Arroyo Simi Bike Path in Simi Valley

The Arroyo Simi Bike Path is a two lane bike path in Simi Valley that runs from Madera Road, just south of Easy Street on the west, ending at Cochran Avenue between Fig Street and Ralston Street on the east (more recently, the path has been extended east to Tapo Street).

Over seven miles in total. It is also referred to as the Arroyo Simi Greenway.

The Arroyo Simi is a waterway that begins at Corriganville Park in east Simi Valley and extends west all the way through Simi Valley until into merges into Arroyo Las Posas and Conejo Creek into Calleguas Creek. It is managed by the County of Ventura but the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District has access to the pathway for recreational use.

While this path is nowhere near as visually appealing as bike paths along Ventura Beach and such, the Arroyo Simi Bike Path is almost entirely flat and allows passageway along much of Simi Valley from east to west. You can really do a lot of exploration from this artery. We like to park at the East Street entry point and bike to Rancho Simi Community Park (2.2 miles one way), Rancho Santa Susana Park (6 miles one way) and various other areas.

Because this path is so long and flat (and not crowded), it is a nice destination for learning to ride. However, do be aware that there are a number of street crossings where you are asked to walk your bike across. They are protected by lights and signs, however.

Arroyo Simi bike path entry point at Easy Street and Madera.

Arroyo Simi Bike path may not be the most picturesque path but is nicely flat and goes a long way!

There are numerous entry points to the path, which largely parallels Los Angeles Avenue; this one is just east of Ralston off of Los Angeles Avenue.

More information at www.rsrpd.org/business_detail_T9_R7.php

Arroyo Conejo Trail in Thousand Oaks

The Arroyo Conejo Open Space consists of 302 acres, bounded by Wildwood Park and Conejo Canyons on the north, Lynnmere Open Space on the east and the Rancho Conejo residential development on the west. There’s a trailhead at Rancho Conejo Playfield at 950 N. Ventu Park Road in Newbury Park.

The Arroyo Conejo Trail trailhead is on the far right/east section of the parking lot facing the park's restrooms and tennis courts.

Arroyo Conejo Trailhead is on the right side of the parking lot.

The trail veers to the left (if you go down the initial trail to the right, you will see this is not open to the public). After passing the park, you will notice that the canyons below are mighty steep and you will hear the creek down below.

After you get to a gate (see below), the downhill is pretty significant and you may see a mini-waterfall on your way down to the creek, where you will immediately come to a crossing that, the last time I was there, had several wooden pallet crossings.

The gate that signals you are about to head downhill into the canyon.

The first stream at the bottom of the hill had these nicely placed wooden planks to alleviate the problem of wet shoes.

If you continue on straight, you will come across four more creek crossings. Often you will find large rocks or wood planks to walk across, but sometimes you won't find one, so be prepared for the possibility of wet feet if your plan is to reach the Hill Canyon Water Treatment Plant. If you do get that far, then turn back, you'll have done about 5 miles round trip.

Some of the stream crossings are a bit dicier getting across, that is if you don't want to get wet.

You've reached your destination but probably don't want to be jumping in these wetlands.

If you're looking to extend the hike into something more strenuous, after the first stream crossing, if you look on your right you'll find a steep trail that gets you to the Lynnmere Trail.

Learn more and see a map on the Conejo Open Space Foundation website at cosf.org/trails/other-trails/moderate-hike-arroyo-conejo-to-hill-canyon.

Hill Canyon, Hawk Canyon and Western Plateau Trails in Thousand Oaks

In 2012, the Conejo Canyons bridge was constructed in Thousand Oaks, opening up more trails to explore in the Western Plateau area of Thousand Oaks, which ties into Wildwood Park. Visit cosf.org/trails/conejo-canyons for trail maps.

The Hill Canyon bridge that takes you to all the action!

Access the Conejo Canyons bridge to get to the Hill Canyon Trail, a flat path that after a mile takes you to an intersection where you can go straight ahead to the Hawk Canyon Trail, take a right turn to the Western Plateau Trail or veer left to make your way to the Arroyo Conejo Trail that takes you about 2 1/2 miles to the Rancho Conejo Playfields in Newbury Park.

The Hill Canyon Trail is as flat as they come. I see bikers, hikers and runner back here.

This creek parallels the Hill Canyon Trail

One path I enjoy is the Hill Canyon Trail to the Hawk Canyon Trail, which veers right towards the Western Plateau Trail, which loops back to Hill Canyon Trail.  Do look at a map first as signs are not always at trail junctures (the sign above is clearly an exception!). You can actually take the Hawk Canyon Trail as well as Western Plateau Trail to Newbury Park.

There’s also the Elliot Mountain Trail and Outlaw Loop Trail, accessible from the Western Plateau Trail.

Western Plateau Trail

When you reach the Western Plateau Trail, if you go just a bit further north/northeast, you'll be rewarded with great views down the Conejo Grade towards Camarillo and the Oxnard Plain.

Views from the Western Plateau Trail on a bit of an overcast June morning

Access the Conejo Canyons bridge via Santa Rosa Road. Coming from Thousand Oaks, take Moorpark Road north down the Norwegian Grade, where it intersects with Santa Rosa Road. Continue about 3.7 miles on Santa Rosa Road and make a left on Hill Canyon Road. Drive down Hill Canyon Road and you will see a large, flat dirt parking area on the right, adjacent to Santa Rosa Valley Regional Park.

Alaska Airlines Flight 261 Sundial Memorial at Hueneme Beach

The Alaska Airlines Flight 261 Sundial Memorial commemorates the 88 passengers and crew who lost their lives aboard Alaska Airlines Flight 261 near Anacapa Island on January 31, 2000. The flight was en route from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico to San Francisco and Seattle.

The Memorial features a 36-foot diameter concrete plaza with a curving sand wall and seating area and a raised sundial in the center. The monument was designed by well known Santa Barbara sculptor James “Bud” Bottoms. The sundial’s bronze dolphins and triangular blade (gnomon) cast a shadow on the 20-foot diameter dial face oriented to Pacific Standard Time. Names of each of the victims are inscribed on individual bronze plates mounted on the perimeter of the dial.

The crash site is located between the mainland at Port Hueneme and Anacapa Island, one of the smallest islands in the Channel Islands chain, 14 miles offshore. Families of the lost passengers and crew dedicated the sundial as both a memorial to their loved ones and as a work of public art in gratitude to the residents of Port Hueneme for their compassion and tireless assistance in the recovery effort. This is a touching and lasting tribute to those who lost their lives on this flight.

Access the Sundial Memorial from Hueneme Beach parking lot B off Surfside Drive near the gazebo.

CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS ABOUT BEACHES SPANNING FROM CARPINTERIA TO MALIBU

Rancho Potrero Open Space in Newbury Park

The Rancho Potrero Open Space is located in Newbury Park off of Lynn Road, just west of the intersection with Rancho Dos Vientos. The area includes the Rancho Potrero Community Equestrian Center and is adjacent to the Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa area in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.

Map excerpt courtesy of Conejo Open Space Foundation (www.cosf.org)

A newer parking lot and restrooms were built in 2015 allowing for easier access to the Rancho Potrero Open Space. It is accessible just west of the equestrian center off of Lynn/Potrero Road.

There is a trailhead further west of the parking lot, just before Potrero (Lynn) Road takes a sharp right turn.  You can usually find parking off pavement here. A short (1/4 mile) walk up the hill gets you pretty darn nice views looking towards Camarillo and the Channel Islands. Take the adjoining Palomino Trail east towards Rancho Sierra Vista and the Satwiwa Native American Indian Cultural Center.

The entrance is further east off of Potrero/Lynn Road

About a 1/4 mile gets you to the top of a hill that gives you views as far as the Channel Islands.

Commemorative Air Force Aviation Museum at Camarillo Airport

Located at the Camarillo Airport at 455 Aviation Drive, the Southern California Wing of the Commemorative Air Force has hangars devoted to preserving, maintaining, displaying, and flying World War II aircraft.

The Commemorative Air Force Southern California Wing Aviation Museum is open Fridays and Saturdays from 10 am to 4 pm and Sundays noon to 4pm. (As of January 2024.)

Donations requested of $15 for adults, $10 for ages 10 to 18, $5 for ages 6 to 10. Kids under 6 and active military are free (as of January 2024). Visit www.cafsocal.com or call 805.482.0064 for more information.

Also, take a vintage WWII airplane ride on the only remaining U.S. Navy/Marine Mitchell B-25 PBJ Bomber, the open cockpit Primary Trainer PT-19, the SNJ Texan and the Aircoupe. Details at www.cafsocal.com/warbird-ride-program.

Docents are enjoyable to speak with as they have a lot of history to share at this museum. Two 15,000 sq ft hangars and a 32,800 sq. ft. hangar complex serve as a Museum Hangar and a Maintenance and Restoration Hangar.

The Museum Hangar contains some of the many artifacts that are currently on display as well as a gift shop. It also houses any of the aircraft that are not away on a mission or undergoing maintenance.  For safety reasons the maintenance hangar is not available for a walk-through, however visitors can observe any work in progress from behind a safety perimeter.

There are a number of aircraft on display, including several you can physically inspect, which is always fun to do with the kids. There are some interesting WWII exhibits on hand too. 

The only authentic Marine BPJ-1J variant of the famed Mitchell B-25 Bomber. It flew into Camarillo from Midland, TX in 1993 for a 20 year restoration project. It is now flight-ready!

The Kakovlev Yak-3 is widely considered the lightest fighter aircraft between 1939 and 1945.

Strathearn Historical Park and Museum in Simi Valley

Strathearn Historical Park and Museum is located at 137 Strathearn Place, Simi Valley (off of Tierra Rejada Road, just east of Madera). The Park is operated jointly by the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District and the Simi Valley Historical Society.

This is a six acre site that houses numerous historical Simi Valley area artifacts and structures. The namesake of the Park is Robert P. and Mary Gray Lamb Strathearn. Originally from Scotland, they purchased 15,000 acres of the old Spanish Rancho and built their Victorian-style farmhouse onto the front of the Simi Adobe.

Stroll through history at the site, which includes the original Saint Rose of Lima Church built in 1902, the Simi Adobe, Strathearn House, Colony House (the first historic building to be relocated to Strathearn Park in 1970), the original Simi Library built in 1930 and used until a new library was built in 1962, two original Wood Ranch barns from the 1940s, the Simi Store gift shop, the Banaga Barbershop and more.

The park is generally open 9 am to 3 pm Monday through Friday and 1-4 pm Saturday/Sunday. Hour and a half long docent-led tours inside of the buildings take place, for a $3 donation, on Fridays at 1pm and Saturdays/Sundays at 1:30pm. The Visitor Center and park grounds are open for self-guided tours.

For more information, visit www.simihistory.com or call 805.526.6543.

The Strathearn House

The precursor to Simi Valley Town Center

Aviation Museum of Santa Paula

The Aviation Museum of Santa Paula is open the first Sunday of each month, with a "Chain of Hangars" from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  Closed if there is rain. FREE (but donations are appreciated).

Hangar Number One is the first in the museum's chain of hangars. It tells the story of the founding of Santa Paula Airport in 1930. Each of the privately owned hangars houses a variety of vintage aircraft and privately owned collections of memorabilia, from antique radios to race cars. Several other aircraft owners put their antique aircraft on display and many vintage aircraft also fly in each month.

A museum tram is available to save you some steps between hangars. The Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 723 offers free airplane rides to kids ages 8-17. The Museum's Gift Hangar, located inside CP Aviation, offers a variety of toys and apparel for airplane buffs of all ages.

More information at www.aviationmuseumofsantapaula.org or call 805.525.1109. The Aviation Museum is located near the corner of Santa Maria Street and 8th Street in Santa Paula. More info at this link.

Ojai Trolley Service

The City of Ojai has run the Ojai Trolley Service since 1989.

There are two routes - routes A and B, each with 10 stops, most overlapping. Route A services out to Gridley Road, including Whispering Oaks. Route B services the Ojai Valley Inn. All other nine stops on the two routes are the same, starting from Ojai Avenue at the Arcade.

It costs $1.50 to ride the trolley (as of January 2024) or $4 for a day pass. Reduced ($.75/$2) and free fares available for children under 45”, seniors 75+ and disabled with proper ID.

The trolley runs 7 days a week,  every day of the year except Easter, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day.

Hours vary. Route A service starts at 6:36 am on weekdays and 7:06 am on weekends. Route B service starts at 7:06 am on weekdays and 8:06 am on weekends.

For more information and detailed route schedules, visit www.ojaitrolley.com.

The Nethercutt Museum in Sylmar

The Nethercutt Museum in Sylmar houses a spectacular collection of over 120 antique, vintage, black iron and classic automobiles. This is a place that a surprisingly few number people know about but is a must see. It is a truly gorgeous collection of cars, including numerous winners of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and other famed auto shows.

Particularly eye opening to an auto novice like me is the sheer number of different car manufacturers on display that I'd never heard of, like Tucker, Simplex, Cord, REO, Maybah, Ruxton, Westinghouse, Pierce-Arrow, Moon etc as well as autos made by Daimler, Rolls Royce, Cadillac, Packard, Lincoln, Ford, Duesenberg, Oldsmobile, Bugatti and others. There is also huge number of hood ornaments, headlamps and other vintage paraphernalia on display.

Admission to The Nethercutt Museum is free of charge and hours are 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Visit www.nethercuttcollection.org for more information. Open to all ages.

Located at 15151 Bledsoe Steet, Sylmar. When I went I took the 101 east to the 405 south towards Santa Clarita, which becomes the 5 freeway. Get off at Roxford exit east (exit 159A; don't get confused and take the NEXT Roxford exit). Turn right on Roxford, right on San Fernando Road and left on Bledsoe. Museum is a few blocks up on the left hand side. Turn left on Bradley (at Bledsoe) and an immediate left into the parking lot.

Outside the Museum you can walk through a 1912 Pullman Rail Car and a 1937 Canadian Pacific Royal Hudson Locomotive. Open twice a day (weather permitting) at 12:30 p.m. and 3:45 p.m. for 15 minutes.

In addition to the main Museum, next door at 15200 Bledsoe is The Nethercutt Collection, which has over 50 automobiles along with what they call the world's finest assemblage of mechanical musical instruments. Admission here is also free but you must make reservations for the 2 hour docent-led tour, kids must be 12 and older, and no video recording or flash photography is allowed. Tours are currently offered at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.

Ventura Harbor Village

Ventura Harbor Village at 1583 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura is home to 33 acres of harborside activities, shopping and restaurants.  The weather is always so cool over there it makes for a nice retreat.

Go for a walk along the boardwalk or at the beach or enjoy activities like kayaking, sailing, pedal boats, sport-fishing and cruises. Ventura Harbor Village hosts events and activities year-round, including music performances, kids' activities, themed events, festivals and more.

Eateries at Ventura Harbor Village include Andria's Seafood Restaurant, Baja Bay Surf N' Taco, Boatyard Pub, Brophy Bros. Clam Bar & Restaurant, Coastal Cone Ice Cream, Deep Sea Wine Tasting Room, Le Petit Cafe, Bakery & Restaurant, Margarita Villa Mexican Restaurant, On The Alley, Sugar Lab Bake Shop, The Greek Mediterranean Steak & Seafood and The Parlor. You won't go hungry here.

The Channel Islands National Park Visitor Center is located adjacent to Ventura Harbor Village. Free admission and an awesome resource for learning more about the Channel Islands and its protected habitat.

Island Packers at the Harbor has numerous boat rides and is the only authorized concessionaire to transport folks to Channel Islands National Park. 

Ventura Boat Rentals rents out electric boats, paddle boats, kayaks, power boats and charters cruises in the Ventura Harbor.  So much fun to be had!

Across the street from Ventura Harbor Village is beach access at Harbor Cove Beach (a safe beach protected by jetties) and Surfer's Knoll Beach. Local area beaches at THIS LINK.

More information at www.venturaharborvillage.com or call 805.642.8538 (or 877.89.HARBOR).

Santa Clara River Valley Railroad Historical Society's Railroad Visitor Center in Fillmore

The Santa Clara River Valley Railroad Historical Society was established in 1993 to help preserve and restore the railroad corridor between Montalvo and Saugus. This corridor, known as the Southern Pacific Santa Paula Branch, is a unique and historical local community asset.

Stop by the Railroad Visitor Center, located at 455 Main Street, Fillmore, on Sundays between noon and 3 p.m. (or by appointment) and check out historical artifacts, information and photographs, a large model train setup, gift shop, theater and more.

More information at www.scrvrhs.com or call 805.524.2254.

We stopped by the Sespe Creek Car Show at Fillmore & Western yesterday (4th of July) and while we were there walked into the Santa Clara River Valley Railroad Historical Society Railroad Visitor Center at 455 Main Street, Fillmore. We've been in here several times before with the model trains all running and the kids sit there mesmerized by them.