Healing Garden at Conejo Creek Park North in Thousand Oaks

The Healing Garden is located at the Lakeside Pavilion at Conejo Creek Park North behind the Thousand Oaks Library at 1379 E. Janss Road, Thousand Oaks. In response to the tragedy at the Borderline Bar and Grill on November 7, 2018, the City of Thousand Oaks and Conejo Recreation and Park District partnered to create this place in memory of the 12 lives lost in the Borderline Tragedy as a place where the community can reflect, grieve, remember and heal. The Healing Garden was dedicated on November 7, 2019.

Somis Nut House Has Been a Ventura County Tradition Since 1959

The Somis Nut House has served the cravings of Ventura County residents since 1959. Originally it was a walnut processing plant that processed locally grown walnuts in the area. Today it serves up a wide selection of nuts, interesting snacks, trail mixes, seeds, candies, dried fruits, other edibles and gift baskets.

What I really like about this place is that it is a throwback to another era. The inside of the Somis Nut House looks as if it has never changed. Although the original founder of the store passed away in 2009, his family continues to operate the Nut House.

Front of the store from the 118 (Los Angeles Ave) east of Bradley Road.

One might ask, why would I want to drive from, say, Thousand Oaks, to buy nuts at the Somis Nut House? We can go to Trader Joes, Sprouts, Lassens, Whole Foods, etc. Well, I'll tell you that none of those places have the same retro ambiance and great selection of the Somis Nut House! And the freshness of the items here is outstanding.

The Somis Nut House is located at 4475 E. Los Angeles Avenue in Somis. From Thousand Oaks, take the Santa Rosa Road exit off the 101 and turn right. Take a left on Adolfo to Lewis Road, where you'll turn right (north) until you reach Los Angeles Avenue. Turn left and your destination will in a mile on the right.

More information at www.somisnuthouse.com or call 805.386.1211.

Somis is an unincorporated community of about 3,000 residents in Ventura County that was established in 1892. The name Somis means “water of the scrub oak” in the Chumash language, indicating the presence of water.

Mugu Canyon Rest Area in Oxnard

The Mugu Canyon Rest Area is located at 5735 Pacific Coast Highway in Oxnard, at the corner where PCH veers due north near Naval Base Ventura County.

“Rest Stop for Weary Travelers”

There is a viewing platform at the rest area with a bronze dedication tablet affixed to a rock, as well as two interpretive panels.

The tablet reads “Dedicated One July, Nineteen 1975 to Professor Emeritus and Mrs. George E. MacGinity in recognition of their scientific efforts for over fifty years to preserve the vital estuaries of California and the United States as a whole, and for their leadership in the field of marine and estuarine biology. This husband and wife team exemplify the need for people from all walks of life to work together so that man may live and prosper in harmony with his environment.”

The first interpretative panel points out that the Mugu Lagoon is the largest remaining coastal wetland in Southern California, providing much-needed food, shelter and breeding habitat. Naval Base Ventura County preserves and protects this area for wildlife and bird lovers.

The second panel describes the Chumash “House of the Sea,” a tomol, or plank canoe. Chumash mariners would paddle on a tomol, built by splitting driftwood, sewing planks with cordage and caulking with tar, as far as the Channel Islands. They would fish the open waters, return to this lagoon and the nearby Chumash village of Muwu.

Ice Cream and Frozen Yogurt Places in Ventura County That Have Closed Since 2009

We’ve been tracking ice cream, frozen yogurt, gelato and other types of places throughout Ventura County and adjacent areas since 2009. The list at THIS LINK is updated periodically.

As we’ve added to the list, we’ve also removed places from the list that have closed over the years. For historical purposes, we have compiled the frozen treat graveyard below.

Frozen Yogurt/Ice Cream Graveyard

• Marble Slab Creamery at Paraiso (now The Village at Dos Vientos) closed Nov 2009

• Blizz Frozen Yogurt Thousand Oaks The Lakes (Closed in Q1 2011)

• Marble Slab Creamery Camarillo 62 Daily Drive (Closed late 2010)

• Polar Bears Ice Cream/Yogurt Camarillo (Closed in Q2 2011)

• Misty Berry Frozen Yogurt Westlake Village (Closed ~Q2 2011)

• TCBY Yogurt Camarillo Outlets (Closed sometime in 2011)

• Marble Slab Creamery Oxnard (Closed late summer 2011)

• Yogreens Camarillo (Opened 9/24/11; Closed 12/2/11)

• Yozen Frogurt Thousand Oaks (Closed early 2012)

• Lotus Yogurt Bar Thousand Oaks (Closed early 2012)

• Chill Frozen Yogurt Ventura (Closed early 2012)

• FroYo and Joe Ventura (Closed at unknown date)

• Golden Spoon 5891 Kanan Road, Agoura (Closed Jan 1, 2013)

• Golden Spoon 796 Wendy Drive, Newbury Park (Closed Jan 15, 2013)

• Marble Slab Creamery 4960 Telephone Road, Ventura (Closed at unknown date)

• Go Yogurt! 2780 Cochran Street, Simi Valley (Closed at unknown date)

• Golden Spoon 2000 Ave de los Arboles, Thousand Oaks (Closed Mid-Summer 2013)

• Luna Blu Frozen Yogurt Cafe Simi Valley Town Center (Closed Mid-Summer 2013)

• Sweet Retreat 525 Los Angeles Ave, Moorpark (Closed 10/27/13)

• Surf'N Yogurt 550-A W. Main St, Santa Paula (Closed mid-Nov 2013)

• Golden Spoon 1404 N. Moorpark Road, Thousand Oaks (Closed Dec 2013)

• Golden Spoon 1197 E. Los Angeles Ave, Simi Valley (Closed in Dec 2013 time frame)

• Twist Frozen Yogurt 26777 Agoura Road, Calabasas (Closed in late January 2014)

• Chill n Grill Shave Ice 1775 E. Daily Drive, Camarillo (closed 2/15/14)

• Carvel Ice Cream 144 West Los Angeles Ave, Moorpark (Closed at unknown date)

• Fosters Freeze2750 Camino Dos Rios, Newbury Park (Closed at unknown date)

• Melt Gelato Italiano Simi Valley Town Center (Closed at unknown date)

• Cherry On Top in Simi Valley (Closed in Summer 2014)

• Menchie's Frozen Yogurt Promenade at Westlake (Closed in late Summer 2014)

• Tizzy Yogurt Cafe 1404 N. Moorpark Road, Thousand Oaks (Closed in Dec 2014)

• Tizzy Yogurt Cafe 1197 E. Los Angeles Ave, Simi Valley (Closed in December 2014)

• Swirl Frozen Yogurt in Newbury Park became Krave It in December 2014

• Whirly Cups 377 E. Main St, Ventura (Closed sometime in 2014)

• Ben & Jerry's Pacific View Mall (Closed in late 2014)

• Cold Stone Creamery, 2390 Las Posas Rd, Camarillo became Scoops Creamery in Spring 2015

• Bericup Frozen Yogurt The Oaks Mall Thousand Oaks (Closed sometime in 2015)

• Haagen-Dazs 3825 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd, Westlake Village (Closed in Fall 2015)

• Pinkberry Frozen Yogurt 3835 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd, Westlake Village (Closed Dec 2015)

• YogurtLane 2480 Erringer Road, Simi Valley (805.581.3500) (apparently closed)

• The Ice Cream Lab at the Westlake Plaza, 2728 Townsgate Road (Closed May 2016)

• Cre8 Pizza 1263 Simi Town Center Way, Simi Valley (Closed in 2016)

• Scoops Creamery 2390 Las Posas Road, Camarillo (Closed in 2016)

• Krave It Frozen Yogurt at The Village at Dos Vientos (Closed in Fall 2016)

• YoYumYum Frozen Yogurt 938 N. Ventura Road, Oxnard (Closed in Fall 2016)

• Shave It! Shave Ice 455 Carmen Drive, Camarillo (became The Ice Bar Cafe in early 2017)

• Sweet & Swirly Frozen Yogurt 417 E. Port Hueneme Road (2017)

• Surf'N Yogurt 5233 Mission Oaks Blvd, Camarillo (805.419.4960) (2017)

• The Ice Bar Cafe 455 Carmen Drive, Camarillo (Fall 2017)

• The Ice Bar Cafe 2902 Tapo Canyon Road, Ste C, Simi Valley (Fall 2017)

• Wild Cherry Frozen Yogurt 5100 Telegraph Rd, Ventura (Closed 2017)

• Paciugo Gelato at The Oaks Mall (Closed early 2018)

• Baskin Robbins 2823 Agoura Road, Westlake Village (Closed 6/20/18)

• The Ice Cream Store 313 E. Port Hueneme Road, Hueneme

• Dairy Queen at Pacific View Mall

• Surf'N Yogurt 550 A W. Main St, Santa Paula

• Shave It! Shaved Ice 11 East Hillcrest Drive, Thousand Oaks (closed Dec 2018)

• U Yogurt 5722 Telephone Rd, Ventura (805.644.2020)

• Haagen-Dazs The Oaks Mall (805.371.4440) (closed early 2019)

• Sweet XO 5825 Kanan Road, Agoura frozen yogurt, shave ice (closed Jan 2019)

• Go Greek Yogurteria at The Oaks Mall (closed April 2019)

• Golden Spoon 22259 Mulholland Hwy, Calabasas (closed in summer 2019)

• SweetFrog Frozen Yogurt 2306 Las Posas Road, Camarillo (closed in fall 2019)

• Cold Stone Creamery 4986 Verdugo Way, Camarillo (Closed around Dec 2019)

• Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers 391 Hampshire Road, Westlake Village (closed in the spring 2020 time frame).

• Baskin Robbins 1769 E. Avenida de los Arboles, Thousand Oaks (805.409.7431) (closed in May 2020 but there’s a chance a new owner could reopen it I’ve heard)

• Peachwave Frozen Yogurt 5755 Las Virgenes Rd, Ste B, Calabasas (Opened in 2018, closed in early 2020)

• Dippin' Dots Ventura 6120 Telegraph Rd, Ventura (Closed sometime in 2020)

• Menchies Frozen Yogurt 4776 Commons Way, Calabasas (Closed early 2020)

• Sub Zero Ice Cream & Yogurt 607 E. Main St, Ventura (Closed sometime in 2020)

• Yogurtland at the Camarillo Premium Outlets (Closed sometime in 2020)

• Honeymee Ice Cream at Camarillo Premium Outlets (Closed sometime in 2020)

• Tutti Frutti 2819 Saviers St #C, Oxnard (Location is now called Yogurt Creations)

• GROM Gelateria 3888 Cross Creek Road, Malibu (Closed in mid 2020)

• Shavers Hawaiian Shave Ice at The Oaks mall (Closed in spring/summer 2020)

• Green Leaf’s and Bananas Frozen Yogurt at Camarillo Premium Outlets (Closed in 2020)

• Yogurtland 4960 Telephone Rd, Ventura (Closed in 2020)

• Swirl Frozen Yogurt 267 Village Commons Blvd, Camarillo (Closed in 2020)

• Godiva Chocolatier at Camarillo Premium Outlets closed in April 2021

• Yogurtland 1670 East Gonzales Road, Oxnard (closed in 2021)

• Yofrutii Frozen Yogurt 4275 Tierra Rejada Road, Moorpark (Apparently closed in early 2022)

• Yogurt Creations 2819 Saviers St #C, Oxnard (Closed 2021ish)

• Tifa Chocolate & Gelato 23655 Calabasas Road, Calabasas (Early 2023)

• Raspado House at 540 N. Moorpark Road, Thousand Oaks (Summer 2023)

• Ben and Jerry's at The Collection at RiverPark in Oxnard (2023)

• Menchie's Frozen Yogurt at The Oaks Mall closed in June 2024

El Tecolote Cafe in Camarillo Captured by Local Artist in Oil Painting

El Tecolote by Linda Dark of Camarillo.

Linda Dark has lived in Camarillo since 1978. For the last 12 years she has captured local scenes in oil paint. Here is her rendition of the historic El Tecolote, located at 333 N. Lewis Road, in the image above. El Tecolote serves up delicious, authentic Mexican food for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

According to the El Tecolote website, World War II veteran Mike Loza opened his restaurant in Moorpark in 1946. The owls occupying the trees surrounding the restaurant were the inspiration for the name El Tecolote (The Owl).

The cafe was moved to a small house in Camarillo in 1948. It was so small that a frustrated customer helped finance a move to its current location in 1952. The restaurant is now owned and managed by the Guardado family. Visit www.facebook.com/eltecoloterestaurant or call 805.482.4318 for more information. 

El Tecolate the night of Monday, September 8, 2014.

The Ventura County Fair Has Operated at Seaside Park in Ventura Since 1914

Although the Ventura County Fair traces its roots back 145 years, it commenced operating at its current location at Seaside Park in Ventura in 1914.

Seaside Park was donated to the county by E. P. Foster in 1909 and the first Ventura County Fair to take place there was in 1914.

This ad from 1926 is for the 12th Annual Ventura County Fair at Seaside Park. Fifty cents in 1926 dollars equals about $7.25 in 2020. Back then they had horse races. whippet (dog) races, chariot races and more.

The 2020 and 2021 Ventura County Fair were cancelled as a result of the pandemic, but the VC Fair Board of Directors has announced the fair will be back August 3 to August 14, 2022!