Pick Your Own Produce at Underwood Family Farms in Moorpark

For a fun, inexpensive local family activity, stop by Underwood Family Farms in Moorpark for some "Pick Your Own" fun. Open most of the year, weather and farm conditions permitting. They've got everything from avocados, beans, beets, blackberries, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, onions, cucumbers, on through spinach, squash and tomatoes, depending on time of year.

Underwood offers pull wagons, bags and containers for you to stash your haul. Then of course you pay for it. And if you can't find what you want in the fields, they may have it in their Farm Market.

• Weekday Admission: $7 (as of June 2023)

• Weekend and Holiday Admission: $10 (as of June 2023) (subject to change during spring, fall and Christmas festivals)

• Children under 2 and parking free.

• Wagon rides included with admission.

• Seniors (65+), Military, Veterans and 1st Responders w/ID get $2 off.

Learn more at underwoodfamilyfarms.com/pick-your-own.

Hike to the Rock Pool at Malibu Creek State Park in Agoura Hills

One of the most popular destinations in Malibu Creek State Park is the Rock Pool, a picturesque place that is easily accessible for all ages.

As seen in the photo above, it can be stunning to see after solid rains but can also dry up. One fun way to get to the Rock Pool is via the Grassland Trail, accessible on Mulholland Highway just west of Las Virgenes Road, where street parking is available.

Take the Grassland trail, with moderate hills, .7 miles to the Crags Road main fire road/trail in Malibu Creek State Park, and turn right. Alternatively, you can park in the Park's lower parking lot, pay $12 for a bit more secure parking, and take the main trail into the park.

The scenery along the Grassland Trail can be quite beautiful, particularly after the rainy season.

Soon you'll see the sign where you can see the Visitor Center is on the left. That's the direction you'll be taking to get to the Rock Pool. Veering to the right gets you to another popular site at the Park, the old M*A*S*H television series set.

You'll see a bridge over the creek (seen below after the winter rains) that takes you to the Visitor Center (open weekends noon to 4pm). The Rock Pool is the trail on the right (west) before reaching the bridge. Look carefully and you may see the little sign that says "Rock Pool."

Malibu Creek free flowing after some decent winter rainstorms

Well known Rock Wall used by rock climbers seen in the original Planet of the Apes (1968)

You'll walk through a shaded area with picnic benches through to a Rock Wall that is popular with local rock climbers. The video above shows scenes from the movie Planet of the Apes (1968) shot in Malibu Creek State Park. From there, the Rock Pool is a short walk further.

California State Parks, which manages the Park, warns visitors not to jump or dive into the Rock Pool as it is dangerous. But it is certainly fun to explore and is quite a beautiful area.

All told, getting to the Rock Pool is only about 3 miles round trip and worth it. I would put this hike on par with hiking to Paradise Falls in Thousand Oaks' Wildwood Park in terms of ease of access and family enjoyment. Learn more about Malibu Creek State Park at this link.

Jumping and Climbing Options In and Around Ventura County

If your kids are bouncing off the walls around the house and need to jump off some steam, perhaps they need a new environment for jumping and/or climbing in and around Ventura County. Here are some options to consider.

Sky Zone (formerly DojoBoom and Defy) Extreme Air Sports opened at the Janss Marketplace in Thousand Oaks in November 2017, offering over 50,000 square feet of trampolines, launching decks, foam pits, obstacle course and much more.

Sky Zone Trampoline Park is located at 2825 Johnson Drive in east Ventura. Similar to Sky High, Sky Zone offers wall to wall trampolines with open jump sessions, a "SkySlam" court and more.

Boulderdash Indoor Rock Climbing at 880 Hampshire Road, Suite A, Thousand Oaks, is a 10,000 sq ft climbing area with sections ranging from 25 feet to 45 feet tall. Fun for all ages.

An additional Boulderdash Indoor Rock Climbing opened at 2879 Seaborg Avenue, Suite 101, Ventura in January 2019. This facility is also 10,000 sq ft.

The Agoura Hills/Calabasas Community Center at 27040 Malibu Hills Road, Calabasas features, among other things, a 35 foot rock climbing wall. (Center has been closed pending renovations; anticipated to reopen in late fall 2023.)

Santa Barbara Rock Gym is an 8,500 sq ft facility located at 322 State Street, Santa Barbara.

Not for the inexperienced...rock climbing at Westward Beach in Malibu.

For more seasoned climbers, there is a sheer cliff used by rock climbers at Westward Beach in Malibu as well as near the Rock Pool at Malibu Creek State Park.

Mount Pinos in the Los Padres National Forest is the Highest Point in Ventura County

At 8,847 feet in elevation, Mount Pinos is the highest point in Ventura County. It is located in the northernmost tip of Ventura County in the Los Padres National Forest, near the Kern County border.

From Thousand Oaks, plan on about a 1 hour, 45 minute, 100 mile drive to get to the Mount Pinos parking area at the "Mt. Pinos Nordic Base," where you will find plenty of parking. The Base is at an elevation of 8,300 feet, which means you only have 547 feet of elevation gain to hike to the peak.

Plenty of parking available here at Mt. Pinos Nordic Base. The trail to the summit is to the left.

The hike to the top is about two miles along a wide access road shaded by pine trees much of the way. It is a fairly easy hike, with no significant challenges. Easy enough for kids and adults alike, though at this elevation your breathing may be a bit more labored than normal.

Take a deep breath of fresh air as you experience the 50th highest and 11th most topographically prominent summit in California.

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Trail to the Mt. Pinos summit is largely tree-lined. You may trip on a pine cone or two!

You will notice a radio tower up ahead with about a 1/2 mile to go to the peak. You will come across a fork in the road. Turn right to get to the actual peak. Continue towards the left (west) for a Chumash interpretative area.

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At this juncture of the trail, you will notice a radio tower up ahead at the summit of Mt. Pinos

The interpretative area has several benches and an interpretative sign. The Chumash name for Mount Pinos is Iwihinmu. The Chumash call the summit Liyikshup, the center of the world.

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A view from Mount Pinos summit.

Of course, you'll find snow up here in the winter months.  There are no ski lifts, but cross country skiing, tubing and snow play are available....right here in Ventura County.

You may also find stargazers situated in the parking lot with high powered telescopes.

There are campgrounds available on Mount Pinos, including the following:

• Mt. Pinos Campground is available from May to November, with 15 reservable sites (must be made eight or more days in advance) and 4 first-come, first-serve sites. Picnic tables, fire rings, vault toilets, no water. www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/lpnf/recarea/?recid=10990

• The McGill Campground is available May to November, with 54 reservable campsites and 18 first-come, first-serve campsites. Picnic table, BBQ, fire rings, vault toilet, no water. www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/lpnf/recarea/?recid=10989

• The walk-in Chula Vista Campground is located adjacent to the Nordic Base area and is free of charge and open May to November. It is a first-come, first-serve walk-in campground. www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/lpnf/recreation/camping-cabins/recarea/?recid=10982&actid=29.

Directions to Mount Pinos: From I-5, take Frazier Park exit (Frazier Mountain Park Road). Go west approximately 6 miles. The road name changes to Cuddy Valley Road. Continue on it up Mt. Pinos. The road name changes to Mt. Pinos Highway.

Check traffic and weather conditions before you go, particularly during snow season. Good to have chains on hand.

Frazier Mountain Community Snow Play Visitor Page at www.facebook.com/groups/2579680555601233

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 Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Fees for non-docent tours are $10 for adults and $5 for 12 and under and 65+ seniors. 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.

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 2340 Lillie Avenue, Summerland.

Century Lake at Malibu Creek State Park

According to the Malibu Creek Docents, around 1903, the Crags Country Club constructed a 50 foot tall dam on its 2,000 acre property on what is now Malibu Creek State Park. The dam created a seven acre lake that club members used for fishing and duck hunting.

The Club closed in 1936, and 10 years later, 20th Century Fox Studios purchased the property to film movies and TV shows on what was renamed Century Ranch. The 1968 "Planet of the Apes" featured many prominent scenes shot here.

This is an awesome video showing Planet of the Apes (1968) film scenes at Malibu Creek State Park and local area beaches then and today.

As for the lake, it is now referred to as Century Lake, a hiking destination in Malibu Creek State Park. Only 1 1/2 miles from the parking area, Century Lake is in a secluded area, where you can eat your lunch at the picnic table and enjoy serenity (usually, depending on who else is there). I believe it is fine to wade in the water and even kayak in there if desired. although I've never seen anyone do so.

Century Lake is a left hand turn from the main Crags Road trail, after cresting the only significant hill going down the other side. The only indicator is this narrow sign.

The hike has a moderately steep hill in it, but otherwise is quite flat and easy to do with kids and/or a stroller.

Malibu Creek State Park has something for everyone...camping, a visitor center, the "Rock Pool," the M*A*S*H set, the old Reagan Ranch, Century Lake, over 35 miles of trails, rock climbing (near the Rock Pool) and more.

The Century Dam is shown in this image. You don't wanna fall down that dam. Off limits.

The Stagecoach Inn in Newbury Park is Ventura County Historical Landmark No. 30

Ventura County Historical Landmark No. 30 is the Stagecoach Inn in Newbury Park. The Stagecoach Inn Museum was originally built as the Grand Union Hotel in 1876 at the southwest corner of what is now Ventu Park Road and the Ventura Freeway. In 1965 it was relocated to its current location at 51 South Ventu Park Road (near the Lynn Road intersection) due to construction of the freeway.

The Inn is a Monterey style redwood structure with a wraparound porch and balcony. The original structure served as a school, post office, steakhouse, church, gift shop and movie set. After it was destroyed by a fire in 1970, the Stagecoach Inn was completely rebuilt and dedicated on July 4, 1976.

Situated on four acres, The Stagecoach Inn Museum site also houses a Chumash Indian hut, an early California Spanish adobe, a three-room pioneer house, blacksmith shop and a collection of vintage items, both inside the Inn and outdoors. Inside the Inn, each room is adorned with antique furniture, dolls, toys, household items and other collections and memorabilia. Behind the Museum is a fun to explore nature trail and stream.

The Inn is also California Registered Historical Landmark No. 659 and was named to the National Register of Historic Places on December 30, 1975.

Adjacent to the Museum is the 4.9 acre Stagecoach Inn Park, with a large grassy area, full basketball court, stagecoach themed play area and three picnic tables and grills. This is a neighborhood park developed by the Conejo Recreation and Park District in 1985. There are no restrooms at this park.

Stagecoach themed play area at Stagecoach Inn Park adjacent to the Museum.

Don't forget the horsies!

In addition to year-round docent-led tours, The Stagecoach Inn Museum frequently hosts special events, including holiday gatherings, Conejo Valley Historical Society meetings and events, antique fairs and more. It is also a popular venue for weddings.

The Stagecoach Inn Museum is located at 51 South Ventu Park Road, Newbury Park.  Open for docent-led tours Wednesdays and Saturdays from 1-4PM. Admission is $7 for adults and $5 for children (as of July 2022).

Call 805.498.9441 or visit stagecoachinnmuseum.com to learn more.