Squawkless in Summerland? No! Check Out the Santa Barbara Bird Sanctuary

It was not a planned visit.

My son and I were cycling from Carpinteria to Santa Barbara for the first time, enjoying a relaxing ride on Via Real/Lillie Ave, paralleling the 101 on the north side.

We passed a sign that said "McLeod Parrot Menagerie" and I heard birds, squawking birds. I said, let's check this out! 

Little did I know that co-located at the Menagerie is the Santa Barbara Bird Sanctuary.

Squawkless in Summerland!? Heck no! Lots of squawking and talking going on at this place!

The Sanctuary is a non-profit organization founded by Jamie McLeod that rescues and rehabilitates parrots that are unwanted, abused and orphaned. The organization also finds homes for these beautiful animals. 

The Sanctuary is home to over 60 of birds, some of which are ready for adoption; others may have conditions that prevent adoption.

We got the chance to chat with Jamie, who is 1984 graduate from the America's Teaching Zoo at Moorpark College. She showed us the Skylar Learning Center, where children can learn more about these interesting, long-lived, intelligent creatures.

And of course we visited with the birds and had meaningful conversations with many of them. We heard words and phrases like "hello," "knock knock," "how's it going," "I love you," and so on. Quite entertaining. And we caught a few cool head bobs too!

We also learned that the McLeod Parrot Menagerie provides grooming and boarding, toys and other parrot-related products and services.

The Santa Barbara Bird Sanctuary is a must see and less than an hour from central Thousand Oaks. Walk-in visits are available 10 am to 3:30 pm Wednesday through Monday. Fees for non-docent tours are $15 for adults and $10 for 12 and under (ages 2 and under free). Docent-led tours are available Wed-Sat for $30 (adults) and $20 (ages 3-12). Donations are welcomed (and tax deductible) as they help towards caring for and feeding the parrots. Docent-led personalized tours are also available with at least one week’s advance notice. You may observe the birds, but do not touch or feed them or their cages.

These fellows were quite entertaining.

These fellows were quite entertaining.

To learn more, visit www.sbbird.org or visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/sbbsbirds or call 805.565.1807. The street address is 2430 Lillie Avenue, Summerland.

Eateries in the Conejo Valley Where You Can Eat Past 9:30PM

You’re hungry. It’s past 9pm. Driving through the Conejo Valley - the communities of Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village, Newbury Park, Agoura Hills and Oak Park - and you can’t seem to find a place to grab a bite to eat. Well, we can help you out with this list of eateries in the Conejo Valley that serve food on some or all nights until 10pm and beyond.

(The information below can change at any time. Links to websites and phone numbers are provided so you can confirm directly with the eatery. Also note that we only list the nights that are open until 10pm; click the link to each website for hours on other nights.)

Eateries Open Past 9:30pm 3 or More Nights a Week

Anarbagh Westlake Village at 30853 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd. is open nightly until 10pm (as of November 2025) www.anarbaghwestlakevillage.com (818) 991-2128

Angry Chickz at 593 N. Moorpark Road in Thousand Oaks is open until 11pm nightly (as of November 2025) www.angrychickz.com/locations/thousand-oaks-ca (805) 373-0037

BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse at 3955 Thousand Oaks Boulevard in Westlake Village is open until midnight nightly (as of November 2025). www.bjsrestaurants.com/locations/ca/westlake-village (805) 497-9393

Boney Mountain Pizza Co. at 722 Wendy Drive in Newbury Park is open until 10pm Tuesday through Saturday (as of November 2025). www.boneymountainpizzaco.com (805) 498-6511

Cafe Rio at 595 N. Moorpark Road in Thousand Oaks is open until 10pm nightly (as of November 2025). www.caferio.com/locations/thousand-oaks (805) 329-4111

Chili’s at 1700 Newbury Road, Newbury Park, is open until 10pm Sunday through Thursday and 11pm Friday/Saturday (as of November 2025). www.chilis.com/locations/us/california/thousand-oaks/newbury-park (805) 214-9947

Crawford’s Social in the Westlake Plaza at the corner of Westlake Blvd and Agoura Road, is open until 10pm Sunday through Thursday and until midnight Friday/Saturday (as of November 2025) www.crawfordssocial.com (805) 510-0105

Cronies Newbury Park is open until 10pm nightly (as of November 2025). cronies.com/locations

Crown and Anchor at 2891 East Thousand Oaks Boulevard is open until 11pm or later every night (as of November 2025)- check for updates at crownnanchor.com (805) 497-0070

Crumbl Cookies in Newbury Park is open until 10pm Mon-Sat (as of November 2025) and Westlake Village is also open until 10pm Mon-Sat (as of November 2025) for late night cookie cravings. crumblcookies.com

Dave & Buster’s at Janss Marketplace has a kitchen that is open late nightly. Check for hours at www.daveandbusters.com/us/en/about/locations/thousand-oaks (805) 857-7800

Farfalla Trattoria at The Promenade at Westlake Village is open until 10pm nightly (as of November 2025). www.trattoriafarfalla.com/location/westlake-village (805) 497-2283

Finney’s Crafthouse at 982 S. Westlake Blvd, Westlake Village is open until 10pm Thu-Sat (as of November 2025) www.finneyscrafthouse.com/westlake-village (805) 230-9950

IHOP is open until 10pm Sun-Thu and 24 hours Fri/Sat (as of November 2025) at its Agoura Hills location on Kanan Road at the 101. restaurants.ihop.com/en-us/ca/agoura/breakfast-5031-kanan-rd-735 (818) 991-4957

La Esquina Mexican Grill next to Slice House at 3297 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd. is open until 10pm Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights (as of Feb 2025). thecornermexicangrill.com (805) 371-5333

Lal Mirch Indian Restaurant at 5146 Kanan Road in Agoura Hills is open daily until 10pm (as of November 2025). lalmirchagourahills.com (818) 532-7532

Lazy Dog Cafe at The Oaks mall is open until 11pm Sun through Thu and midnight Fri/Sat (updated Feb 2025). www.lazydogrestaurants.com/locations/thousand-oaks-ca (805) 449-5206

Mastro’s at 2087 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd in Thousand Oaks is open until 10pm Thursday through Saturday nights (as of Feb 2025). www.mastrosrestaurants.com/location/mastros-steakhouse-thousand-oaks (805) 418-1811

Olive Garden at The Oaks mall is open until 10pm Sun-Thu and 11pm Fri/Sat (as of Feb 2025). www.olivegarden.com/locations/ca/thousand-oaks/thousand-oaks/4402 (805) 777-1744

Pedals & Pints Brewing Co. at The Oaks mall is open until 10pm Tue-Thu, 11pm Fri and midnight on Sat (as of Feb 2025). www.pedalsandpintsbrewing.com (805) 551-0547

Phil’s at 3316 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd, Thousand Oaks is open until 10pm Sun-Mon and 11pm Tues-Sat (as of Feb 2025). www.phils1000oaks.com (805) 371-7773

Sunset Terrace Restaurant & Lounge in the Janss Marketplace at 235 N. Moorpark Road, Thousand Oaks is open until 2am nightly (as of February 2026). sunsetterracerestaurant.com (805) 497-4847

Tarantula Hill Brewing Company at 244 Thousand Oaks Blvd is open until 10pm Sunday to Thursday, and 1am Friday/Saturday (as of February 2026). www.tarantulahillbrewingco.com

The Cheesecake Factory at The Oaks mall is open until 10pm Sunday through Thursday and 11pm Friday/Saturday (as of February 2026). locations.thecheesecakefactory.com/ca/thousand-oaks-29.html (805) 371-9705

The Paddock at 1345 Thousand Oaks Blvd in Thousand Oaks is open until 11pm Friday/Saturday and 10pm Sunday (as of February 2026). www.paddocksportsbar.com

The Tipsy Goat at 159 East Thousand Oaks Boulevard, Thousand Oaks is open until 2am Tuesday through Sunday nights (as of Feb 2025). tipsygoat.com (805) 494-9996

Toppers Pizza Place at 1416 N. Moorpark Road in Thousand Oaks is open until 10pm Sunday through Thursday and 11pm Friday/Saturday (as of Feb 2025). www.topperspizzaplace.com (805) 495-4444

Twisted Meats in the Walmart Neighborhood Market center at 520 N. Ventu Park Road, Newbury Park, is open until midnight Monday through Saturday nights (as of Feb 2025). www.twisted-meats.com (805) 558-7674

Ubatuba Acai at 1655 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd in Thousand Oaks is open until 10pm nightly (as of Feb 2025). www.ubatubaacai.com/locations (805) 444-9525

Winners Pizza at 1805 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd is open until 9:30pm Sunday, 11pm Monday through Thursday, 11:30pm Friday and 11pm Saturday (as of Feb 2025). winnerspizza.com (805) 379-4212

Zinque Westlake at 2809 Agoura Road kitchen is open until 10pm Thursday (bar open until 11pm), 11pm (Friday/Saturday) (bar open until midnight). Also open Sunday to Wednesday until 11pm (kitchen closes at 9:30pm) (as of Feb 2025). www.lezinque.com/westlake (805) 418-7127

Eateries Open Past 9:30pm Only Friday/Saturday Nights

Basta Restaurant at the Whizin Market Square in Agoura Hills as well as at 299 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd in Thousand Oaks are open until 10pm on Fri/Sat nights (as of Feb 2025). www.bastaagoura.com (818) 865-2019

Breakers Sports Bar & Grill in the Best Buy Plaza at 398 N. Moorpark Road, Thousand Oaks is open until midnight on Friday/Saturday nights (as of May 2025). breakerssportsbargrill.com (805) 494-8454

Buca di Beppo at Janss Marketplace is open until 10:30pm on Fri/Sat nights (as of Feb 2025). dineatbuca.com/locations/thousand-oaks (805) 449-3688

California Pizza Kitchen at The Lakes at Thousand Oaks is open until 10pm on Friday/Saturday nights (as of Feb 2025). www.cpk.com/locations/california-pizza-kitchen-lakes-at-thousand-oaks (805) 777-1778

Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co at 30770 Russell Ranch Road in Westlake Village is open until 10pm on Fri/Sat nights (as of Feb 2025). www.figmtnbrew.com/westlake-village (818) 874-1305

Freda’s Pizza at 3835 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd in Westlake Village is open until 10pm on Fri/Sat nights (as of Feb 2025). www.fredaspizza.com (805) 852-5260

Islands Restaurant Newbury Park at 935 Broadbeck Drive is open until 10pm on Fri/Sat nights (as of Feb 2025). www.islandsrestaurants.com/locations/newbury-park (805) 498-7481

Made in Italy Bistro at 3825 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd, Westlake Village is open until 10pm on Fri/Sat nights (as of Feb 2025). www.madeinitalybistro.com (805) 370-8667

Nick the Greek at 39558 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd, Westlake Village is open until 10pm on Friday through Sunday nights (as of Feb 2025). nickthegreek.orderexperience.net/locations (805) 551-0162

Paul Martin’s American Grill at The Promenade at Westlake is open Fri/Sat nights until 10pm (as of Feb 2025). paulmartinsamericangrill.com/locations/westlake-village-restaurant (805) 373-9300

Pieology Thousand Oaks at Janss Marketplace is open until 10pm Friday/Saturday (as of Feb 2025). pieology.com/pizza-near-me/?rest_id=pieology-thousand-oaks (805) 660-4527

Plata Taqueria & Cantina at the Whizin Market Square in Agoura Hills is open until 10pm on Friday/Saturday nights (as of Feb 2025). www.eatplata.com (818) 735-9982

Plata Cocina Mexicana (sister eatery of Plata Taqueria & Cocina in Agoura Hills) opened at The Oaks mall in Thousand Oaks in August 2024 and is open until 10pm on Friday/Saturday nights (as of Feb 2025) www.eatplata.com

Shake Shack at The Promenade at Westlake is open until 10pm on Fri/Sat nights and 9:30pm other nights (as of Feb 2025). shakeshack.com/location/westlake-village-ca (805) 309-5941

Slice House Thousand Oaks at 3297 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd is open until 10pm Fri/Sat nights (as of Feb 2025). locations.slicehouse.com/us/california/thousand-oaks/3297-e-thousand-oaks-blvd (805) 888-8780

Spumoni Italian Cafe at 1714 Newbury Road, Newbury Park is open until 10pm on Fri/Sat nights (as of Feb 2025). www.spumoninewburypark.com (805) 499-6200

Tavern 101 Grill & Tap House at 28434 Roadside Drive, Agoura Hills is open until 10pm Fri/Sat nights (as of Feb 2025). www.tavern101agoura.com/location/tavern-101-grill (818) 991-7227

The Cliffdiver at 720 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd, Thousand Oaks is open until 11pm on Fri/Sat nights (as of Feb 2025). www.thecliffdiver.com (805) 370-1585

The Latigo Kid at 5617 Kanan Road in Agoura Hills is open until 10:30pm on Fri/Sat nights (as of Feb 2025). www.facebook.com/TheLatigoKidMexicanRestaurant (818) 889-1195

The Stand Westlake Village at 966 S. Westlake Blvd is open until 10pm on Fri/Sat nights (as of Feb 2025). www.thestand.com/location/westlake-village (805) 277-2772

The Stonehaus at 32039 Agoura Road, Westlake Village is open until 10pm on Fri/Sat nights (as of Feb 2025). www.yelp.com/biz/the-stonehaus-westlake-village (818) 483-1152

Fast Food Places in the Conejo Valley Open Past 9:30pm

Chick-fil-A locations are open until 10pm Mon-Sat in Westlake Village and 11pm Mon-Sat in Thousand Oaks (as of Feb 2025). www.chick-fil-a.com/locations

Del Taco Newbury Park at 591 N. Ventu Park Road is open 24 hours (as of Feb 2025) locations.deltaco.com/us/ca/newbury-park/591-n-ventu-park-rd

Domino’s locations in Newbury Park, Thousand Oaks (2), Westlake Village and Calabasas are open until 10pm and beyond daily. www.dominos.com

El Pollo Loco is open until 11pm nightly in Thousand Oaks, 10pm nightly in Newbury Park, and 10pm Monday to Saturday in Agoura Hills (as of Feb 2025). restaurants.elpolloloco.com/ca

Farmer Boys Newbury Park at 1057 Academy Drive is open until 10pm Sun-Thu and 11pm Fri/Sat (as of Feb 2025). www.farmerboys.com/locations/thousand-oaks-academy-dr

In-N-Out Burger Newbury Park at 1550 Newbury Road is open until 1am Sunday through Thursday and 1:30am Friday/Saturday (as of Feb 2025) locations.in-n-out.com/58-Newbury-Park

In-N-Out Burger Westlake Village at 30780 Russell Ranch Road is open until midnight Sunday through Thursday and 12:30am Saturday/Sunday (as of Feb 2025). locations.in-n-out.com/297-Westlake-Village

Jack in the Box - Thousand Oaks (484 Moorpark Road) open until 3am Tue-Sat and 2am Sun), Newbury Park (917 Academy Drive) open until 12am Sun-Thu and 2am Fri/Sat, and Agoura Hills (5033 N. Kanan Road) is 24 hours daily (as of May 2025). locations.jackinthebox.com

Little Caesars Pizza at 1744 N. Moorpark Road, Thousand Oaks is open until 10pm Sun-Thu and 11pm Fri/Sat (as of Feb 2025). littlecaesars.com/en-us/store/9070 (805) 230-2181

McDonald’s drive-thrus in Westlake Village (3805 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd) open until midnight daily, Thousand Oaks (1908 Avenida De Los Arboles) open until midnight Sun-Thu and 1am Fri/Sat, Thousand Oaks (1730 N. Moorpark Road) until midnight daily, Newbury Park (828 Wendy Drive) open 24 hours daily and Agoura Hills (29161 Canwood St) until 1am (Sat-Wed), 4am Thu and 24 hours on Fri. (hours updated as of Feb 2025) www.mcdonalds.com

Pizza Hut at 75 S. Rancho Road in Thousand Oaks is open until midnight Sun-Thu and 1am Fri/Sat (as of Feb 2025). www.pizzahut.com (805) 371-3700

Taco Bell locations in Newbury Park, Thousand Oaks (2) and Agoura Hills are open until 1am daily (as of Feb 2025). www.tacobell.com/locations

Wendy’s locations in Newbury Park (2790 W. Hillcrest Drive) and Westlake Village (5788 Lindero Canyon Road) are open until midnight daily (as of Feb 2025). www.wendys.com

Wingstop at Janss Marketplace is open until 3:30am nightly (as of Feb 2025) for your late night/early morning chicken wing eating pleasure. www.wingstop.com (909) 762-0058

CONTACT US for additions, updates or corrections. Keep in mind days/hours can change at any time.

More Than You Ever Wanted to Know About Serving Jury Duty in Ventura County

Jury duty in Ventura County is not so bad! Ventura County Jury service consists of one jury trial or one day of service in Ventura County. If you are not assigned to a courtroom at the end of your first day of appearance, you will have completed your service.

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If you are summoned for duty, the night before your service you will be instructed to check online or to call after 5 p.m. for reporting instructions for the next day. If the "group number" you were assigned is called, you show up the next day at 1 p.m. (previously this was 8 a.m.).

If your group number has not been called by the end of your summoned week, your service will automatically be completed without having to appear. If this "call in" process is inconvenient, Ventura County Superior Court will allow you to schedule a firm date of appearance.

If you cannot perform jury service during the week you are summoned, you may reschedule for another time up to 90 days in the future. There’s one catch - if you reschedule, you will be required to appear at 8 a.m.(not 1 p.m.) on that rescheduled date. You will no longer be on call.

Hall of Justice Building

Hall of Justice Building

Jury trials in Ventura County average four days in length. The trial judge will advise jurors of the expected duration and may excuse prospective jurors from serving on a particular case if the service would amount to an extreme hardship.

Ventura County is one judicial district so all jurors are summoned to the county seat at the Hall of Justice, 800 South Victoria Avenue, Ventura for jury service. 

Get there early if you can. There is plenty of free parking but sometimes you have to walk a ways to get to the building. When entering the building you will be screened through a security device. Do not bring knives, scissors, handwork needles, metal fingernail files, tools, wallet chains, handcuff keys or any items that may possibly be used as a weapon.

The Jury Assembly Room has plenty of chairs, with some tables, electric plugs, etc. Bring things to keep yourself busy...phone, laptop, magazines, newspaper, book, iPad, etc. They do have a TV available in one room but you'll want to bring something else to do too. There's also wireless internet access. For lunch and snacks, there is an in-house cafeteria as well as a variety of restaurants nearby.

No fees or mileage are paid for the first day of service. $15 per day and 34¢ per mile, one way from the juror’s home to the courthouse are paid for your second and additional days of service (as of January 2026; which is unchanged from the first time I checked in 2014).

[Jury duty fees are set by the California State Legislature, which consists of the 80 member California State Assembly and the 40 member California State Senate. California Code of Civil Procedure Section 215 sets the fees and mileage rate. Well guess what…it has been the same fee and mileage rate since July 2000. Cumulative inflation from 2000 to 2023 is 88%, which means the $15 would have grown to over $28. The IRS mileage rate for 2024 is 70¢ per mile, over double 34¢ per mile.. Might be time to write your local Assemblymember to address the issue.]

When I last served, the judge in my courtroom called us back the next day. We showed up and he subsequently cancelled the trial and we were excused to go home (or back to work). Two weeks later I received a check for $15 in jury fees and $7.82 in mileage from the Conejo Valley.

Courtyard area in front of Hall of Justice building

Courtyard area in front of Hall of Justice building

Jury service is not voluntary, and there is no permanent excuse to serving. Any request for excuse must be submitted in writing. Any request to be excused from serving on a jury trial due to loss of income and/or business closure must be directed to a trial judge, only after you have appeared and have served one day as summoned. Unless notified in writing that your request for excuse is granted, you may assume it has been denied. If the date of appearance is not satisfactory, you may request a postponement to a future date within 90 days. When listing reasons such as medical, job, or dependent care issues, be prepared to receive a postponement and not an excuse.

For more information about Jury Service in Ventura County, visit www.ventura.courts.ca.gov/JuryService.

Hiking to the Waterfall in Pt Mugu State Park from Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa

One of the most popular hikes in the Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa open space in Newbury Park is to a small waterfall in the adjacent Boney Mountain Wilderness. The hike is about 3 1/2 miles round-trip from the Satwiwa Native American Indian Culture Center and is a moderate hike that can be done by all ages.

Keep in mind that in drought years, there’s sometimes not more than a trickle flowing down this waterfall, while in rainier years like 2023-2024, the waterfall is quite active. In either case, it’s a fun hike to do.

You have two primary options for where to start the hike. You can drive into the Rancho Sierra Vista park entrance on Via Goleta in Newbury Park and park in a lot that is a brief walk to the Culture Center, or you can park at the Wendy Drive and Potrero Road trailhead and add an another two miles, round trip, to your adventure.

The entrance to Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa at Via Goleta, 1 mile west of Reino Road.

The entrance to Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa at Via Goleta, 1 mile west of Reino Road.

The trailhead where Wendy Road ends at Potrero Road in Newbury Park

The trailhead where Wendy Road ends at Potrero Road in Newbury Park

The Satwiwa Native American Indian Culture Center is a small building open from 9am to 5pm on weekends where you can learn about native Chumash items and local wildlife.

The Satwiwa Native American Indian Culture Center is a small building open from 9am to 4pm on weekends (as of April 2024) where you can learn about native Chumash items and local wildlife.

Next to the Culture Center, you'll see multiple paths, all of which can get you to your destination, but the most direct path is the Satwiwa Loop Trail seen on the left, which crosses through a meadow that can be quite green and beautiful in late Winter/early Spring and dry and brown the rest of the year. An alternate route is on the right of the picture above - the Big Sycamore Canyon Trail (paved road) to the Boney Mountain Trail, where you'll take a left.

Satwiwa Loop Trail section that takes you diagonally through the meadow. Seen here when it is nice an green.

Satwiwa Loop Trail section that takes you diagonally through the meadow. Seen here when it is nice and green.

At the end of the meadow, continue straight up a fairly steep hill, where on the right hand side you'll see the Sycamore Canyon Overlook bench shown below.

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bench on sycamore canyon overlook

Hike up the moderately steep and rocky path up the hill behind the bench and you'll reach another fork in the road. If you veer left at this juncture you'll be on the Hidden Valley Overlook Trail within Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa. Stay to the right and you'll be entering the Boney Mountain Wilderness area within Point Mugu State Park.

Sign that shows you the Hidden Valley Overlook Trail is on the left.

Sign that shows you the Hidden Valley Overlook Trail is on the left.

Veering right into the State of California managed Pt Mugu State Park; as you can see, dogs are not allowed in the back country area of the park.

Veering right into the State of California managed Pt Mugu State Park; as you can see, dogs are not allowed in the back country area of the park.

This trail is referred to as Danielson Road, named after the last private owner of these lands. The path down into the canyon is seen below (taken from a higher point en route to the Danielson Monument).

View of the initial section of Danielson Road trail down into the canyon; this is the path you will be taking towards the waterfall.

View of the initial section of Danielson Road trail down into the canyon; this is the path you will be taking towards the waterfall.

Danielson Road is a bit on the steep side but I see folks young and old walking up and down this section all the time. Seen here in very dry conditions.

Danielson Road is a bit on the steep side but I see folks young and old walking up and down this section all the time. Seen here in very dry conditions.

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THIS IS THE OLD SIGN, WHEN IT WAS CALLED DANIELSON ROAD (PRIOR TO 2024)

NEW SIGN IN 2024 SHOWING THE “OLD CABIN TRAIL” INSTEAD OF DANIELSON ROAD.

After .4 mile, you will reach the bottom of the canyon and see the sign above, the final sign indicating you are on your way to the Waterfall Trail. Then you will cross a creek bed, which can have water in it after the rains. The photo taken below in January 2015 shows minimal moisture, making it easy to cross. Some years you may have to rock hop your way a bit over the creek.

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Creek bed crossing on the way to the waterfall IN 2015

Creek Crossing in April 2024.

After you cross the creek, the remainder of the trail to the waterfall is single track. Be careful not to come in contact with poison oak often seen on the sides of the trails. For this reason, I would generally not recommend strollers be taken up here.

Soon you will reach the final fork in the road. Go straight and soon you will be at the waterfall. To the right, the Old Cabin Trail (formerly Danielson Road Trail) continues upward to the Danielson Monument.

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the waterfall in april 2024.

California Drivers Are Not Necessarily Required to Have Auto Insurance

Yes, it is true, technically, the law does not state that drivers in California MUST carry auto insurance.

However, California Vehicle Code Section 1656.2 does have certain "compulsory financial responsibility" requirements most easily met by maintaining valid auto liability insurance that covers, at a minimum, $15,000 for injury/death to one person, $30,000 for injury/death to two or more persons and $5,000 for property damage.

Alternatively, the law allows financial responsibility to be met in one of three other ways: a cash deposit of $35,000 with the DMV, a DMV-issued self-insurance certificate or a surety bond for $35,000.

Now, if someone can actually afford to leave a $35,000 deposit with the DMV, they probably have a lot more assets that could be put at risk without adequate insurance in place. Probably not a good idea. I called the DMV Financial Responsibility Unit. Apparently some people leave the cash deposit who feel they spend too much on premiums over the years. Or perhaps if they import a car that is difficult to insure.

I also asked about the "self insurance" option and laughed when I heard you need a net worth of at least $2.2 million and a fleet of 25 or more cars. Not really geared toward most individuals.

Posting a surety bond for $35,000 is an alternative to insurance but the cost can be significant, generally ranging from 1 to 5% of the value of the bond.

A Low Cost Auto Insurance Alternative

As we know, auto insurance can be expensive. The California Low Cost Automobile (CLCA) Insurance Program was established in 1999 to help income-eligible drivers with good driving records purchase liability insurance that meets State requirements.

To qualify for a CLCA insurance policy, you must

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New Year's Eve Options in Ventura County and Adjacent Areas

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The year 2025 is coming to a close and for the New Year's Eve procrastinators out there, your time is running short. Here is a compilation of New Year's Eve party and activity options in and around the Conejo Valley and Greater Ventura County. To add an activity, contact us!

(For more information about the events highlighted below, click the links. We attempted to link to websites and Facebook pages that will provide you with additional details. Also note that this list is limited to places that have entertainment, a party, midnight toast, etc.)

New Year's Celebration at the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley

Jason Love’s New Year’s Eve Comedy Bash at Bank of America Performing Arts Center Thousand Oaks

Louie’s New Year’s Eve Prom Night: Back to the 80s in Westlake Village (8PM)

Phil Medina at Levity Live in Oxnard (7PM and 10:30PM)

California's Low Cost Auto Insurance Program Provides Affordable Insurance for Those Eligible

Auto insurance is a requirement if you have a valid driver's license and drive a vehicle in the state of California. The California Low Cost Auto (CLCA) Insurance program is a state-sponsored program that makes auto insurance more affordable to those meeting eligibility requirements.

To qualify, you must 1) have a valid California driver's license; 2) own a vehicle valued at $25,000 or less; 3) meet income eligibility guidelines; and 4) be at least 16 (under 18 must be legally emancipated) or older.

Maximum income requirements are based on the size of your household. As of 2026, that maximum is $39,125 for a household size of 1, $52,875 for two, $66,625 for three, $80,735 for four and so on.

Annual premiums vary by county. If you live in Ventura County, have been licensed continuously for 3 years and are not a 19-24 years of age and unmarried, your annual premium is $272 ($340 if you are an unmarried 19-24 year old).

While the premiums are great, the coverage is very limited. A basic policy includes only $10,000 per person and $20,000 per accident for bodily injury or death and up to $3,000 for property damage. Comprehensive and collision is not included in these policies.

Statutory minimum insurance requirements for California drivers is $30,000/$60,000 for bodily injury/death and $15,000 for property damage in 2025 through 2034, increasing to $50,000/$100,000/$25,000 in 2035.

Learn more and sign up at www.mylowcostauto.com.