Hillside Letters in the Conejo Valley and Greater Ventura County

There are over 500 hillside letters, or “mountain monograms,” in the United States, including 81 in California. What are hillside letters, you ask. They are simply large single letters, abbreviations and sometimes even messages erected on a hillside, usually by a school or town.

The Big “C” overlooking UC Berkeley (From Wikipedia; public domain)

The Big “C” overlooking UC Berkeley (From Wikipedia; public domain)

One well known hillside letter is a giant concrete block letter “C” built in the hills overlooking UC Berkeley that was constructed on March 23, 1905.

We have our share of hillside letters here in the Conejo Valley and Greater Ventura County, some of which you may be aware of…others, perhaps not.

The mountain monograms visible in our neck of the woods include:

The letters CLU on Mt. Clef Ridge above Cal Lutheran University are maintained by students.

Hilltop A overlooking Agoura High School up a steep hill. Made out of wood, I believe.

Here is a view of the letter VC north of Ventura College in late April 2019.

Here is a view of the letter VC north of Ventura College in late April 2019.

If you drive north up Catalina Street, west of Ventura High School, you will be able to see this letter V on the hillside.

The letter F is located in the hills west of Fillmore and is quite easy to see.

This letters SP letters in the hills south of Santa Paula is cleared brush. They originated originated in 1922. More information on THIS PAGE.

Happy Face Hill in Simi Valley is not a mountain monogram but is perhaps the visible hillside attraction throughout Ventura County.

The Hunt Olive Tree in Thousand Oaks is a Living Link to Conejo Valley History

Richard Orville Hunt and his wife Mary Jane purchased a large parcel of land in the Conejo Valley in 1876 in what is now Lynn Ranch. He called it Salto Ranch. Hunt also served as postmaster of the Newbury Park Post Office for 18 years and was well known in the local community. While his former land now is populated with family homes, one part of Hunt's ranch lives on.

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For those of you who drive past the Sprouts Market at 600 West Hillcrest, perhaps you have noticed the historic landmark marker situated in front of the last remaining olive tree from Hunt's orchard. The Hunt Olive Tree was designated a Ventura County Historic Landmark in 1981, when the tree was over 100 years old. That would make this olive tree over 130 years old today.

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For nostalgia buffs, to the right is a view of the Hunt Olive Tree marker back in the day that Circuit City was located here. It closed in late 2008. This tree was moved to its current home in 1993. I'm not sure why...perhaps to say hello to the thousands of residents who pass by each day. What a fine specimen this link to the past is. The Hunt Olive Tree is also Historical Landmark #4 in the City of Thousand Oaks.

So be sure to say hello to this tree that sits next to the Sprouts Farmers Market sign at Hillcrest and Lynn and do be nice to him (or her). She's older and wiser than all of us combined, having seen and lived through the growth of our local community.

Visit the City of Thousand Oaks website at www.toaks.org/departments/city-manager-s-office/public-information-office/history for more information on local historical landmarks and points of interest around town.

The Ventura County Portion of State Highway Route 1 is Named "Ventura County Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway"

California State Route 1 runs along most of the coastline of California and at 656 miles is the longest state route in California. The section of SR 1 between I-5 in Dana Point and the US 101 near Oxnard is designated Pacific Coast Highway.

Sign at the indicating the north end of southbound PCH, where it connects to Las Posas Road.

Sign at the indicating the north end of southbound PCH, where it connects to Las Posas Road.

In 2002, the state assembly voted to designate the section of State Highway Route 1 in Ventura County as the “Ventura County Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway” in gratitude and appreciation for the sacrifices California Vietnam veterans.

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That same bill also designated the portion of State Highway Route 126 between the City of Santa Paula and State Highway Route 101 as the Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway.

How Do I Find the Nearest Mailbox to Me?

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My wife asked me if there is a way of finding the nearest local mailbox.  Sure, we know of a couple mailboxes within a mile of our home in the Conejo Valley but it's nice to be able to find other mailboxes when you're out and about.

She used to put letters and bills and such in the mailbox for our mail carrier to pick up, but with the rash of folks swiping things out of home mailboxes, she would prefer to drop letters off into a more secure "blue" mailbox.

The US Post Office has a "Find Locations" section on its website to find a variety of locations, including post offices, approved postal providers, self-service kiosks and collection boxes (aka mailboxes). Find your local mailbox at tools.usps.com/find-location.htm. This tool on the USPS site works great and provides additional information, including daily pickup times.

And of course since there's data out there on where the mailboxes are, there are websites that take that this data and create their own mailbox map. Mailboxmap.com does just this. Simply type in your location and the map will clearly lay out mailbox, post offices and UPS stores for your mailing needs. 

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.  

Throwback: Grand Opening of the Tournament Bowl in Oxnard on November 8, 1958

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The 32 lane Tournament Bowl opened its doors on Saturday, November 8, 1958 at 3443 Saviers Road in Oxnard. The facility featured a cocktail lounge, dining room, coffee shop and children’s playroom. Open 24 hours!

The grand opening featured free door prizes - free souvenirs “for both men and women!” and featured appearances by future United States Bowling Congress Hall of Famers, Steve Nagy and Harry Smith.

While I don’t know the exact date the Tournament Bowl closed its doors (I believe it was the early 1990s), what I do know is that a Ralph’s grocery store is now located there.

The Tournament Bowl hosted the Oxnard PBA Open September 24-27, 1964.

The other Oxnard bowling alley in years past was the Wagon Wheel Bowl, which closed in May 2015.

Finally, a brand new Bowlero opened at The Collection at RiverPark in Oxnard in October 2021, so for now, bowling is still alive in Oxnard!

BOWLING ALLEYS IN AND AROUND VENTURA COUNTY

Drive-In Movie Theaters That Once Were Located in Ventura County

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Once upon a time there were drive-in theaters around Ventura County, providing family entertainment combined with fresh air.

The Simi Drive-In was located at 361 Tierra Rejada Road. It opened in 1963 and closed in 1997, for a 34 year run.

The Pacific 101 Drive-In in Ventura was located at 4826 E. Telephone Road (at the 101). This theater opened in 1948 and closed in 1998. Fifty years!

Sky View Drive-In in Oxnard at 1250 S. Oxnard Blvd opened in 1955 and closed in 1988.

The Santa Paula Drive-In Theatre was located on Harvard Blvd at Barkla (which I believe today is Palm Ave). It opened on Thursday, May 18, 1950 and closed in the 1978 time frame.

Pacific’s Thousand Oaks Drive-In Grand Opening in August 1967

The Thousand Oaks Drive-In was located at Kelley Road and Newbury Road in Newbury Park (now Kohl's) It opened in 1967 and closed in 1983.

The West Wind All Digital Drive-In in Goleta closed in September 2022 after operating from 1966 to 1991, then 2010 to 2019, then once again from 2020 to 2022.