Chase Palm Park in Santa Barbara

Chase Palm Park in Santa Barbara is a huge park that sandwiches East Cabrillo Boulevard.  On the ocean side of Cabrillo the park consists of a palm-lined, narrow strip of park adjacent to East Beach with an oceanfront bike path and walkway from Stearns Wharf to East Beach.  This side of the park is host to Sunday/holiday arts and crafts shows.  The 14,600 square foot Skater's Point skate park is also located on this side of the park.

Call 805.564.5418 for more information or visit www.santabarbaraca.gov/gov/depts/parksrec/parks/features/playgrounds/chase.asp.

On the other side of Cabrillo is a huge 10 acre parcel that features fountains, creeks, a lagoon, carousel, snack bar and a shipwreck playground modeled after an ocean schooner from the turn of the century.

The park is walking distance to Stearns Wharf, the beach, bike rentals, State Street, etc.

From 1999 to 2017, the park was home to a vintage 1916 40 foot in diamater carousel, The carousel was relocated to Fort Hood, Oregon to a museum.

Bike Paths In and Around Ventura County

Click the image below for a link to finding Class I (bicycle only...no cars) bike paths in the Conejo Valley and throughout Greater Ventura County! And yes, those are scooters in the picture! Bikes, scooters, roller skates, it's all good!

Bob Kildee Community Park in Camarillo

Bob Kildee Community Park is located at 1030 Temple Avenue (at Ponderosa) in Camarillo. This 13 acre park has newer play equipment and restrooms, 6 lighted tennis courts, pickleball courts, handball courts, horseshoe pits, soccer fields, picnic shelters and BBQ pits, 3 lighted baseball fields, the Pleasant Valley Skate Park, and Pleasant Valley Aquatic Center. More information at www.pvrpd.org/bob-kildee-community-park.

The park is named after the Pleasant Valley Recreation & Park District's first Chairman of the Board from 1962-1966 and again in 1968.

As you can see from the photos below, the play area has some pretty cool and unique equipment!

Elvensar Horse Riding Academy - Moorpark

Elvensar Riding Academy at 15618 E. Tierra Rejada Road in Moorpark provides group and private horse riding training for adults and kids, camps and boarding.

For more information, visit www.elvenstar.com or call 805.529.2800.

Kidspace Children's Museum in Pasadena

Kidspace Children's Museum is an interactive, must see children's museum next to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, located on four acres inside Brookside Park (480 N. Arroyo Boulevard).

Kidspace has over 40 hands-on exhibits, in addition to gardens, arroyo streams, and frequent daily/weekly activities. Designed for kids between 12 months and 12 years old, Kidspace provides children the opportunity to explore the physical, natural and environmental sciences while having a lot of fun. While at Kidspace they can dig for fossils, climb 40 foot towers, see a real bee hive or even start an earthquake.

Visit www.kidspacemuseum.org or call 626.449.9144 for more information. During the months of September through May, the museum is open Tuesday through Friday, 9:30 am to 5 pm and weekends 10 am to 5 pm. Open Mondays from mid-March to early September.

General admission (as of January 2022) is $14.95 for ages one an up. Seniors (62+) are $12.95.

While making the trek to Pasadena with two young kids can be a haul, it is definitely worth it. There are so many things to see and do both inside the museum and in the large outdoor area, your kids will have fun for several hours...climbing, crawling, playing, feeling, discovering, tinkering, etc. The cafeteria has a decent selection of food too and the museum store has a large assortment of neat learning items. And on your way back home in Ventura County, stop by Griffith Park for some kiddie train rides!

Santa Barbara Zoo

Click the friendly Santa Barbara Zoo giraffe for information!

Parks Highlighted in the "Do Something" Section of Conejo Valley Guide

Click the pic below for more great local area parks throughout Ventura County!

Fillmore Skate Park

Fillmore Skate Park, located at River Street and C Street in Fillmore, is a 22,000 square foot outdoor facility that opened in March 2009. It is open daily from dawn to dusk and is free of charge.

Learn more about it at www.fillmoreca.com/departments/parks-and-recreation-department/parks-and-sports-fields/two-rivers-park/fillmore-skate-park

Borchard Skate Park in Newbury Park

Borchard Skate Park is located at 190 North Reino Road (corner of Reino and Borchard) in Newbury Park at the southwest corner of the parking lot at Borchard Community Park. This outdoor facility opened in 2002 and is free of charge.  It opens at 8 a.m. until dusk.  The Conejo Recreation & Park District offers classes and there are designated times for 12 and under, scooters and bikes.  Call the Borchard Community Center at 805.381.2791 for more information. More info at www.crpd.org/park/borchard-community-park.

Duck Pond at Conejo Creek Park North in Thousand Oaks

This is the largest duck pond that I'm aware of certainly in the Conejo Valley if not all of Ventura County. Conejo Creek Park North is a great park in Thousand Oaks with a creek running through it down to a pond full of duckies quacking around. There's also a pond at the top of the creek as the water recirculates. There must be a couple hundred ducks on hand at this park and they're pretty friendly.

You're really not supposed to be feeding the ducks but it is hard to resist. The problem though is that feeding bread to ducks is really bad for them because of all the refined sugar. They need cracked corn, oats and other grains. So while I do mention "feeding the ducks" in the video, if you're really interested in feeding them, stop by a feed store for some duck food if you want to do the right thing.  In any case, these ducks are cute and entertaining so go pay them as visit!