The Conejo Valley Guide "Welcome" blog covers a wide range of topics, local information, highlights of local things to do, compilations and other items. Focus is on information relevant to Ventura County and surrounding areas, including Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village, Newbury Park, Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Malibu, Simi Valley, Camarillo, Moorpark, Somis, Fillmore, Santa Paula, Ojai, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Santa Barbara and Moorpark.
The Conejo Valley Guide® "Welcome" blog covers a wide range of topics, local information, local things to do, holiday event compilations, announcements and more.
Dedicated to the residents of the Conejo Valley in December 2001, the Gardens of the World is a beautiful tribute to various cultures of the world. The 4.5 acre site is located in the heart of Thousand Oaks at 2001 Thousand Oaks Boulevard, literally across the street from the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza and sandwiched between a strip mall on one side and Mastro's Steakhouse on the ot
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California Poppy Reserve in mid-April 2017 (Photo Credit: Joe Longo)
April 20, 2018 Bloom Status Update: As of April 20th, we don't have a lot of flowers blooming due to the late winter rains and the flowers we do have are fading after last week’s heat. There are only a few small poppies blooming along the trails, but most of them are going to seed. The goldfields and lacy phacelia are in bloom but have started fading. A few belly flowers such as forget me nots and rattlesnake weed can be found along many of the trails.
Just 75 miles from the Conejo Valley is the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve State Natural Reserve in Lancaster.
The Reserve comes alive each spring with seasonal wildflowers, lasting from as early as mid-February through May.
There are eight miles of trails, including a paved section for wheelchair access.
The public is asked not to walk in the wildflowers as this causes lasting damage. No dogs, bikes on trails, drones, or picking flowers.
The Jane S. Pinheiro Interpretive Center is open March 1st through Mother's Day, with wildflower and wildlife exhibits, an orientation video, a gallery of Jane's botanical watercolor paintings, and a gift shop benefiting the non-profit association. The Interpretive Center is only open during the spring wildflower bloom and for special events.
The reserve is located 15 miles west of Highway 14 near the city of Lancaster. The visitor center is located 1/2 mile north of the intersection of 150th St W & Lancaster Road.
Visitors may park on Lancaster Road and walk in for free, but must stay along the entrance road and enter at the kiosk; visitors entering the park through the fenceline or by walking across the open fields from the road will be fined.
Parking is $10 ($9 for 62+). Learn more at www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=627.
Photo Credit: Joe Longo
Photo Credit - Joe Longo
For a more local display of poppies and wildflowers, try the Ray Miller Trail / La Jolla Canyon in Point Mugu State Park. (NOTE: This areas is also a bit dry in 2018; no wildflowers of significance as of April 2018).
Muvico Theater at The Oaks Shopping Mall in Thousand Oaks opened its doors on February 27, 2009.
Four and a half years later, Carmike Cinemas purchased nine Muvico theaters in Florida, Illinois and California, including the Thousand Oaks Muvico. However, Carmike did not re-brand the Conejo Valley based Muvico as it continued to operate as Muvico.
On November 15, 2016, Carmike announced it was purchased by AMC Theatres. The merger was completed on December 20, 2016.
While the theatre promptly changed its online branding to AMC Dine-In Thousand Oaks 14, the iconic Muvico sign continued to be prominently displayed. Until now.
The Muvico signs are finally gone.
"We're going to be all over social media" says Alex Trebek as he slowly walks 100 year old Joyce Pesner of Newbury Park back to the audience.
The Dream Foundation grants wishes for terminally ill adults, and Joyce's wish was to meet Alex. She has watched Jeopardy! every night before bed since the show has been on the air.
(Fellow Conejo Valley inhabitant and friend L David Irete was the lucky person who shot this video.)
More: www.jeopardy.com/jbuzz/features/dream-foundation-100-year-old-fan
There is a live cam in place in the Sauces Canyon of Santa Cruz Island that allows researcher and the general public to observe a bald eagle nest. This nest was in for some action today as a 5.3 magnitude earthquake originated just south of the island!
Watch the video feed below for live action.
If you're ever driving California State Route 14 (Antelope Valley Freeway) on your way to the high desert, you'll probably notice amazing rock foundations north of the freeway in Agua Dulce and freeway signs that indicate Vasquez Rocks.
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 ancient rock layers have slowly been compressed, folded and tilted while erosion has gradually stripped away the soil around the rocks, leaving spectacular jetting slabs. The large rock outcroppings are sandstone beds with areas of shale, basalt and reddish brown layering, sitting at angles of as much as 50 degrees, sweeping up to a peak of nearly 150 feet high.
Although habitation of the area goes back to the Tataviam Indians from 2000 B.C. to the late 1700s, the land has been named after a bandit named Tiburcio Vasquez, who used the rocks to escape from sheriff's posses. Vasquez Rocks may well be the only park in the world named after a notorious bandit who was ultimately caught and hanged.
The park is a popular hiking, picnicking and equestrian area and has been used in many hit movies, television shows and commercials. A sampling of productions filmed at Vasquez Rocks include The Flintsones (movie), Planet of the Apes, Dracula (1931), Blazing Saddles, Austin Powers, Little Miss Sunshine, Power Rangers, Star Trek and many more.
Located at 10700 W. Escondido Canyon Road in Agua Dulce. Take the Agua Dulce Canyon Road exit from the 14 and follow the signs. When you pull into the park, there will be an Interpretative Center with educational displays and a small gift shop on the right. Turn left on the dirt road to get to parking near the rock formations. The Interpretive Center is open Tuesday – Sunday 8:00am to 4:00 pm. Closed Mondays, except holidays.
Visit parks.lacounty.gov/wps/portal/dpr/Parks/Vasquez_Rocks_Natural_Area or call 661.268.0840 for more information. Vasquez Rocks is about an hour drive from Thousand Oaks and 35 to 40 minute drive from the eastern end of Simi Valley.
Hill north of the 101 on the Conejo Grade seen erupting as an active volcano this morning after millions of years in dormancy.
Thousand Oaks residents were startled this morning when a dormant volcano north of Highway 101 erupted.
Newbury Park resident Marvin Molten and his family were halfway up the Conejo Grade when the smoke started spewing out and the lava started flowing down the sides of the prominent hill north of the 101.
"We were on our way to grandma's house for Easter ham when we see this orange lava coming down the hill to the right," said Marvin's wife, Marcy. "We stopped for a family selfie on the right shoulder, when the heat from the lava literally melted the See's Chocolate Easter Bunny in my daughter's lap. The melted chocolate made a huge mess all over the car!"
This Easter surprise lasted only about 10 minutes. Terry Tectonic of the National Weather Service in Oxnard indicated "the morning fog rolled in from Camarillo and put a damper on the lava flow; thankfully now I can get back to my family's backyard Easter egg hunt."
Mandy Mantle was hiking on a nearby trail in the Conejo Open Space when she heard an explosion. She looked up and saw ashes flying everywhere. "For a second I thought it was Ash Wednesday," said Mantle.
Happy April Fools' Day!
April Fools' fun in prior years
Now go take a hike at one of over 50 local area trails and hikes around Ventura County.
Conejo Valley Guide covers events, activities and things to do throughout Ventura County and surrounding areas.
Conejo Valley Guide® covers thousands of events, activities and things to do throughout Ventura County, California and surrounding areas.
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