King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas

The 588-acre King Gillette Ranch (26800 West Mulholland Highway, Calabasas) is situated adjacent to Malibu Creek State Park. This scenic parkland at the lower end of the Las Virgenes Valley is a haven for larger mammals of the Santa Monica Mountains and offers a rare unspoiled view of California’s rich archaeological, cultural, and historic resources, including a Chumash settlement, and nationally significant structures designed for razor magnate King C. Gillette in the 1920’s by Wallace Neff, architect of California’s Golden Age.

View of King Gillette Ranch from Inspiration Point, south of the Gillette Mansion

A short, somewhat steep roughly 1 mile hike from the parking area south of the Gillette Mansion leads to a knoll with 360-degree views—including the famous rock formations of Malibu Creek State Park. This is referred to as Inspiration Point. You will love the spectacular views from up there.

View from Inspiration Point west towards Malibu Creek State Park.

Other activities include strolling, bicycling, photography, and picnicking. King Gillette Ranch is owned and managed by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority in cooperation with the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area unit of the National Park Service, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, and California State Parks.  More information at lamountains.com/parks.asp?parkid=670 or call the Anthony C. Beilenson Interagency Visitor Center at 805.370.2301.

Directions from the Conejo Valley: Take Hwy 101 (Ventura Freeway) to the Las Virgenes/Malibu Canyon exit. Head south on Las Virgenes Road and continue to Mulholland Hwy, about two miles. Turn left onto Mulholland Highway and immediately look for the King Gillette Ranch entrance on the right.

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!

Rocking K Horse Rentals - Newbury Park (CLOSED)

Rocking K is no longer in operation as of around July 2019. A new operator is taking over and trail rides will be coming back in the October 2019 time frame. See http://ranchopotrero.org for more information.

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Rocking K Horse Rentals, open 7 days a week, is located at 4790 West Lynn Road in Newbury Park. Horses are available for rent, guided tours, birthday parties, summer camps and more. 

Minimum age requirement is 6. Minimum height requirement is 44 inches tall. Maximum weight is 260 lbs. All children under 16 are required to wear protective headgear. Helmets are provided but you may also bring your own.

Visit www.rockingkhorserentals.com or call 805.499.9512 for more information.

Leo's Arcade & Games in Fillmore (CLOSED)

LEO’S ARCADE CLOSED ITS DOORS SOMETIME IN LATE SUMMER 2019

Leo’s Arcade & Games is located at 359 Central Street in Fillmore. Leo’s has an assortment of vintage arcade and pinball games, PS4, Xbox and a variety of vintage gaming consoles such as Nintendo, Super Nintendo Game Cube and Sega, air hockey, foosball, billiards table and more.

Who’s Leo? Leo, who has a passion for retro gaming, moved to Fillmore with his military family of five in June 2018. Leo decided to share his passion with the community by opening this 2,500 square foot arcade in old town Fillmore, just a short walk from Fillmore & Western Railway, on December 29, 2018.

To my knowledge, Leo’s Arcade is one-of-a-kind in Ventura County.

Check out their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/FillmoreArcade.

Some (just a sampling) of their games on hand include:

• Pinball: Lethal Weapon 3, Star Trek, Road Kings, Bally Club Chicago

• Arcade Games: Alien, The Simpsons, Nascar Racing, Super Mario, Joust, Ms. Pac-Man, Tetris, Star Wars Trilogy, Invasion and many more.

• Other Games: Two billiards tables, air hockey, two foosball tables

Pricing (as of March 2019): $12 per hour, $17 for two hours and $25 for the entire DAY! Open Mon-Thurs 2:30-8:30PM, Fri 2:30PM-Midnight, Sat Noon-Midnight and Sun Noon-8PM.

Painting with a Twist Thousand Oaks - CLOSED

PERMANENTLY CLOSED IN 2021

Painting with a Twist Thousand Oaks opened on November 30, 2017 in the Clear Oaks Plaza at 1867 Thousand Oaks Boulevard. 

Painting with a Twist provides customers with paint, a canvas and brushes that lead to a fun evening with friends and a finished piece of art.  And yes, you receive professional instruction to create your work of art as well as access to wine.

The studio is 3 rooms, consisting of an art bar and private party room (both 21+ only) and a family room that is alcohol-free for kids’ classes, young adult parties and family fun-time events. The studio art bar offers wine, beer, soft drinks and hot beverages for sale.

Private Parties are great for groups of 10 or more; age restrictions apply to each studio room. For private family events, children under the age of 7 must be supervised by an adult family member at all times.

For more information visit www.paintingwithatwist.com/studio/thousand-oaks or call 805.372.7928.

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.

Six Flags Magic Mountain

Six Flags Magic Mountain (SFMM) is a 260-acre theme park located north of Los Angeles at the Magic Mountain Parkway exit off Interstate 5 in Valencia. From Ventura County, you can get there by taking either the 101 or 118 to the 405 North then to the 5 North, or you can take the backroads route via the 126. In fact, coming from Ventura, Ojai, Oxnard, Santa Paula and Fillmore, the 126 is probably the best way to go.

SFMM originally opened on Memorial Day weekend on May 30, 1971 and was purchased by Six Flags in 1979 for you trivia buffs. The park has over 100 rides, games and attractions and boasts 18 world-class roller coasters, apparently more than any other theme park in the world!

Among the park’s world-class roller coasters and thrill rides are X2, the world’s only 5th dimensional roller coaster, Tatsu, the tallest, fastest and longest flying coaster, Scream, Southern California’s first floorless coaster, Déjà Vu, a looping, boomerang coaster, Goliath, the giant among coasters, Batman The Ride, The Riddler’s Revenge and more.

There's an entire kids rides section called Bugs Bunny World that has 9 kiddie rides. There's about 16 "family" type rides that are for all ages. There are shows all the time and plenty of Looney Tunes characters around the park. This is a complete no brainer of a place to bring a group of kids for birthday parties. I took my stepson here with his pals at age 12 and of course they loved it.

On a personal note, I actually worked at SFMM one summer during my high school years. I'll even admit to what I did. I was a Park Service Attendant (PSA), which is a glorified title for cleaning crew.

Visit www.sixflags.com/magicMountain to learn more about SFMM and to purchase tickets. Speaking of tickets though, the Auto Club usually offers discounted tickets, so check that out if you're a member. 

McCrea Ranch Visitor Center in Thousand Oaks

Opened in 2011, the McCrea Ranch Visitor Center is the former family home and ranch of Western film actor Joel McCrea and his wife and family.  McCrea Ranch is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Center provides a variety of interpretive, educational, and cultural programs for the community, while preserving the unique history of this property through the Conejo Recreation and Park District. At some point and as funds become available in the future, the Visitor Center will be open to the general public. Visit crpd.org/about_us/community_partners/mccrea_ranch_visitor_center.asp for upcoming events at McCrea Ranch or call 805.495.2163.

McCrea Ranch is located at 4500 N. Moorpark Road, Thousand Oaks, near the bottom of the Norwegian Grade.

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

Studio Channel Islands Art Center in Camarillo

Studio Channel Islands Art Center (SCIART) is a non-profit organization that provides the community with a cultural hub for working artists with over 20 studios, first-class art exhibitions of both local as well as national artists in our convenient gallery, Meet The Artist programs, docent tours and workshops for all ages. All of the above is offered free of charge to students. SCIART offers participants from elementary to high school, from university level to active seniors, creative learning experiences along with the opportunity to build self-esteem and strengthen bonds with the community.

SCIART was created by a visionary group of local artists in Ventura County, concurrent with the development of California State University Channel Islands, in Camarillo.

Art lovers and enthusiasts of all ages are invited to join in educational classes and workshops, and many special events such as tours and openings that are offered throughout the year by local, national and international artists.

The SCIART gallery as well as artists' studios are located at 2222 Ventura Boulevard, Camarillo. Visit www.studiochannelislands.org or call 805.383.1368 for more information and hours of operation.

FREE FIRST SATURDAYS! Spend the first Saturday of the month exploring the studios from 11am to 4pm. Admission and parking are free of charge. As many as 40 of the area's best artists welcome visitors into their studios to watch them create sculptures, paintings and multimedia pieces, up-close and personal. 

El Matador State Beach in Malibu

Robert H. Meyer Memorial State Beach is made up of a number of cove or cliff-foot strands known as "pocket beaches" along the west end of Malibu, including El Pescador, La Piedra and El Matador. Let's take a closer look at El Matador Beach.

El Matador Beach is located at 32350 Pacific Coast Highway, just east of where Encinal Canyon Road intersects with PCH. A dirt path, then several sets of steps, leads to 18 acres of narrow, sandy beach with beautiful rock formations and caves. Because of the unique nature of these formations, undoubtedly you will encounter many folks taking photos.

Of particular interest at El Matador State Beach are the rock formations, sea stacks and caves.

A view east towards Point Dume from the bluffs above the beach.

There is a parking lot with limited room for 25 or so cars where you can pay $3/hour or $10 for all day (as of July 2019).  You can also park on PCH, but on the north side...for whatever reason parking is prohibited on the south side of PCH. This means you have to cross PCH, which can be a challenge.

Porta-johns are available. Dog are not allowed on California state beaches.

More information at www.lamountains.com/parks.asp?parkid=145.

CLICK HERE FOR OTHER PUBLIC BEACHES STRETCHING FROM OXNARD TO MALIBU

Not a lot of beach available when the tide rises in the evening, so do be careful.

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.