Chumash Indian Museum / Oakbrook Regional Park

Located in Lang Ranch at the top of Westlake Boulevard near Avenida de los Arboles at 3290 Lang Ranch Parkway, Thousand Oaks, the Chumash Interpretative Center / Chumash Indian Museum contains Chumash artifacts and historical items, nature walks and tours of the beautiful local Oakbrook Regional Park area.  The museum is open Saturdays 10 am to 4 pm and Sundays from noon to 4 pm. Admission is $8 for adults, $5 for seniors 65+ and $5 for children under 12 (as of October 2025).

There is no charge to walk the trails in the park, which is open from sunrise to sunset daily.

The Chumash Indian Museum is located on a historical Chumash village site and contains a large collection of Chumash artifacts.

Stroll around the 436 acre Oakbrook Regional Park, a Ventura County historical landmark #90 (designated in 1983). More on Oakbrook Regional Park at www.crpd.org/oakbrook-regional-park

Contact the Center for more information about these and other events, field trips, weddings and birthday parties at www.chumashmuseum.org or 805.492.8076.

Examples of the Chumash Home - called an ‘ap (not to be confused with app). more on ‘aps at THIS LINK.

Beautiful canopied oak tree configuration at Oakbrook Regional Park, behind the Chumash Indian Museum.

Oakbrook Vista Trail in Thousand Oaks

The Oakbrook Vista Trail is a moderate out and back climb that provides nice panoramic views of the Lang Ranch area of Thousand Oaks. Access to the trail is on the south side of Lang Ranch Parkway, just east of Westlake Boulevard. See access point below.

The first portion is a narrow trail that zig zags its way to a bench, where you can rest and enjoy the views. But I'd estimate this is only 1/4 of a mile, so keep going if you're game!

After the bench, the trail opens up and continues up and up and up and if you reach the top, roughly a mile or so up the hill, you'll be enjoying 360 degree views towards Boney Mountain on the west, Lang Ranch/Woodridge trails on the north and more.

Same view as above, in May 2020.www.cosf.org/website/html/oakbrook-vista-trail.html

For a trail map and additional information, visit the Conejo Open Space Foundation website at cosf.org/trails/lang-ranch/lang-ranch-woodridge-easy-hike-oakbrook-vista-trail.

Conejo Valley Botanic Garden - Thousand Oaks

The Conejo Valley Botanic Garden is a 33 acre retreat of hiking trails and natural habitat adjacent to Conejo Community Park off of Lynn Road and Gainsborough. 

CVBG now offers plant sales (weather permitting) every Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. featuring California native and drought tolerant plants. Reasonable prices! Enter at the Kids' Adventure Garden entrance (400 W. Gainsborough Road).

This is really a special place to bring the kids for low key hike.  There are numerous trails and a short walk/hike to the top of the mountain rewards you with sweeping views of the entire Conejo Valley, from Westlake Village to Thousand Oaks to Newbury Park.

Here is what you'll find at the CVBG:

• The Nature Trail is 3/4 of a mile long and meanders above the creek through oaks and willows. This is a moderate trail.

• The Little Loop Trail leads you above the creek, through chaparral and around a meadow.

• The Native Plant Section and Lower Meadow feature southern and northern California plants.

• Lillian's Meadow showcases perennials, shrubs and trees that thrive with minimal water.

• The Salvia Garden delights hummingbirds and butterflies.

• The Butterfly Garden is a safe haven that provides nectar and food sources for butterflies and caterpillars.

• The Nursery houses workspace for the plant propagation team and hosts plant sales.

• The Herb Garden exhibits an extensive and unusual collection of medicinal, kitchen and aromatic herbs.

• The Bird Habitat has a fresh water source and is planted with native plants that provide year-round food source for birds.

• The Australian Section features collection of plants from down under.

• The Desert Garden hilltop landscape features cacti, succulents and desert trees and provides a panoramic view of the Conejo Valley.

• The Rare Fruit Orchard holds an extensive collection of trees.

• The Tranquility Garden is planted in the Japanese style featuring California native plants.

• The Oak Tree Grove has many species of North American and other oak trees.

• The Trail of Trees exhibits 50 trees with a variety of genera.

If you have small kids, they will love the Kids' Adventure Garden and treehouse, open on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.  They'll enjoy hiking through the trails and exploring the streams and bridges.

Conejo Valley Botanic Garden is located at 400 West Gainsborough Road, Thousand Oaks.  For more information visit www.conejogarden.org.

Desert Garden at the top of the hill, featuring cacti, succulents, etc.

Japanese style Tranquility Garden featuring native California plants

CLICK THIS LINK FOR MORE CVBG PHOTOS!

Stearns Wharf in Santa Barbara

Dolphins greet you at the entrance to Stearns Wharf.

Stearns Wharf is located at the juncture of W. Cabrillo Road and State Street in Santa Barbara. Originally constructed in 1872 by lumberman John P. Stearns as the longest deep-water pier between Los Angeles and San Francisco, it is now one of the most visible and visited tourist destinations in Santa Barbara. In 1980-81, the City of Santa Barbara restored the wharf, constructed new buildings on it and assumed operation of the facility.

Our family particularly enjoys visiting the Museum of Santa Barbara Sea Center located on the wharf, followed by a stop at Mother Stearns Candy Company or the Great Pacific Ice Cream Company. Of course, The Harbor Restaurant and Longboard’s Beach Bar and Grill are crowd favorites. There's also wine tasting at Deep Sea Wine Tasting Room, Moby Dick Restaurant, fish and chips, souvenir shops and other places.

View from the end of Stearns Wharf back toward the mainland.

View from Stearns Wharf

You can get onto the wharf in a number of ways. There is limited parking on the wharf. Cost (as of September 2025) is $3/hour, but the first 90 minutes are free. Or you can park along Cabrillo Road or in a local beach parking lot and walk onto the wharf. Or do what we enjoy...park at the Santa Barbara Harbor and ride bikes onto the wharf. The wood planks are a bit bumpy but you'll survive!

Learn more about Stearns Wharf at www.stearnswharf.org.

Beautiful views of the harbor area as you'll see below from the pier. If you walk onto the wharf, you may encounter some locals that "live off the land" with sand sculptures and other monuments on the sand for your viewing pleasure (and perhaps some spare change). They are part of the carnival atmosphere. And of course on Sundays you'll be treated to the Santa Barbara Arts & Crafts Show that has been running since 1965.

Arroyo Burro Beach Park in Santa Barbara

Arroyo Burro Beach is a beach park managed by the County of Santa Barbara. It is also referred to as Hendry's Beach, as the Boathouse at Hendry's Beach is located here at 2981 Cliff Drive. Decent sized parking lot with restaurant that offers moderately priced meals and drinks indoors/outdoors, seven days a week from 7:30am to 9:30pm. Arroyo Burro is a sandy beach, good for surfing, boogie boarding and fishing, with an adjoining park with grassy areas with picnic tables. Restrooms available. From the 101 take Las Positas Road south to Cliff Drive. Turn right and travel 1/2 mile to the park entrance. More information at www.countyofsb.org/810/Arroyo-Burro-Beach

Next to Arroyo Burro is the Douglas Family Preserve, an open space area donated to the City of Santa Barbara in 1997. The space contains walking trails, ocean views and offers off-leash beach fun for the doggies! sbparksandrec.santabarbaraca.gov/parks/douglas-family-preserve

CLICK THIS LINK FOR A COMPILATION OF SANTA BARBARA AREA BEACHES

Beaches Spanning From Carpinteria Through Ventura County to Malibu

My kids and I love going to the beach but for many years we seemed to go to the same ones all the time. So I stopped by the Automobile Club and asked them if they had a brochure on all the local area beaches open to the public. They shrugged their shoulders and said no such guidebook existed. They handed me a fold out map, which was of no use to me as I wanted to know exactly how to get to these beaches, if they have restrooms, parking, etc.

Then I started searching around for information and found bits and pieces in various locations that were marginally useful. So I decided to consolidate this information into one place where I could find out about where to go to the beach around Ventura County on up the coast to Carpinteria and Santa Barbara and down to Malibu. So I hope you find the following links helpful in finding local area beaches in Ventura County and surrounding areas!

Carpinteria to Ventura

Oxnard to Hueneme to Malibu

Santa Barbara Area Beaches

This took a lot of time to compile over 60 local area beach areas, so I truly hope you benefit from these lists! So enjoy and provide feedback if you have comments and/or additional information.

At Leo Carrillo State Beach in Malibu.

Windsurfers at Surfers' Point in Ventura.

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, The Greek Mediterranean Steak & Seafood, The Loose Cannon Bar/Arcade/Restaurant, The Parlor, and Wild Local Seafood Co. 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).

Ventura County Area Parks

There are hundreds of parks in Ventura County and surrounding areas. DOZENS of them are described in the Kid Fun section of CVG with pics and videos for you to check out!

But here is a compilation with links to all the various parks in the area.

Agoura Hills: www.agourahillscity.org/department/community-services-parks-recreation/parks-facilities/parks (6 parks)

Calabasas: www.cityofcalabasas.com/government/community-services-parks-recreation/parks-trails-and-facilities (8 parks)

Gates Canyon Park in Calabasas (Remodeled in 2024)

Camarillo: www.pvrpd.org/parks-list (28 active and passive use parks)

Malibu: www.malibucity.org/Facilities (6 parks)

Moorpark: www.moorparkca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/94 (18 parks)

Oak Park: rsrpd.org/parks/oak_park/parks/index.php (10 parks)

Ojai: www.ojairec.com/221/City-Parks (8 parks)

Oxnard: www.oxnard.gov/public-works/parks/find-a-park (36 parks)

Port Hueneme: www.ci.port-hueneme.ca.us/index.aspx?nid=553 (7 parks)

Santa Paula: spcity.org/300/Parks-Facilities (11 parks)

Simi Valley: rsrpd.org/parks/simi_valley/parks/index.php (37 parks)

Conejo Valley (Thousand Oaks/Newbury Park/Westlake Village) www.crpd.org/parks-reservations/parks (51 parks)

Thousand Oaks Community Park

Ventura: www.cityofventura.ca.gov/1952/City-Parks (24 parks)

County of Ventura Beach Front Parks: venturacounty.gov/parks-department/beach-front-parks (3 parks)

County of Ventura Inland Parks: venturacounty.gov/parks-department/inland-parks (13 parks)

Westlake Village: www.wlv.org/city_services/parks-rec.asp (8 parks)

Ventura Improv Company

Ventura Improv Company has brought made up on the spot laughs to Ventura County since 1989. 

In addition to monthly live improv on Friday at NAMBA Arts, VIC offers improv and acting workshops for all ages.

More information at www.venturaimprov.com.

Skateboarding Hall of Fame and Museum in Simi Valley

The Skateboarding Hall of Fame and Museum opened at the Simi Valley Town Center in December 2018. It is located directly across from the Vans store in the mall in a space of over 10,000 square feet.

The International Skateboarding Hall of Fame is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded by Todd Huber. It was created to honor the passion, dedication and contributions to skateboarding history and culture by skateboarders and cultural icons through the decades.

The museum displays hundreds of skateboards and other skating artifacts spanning decades. There is also an art gallery, gift shop, theater/library (over 600 skating videos as well as skating magazines) and skate shop.

Also on site is s skate park with a fun wall ride available to local youth. Cost is $15 (as of March 2024).

Admission to the museum is free. Donations to the non-profit are always welcome.

Visit www.skateboardinghalloffame.org for more information. Hours as of May 2025 are Wed-Fri 2-8pm, Sat 11am-8pm and Sun noon-5pm.

Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History

Founded in 1916, the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History makes for a great excursion to Santa Barbara with the kids.  There are eight exhibit halls with permanent exhibits featuring birds, mammals, insects, ocean life, a planetarium and more. Many of the exhibits are "hands on" with buttons and interactive features that kids particularly enjoy. There are an additional two halls for changing exhibits.

You and your kids can roam the nature paths and visit the well stocked gift shop, full of educational items. I can vouch for the fascination kids (and adults) have at this Museum. It is a very comfortable museum that in my experience is rarely is crowded. The "Museum Backyard" area and gardens has a picnic area, stream and other enjoyable features. The pond and stream often have tadpoles that captivate the kids.

The museum is open 7 days a week from 10am to 5pm and is closed certain holidays. As of May 2025, admission is $19 for adults, $17 for 65+ seniors and teens (13-17) and $14 for children 2 to 12 years of age. Become a Museum member and you don't have to pay for admission. Tax-deductible family memberships are currently start at $109 per year.

Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History is located at 2559 Puesta del Sol Road, Santa Barbara. More information at www.sbnature.org or 805.682.4711.

McGrath Family Farm in Camarillo

McGrath Family Farm at 1012 West Ventura Blvd, Camarillo (take the Central Avenue offramp from the 101...McGrath is just south of the freeway) is a sustainable farm that grows organic fruits, vegetables and flowers for the local community.

The Farm Market is open Wednesday through Saturday, 10am to 4pm and Sunday 11am to 4pm.

We've been here numerous times over the years and I just love the fresh fruit and veggies available most of the year. You can find some nice locally grown gems here like heirloom tomatoes, strawberries, avocados and so much more.

Or pick your own for $10, plus the cost of the produce. Picking season generally starts around April 15th each year.

For more information, visit www.storeatmcgrath.com or call 805.983.0333.

McGrath Farm Tours (as of September 2012)

Feeding the animals at McGrath Family Farm.

Spring Canyon Trail Hike in Thousand Oaks

The Spring Canyon Trail is a short, fairly easy hike in the Newbury Park/Thousand Oaks section of the Los Robles Trail system that is great family fun.

Although a good portion of the Spring Canyon Trail is flat like this, there definitely are some moderately hilly sections.

This one mile trail runs east from the vicinity of Lynn Oaks Park, 359 Capitan Street, Newbury Park as well from the eastern terminus of Hemlock Lane, at Heavenly Valley Road in Newbury Park (in the Ventu Park community) to a juncture where you can either continue straight ahead for about a half a mile towards the Los Robles Trail access point at South Moorpark Road and Greenmeadow Avenue in Thousand Oaks or veer up "Space Mountain" on the right. (The views at the top of Space Mountain are awesome but this is a bit of a climb and is very popular with mountain bikers...probably not the best direction with little ones).

The path that takes you from Lynn Oaks Park to the Spring Canyon Trail.

Sign above Lynn Oaks Park that tells you that to the left is Los Robles Trail and to the right is the Hemlock Lane gate in Ventu Park.

Out and back you can make this a 2 to 3 mile moderate hike or more if you add in the Oak Creek Canyon Loop or Los Robles Nature Walk.

Sign at the east terminus of Spring Canyon Trail indicating Moorpark Road is half a mile away. Behind me is the trail toward "Space Mountain" and Los Robles Trail going east towards Newbury Park.

You can also park your car at the Moorpark Road/Greenmeadow trailhead and make your way west towards the Spring Canyon Trail and perhaps eat lunch or snack at Lynn Oaks Park (which by the way also has a nice playground area, basketball court and more...but no restroom however).