Great Labor Day Weekend Culminates in a Rainbow Above the Conejo Valley

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The weather was seasonably warm this Labor Day weekend and under partly cloudy skies most of the day. To me the weather seemed picture perfect, and I believe this rainbow photo taken from the North Ranch section of Westlake Village sums up what a great weekend it was.

Photo courtesy of Ed Garnett. Speaking of Ed, he is a Board Member of the Conejo Free Clinic, which provides medical and legal services to local residents in need. I encourage you to take a look at this worthy local non-profit that helps our local community. .

Here were some of those clouds a little earlier tonight above Conejo Mountain, seen from the 101 Freeway in Camarillo.

Sand Sculpture Contest at the 2012 Hueneme Beach Festival Was a Hit!

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The 14th Annual Toni Young Hueneme Beach Festival took place the weekend of August 18-19, 2012. I had the opportunity to beat the Conejo Valley heat and head out to the festival on the 19th. What a treat it was!

While not the largest festival around Ventura County, the Hueneme Beach Festival sure is one of the more engaging and relaxing festivals around town. Like other festivals, there were vendors, a fun car show (lots of low-rider cars on display), great entertainment and family fun with games and rides.

View of the Hueneme Beach Festival from the beach.

To top it off, the 4th Annual Sand Sculpture Contest was a blast! As you can see below, competitors carved away as we watched them work their magic in the sand. With the Hueneme Beach Pier in the backdrop, attendees were able to enjoy cool ocean breezes while gazing upon these master sandcrafters.

The Hueneme Beach Festival generally takes place the 3rd weekend of August each year. The event is now dedicated to Toni Young, former Port Hueneme Mayor and city councilman for 16 years, who passed away after a sudden illness in December 2008. This is a wonderful event in her honor and definitely worth going out of your way for.

The World's Most Valuable Car, the 1936 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic, on Display Again at The Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard

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The world's most valuable car, the 1936 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic, is on display again at The Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard. The 57SC Atlantic is on loan to the museum from its unnamed owner, who purchased the car for somewhere in the range of $30 to $40 million in 2010. There is some interesting information about the 57SC Atlantic at www.supercars.net/cars/2705.html. The Mullin Automotive Museum is a "must see" activity for anyone in the area. The cars in the museum are historic works of art and you can see them in person right here in Ventura County. Trust me, you won't regret it.

 

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What's Not to Love About the Ventura County Fair!? 137th Edition Now in Session!

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The 137th Ventura County Fair is off and running! This year's theme is "Rides, Ribbons and Rodeos" and visitors will certainly find plenty of that...and much more!  Some of the things you'll find here...games, rides, contests, music, rodeo, motor sports, mariachi, pony rides, goats, bunnies, chickens, vendors, kids' crafts, gems and minerals, agricultural exhibits, educational exhibits, every type of fair food you could imagine, photo opps and everything in between! Visit www.venturacountyfair.org for a complete event lineup!

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Local Photographer Jonathan Stewart Captures Humpback Whales in Santa Barbara

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On a recent whale watching trip to the Santa Barbara Channel via Channel Islands Packers (Condor Express also does whale watching trips) Conejo Valley based photographer Jonathan Stewart and others witnessed more humpback whales than could be counted, a solitary blue whale, an extraordinary number of dolphins and sea lions, and countless other sea creatures as they made their way towards the Channel Islands.

Stewart shares some fantastic shots below. For more of these, visit his website at www.jonathanstewartphotos.com or go directly to his Anacapa Island Whale Watching Album.

This is the head of one of the humpback whales they saw.

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Views From Heaven at the Top of Mount Boney on an Overcast Summer Morning

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Yes, here in Newbury Park you can pretend you are in heaven on an overcast morning. All you need to do is find your way up Boney Mountain, up above the clouds that keep the air so cool below. The way to get there is a bit of a challenge but can be done if you're up for it. First make your way up to the Danielson Cabin Site. That alone is plenty challenging.

From there, the unofficial "Upper Canyon Trail" will get you up there. it is extremely steep and rocky in various sections, deep, challenging crevices that engulf the path, and tight, winding, spider web covered trails to the top. But trust me, once you make it to the top, it's all worthwhile. See for yourself in the video below.

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June Gloom, June Heat, June Cold, Back to June Gloom in the Conejo Valley

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Weather patterns here in the Conejo Valley and Greater Ventura County are consistently inconsistent in recent memory. Hot summer, cool summers and daily/weekly changes from hot to cold and sunny to overcast. Personally I prefer the cold to the heat because I enjoy local running when it is cool outside. This morning was perfect running weather...cool and overcast.

Overcast skies make it optimal to run up Boney Mountain. Whether you make it all the way up or not, you're bound to reach a point where you can look down at the cloud cover below towards Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa.

On the way up Boney (no I didn't run to the very top this morning), I passed the Danielson Monument, dedicated to the man who donated much of his land to the National Park Service for all of us to enjoy.

And while dodging numerous massive spider webs on the trails going up the hill (I'm still imagining spiders crawling on me), I came upon this deer on the trail. Bambi? His body action told me he was a bit unnerved about my running toward him (or her).

Click here for more local trails and hiking throughout the area.