Marvin Braude Coastal Bike Path - Pacific Palisades to Torrance

We love driving down to Will Rogers State Beach from time to time, bring the bikes and enjoy the Marvin Braude Coastal Bicycle Path along the Pacific Ocean. 

This fun 22 mile path takes you from Pacific Palisades as far as Torrance.  Depending on how far you want to go and if you have kids with you, there are so many spots to stop along the way. 

To get to Will Rogers State Beach from the Conejo Valley, take the 101 to Las Virgenes/Malibu Canyon Road south to PCH, then about 9 miles down PCH to Will Rogers (17000 PCH), just east of Gladstones and Sunset Boulevard. Parking at Will Rogers varies based on when you go; I last recall paying $10.

The path doesn't actually start at Will Rogers Beach as it is a walking path only at this point. Ride the bike through the parking lot to the start of the bike path at Temescal Canyon Road. And, you're off!

From the start of the path, here are some approximate distances to destinations:

• Santa Monica Pier - 3.2 miles
• Venice Pier - 5.8 miles
• Marina del Rey - 8.7 miles
• Playa del Rey - 9.9 miles
• Dockweiler Beach - 12.5 miles
• Manhattan Beach Pier - 16.5 miles
• Hermosa Beach Pier - 18.2 miles
• Redondo Beach Pier - 20.4 miles
• Torrance Beach - 22.3 miles (endpoint)

With younger kids, the Santa Monica Pier makes a perfect 6 1/2 mile round trip destination as you can stop, eat lunch and have some fun at Pacific Park, then ride back. Or kick it a few notches and ride to/through Venice Beach for all the action. 

Pacific Park up ahead

There are plenty of restrooms water stops and of course non-stop BEACH to enjoy here, making this one of my favorite destination for bicycling with the family. And of course, you don't have to park at Will Rogers...you can park anywhere on PCH in and around the bike path to enjoy it.

Of course you do have to be careful of sand on the path, pedestrians/beach goers crossing and walking on the path, other cyclists, runners, roller bladers and crowds.  

Detailed map at file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/dbh/docs/189949_2013-BIKEMAP85x11Web-Ready(highres).pdf

CLICK HERE FOR DOZENS OF FAMILY-FRIENDLY BIKE PATHS BACK UP IN THE VENTURA COUNTY AREA!

Paradise Falls Hike - Wildwood Park in Thousand Oaks

Perhaps the most popular destination in Wildwood Park in Thousand Oaks is Paradise Falls. There are a variety of trails and ways to get to Paradise Falls. Here's a quick and easy 1 mile route.

Park in the main trailhead at the west end of Avenida de los Arboles. Take the Mesa Trail about a 3rd of a mile until you see the sign below, where you'll turn left.

Another third of a mile and you're at the teepee, where you'll find another clearly marked sign pointing you in the direction of Paradise Falls.

You turn right down the hill and take a short walk to the following sign.

Hike down some switchbacks and stairs and you're almost there.

And wallah! You're at the following sign, where you'll be reminded that these year-round falls are partially fed by urban run-off, making them something you may not want to jump into.

But Paradise Falls is fun to get to and see. A full-on roughly 40 foot waterfall a mile away from civilization in Thousand Oaks.

You can walk back the way you came or hike back up the trail above the falls and loop back up to the teepee via the Wildwood Canyon Trail.

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.