Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History

Founded in 1916, the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History makes for a great excursion to Santa Barbara with the kids.  There are eight exhibit halls with permanent exhibits featuring birds, mammals, insects, ocean life, a planetarium and more. Many of the exhibits are "hands on" with buttons and interactive features that kids particularly enjoy. There are an additional two halls for changing exhibits.

You and your kids can roam the nature paths and visit the well stocked gift shop, full of educational items. I can vouch for the fascination kids (and adults) have at this Museum. It is a very comfortable museum that in my experience is rarely is crowded. The "Museum Backyard" area and gardens has a picnic area, stream and other enjoyable features. The pond and stream often have tadpoles that captivate the kids.

The museum is open 7 days a week and is closed certain holidays. As of July 2019, admission is $15 for adults, $12 for 65+ seniors and teens (13-17) and $9 for children 2 to 12 years of age. Become a Museum member and you don't have to pay for admission. The Museum also offers birthday parties for members. Tax-deductible family memberships are currently $99/year.

Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History is located at 2559 Puesta del Sol Road, Santa Barbara. More information at www.sbnature.org or 805.682.4711.

Elite Theatre Company in Oxnard

The Elite Theatre Company (ETC) has been entertaining, educating and enriching its audience since 1994. It is located at the Fisherman's Wharf at Channel Islands Harbor at 2731 S. Victoria Avenue, Oxnard.

ETC brings together the local talents of amateurs and professionals who share a passion for theater and who generously volunteer their time on the stage and behind the scenes. This collaboration creates a variety of quality live theatrical productions showcased in ETC's unique setting.

ETC is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization as well as a proud member of the Four Star Theater Awards Committee and the alliance of Ventura County Theaters.

Learn more at www.theelite.org.

Lake Piru Recreation Area

The 60 acre Lake Piru Recreation Area is located on the western shore of Lake Piru, an artificial lake in the Los Padres National Forest. Lake Piru offers 238 tree-shaded campsites, coin-operated hot showers and a store. Each site has a picnic table, fire ring and grill top.

The dam is owned and operated by the United Water Conservation District of Santa Paula and a third party operates the campsite; visit campone.com/campsites/lake-piru for more information. Boat rentals and fishing available as well as a newer children's playground area.  Make camping reservations by calling 805.521.1500.

Disneyland Park in Anaheim

Everyone knows about Disneyland Park (originally called just Disneyland) in Anaheim, so here in this post we will summarize some key tidbits about this amusement park.

Disneyland Park and sister theme park Disneyland California Adventure together form Disneyland Resort, along with three hotels (Disneyland Hotel, Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa and Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel) and Downtown Disney, an outdoor shopping and restaurant area connecting the theme parks and hotels.

Disneyland Park Sections (or "Lands")

Disneyland is divided into the following "lands," or themed sections: Main Street, U.S.A., Adventureland, New Orleans Square, Frontierland, Critter Country, Fantasyland, Mickey's Toontown and Tomorrowland.  Ground breaking for a new section, "Star Wars Land," began in April 2016. Star Wars Land will encompass 14 acres when completed at a future date.

The eight existing lands occupy 85 acres. The original lands when Disneyland opened on July 17, 1955 were Main Street U.S.A, Adventureland, Frontierland, Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. Later on came New Orleans Square (1966), Bear Country (later changed to Critter Country) in 1972 and Mickey's Toontown in 1993.

The "lost" land is Holidayland, which opened in 1957, a 9 acre area with a circus and baseball diamond, that closed in 1961. (Good to know this, trivia buffs!)

Disneyland Park Attractions by Land

Visit touringplans.com/disneyland-resort/closures for updates on rides that are closed for renovation.

Opening May 31, 2019: Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge: Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run

• 14 acre expansion of Disneyland

• Opening later this year: Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance

• Reservations required from May 31 to June 23, 2019

Main Street U.S.A: The Disney Gallery, Disney’s "Aladdin” Sneak Peak, Main Street Cinema and Main Street Vehicles (turn of the 20th century vehicles)

Adventureland: Enchanted Tiki Room, Indiana Jones Adventure, Jungle Cruise, Tarzan's Treehouse

Critter Country: Davy Crockett's Explorer Canoes, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Splash Mountain

Frontierland: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Frontierland Shootin' Expedition, Mark Twain Riverboat, Pirate's Lair on Tom Sawyer Island, Sailing Ship Columbia

• Frontierland, representing the “Frontiers of America,” opened as on of five original lands on July 17, 1955.

• Big Thunder Trail is a walkway between Frontierland and Fantasyland and also serves as one of the entrances to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad’s 40th anniversary is September 2, 2019

• Eateries in Frontierland include The Golden Horseshoe and Stage Door Cafe for quick service options and Rancho del Zocalo Restaurant (Mexican food) and River Belle Terrace (comfort food) for sit down and dine options.

Fantasyland: Alice in Wonderland, Casey Jr. Circus Train, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, King Arthur Carrousel (yes, this 1955 original ride is spelled with two r's), Mad Tea Party, Matterhorn Bobsleds, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, Peter Pan's Flight, Pinocchio's Daring Journey, Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough, Snow White's Scary Adventures, Storybook Land Canal Boats, “it's a small world”

Mickey's Toontown: Chip 'n Dale Treehouse, Donald's Boat, Gadget's Go Coaster, Goofy's Playhouse, Mickey's House and Meet Mickey, Minnie's House, Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin

New Orleans Square: Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean

Tomorrowland: Astro Orbitor, Autopia, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, Disneyland Monorail, Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy, Star Tours - The Adventures Continue, Star Wars Launch Bay, Star Wars: Path of the Jedi

Various Areas: Disneyland Railroad

Character Experiences and Live Entertainment

There are various opportunities to meet Disney characters throughout the park. Visit disneyland.disney.go.com/entertainment/#/character-experiences for details. And for live entertainment opportunities, visit disneyland.disney.go.com/entertainment.

Pricing

Retail pricing is as follows as of May 2019 and of course is subject to change:

• 1-Day, 1 Park: Varies from $104 (Value) to $129 (Regular) to $149 (Peak) (For Ages 10+; Ages 3 to 9 are about $6 less per ticket)

• 2-Day, 1 Park Per Day: $225 or Park Hopper $280

• 3-Day, 1 Park Per day: $300 or Park Hopper $355

• 4-Day, 1 Park Per Day: $325 or Park Hopper $380

• 5-Day, 1 Park Per Day: $340 or Park Hopper $395

• Annual Passports: There are 5 to choose from and they vary from $399 to $1,399 per year. The $1,399 Disney Signature Plus Passport gets you in to both park every day of the year.

• One Day Parking: $25

Learn more at disneyland.disney.go.com.

Ventura County Wine Trail

Ventura County Wine Trail offers 14 family-owned, award winning wineries right here in Ventura County and adjacent areas! Unique wine tasting tours, five star restaurants, luxury hotels, wine events and attractions, make an amazing wine country destination getaway.

Visit www.venturacountywinetrail.com.

Here are the 14 wineries (updated April 2019) that are part of this trail.

Alma Sol Winery in Thousand Oaks www.almasolwinery.com

Back Patio Cellars in Camarillo www.backpatiocellars.com

Boccali Vineyards and Winery in Ojai www.boccalivineyards.com

Camarillo Custom Crush Winery www.camarillocustomcrush.com

Clos des Amis in Ventura www.closdesamis.com

Herzog Wine Cellars in Oxnard www.herzogwinecellars.com

Labyrinth Winery and Tasting Room in Ventura www.LabyrinthWinery.com

Magnavino Cellars in Oxnard www.magnavino.com

Malibu Sundowner in Westlake Village www.malibusundownerwines.com

Millesime Cellars in Camarillo www.millesimecellars.com

Panaro Brothers Winery in Ventura www.panarobrotherswinery.com

Rancho Ventano Cellars in Oxnard www.ranchoventavo.com

Strey Cellars in Oxnard www.StreyCellars.com

Sunland Vintage Winery and Tasting Room in Thousand Oaks www.SunlandVintageWinery.com

Other wine tasting options around Ventura County

ImmotionVR at The Oaks Shopping Mall in Thousand Oaks

We were just passing through The Oaks mall recently when we looked up and saw ImmotionVR on the first floor near Aveda. ImmotionVR offers up virtual reality experiences for $8 per ride (5-8 minutes), $25 for 30 minutes and $40 for 60 minutes.

VR experiences offered include Delta Zero, Jinx Thriller, Legend of Lusca Adventure and more.

Hours are 10am to 9pm Mon to Sat and 11am to 7pm Sun. immotionvr.com/us/

Hook's Landing Sportfishing in Oxnard

Hook's Landing Sportfishing is located in Channel Islands Harbor in Oxnard at 3550 South Harbor Boulevard. Hook's has 2 boats. The Coroloma is a 3/4 day boat that leaves at 6am and returns at about 3pm. The New Hustler and takes you on overnight fishing trips. The Outrider is offered up for all day trips.

More information at www.hookslanding.net or call 805.382.6233.

NAMBA Performing Arts Space in Downtown Ventura

NAMBA is a multi-disciplinary performance space located in Ventura’s historic downtown arts district. The programming focus is on culturally relevant stories that serve our community.

Namba provides the community with an intimate experience where artists entertain and share stories through artistic collaboration, unique programming, showcases, workshops, and classes.

Learn more at nambaarts.com or call 805.628.9250.

City of Oxnard Community Classes

The City of Oxnard Recreation and Community Services Department offers thousands of community classes year-round. Offerings include preschool classes, youth classes, adult classes, youth and adult sports, senior programs, adaptive recreation programs and much more. For more information, to download a complete recreation guide and to register, visit www.oxnardrec.org or call 805.385.7995.

Marty's Hobbies in Thousand Oaks

Marty's Hobbies is a family owned and operated hobby shop that has operated in the Conejo Valley since 1976. In 2018, the store relocated to a huge new location at 270 Conejo Ridge Avenue, Thousand Oaks. 

The new location has all the items it had at the previous location - plastic models, airplanes, slot racing cars, trains, toys and much more. 

The store has a huge RC Race Track, RC Crawler Course, Drone Course and Slot Car Track. You can access the tracks on an hourly, daily or monthly membership basis. 

Marty's also offers birthday parties now for both kids and adults. Parties include track time, expert staff time to train your attendees, party room use, karaoke machine, gaming system and more.

Visit www.martyshobbies.com or call 805.497.3664 for more information.

Store hours (subject to change) Mon-Fri 10am to 8pm, Sat 10am to 6pm, Sun 10am to 5pm.

Ventura Raceway

Ventura Raceway is a world-famous dirt track located at the Ventura County Fairgrounds.  Ventura Raceway became world famous in the early 1990s when it hosted several years of the ESPN Thunder Series on television. 

With weekly racing events held on most Saturday nights from March through October, Ventura Raceway has a worldwide following of short track racing fans.  Most Saturday nights you can find the powerful VRA 360 Sprint Cars racing at the 1/5 mile oval.  These 600+ horsepower, open wheel racers hit speeds in excess of 80 mph on the track that is smaller than a high school oval track. 

Beyond the sprint cars, there are classes for seniors (age 45 and up) down to kids as young as 5 years old in a family friendly environment. 

Located at 10 West Harbor Blvd, Ventura. Admission (as of January 2019) is $15 for adults, $11 for 60+, military and students with ID and free to 12 and under (with adult). Visit www.venturaraceway.com or call 805.648.RACE for more information.

Fillmore Historical Museum

The Fillmore Historical Museum is located at 340 Main Street. Stroll through the Craftsman-style Hinckley home built in 1905 and filled with antique furniture, kitchen items, pump organ and Dr. Hinckley's dental office. Allow time to tour the 1919 Sespe Bunkhouse, a building full of Fillmore history and originally used as a dormitory by farm workers.

Other history on display includes orange and lemon industry history dating back to 1900, military, police and fire department memorabilia, Native American artifacts, Fillmore insectary, antique clothing and toys and more.

The Southern Pacific Railroad Depot, a functioning depot from 1887 to 1970 is also located on site, located adjacent to the Hinckley house. This Depot was designated Ventura County Historical Landmark #48, designated in May 1979. When the Southern Pacific Railroad finished its line between Ventura and Los Angeles in 1887, Fillmore, named after Southern Pacific's West Coast superintendent, Jerome A. Fillmore, was established at the only train stop in the Santa Clara Valley. The town of Fillmore was subsequently founded in 1888 and incorporated on July 10, 1914.

An original Barksdale post office from the late 1800s is also on the site.

As of May 2013, the Museum is open Tuesday to Friday from 9 am to 4pm and Saturdays 10am to 3pm. Donation is Family $10, Adults $4, Students $2 and Children under 5 years, free. Call 805.524.0948 to confirm hours. Visit www.fillmorehistoricalmuseum.org to learn more.

Backbone Trail Hike From Kanan Road Trailhead to Zuma Ridge Motorway in Malibu

NOTE: Closed due to damage from the Woolsey Fire as of December 2018. Updates at www.nps.gov/samo/planyourvisit/backbonetrail.htm.

You've driven Kanan Road from Agoura Hills towards PCH for decades and have passed by the Backbone Trail trailhead on Kanan and Newton Canyon Road just before Tunnel "T-1" hundreds of times. But you never stopped there to check it out. Well, it's about time to give it a try!

The Backbone Trail stretches 67 miles through the Santa Monica Mountains, from Will Rogers State Park on the east to the Ray Miller Trailhead on the west. There are 12 "official" Backbone Trail trailheads and the Kanan Road Trailhead is one of them. More information on the National Park Service website at www.nps.gov/samo/planyourvisit/backbonetrail.htm.

There are two trailheads to catch here at what is also referred to as the Newton Canyon Trailhead. The Backbone Trail to the Latigo Canyon Trailhead is 2.5 miles one way headed east. The Backbone Trail to the Zuma Ridge Motorway - the one covered here - is also 2.5 miles one way headed west. 

The Backbone Trail to Zuma Ridge Motorway is a nice, moderate, winding, mostly single track, well-maintained trail. You'll encounter a creek, a view of the Upper Zuma Falls, a short bridge, some tree-lined canopied sections, wildflowers and moderately rocky sections.

Once you reach Zuma Ridge Motorway, you can continue on the Backbone Trail or turn back for a five mile round trip hike.