a mixed bag of things. We saw the opening night of TED 2017 streamed live, for example.
We don't ignore movies, although we're not hard core. About every other week the Oxnard Film Society presents a foreign film. These are frequently very good and very often present cinema you'd never see from Hollywood. Plus they often give some insight into foreign cultures and societies. We attend nearly all of them. Then there are the classic movies--everything from Gone with the Wind to The Graduate--remastered and resurrected on the big screen. Seeing them on that big screen is a much different experience from Netflix on your iPhone. We don't ignore contemporary movies, but we're selective. You won't be seeing "Guardians of the Galaxy 2" with us. But "Born in China" or "Allied?" Sure.
In most events, some sort of meal is included, either at a restaurant, or bring your own picnic basket, or a potluck. So we have eaten at and explored the cuisine at a variety of conveniently located restaurants--The Golden Egg, Moqueca, Settebello, Kabuki, Yard House, The Spot [Carpinteria], Sura, and various others. In some of the restaurants they know us by name. Sometimes we skip the pretense of an event and just eat out. The goal beyond getting fed is of course to have a social outing. Not much socializing can go on in a dark theater, at least not without being thrown out.
As you can see, this MEETUP is not narrowly focused. It follows my tastes in general, but I'm open to adding events suggested by members, especially if you're willing to help in organizing the event. And although I don't mind having members who belong to 100 different MEETUPs and attend one of ours infrequently, my goal is to have a group of friends who do many things together. That adds the social side to eventing. So welcome to Ventura County Active Seniors and I hope to see you at an event soon.
John
Some loyal group members have "Chipped In" from time to time to help defray the costs of running this MEETUP group. But the MEETUP folks have suppressed this option in their ongoing effort to anger organizers and make the MEETUP app less useful. But the function is still there, although hidden:
https://secure.meetup.com/Ventura-County-Active-Seniors/contribute/
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- The Met Opera in HD: Le Nozze di FigaroCentury Riverpark 16, Oxnard, CA
This is a great and popular opera. Talk Classical rates it as number 5 on their list of the 100 greatest operas; some rate it higher. From the synopsis:
A manor house near Seville, the 1930s. In a storeroom that they have been allocated, Figaro and Susanna, servants to the Count and Countess Almaviva, are preparing for their wedding. Figaro is furious when he learns from his bride that the count has tried to seduce her. He’s determined to have revenge on his master. Dr. Bartolo appears with his former housekeeper Marcellina, who is equally determined to marry Figaro. She has a contract: Figaro must marry her or repay the money that he borrowed from her.
Since Mozart died in the late 18th century, clearly the Met has "modernized" the setting. Why? Who knows.
Does the story end well, or is this from a Romantic era play in which the protagonist is done in by his or her "original sin." Come to the opera and find out. [Hint: this is what they call a commedia per musica.]
A duet from the opera
And perhaps the best known aria from the opera:
Seeing a Met Opera simulcast with first-class singers and often over-the-top staging is a real opportunity. The Metropolitan Opera is as good as it gets. And these broadcasts are a chance to see the Met at a reasonable price, in comfortable seats, and with popcorn or ice cream at your seat. The experience is better than seeing it live for my money.
From Fathom:
Conductor Joana Mallwitz makes her Met debut leading an extraordinary cast in Mozart’s comic masterpiece. Bass-baritone Michael Sumuel stars as the clever valet Figaro, opposite soprano Olga Kulchynska as his betrothed, the wily maid Susanna. Baritone Joshua Hopkins is the skirt-chasing Count, with soprano Federica Lombardi as his anguished wife and mezzo-soprano Sun-Ly Pierce as the adolescent page Cherubino.
Synopsis The Marriage of Figaro
Special Fathom Features: Go behind the scenes with the Met's stars! During intermission, interviews with cast, crew and production teams give a revealing look at what goes into the staging of an opera.
Tickets are $21 [senior] and seating is reserved; I have seat G-11. To buy tickets on line:
By responding RSVP = Yes to this event you agree to the liability disclaimer in the "Pages" tab [Click to see applicable liability disclaimer (https://www.meetup.com/Ventura-County-Active-Seniors/pages/Release_Of_Liability_for_All_VCAS_Events/) ].
