TRAVEL BEAT : GET CLOSE TO A LLAMA.

Byline: Susanne Hopkins

Want to walk a llama? The third annual Llama Trek will march through the historic mining town of Julian on a 5-1/2-mile hike June 7.

The trek will leave at 11 a.m. from Wikiup Bed & Breakfast Inn, 1645 Whispering Pines, a mile east of Julian off Highway 78. Participants will lead their llamas to the Menghini Winery for lunch, then continue back to Wikiup for a buffet dinner and mixer. Cost is $185 per couple, $95 singles, $45 youths ages 12-18. It includes meals, mixer, a bottle of local wine, a Julian apple pie and a T-shirt. Information: [phone].

Oxnard's Victorians

Five Victorian homes and a 1906 chapel will be open to the public for the second annual Historic Oxnard Spring Tours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Guided tours, which will start every 15 minutes from the Heritage Square Visitor Center, 715 S. A St., Oxnard, will visit the restored houses in Heritage Square. Included will be the 1887 Perkins House, a Stick- and Queen Anne-style Victorian, where a living-history performance will be held. The chapel will feature an exhibit of historic wedding gowns dating from 1880. A window-box demonstration will be held at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the square, and a flower and plant sale is also planned.

Floral works by local designers will be exhibited at the nearby Carnegie Art Museum; a talk on ``Old Garden Roses'' will be held at 1 p.m. At 3 p.m. in the museum, a talk is scheduled on the exotic garden, Lotusland, in Montecito.

Cost is $5 per person, which includes admission to the square and museum and a strawberry dessert buffet at the 1901 Laurent/McGrath House. Information and reservations: [phone].

Venice Art Walk time

The Venice Art Walk, featuring tours of private art studios and other activities, will be held Sunday.

The self-guided tour, which leaves from Westminster Elementary School, 1010 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice, continues from noon to 5 p.m.; cost is $45 per person. The school will host several events: the children's art center with entertainment, storytelling and art projects ($10 per child ages 3-10, free with adult paid admission); the food fair, featuring dishes from Los Angeles restaurants; the shopping place; and a silent art auction. Proceeds benefit the Venice Family Clinic. Free parking is at Walgrove Elementary School, 1630 Walgrove Ave. (entrance on Morningside Street); a shuttle will transport visitors to Westminster. Information: [phone].