A Visit with the Thousand Oaks Cobra at the San Diego Zoo Last Weekend

It was nearly one year ago that Thousand Oaks made headlines for a venomous white monocled cobra caught slithering around local neighborhoods over Labor Day weekend.

After a massive snakehunt, the unusual looking leucistic (mostly white, but not albino) snake was found and brought to the Los Angeles Zoo.

Subsequently the snake was transported to the San Diego Zoo, one of only two zoo facilities in the U.S. with proper anti-venom for the species.

This lovely female Monocellate Cobra was subsequently named Adhira ("lightning") and appears to be doing quite well at her permanent home in the Reptile House at the San Diego Zoo.

We stopped by to visit Adhira last weekend. While admiring her, we bragged to other onlookers that she came from our city, Thousand Oaks. They gave us this, yeah, uh huh, sure, look. "Do you live in Southeast Asia?" to which I replied, "Seriously! This cobra was found in Thousand Oaks and has its own social media accounts on Twitter and Facebook!" They had moved on to the next snake.

Firefighter Cyclists Passing through Malibu Today for Cancer Awareness Ride

Suzy Demeter of Suzy Demeter Photography happened to be on PCH in Malibu today when these firefighters came cycling by from the north. They were escorted by a fire truck from Malibu Fire Station #99, the westernmost fire station in Los Angeles County.

This was a group of firefighter cyclists that are part of the National Fire Velo Cycling Club that were on a one week ride from San Francisco Bay to Los Angeles as part of a "Fire Service Cancer Awareness" ride. Today is the final day of their ride, which ends at the Santa Monica Pier.

Visit their Facebook page to learn more, or visit www.firevelo.com.

Conejo Valley Days Parade Photo From 1963 Captures Relations with Cuba at the Time

Photo from 1963 Conejo Valley Days Parade

Here's a throwback photo from the 1963 Conejo Valley Days Parade in what the following year would officially become the City of Thousand Oaks. An entry with "Care Package for Castro" with a missile with the caption "Y's Men" (which I suspect is in reference to the Y's Men, a service group that helped construct the original Conejo Valley YMCA building in 1964). 

Just months prior, in October 1962, was the Cuban Missile Crisis, the confrontation between the United States and Soviet Union over the placement of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba. After intense negotiations between President Kennedy and Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, the Soviets agreed to remove the weapons in Cuba in exchange for public declaration that the U.S. would not invade Cuba.

My how times have changed since then, with the United States in process of re-establishing diplomatic relations with Cuba.

Family Admission to the Los Angeles Zoo Saves You Time and Money

If you and your family visit the Los Angeles Zoo at least two times a year, the Family Membership is a no brainer. Not only does it save you money for a family of four or more when you visit the zoo at least twice a year, but it saves you time by bypassing lines into the park. Los Angeles Zoo membership also saves you 10% in shops and restaurants and gets you free or discounted admission to over 170 zoos and aquariums around the country.

The current cost of a one year family membership is $134, but there's a limited opportunity to purchase it at the discounted price of just $90 at THIS LINK!

Gentle Giraffe

Restful Rhino

Reggie the Alligator

Hippos relaxing

Grinning and Bearing it

The Conejo Grade in 1970

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Conejo Grade 1970 (Photo by Frank Knight; Image courtesy of Conejo Through the Lens, Thousand Oaks Library)

Here's an aerial photo of the Conejo Grade from the Frank Knight collection in 1970, looking towards Newbury Park. Things look quite a bit different today. Click here for other historical photos of the evolution of the Conejo Grade.

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In this shot from slightly further away, you can clearly newbury park high school, which opened in 1967

California Department of Motor Vehicles Now Offers 1960s Legacy Plates

image is for illustration only. final design of the plate will differ. (Image courtesy of dmv)

State legislation introduced the California Legacy License Plate program offering car owners the chance to purchase replicas of California license plates similar to those issued in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. Out of these three decades, only the 1960s plate reached the required 7,500 orders before January 1, 2015. As a result, California drivers can now relive the 1960s with a black and gold replica available for your motor vehicles.

The plates are available  at www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/detail/legacyplates/index or by mail or at your local DMV office or auto club.

The plate costs $50 for either a sequential or a personalized plate. Renewal fees are $40.

The plates will not look EXACTLY like plates issued in the 1960s because current law requires plates to be reflectorized, but I don't think most folks will really notice the difference!

Tour Cities Throughout the U.S. in Scavenger Hunt Fashion with Urban Adventure Quest

Looking for an adventure!? Turn Southern California cities into a giant game board this summer with a fun scavenger hunt adventure from Urban Adventure Quest.  Combine the excitement of the Amazing Race with a two to three hour city tour.

Guided from any smart phone, teams make their way among well known and overlooked gems of the city, solving clues and completing challenges while learning local history. 

Play in Los Angeles, Hollywood, San Diego, Catalina Island, The Getty Center, Paso Robles or 30 other cities across the United States.  Available 365 days a year, sunrise to sunset.  Start when you want and play at your pace.

Interested in trying it out!? Save 20% by using Promotion Code: CVGUIDE at checkout. Only $39.20 for a team of 2-5 people (regular price is $49).

Sign up online at www.UrbanAdventureQuest.com. 

Urban Adventure Quest was created right here in Ventura County in 2011 by three local residents inspired by "The Amazing Race" combined with their love for travel.  Since then, over 62,000 people have played! Other cities include, Boston, Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas, New York, Washington DC, Portland, New Orleans and many more.