Status of the Downed Windmill at Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa in Newbury Park

The old windmill in Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa fell down last December apparently as a result of the very strong winds we had at the time. No word on plans to get the windmill back in places as of November 2022, six years later.

Rancho Sierra Vista "Mountain View Ranch" was the name given to the area by Carl Beal when he purchased thousands of acres of the northern section of Rancho Guadalasca in 1936 (the southern section was purchased by William Richard Broome). Beal brought modern ranching to the ranch, including a series of wells, springs and reservoirs from Boney Mountain.  Later the property was sold to Richard Danielson, who farmed and ranched here with his family for 32 years. It was sold to the National Park Service in 1980.

Prior to it falling on its side, the windmill was a favorite destination in Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa. As you'll see in the latter part of the video, the windmill did function prior to its fall.  The NPS will be looking into the best approach to stand it back up and assess damages to the windmill as a result of the fall. Since the windmill is located in the protected Satwiwa Native American Indian Natural Area, NPS must be mindful of its approach to minimize impact to this sacred land.

Satwiwa means "the bluffs" and was the name of a nearby Chumash village. The Satwiwa area was established to reflect the Chumash heritage. Visit the Satwiwa Native American Indian Culture Center on weekends from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. to learn more about the Chumash from a park ranger. 

The Windmill in Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa in September 2016.

Conejo Valley Guide Facebook Followers Comment on Their Favorite Local Hamburgers

In a recent survey on the Conejo Valley Guide Facebook Page, followers were asked what their favorite hamburgers were in the local area, including the Conejo Valley and adjacent areas.

What prompted the question was a 2017 Harris Poll EquiTrend® that concluded on a national level that the top burger restaurants in America currently are:

1. Five Guys Burgers and Fries
2. In-N-Out Burger
3. Shake Shack
4. Wendy's
5. Culver's
6. Whataburger
7. McDonald's
8. SONIC
9. Smashburger
10. Steak 'n Shake

Out of the top 10 above, burgers available in the Ventura County area currently include Five Guys, In-N-Out, Wendy's, McDonald's and Smashburger. 

We asked a more specific question - what is your favorite burger. A bit of a popularity contest. The winner, hands down, was In-N-Out Burger, with 39% of the vote. The closest competitor was Habit Burger, with 17% of all votes.

Five Guys is a much newer brand to our local area and thus I suspect only a fraction of folks that have eaten at In-N-Out Burger for nearly seven decades have actually tried a Five Guys burger.  It received only one mention in our survey.

Other eateries that were mentioned by 4-8% of commenters were Hook Burger, Red Robin, Stacked and Umami Burger.

Others mentioned at least once included BLVD BRGR in Old Town Camarillo, Twisted Oak Tavern in Agoura, P&L Burger in Thousand Oaks, BJs, Freddy's Steakburgers in Westlake Village, Finney's Crafthouse and Kitchen in Westlake Village, Grinder Restaurant in Moorpark, Dog Haus in Thousand Oaks, Wood Ranch BBQ, Lucky Dogs at Janss Marketplace, Smashburger, Winchesters Grill in Ventura, Little Craft Creamery in Thousand Oaks, the Scratch Food Truck, Fusion Grill, Vintage Grocers, Cheesecake Factory, Breakfast Cafe, Ranch Hand BBQ and Marmalade Cafe.

So if you're looking for a good burger, this list may come in handy. Feel free to comment on your own best burger in the local area.

Driving Potrero Road From CSU Channel Islands to the Top of the Grade in Newbury Park

Top of the Potrero Grade before the descent towards Camarillo.

Potrero Road is a two-lane alternative from Newbury Park to Camarillo that takes you through some twists and turns at the top before straightening out a bit after the initial drop. Here's what the reverse drive looks like, just east of CSU Channel Islands up to just before the Rancho Potrero Open Space after cresting the the top.

If you a driving a big rig...forget this road and head back towards the 101. Trucks with over two axles are forbidden from taking this route with a 7% grade (with the exception of local deliveries).

For those that live in Newbury Park, Potrero Road is a nice way to get to beaches at Point Mugu State Park, including Sycamore Cove and Thornhill Broome.

CLICK HERE FOR PUBLIC BEACHES STRETCHING FROM MALIBU TO OXNARD

Ventura County Courthouse (now San Buenaventura City Hall) on National Register of Historic Places

Ventura City Hall (aka San Buenaventura City Hall) was originally built as the Ventura County Courthouse in 1912. Located at 501 Poli Street on a hill overlooking the City of Ventura and the Pacific Ocean, it has a terra cotta exterior, copper sheathed dome and Italian marble foyer.

The Courthouse was in use until 1969, when it was deemed to be an earthquake risk. However, the City of Ventura purchased the building from the county and renovated and made structural improvements to it. The building has functioned as Ventura City Hall since 1974.

It was designated State of California Landmark No. 847 in December 1970 and named to the National Register of Historic Places in August 1971.

Ventura County Court House photo dated February 1971 (Photo Credit: City of Ventura).

The original architect of the Courthouse was Albert C. Martin, who also designed Grauman's Chinese Theater (now TLC Chinese Theatre) in Hollywood.

According to the City's website, the 200-foot frontage by 135 foot depth annex was completed in 1932, after five years of work supervised by architect Harold Burkett. Between the first and second floor windows of City Hall are 24 faces, each depicting whimsical friars' faces which serve as a historical reminder that the City of San Buenaventura was one of the nine original Mission towns founded by Father Junipero Serra and Franciscan friars in 1782.

According to the City's website, significant restoration to the building's terra cotta exterior took place in 1987-88 and 2004-5. In 1987-88, it took 16 months of steam cleaning to restore 3,600 terra cotta tiles on City Hall West, including replacing 959 damaged tiles. In 2005, the complex's entire façade was restored, repairing 10,000 blocks by sanding and repainting, replacing 100 damaged blocks and installing a water repellant over the walls and joints.

The end result is that this is one beautiful, can't miss, historic building in Ventura County. More on Ventura City Hall at www.cityofventura.ca.gov/1098/Ventura-City-Hall.

One of the 24 friars' faces on the building taken February 1971 (Photo Credit: City of Ventura).

Budget-Friendly Summer Travel Tips

Budget-Friendly Summer Travel

by Mira Reverente

The New Year usually means a couple of things to me - put holiday decor away and start planning for summer vacation. Actually, even before the onset of the holidays, I usually have my eye on a couple of destinations or adventures already.

I have pretty straightforward criteria: budget-friendly and kid-friendly. A blog post on train travel planted the seed. Considering that his blog post has been shared 3.9 million times already I thought I must be onto something here.

So, I researched rail passes, which I found out you can purchase for 15, 30 or 45 days on amtrak.com, allowing you to make 8, 12 or 18 stops, respectively. I purchased the 15-day rail pass for $459 ($229.50 for children 12 and under), which my daughter and I are planning to use soon to tour the Midwest and the East Coast. You can’t beat that price for a seven-state tour we plan to do.

Lodging can get pretty pricey too. Fortunately, we’ll be staying with a college friend for the DC-Virginia-Maryland leg of our tour. For all the other stops, I have found good deals on Airbnb. Depending on your comfort level and privacy needs, you can choose from many options: anywhere from a parked RV to a couch, to a private room or even a villa.

I just keep an eye on extra fees like cleaning, security deposit, extra occupant, etc. because they do tend to sneak up on you if you’re not paying attention. I have had great experiences on Airbnb over the years and have received good reviews from the hosts as well.

If you are the adventurous and outdoorsy type, summer and camping probably go hand-in-hand for you. With a few one-time basic investments - a tent, a sleeping bag and a small stove - you are good to go camping.

In the past, I have found affordable campsites on recreation.gov and reserveamerica.org. The main difference between the two is that the latter includes state and private parks. You can book popular campsites like the Grand Canyon and Glacier National Park on recreation.gov. Last summer, our Glacier campsite was only $23 per night, while Yellowstone was $28 per night.

CAMPGROUNDS AND RV FACILITIES IN VENTURA COUNTY AND NEARBY AREAS

From my hiking buddies, I have heard that campendium.com is also a good resource for a listing of free campsites in eight states including CA. Just remember that although there may be no nightly rate for camping, there may be permits needed and they may not always be free. Another site, hipcamp.com, though not free, has an enticing listing of camping deals and new destinations.

More budget-friendly summer travel tips:

1. First rule of summer travel, avoid it if you can (just kidding). Some child-free friends of mine avoid it by traveling during “shoulder season” like early May or mid-late September when the kids are still or back in school. Prices also drop as soon as summer break is over.
2. Set a budget and stick to it. We all get carried away by dreamy pictures of the sand, sea and sangrias, but they all come with a price. Get on the same page with your spouse, significant other and family members as to how much you can afford to spend, so there are no surprises long after the vacation thrill has worn off.
3. Research. Use social media to find good deals and tips. Ask friends if they’ve been to your intended destination/s.
4. Plan well. If you are planning to visit NYC for three days, for example, and would like to hit the museums and popular landmarks, you can save money by buying discounted passes such as CityPass.
5. Stay in places which have basic kitchen facilities. Those restaurant meals out do add up quickly. Look for lodging with a kitchenette or a microwave at the very least, for heating up leftovers and preparing basic meals.

Happy summer traveling!

Conejo Valley resident Mira Reverente a.k.a. The Money Savvy Mommy, loves finding and sharing money saving strategies just as much as the next person. Her first book on money and thriving post-divorce is available on Amazon. Get your money savviness fill on themoneysavvymommy.com or follow her on Facebook and Instagram.

Conejo Rambler and "Mister Buttons the Clown" at the 1963 Conejo Valley Days Parade

In Spring 1963, soon after the effort to incorporate the City of Conejo (subsequently Thousand Oaks) was initiated, the Conejo Valley Days Parade took place. Back then, Thousand Oaks was still an unincorporated town in Ventura County.

In 1963, at 2594 E. Ventura Boulevard (later changed to Thousand Oaks Boulevard) in Thousand Oaks, was Conejo Rambler. Today, Allen Motors occupies that spot. 

Seen in the photo below is what appears to be a 1963 Rambler Classic Cross Country station wagon. The sign on the car indicates it was loaned for use in the parade by Conejo Rambler. Sitting on top of that station wagon is "Mister Buttons the Clown." No word on whatever happened to Mister Buttons the Clown, who does not appear to be wearing a seat belt in this shot.