Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades

The Getty Villa is located at 17985 Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades, one mile north of Sunset Boulevard, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It is about 28 miles from the heart of Thousand Oaks. The most direct path is the 101 south to Old Topanga Canyon Road, though you can also take other arteries like Malibu Canyon and Kanan to PCH.

The Getty Villa is one of two locations of the J. Paul Getty Museum, the other being the spectacular Getty Center in Brentwood.

The Getty Villa houses the J. Paul Getty Museum’s extensive collection of over 44,000 Greek, Roman and Etruscan antiquities dating from 6,500 BC to 400 AD, including the Lansdowne Heracles and the Victorious Youth. More than 1,200 of them are on view in 23 galleries devoted to the permanent collection. An additional six galleries present changing exhibitions, often featuring works from other institutions.

Main museum at the Getty Villa

The Family Forum features hands-on activities that encourage shared learning and discovery for children, while another interactive installation, the TimeScape Room, helps place the collection in an historical context.

On a personal note, this place is stunning, Pristine, well maintained, peaceful. The grounds take you back to how the Romans may have lived. Although my younger son in 3rd grade was not particular engaged during our first visit, my 6th grader had learned about the Greek and Roman Gods in school and found many of the exhibits quite interesting. There's also a cafe and gift shop.

Due to the severe drought this was not filled with water, but is beautiful nonetheless

Located on a pristine 64 acres, the Getty Villa is modeled after the Villa dei Papiri, a first-century Roman country house, the Villa is an airy, sunlit environment, featuring mosaic floors and colorful trompe l’oeil walls and paintings. Its four gardens and grounds are planted with species known from the ancient Mediterranean, creating lush and fragrant places to stroll. There is also a 450 seat outdoor theater at the Villa.

You'll notice that these many of the antiquities on display have damages incurred for various reasons (they were outdoor displays thousands of years ago).  This adds to their aura.

The UCLA/Getty Master’s Program in Archaological and Ethnographic Conservation is housed on this campus. The collection is documented and presented through the online GettyGuide as well as through audio tours.

Admission to the Getty Villa is free of charge but requires advance reservation with a timed ticket that you can obtain at www.getty.edu, or by calling (310) 440-7300. There is a parking charge of $15 per car; $10 after 5pm for evening events. 

Open Wednesday–Monday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  Closed Tuesdays and on major holidays (January 1, July 4, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day).

Outdoor amphitheater has an authentic feel to it

Las Virgenes View Park in Calabasas

Las Virgenes View Park is located at the northeast corner of Las Virgenes Road and Mulholland Highway in Calabasas. The park is a 696 acre project of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, owned and managed by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority in cooperation with the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District and City of Calabasas.

Enjoy a 2.4 mile trail through chaparral and woodlands to a scenic vista point at 1,100 feet. It is a single track trail of switchbacks that largely parallels Las Virgenes Road. You'll enjoy all sorts of views as you head up the trail, from Malibu Creek State Park, De Anza Park, King Gillette Ranch and beyond.

Off street dirt parking is at the trailhead and across the street. More information at www.lamountains.com/parks.asp?parkid=30.

Trailhead

View from the Las Virgenes View Park Trail towards Malibu Creek State Park.

Skatelab Museum and Skate Park - Simi Valley (CLOSED)

AFTER 21 YEARS, SKATELAB HAS CLOSED ITS DOORS AT THIS LOCATION AT 4226 VALLEY FAIR STREET, SIMI VALLEY.

However, Skatelab founder/owner Scott Radinsky posted on 1/6/19 that a new Skatelab location will be coming soon. Check for updates at www.facebook.com/Skatelab.

The world's largest and best skateboard museum resides in Simi Valley at Skatelab.  There are over 5,000 vintage skateboards, scooters and skateboard memorabilia at this 20,000 square foot facility from the 1960s to present day.  The museum is open to the public seven days a week and is free.  You really have to see this in person to get the full effect. This is a downright AMAZING collection!

Hours as of January 2018 are 4-10PM Mon, 3-10PM Tue-Thu, 3PM-Midnight Fri, 10AM-10PM Sat and 10AM-7PM Sun. Visit www.skatelab.com or call 805.578.0040 for more information.

Read more about the world's largest skateboard collection on display at www.skateboardman.com

Skatelab has a large indoor skate park that your kids will love.  It is located at 4226 Valley Fair Street, Simi Valley.  Visit www.skatelab.com or call 805.578.0040 for more information. They offer skateboarding classes on Saturdays and Sundays for beginners and novices too!

Legacy Park in Malibu

Legacy Park is located at 23500 Civic Center Way in Malibu, bordered by PCH, City Hall and Malibu Country Mart. It is a unique park that displays different habitats...wet meadow, coastal prairie, woodlands, riparian corridor, vernal pools and coastal bluffs. There is a lagoon with wildlife, a nature path and an interesting kids' interpretative area as you'll see. Peaceful and unique, you might want to walk through and enjoy before heading to the Country Mart or the Malibu Lagoon Beach.

To learn more about the park, visit www.malibucity.org or call 310.317.1364.

The Woolworth Museum in Downtown Oxnard (CLOSED)

Although the vintage items in the Woolworth Museum still reside in the building as described below, the museum is generally not open to the public at this point.

What is believed to be the only Woolworth Museum in the world is located in the Woolworth Building (circa 1950) at 210 West Fourth Street, Oxnard (4th and A Streets). This small, unique museum contains all sorts of nostalgia associated with the F. W. Woolworth Company, one of the original "five and dime" stores. Woolworth closed its stores in 1997.

The Woolworth Building is a 16,800 square foot building completed in 1950 that was completely redeveloped in 2003. It is now occupied by office tenants.

Many of the old items in the museum exemplify what Woolworths used to sell. Other items relate directly to this building and the people who worked there, including two managers and a woman who worked here on the first day that the store opened in 1950. There are souvenirs from the Woolworth Building in New York, which was the tallest building in the world when completed in 1913.

There is a collection of books related to the Woolworth stores. There are several items from old lunch counters, including dishes and menus, as well as some items that relate directly to the pivotal civil rights sit-in that took place at a Woolworth lunch counter in 1960.

Photos of various Woolworth stores from 1878 through the 1960s are seen throughout the building. There is a working antique dial pay-phone, a take-your-own photo booth from the 1940s and games and vending machines from the 1930s through the 1960s.

There is a vintage cash register, like those found in most stores in the 60's and 70's, displayed so visitors can push down "No Sale" so that the cash-drawer pops open with the familiar ch-ching, bell ringing and all, and the wooden drawer can be examined and closed.

Also seen is a 1959 Cavalier 96 Coke machine, which dispenses ice cold vintage coke bottles...at a not quite as vintage price of $1.25.

So stop by sometime! Just walk in. No attendants and no entrance fees. The museum is typically open from 7:30 am to 2:30 pm Monday to Friday and 9 am to 2:30 pm on Saturday.

For more information and pictures, visit www.thewoolworthbuilding.com (not functional as of 8/6/18).

Throwback time seen in the men's room

Prickly Pear Trail in Newbury Park

The Prickly Pear Trail is located in the Dos Vientos section of Newbury Park. The entry point is at Del Prado Playfields, 402 Calle Del Prado, Newbury Park.

This is a short, roughly one mile in total, family-friendly hike at the east end of the Dos Vientos community. 

The entry point is on the south side of the parking lot in front of the park. It is quite clearly marked, as shown below. The first straightaway is about 1/4 mile, at which point you have the decision of which direction you'd like to take the loop. If you go left (clockwise loop), at the first fork in the trail take the left trail (if you take a right you'll be going back to where you came from). Then continue the remainder of the loop veering right until you're back at the straightway you came from.

This is a convenient little family hike as there is plenty of parking at the park, restrooms, a newer playground for the kids, pickleball and tennis at the park.

About 1/4 mile into the hike, looking back towards Del Prado Playfields.

Views toward the protected pond behind Cypress Elementary, along Via Rio.

Seaside Wilderness Park in Ventura

Sign on W. Main Street near bike path and Highway 101 access point.

The City of Ventura's Seaside Wilderness Park is located across the Ventura River Main Street Bridge, adjacent to Emma Wood State Beach Park. One fun way to access it is by taking the Omer Rains Trail (bike path) to it from the Ventura Promenade area. But get off your bike when you reach your destination as this is a pedestrians-only park that contains the Ventura River mouth, the former "Hobo Jungle," the 1.3 mile Ocean's Edge Trail (tide pools) and .7 mile River's Edge Trail for birdwatching. Last time we were there we enjoyed some geocaching.

Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park in Agua Dulce

The 932 acre Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park, owned and managed by the County of Los Angeles, contains ancient rock sculptures created by 20 to 25 million years of earthquake movement along the Elkhorn Fault, an offshoot of the San Andreas Fault. The park is located in Agua Dulce off the Antelope Valley Freeway. Click the image below for more information.

Sandstone Peak to Inspiration Point and Tri Peaks in the Santa Monica Mountains

On everyone's local area bucket list should be the hike to the highest point in the Santa Monica Mountains - Sandstone Peak. That hike is about 3 miles round trip.

If you're looking to extend that hike, you can do the Mishe Mokwa Loop trail in reverse. Or you can explore several other peaks not far away - Inspiration Point and Tri Peaks. Hiking to Tri Peaks and back is about 6 miles round trip from the Sandstone Peak parking area.

View fullsize

Just north of the Sandstone Peak staircase/final ascent is a sign that indicates the trail to Tri Peaks. The trail is clearly marked and about 3/4 of a mile west you will come to the Inspiration Point spur trail. Do check it out as frankly I think the views towards the ocean are better here than at Sandstone Peak. Inspiration Point is 2,766 feet in elevation.

Follow the trail towards Tri Peaks from Sandstone Peak.

Sign on the Backbone Trail towards Tri Peaks signifying you are at the Inspiration Point spur trail. Sign indicates 2,800 ft elevation though I've read it is actually 2,766 ft. Close enough.

The view from Inspiration Point towards the ocean. The road below is Yerba Buena.

Inspiration Point dedication sign to an Eagle Scout who lost his life much too early.

Another 3/4 mile or so of hiking gets you to Tri Peaks, which is 3,010 ft elevation, not too far behind Sandstone Peak. Tri Peaks is northeast of Inspiration Point and there are a number of signs that tell you you are getting close. The final sign before reaching Tri Peaks says you are .2 miles away. But after that, to my knowledge there is no official sign that says you have reached Tri Peaks. The final 1/2 mile spur trail to Tri Peaks is much more narrow than the main trail.

You have reached your destination - Tri Peaks.

Personally when I went I was alone and in running shorts and t-shirt. Had I been wearing more appropriate hiking gear and long pants, I would have explored the peaks and caves a bit but without being properly equipped I opted to stay safe. But on the west side you can get some pretty sweet views of the Santa Monica Mountains towards Point Mugu and beyond.

Also, be careful to pay attention to the trail you came in from. There is no signage indicating the trail back, and the trail is not particularly clearly marked. 

View towards the Oxnard Plain from Tri Peaks.

Ojai Library Ukulele Club

The Ojai Library Ukulele Club meets every Wednesday from 6 to 7 p.m. in the main library building. The Ukulele Club is about sharing the fun, simplicity, and musicality that the ukulele offers, and learning and practicing with other players. Continuously meeting since its formation in 2015, the club is open to all ages and levels of experience. If you have your own ukulele, bring it along! Alternatively, the club has a couple of extra ukuleles for drop-in guests to try out for the evening.

Feel free to bring a copy of a song or tune that you like; the club collects these in a book of songs used during meetings. Currently this collection includes classic ukulele standards, American folk music, contemporary selections, and more. Each songbook includes a chord chart and is easy to follow—each song has the accompanying chords and lyrics listed and ready to play!

These events are free and open to the public. For additional information, contact Ron Solórzano, Regional Librarian, at (805) 218-9146.

The Ojai Library is located at 111 East Ojai Avenue in Ojai. Hours of service are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday.

The Ventura County Library is available 24/7 at www.vencolibrary.org.

Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve in Lancaster

Photo Credit: Joe Longo

Click the poppy image image for information about the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve, about 75 miles from Thousand Oaks.

Heritage Square Oxnard - Historic Tours

Visit Heritage Square in Oxnard for an information-filled tour of the historic structures of Heritage Square and learn more about Oxnard. Docent led tours are $5, $10 for a family of four. Every Saturday 10AM - 4PM and every Sunday 1PM - 4PM, weather permitting. School and group tours available by appointment. The tours are approximately 45 minutes long and include 3 interiors and 8 exteriors of the 15 structures on this block. Tours start at the Heritage Square Visitor Center at 715 South A Street, next to the water tower.

More information at www.heritagesquareoxnard.com or call 805.483.7960.

Santa Barbara Historical Museum

Founded in 1932, the Santa Barbara Historical Museum houses a collection of over 80,000 objects and artifacts of significance relating to Santa Barbara’s past. Constructed in 1965 by the Santa Barbara Historical Society, the Museum is the primary repository of Santa Barbara’s collective cultural heritage and ethnic diversity. Visitor see a wide array of unique paintings, objects, photographs, furnishings and textiles dating from the 15th century. Santa Barbara’s rich past is represented with artifacts from Chumash, Spanish, Mexican, “Yankee” and Chinese cultures. The Museum also hosts three to four special exhibitions a year in the rotating Sala gallery.

The Gledhill Library contains rare literary and visual documents, including 70,000 historic photographs. Two early 19th century buildings, the 1817 Casa Covarrubias and the 1836 Historic Adobe are adjacent to the Museum.

The Fernald Mansion, a fourteen room Queen Anne Victorian located at 414 West Montecito Street, is currently closed for renovation.

Admission is free, $5 donation suggested. The Museum is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10am-5pm, Sunday 12-5pm, and is closed Mondays. Free guided tours on Saturdays and Sundays at 2pm.

The Museum is located at 136 E. De la Guerra Street, on the corner of Santa Barbara St. and De la Guerra. Visit www.SantaBarbaraMuseum.com or call 805.966.1601 to learn more.