The "Scary Dairy" at CSU Channel Islands University Park in Camarillo

CSU Channel Islands University Park is a 367 acre parcel located adjacent to CSU Channel Islands off of S. Lewis Road in Camarillo. It is a regional educational and recreation area owned and operated by California State University Channel Islands.

In 1932, the State of California purchased 1,760 acres of the Lewis Ranch and built the Camarillo State Mental Hospital, which operated from 1936 to 1997 and at one point treated as many as 7,000 patients in the mid 1950s.

Located on the parcel was a dairy farm that produced crops and housed livestock that fed the hospital community. The farm was disbanded in the 1960s and has been left in a state of disrepair, falling prey over the decades to vandals and coined "Scary Dairy."

After closure of the hospital, the land was conveyed to the County of Ventura, which had considered developing a golf course and amphitheater there but later abandoned its plans. The land was acquired by the University in 2009.

Fences and "No Trespassing" signs now surround what's left of the structures. but you can still get pretty close to check out Scary Dairy.

CSU Channel Islands University Park is open to the public daily from sunrise to sunset. From Camarillo, take Lewis Road south to Camarillo Street and turn left (east).  Cross the bridge over Calleguas Creek and the entrance is on the left. Parking is $6 per vehicle (as of 2022). Do note that there are no facilities at this park, like restrooms and drinking fountains.

Visit www.csuci.edu/cipark for more information.

Events in Ventura County and Nearby Areas That Have Been Around Over 40 Years

Conejo Valley Guide is the most comprehensive resource ever known to human civilization for events, activities and things to do throughout Ventura County and adjacent areas stretching to Santa Barbara, Malibu and Calabasas, as all of you already know. We've noticed there are numerous events that have taken place in our local community for quite a long time! Let's take a look at the longest duration events in the area - those that have been around at least 40 years.

The 150th Ventura County Fair will take place in summer 2024, the longest duration community event in the county. According to this Fillmore Gazette article, the VC Fair originated in 1874 at Pierpont Bluffs and Hueneme before moving to Seaside Park in Ventura. www.venturacountyfair.org

The Ventura County Fair is the longest-running community event in the area.

The Midsummer Festival at Vasa Park in Agoura Hills is hosted the weekend closest to June 24th each year by the Swedish American Central Association of Southern California to encourage the preservation of Swedish culture, traditions and customs.  The 103rd iteration of this event will happen in June 2024. www.vasapark.org

The 100th Anniversary Old Spanish Days Fiesta in Santa Barbara will take place over five days, July 31 to August 4, 2024. It is an annual festival that honors and preserves Santa Barbara’s history, spirit, culture, heritage and traditions with music, art, food, parade, tours and more in various locations. Learn more at www.oldspanishdays-fiesta.org.

The 76th Annual Santa Barbara International Orchid Show took place in March 2024. It is one of the largest and oldest orchid shows in the United States. www.sborchidshow.com

The 74th Annual Oxnard Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony will occur in December 2024 (generally the first Friday night of the month), making it one of the oldest traditions in Ventura County. And the tree is the County's tallest, at about 110 feet! downtownoxnard.org

The 74th Annual Santa Paula Christmas Parade takes place on the first Sunday after Thankgiving 2024, Quite a tradition for this town that was incorporated in April 1902!

The 70th Annual Semana Nautica 15K in Santa Barbara takes place on July 4, 2024 and on July 4th of each year. It is the oldest foot race on the Central Coast. www.sbrunning.org

The 68th Conejo Valley Days carnival is anticipated to take place in June 2024. It is the oldest event of its kind in Thousand Oaks. The event officially became called Conejo Valley Days in 1956; previously referred to as a "Community Circus" when held at the old Jungleland (now The Lakes) compound conejovalleydays.us.

Scene from Conejo Valley Days Parade of 1970.

The 63rd (give or take) Topanga Banjo-Fiddle Contest and Folk Festival will take place at King Gillette Ranch in Agoura Hills on May 19, 2024. The event was established in Topanga Canyon and moved around a bit as it grew and moved to the current venue in 1990. It is one of the largest acoustic music events in Southern California. Learn more at www.topangabanjofiddle.org.

The second-longest running Christmas parade in Ventura County is the Camarillo Christmas Parade, which celebrates its 64th annual event in December 2024 www.pvrpd.org

The 62nd Annual Simi Valley Halloween Carnival took place on October 31, 2023 at Rancho Santa Susana Park. Hosted by the Rancho Simi Recreation & Park District, this is one of the longest running Halloween carnivals in Ventura County. www.rsrpd.org

Local area gem and mineral societies have been organizing fun annual shows for decades, including the Ventura Gem & Mineral Society's 61st Annual Gem, Mineral, Fossil and Lapidary Show happened in March 2024. vgms.org/category/gem-show.

The 57th Annual Parade of Lights at Channel Islands Harbor dazzles spectators in December 2023. This may well be the longest-running boat parade in Ventura County. Great fun watching the boats lighted up at the Harbor. www.channelislandsharbor.org

Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks Memorial Park is hosting its 55th Annual Easter Sunrise Service on March 31, 2024, quite possibly the longest running local Easter service in Ventura County www.piercebrothersvalleyoaks.com

The 53rd Westlake Village 4th of July Parade and Party in the Park will \be taking place yet again on July 4, 2024, making it the longest running Conejo Valley area 4th of July parade. (Like most events, it was cancelled in 2020.) www.wlv.org

The 45th Ventura County Greek Festival will take place at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Camarillo in June 2024 www.vcgreekfestival.org.

The Conejo Gem & Mineral Club’s 47th Pageant of a Thousand Gems Show will take place in April 2024 in Newbury Park. www.cgamc.org

The 50th Anniversary Scandinavian Festival at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks takes place in May 2024.  www.scandinavianfest.org

The 47th Annual Ojai Art in the Park event will take place Memorial Day weekend 2024. This I believe is the longest-running outdoor art show within Ventura County. www.ojaiartcenter.org

This is just a tiny fraction of ALL the great events that take place in Ventura County and surrounding areas each year that are highlighted in the Events Calendar and Local Events section of Conejo Valley Guide.

One other feature at Hueneme Beach is the Alaska Airlines Flight 261 Sundial Memorial that commemorates the 88 passengers and crew who lost their lives aboard Alaska Airlines Flight 261 near Anacapa Island on January 31, 2000. The flight was en route from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico to San Francisco and Seattle.

The Memorial features a 36-foot diameter concrete plaza with a curving sand wall and seating area and a raised sundial in the center.

The Memorial features a 36-foot diameter concrete plaza with a curving sand wall and seating area and a raised sundial in the center. The monument was designed by by well known Santa Barbara sculptor James “Bud” Bottoms. The sundial’s bronze dolphins and triangular blade (gnomon) cast a shadow on the 20-foot diameter dial face oriented to Pacific Standard Time. Names of each of the victims are inscribed on individual bronze plates mounted on the perimeter of the dial.

The crash site is located between the mainland at Port Hueneme and Anacapa Island, one of the smallest islands in the Channel Islands chain, 14 miles offshore. Families of the lost passengers and crew dedicated the sundial as both a memorial to their loved ones and a work of public art in gratitude to the residents of Port Hueneme for their compassion and tireless assistance in the recovery effort. This is a touching and lasting tribute to those who lost their lives on this flight.

Access the Sundial Memorial from Hueneme Beach parking lot B off Surfside Drive near the gazebo. More details at www.ci.port-hueneme.ca.us/index.aspx?nid=930.

BEACHES SPANNING FROM CARPINTERIA TO MALIBU

Throwback: Tiny Naylor's Operated in Thousand Oaks from 1973 to 1987

1978 Tiny Naylor’s Ad

Tiny Naylor's operated at 50 E. Thousand Oaks Boulevard (at Moorpark Road) from November 1973 to May 1984, when it became Tiny's Old Oak Cafe until February 1987. Then it became Denny's in March 1987. Denny's closed its doors in August 2012. Three years later, that spot became occupied by Dog Haus, Kebab Plus, and Urbane Cafe.

In 1978, Tiny Naylor's offered twin bacon wrapped filets, steak fried potatoes, ear of corn, choice of soup or salad, garlic bread, and dessert for $3.49.  

Did You Know That Six Streets at the Thousand Oaks Auto Mall are Named After Luxury Brands

Thousand Oaks Auto Center (now Auto Mall) ad from the early to mid 1960s.

The Thousand Oaks Auto Center (now Auto Mall) opened in 1967, making it one of the oldest auto malls in the country. Currently (2023), 29 brands are sold at the mall.

Did you know...that there are five streets running roughly north/south in the Auto Mall between Thousand Oaks Blvd and Auto Mall Drive that are named after five previous luxury brands? The five streets, from west to east, are as follows:

Auburn Ave - Luxury brand sold from 1900 to 1937.

Marmon Ave - Luxury brand sold from 1902 to 1933 (Marmon Motor Co build the first Indianapolis 500 winning car in 1911).

Cord Ave - Luxury brand sold in 1929-1932 and 1936-1937.

Pierce Arrow Ave - Luxury brand sold 1901 to 1938.(Its firs car in 1901 was a single-cylinder, two-speed no-reverse car called Motorette.

Packard Circle - Luxury brand sold from 1899 to 1956.

There's also Duesenberg Drive, which connects to Auto Mall Drive on the north, to Hillcrest. Luxury brand sold from 1913 to 1937.

T.O. Auto Mall website is at www.toautomall.info

Tell Me a Little Bit About Newbury Park

Newbury Park is a community located in the western portion of Thousand Oaks. Most of Newbury Park became part of Thousand Oaks by community vote sometime in the 1960s and 1970s. Thousand Oaks became a city in October 1964.

A view of Newbury Park from Boney Peak in October 2021. (Feet Model: Conejo Joe)

Egbert Starr Newbury (Photo Courtesy Conejo Valley Historical Society)

Newbury Park is named after Egbert Starr Newbury, who owned thousands of acres of land in the Conejo Valley after moving to California from Michigan for health reasons in 1871.  Newbury was one of the three largest Conejo Valley landowners of his time. He and his wife Fannie became the first postmasters in the Conejo Valley in 1875.  The post office was located in a small compound near their house, which was located at the current location of the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza. 

The other major landowners at that time were John Edwards, who owned much of the current Newbury Park/Thousand Oaks area north of the 101, and Howard Mills, who owned much of what today is Westlake Village and Hidden Valley.

Edwards sold 10,000 acres of what is now central Thousand Oaks to Edwin and Harold Janss in 1893.  The Janss Corporation also bought thousands of acres of land in Newbury Park (Friedrich, Running Springs and Borchard Ranches) in 1962. 

There were efforts to incorporate Newbury Park in 1961 and 1963 that failed due to a lack of sufficient votes.

Over a 30 month period beginning in the Fall of 1876, only 6 inches of rain fell in the Conejo Valley.  This drought brought devastation to landowners, most of whom lost their crops and livestock and had to sell at a loss or went bankrupt.  The Newburys were no exception; they moved back to the midwest in 1877.  Egbert fell ill to pneumonia in 1880 and passed away at the young age of 36.

The Newburys lived here only six years, so why is it still called Newbury Park? Because the name of the Newburys' post office never changed! The Newbury Park Post Office has changed locations a number of times (including 1602 Newbury Road from May 1968 until it moved to its current location at 3401 Grande Vista Drive in 2013). So the Newbury name and legacy live on here in the Conejo Valley.

Horse tied to a sign indicating the Newbury Park Post Office, in 1909. The location was near modern-day Lynn Ranch. (Courtesy of the Thousand Oaks Library Local History Photo Collection).

Sources: "The Conejo Valley - Old and New Frontiers" by Carol A. Bidwell and "The Newburys of Newbury Park" by Miriam Sprankling

But wait...there's more to Newbury Park! Casa Conejo is also part of the Newbury Park community but is not an incorporated part of Thousand Oaks. It is considered a census-designated place in Ventura County, with its own Municipal Advisory Council. Casa Conejo is the first planned community in Newbury Park and was built in the early 1960s. It is has an area of .5 square mile and is bound by Borchard to the South, Old Conejo Road to the North, Jenny Drive (East of Newbury Park High School) to the West and Sequoia Middle School to the East.

TELL ME ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE STREET NAMES IN THE CASA CONEJO NEIGHBORHOOD

Interested in historical pictures of the area going back to the 1950s?  Click here to read about the work of prolific Conejo Valley photographer, Ed Lawrence. 

Click here for a history of Thousand Oaks. Thousand Oaks is over 56 square miles and Newbury Park represents about 40% of that square footage. Thousand Oaks was incorporated as a city on October 7, 1964.

Three dozen or so things to do in Newbury Park

Another three dozen or so kids' activities in Newbury Park

Yet another three dozen or so sports and fitness activities in Newbury Park

Aviation Museum of Santa Paula is Open to the Public the First Sunday of Each Month

The Santa Paula Airport was dedicated in August 1930. Today it is a non-towered facility with nearly 300 aircraft, handling approximately 97,000 arrivals/departures a year. Much of the original 1930’s-era facilities still exist and are used today, giving the airport a very authentic representation of the Golden Age of Aviation.

Located at the Santa Paula Airport, the Aviation Museum of Santa Paula is open the first Sunday of each month, with an array of hangars open to the public from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Upcoming dates: November 5, December 3

Each of the privately owned hangars houses a variety of vintage aircraft and collections of various types, as well as other memorabilia, such as antique radios, model aircraft and race cars. Some hangars celebrate highlights of fascinating aviation careers, while others contain antique aircraft undergoing the process of restoration. Hangar owners or docents are available to answer questions. 

You've got to take the time to stop by. It is fun, low key and quite interesting. The hangars are directly adjacent to the airfield, so you are guaranteed to see aircraft taking off and landing up close.

Obviously an aviation aficionado in this hangar!

The participating hangars are fairly well spread out at the 51 acre airport but if you're not up for walking, there's a complimentary tram that will take you around. These are some very nice people who have obvious passion for what they do and enjoy sharing it with the general public. I struck up conversations with several hangar owners and they were full of great stories and information.

There is no charge for visiting the Aviation Museum, though donations are welcomed. Visit www.aviationmuseumofsantapaula.org or call 805.525.1109 for more information.

The Museum is not open on rainy days.

Directions: Arriving by car from the east, exit the Santa Paula Freeway (SR 126) at 10th street, turn right off the ramp, and then a quick left onto Harvard Boulevard. Turn left at the next signal at Eighth Street, under the freeway, left onto Santa Maria Street and park in the lot. Arriving from the west, exit the freeway at Palm Avenue, turn right and then a quick left onto Santa Maria Street, about a half mile to the end at the parking lot.

Lots to see, both inside and outside of the hangars.