Among the hidden gems north of Los Angeles is the Citrus Capital of the World: Santa Paula. This city of 30,000 is on the edge of the Los Padres National Forest, just minutes from the city of Ventura and the wonderful Golden State coastline. Nature rules the day in Santa Paula, wish lush citrus groves doting the landscape.

The residents of Santa Paula aren't sour from all the citrus plants in the area. No, they're quite the lively bunch and community spirit is tops here. The town is situated near a picturesque set of hills that serve as the backdrop of this majestic landscape.

Key attractions in Santa Paul include a vibrant downtown life that is slated for redevelopment and rejuvenation of the next decade. There's also the distinguished Aviation Museum of Santa Paula where you can witness a number of antique, classic, and experimental aircraft. The Santa Paula Airport is a famous airstrip that has been graced with the landings and takeoff of Charles Lindbergh, Chuck Yeager, Roscoe Turner, and Pancho Barnes. Clearly there is a lot of aviation history to behold in Santa Paula.

Another museum, the California Oil Museum, celebrates the discovery of oil in the Golden State and generations of wildcat expeditions around the countryside.