23800 Pine St, then about 50 yards east up a dirt road…read more If you use Yelp's address, you will never find the Pioneer Oil Refinery--there is no 238 Pine Street. Instead try 23658-23918 Pine St Newhall, CA 91321 in your Maps app. When you get there, the gate for the dirt road to the refinery is marked 23802 Pine St. on a mailbox. When you find the sign for Valencia Building Materials Company, Inc., you are there. I have uploaded pictures of where to turn. (If you see the Newhall County Water Company, you have gone too far up Pine.) Turn east up the dirt road and the refinery will be at the right. The back side of the refinery (which faces towards Pine St.) can be seen at all hours, but the front only during the business hours of the neighbors. Right now, the refinery's grounds are fenced off from the public, but you can get real close.

This is one of the oldest remaining refineries in the world. The Pioneer Oil Refinery was built by…read morethe California Star Oil Works which was later acquired by Standard Oil of California and eventually became Chevron. The city of Santa Clarita acquired the Pioneer Oil Refinery property as a gift from Chevron in 1997. The city intends on restoring it and turning it into a public park. The funding will come from the fees associated with the soon to be developed Gate King Industrial Park, which will surround it. Nearby is the Gate King Open Space is open and has some nice hiking trails. The site is fun to visit if you are in the area. It's right off Newhall and the 14 fwy near the William Hart Museum. It located down Pine St along on an undeveloped dirt driveway in an industrial area. The site is fenced off and unfortunately not open to the public. The location is also a California Historical Landmark, No. 72. The historic marker is located about three miles west of the site at the southeast corner of the intersection of Lyons and I-5. The plaque inscription reads: NO. 172 PIONEER OIL REFINERY - In 1875 the Star Oil Company, one of the predecessors of the Standard Oil Company of California, drilled its first Pico Canyon well, which yielded about one hundred barrels per day. The discovery resulted in the erection of the first commercial oil refinery in California the following year.

Located at the front of the Eternal Valley Memorial Park. The plaque inscription reads:…read more "This site was the location of a combination store, post office, telegraph office, tavern, and stage depot accommodating travelers during the Kern River gold rush in the early 1850s. A regular stop for Butterfield and other early California stage lines, it was purchased by Sanford and Cyrus Lyons in 1855, and by 1868 at least twenty families lived here. Eternal Valley Memorial Park has called their final resting place "The Garden of the Pioneers." California Registered Historical Landmark No.688 Plaque placed by the California State Park Commission in cooperation with Eternal Valley Memorial Park; The History and Landmarks Association of the San Fernando and Antelope Valley Parlors, Native Sons and Native Daughters of the Golden West, and San Fernando Mission Parlor No.280, Native Daughters of the Golden West, November 22, 1959." Not really worth visiting unless you combine it with a tour other local historical landmarks. Not much to see besides the plaque.

This stagecoach stop is California Historic Landmark number 688. The website's picture of the…read moreplaque seems like a different one than I saw. I viewed an older looking plaque that was partially obscured by a tree near the Memoral Park's office buildings. (It's possible the other plaque could be new and better placed, I haven't been back to check it out again). Just a bit of local history to check out.

Off the 118, down a rough road that says residents only (open to everyone now), you will find a…read morepaid parking lot for the Santa Monica Mountains Park where you can hike to the missle and to the top of Oat Mountain. Don't forget to pay, $5.00 cash, and put the ticket in your windshield so the cops can see it, otherwise you may get a ticket. Also make sure that you car doors are locked and nothing valuable is left in the car. This area is pretty deserted, so not the best hike to do alone. The hike to the missle is short- but it is up a fire road for about a mile. Some may find the road to be steep but its quite short. During warmer months watch out for snakes. Once you arrive at the missle site you'll be rewarded with an interesting experience- You will see an old repair site for vehicles with remains of the vehicles and buses. Plus the entrance to the missle site- there are two entrances- one with a straight ladder and another one with steps. Both directions require a light. Also be careful as both have obstacles- don't cut yourself on the metal or wood going down. This location also provides great sunset views!

Finally, got to explore this second missile site.. this was probably my favorite because you could…read moreactually roam aroubd more versus the la-96 missile site. I got my friend enrique to tag along.. its $5 to park.. but be ready for a hike... the incline is no joke... when we reached the top; I literally felt like I ran a mile... I felt like I was going to pass out... and it was cold and windy as hell! my hat almost flew off... The place is amazing though.. we saw two abandoned beat up buses with bullet holes and one car that looked like a mashed potato.. its a great place to explore... I can mark this off from my yelp bookmark.

In January 2003, John Quigley spent 71 days sitting in the branches of Old Glory protesting a…read moredeveloper's plans to remove the tree and make way for a road. John Laing Homes was attempting to cut down this 400 year old tree in order to widen Pico Canyon Road from two lanes to four. Quigley's efforts gained national attention and resulted in the developer eventually agreeing to move the oak a quarter-mile to the east, where it now sits in the center of Pico Canyon Park.

I stopped to visit the Old Glory oak tree on my way back from the California Poppy Preserve in…read moreAntelope Valley and the detour only cost 10 minutes of my time. The Old Glory became famous in 2002 when the renowned environmentalist John Quigley spent 71 days on top of the tree to protest the plans to have it removed in order to widen Pico Canyon Road from two lanes to four. This brought Old Glory- and Quigley- to international fame. The tree was eventually moved to its current location in the center of Pico Canyon Park, a quarter-mile to the east, at the exorbitant cost of $250,000 (which made the Guinness Book of World Records in 2007 for Largest Tree Moving ). Unfortunately, there is no signage to tell the story of this tree and unless you know the story, nobody would know that this tree is considered a symbol of the battle between environmentalists and developers. It was a nice 2-minutes stop, but not worth going out of your way to visit unless you are already in the area.

First of all - I understand that everyone in this "society" is a volunteer. HOWEVER - my husband…read moreand I booked the Ramona Chapel at Hart Park for our wedding back in February (our wedding was in October). Originally we spoke with Kathy Martin, who was full of great info. She gave us the paperwork, it was very affordable and it was my dream to get married in front of this adorable and historic building. She never checked in with us prior to our wedding. When we did check in with her she said there were no changes and that we were all set for Sunday. Our rehearsal was Saturday and it was a DISASTER!!!!! Kathy hadn't told us that they had removed the ENTIRE STEEPLE of the church, and had surrounded the building in GIANT UGLY SCAFFOLDING!!!! Not to mention the yellow tape in the immediate area. Not only did she not tell us about literally any of this - when we asked her for an explanation, she just shrugged her shoulders and said "I guess I forgot, whoops" WHOOPS?! This is the most important day of our lives and all you have to say is WHOOPS?! Unbelievable! And then she proceeded to tell on my husband to the President of the Society - saying that he was going crazy - and then they threatened to call the police! It was insanity! We just wanted to get married! They even had the audacity to ask if I wanted to look at other venues to have our ceremony at. We eventually decided to get married there anyway as we didn't have any time for anything else. Our coordinator did her best to cover the offensive sight in tulle and decor. We also got a refund - but the whole experience was embarrassing and emotional. It really put a bad taste in our mouth about how our historical society is run - and it was even worse that they thought WE were being the crazy ones. I don't know if Kathy was reprimanded in any way but nothing would make me happier than to know she was FIRED!

I had a school project due and needed their information and copies of photos. I spoke with…read moreExecutive Director Jamey Dinkel- she was informative, and a lot more friendly and generous of information as a historian than anyone else I spoke with (outside of this organization). Like all the others I needed information from, they either wanted money or saw me as a waste of time. A small fee was paid for the photos I needed from her, but at least it goes to a good cause :) They're good people (I spoke with others there, too), and they care about that place, I can tell. They spent time with me so I can get everything I needed, and for free. They're all volunteers.

** Dog friendly My Betty would have had fun here…read more Please bring water, a bowl and poop bags for your pup Please pick up after yourselves First off no cell service for me anyway, I have Spectrum. Large empty parking lot available at 10am on a Thursday. Note: posted no off road parking. I didn't have any cash on me and parking meter was not working, so unfortunately I had to turn right around and leave. Payment is $5 in an envelope that you put into the "iron ranger". I wouldn't make a special trip out there but if I am ever nearby again I'd probably check this out. Note: my cell was "off line" until 2.4 miles away on Pico Canyon Rd from Mentryville parking lot.

Mentryville was a pretty cool experience. We got to visit it through Parapod's haunted tour. Has…read moresome history and people claim it is haunted. The pictures I posted pretty much describe it. It was fun to travel back in time for a bit and imagine how life was back in the day.

I have been by the Cascades on three occasions including this one. I always wanted to stop and see…read moreit closer knowing the history of the building of the Los Angeles Aqueduct from the Owens Valley to Los Angeles. This also contains water that comes across Southern California in the California Aqueduct that you can see cross the 15 Freeway in the Hesperia area. Knowing how this engineering marvel came about and the water grab from the Owens Valley in Central California, view the video Chinatown and you see what Mulholland and others were up to in bringing water to turn LA from a desert to a green, thriving city. Know also that the voters of LA were promised this would bring water to the city and they voted for the bonds. In fact, the plan all along was to terminate it in the San Fernando Valley where Mulholland, Colonel Otis (then owner of the LA Times), and others had purchased large tracts of arid land and this opened the valley to development and of course they made a fortune. This is a marvel and it should also act as a reminder how precious and sometimes scare water is.

Who doesn't love the Cascades of the L.A. aqueduct? The rushing white water flowing down the…read morehillside is iconic and if you've driven the I-5 anytime during the last several decades it's there prominent and historic; you can't miss it. Something about the cascading water is mesmerizing and when the cascade is dry it's almost downright eerie. These days it's flowing like Niagara, okay maybe not but you get my drift. I've never exited the freeway or stopped to make the walk next to the aqueduct, but I understand it's worth the visit and maybe a few photos. As I get older these So Cal historic sites pique my interest more and more and this one is on my list. I'm not in this area very often but when I am I always like to gaze...knowing the water is flowing all the way from the Sierra Nevada's is kinda cool, am I right? Do pause to ponder what's going on here the next time you're on the I-5. Snap a few shots and share 'em.

Canyon Country Park in Santa Clarita turned out to be a much more lively and enjoyable place than I…read moreexpected when I first visited. The park has a relaxed and open atmosphere that makes it easy to enjoy without feeling rushed. I noticed right away how many teenagers were hanging out there, whether they were sitting on the grass, using the playground, or taking pictures around the park. Seeing that many teens made the whole place feel energetic in a way that I think teenagers would really enjoy. What surprised me most was how playful certain parts of the park felt even though it is just a regular community park. The bright playground structures and big open fields almost look cartoonish from a distance, which makes them fun for taking photos. I did not have to pay anything to enjoy any of the areas, so walking around felt simple and stress free. Even though it is not a themed attraction, the colors and layout give it a lighthearted vibe that teenagers who love taking pictures or hanging out would appreciate a lot. This was my first time visiting the park, and I did not realize how much there was to enjoy until I walked around. There were plenty of places to sit and relax, and the park felt clean overall, although a few areas looked a little older. That is part of why I am giving it four stars instead of five, because it is a great park but not perfect. Still, I appreciated how easy it was to enjoy myself there. The teenagers around the park made the space feel more alive, and it reminded me how fun it can be to be in a place where people are just enjoying themselves. Even though I have only visited once before writing this review, it left a strong impression on me. I would definitely recommend it, especially for teenagers. They would love the open spaces, the photo friendly spots, the relaxed environment, and the chance to hang out somewhere that feels playful and creative.

Canyon Country Park is one of our favorite spots in the community! We especially love coming on…read moreWednesday late afternoons for the farmers market. The atmosphere is always lively, and the vendors offer so many great options. Our favorites are the freshly baked cookies, delicious tamales, and warm churros. During the summer, we can't resist grabbing a big cup of the pineapple agua fresca... it's the perfect refresher on a hot day! Beyond the farmers market, the community center at the park is a gem. My two oldest children, ages 11 and 13, attended the summer camp there, and they had such a great experience. The camp offered exciting field trips and fun daily activities that kept them engaged and active all summer long. Between the market, the events, and the programs for kids, Canyon Country Park truly brings the community together. It's a five-star spot for families to enjoy year-round!

I have lived near this museum, the mansion of the actor William Hart. It closed around the start of…read morethe pandemic, so I didn't get to go inside until recently. The guided tour is free. The tour guide was a young woman who is well informed on Hart, his friends, movies, books, art, etc. We didn't see every room on the tour, but we did see the bulk of it. I loved it and believe you will enjoy it too.

This is definitely one of my hiking parks for walking, hiking, yoga, and exploring. There is…read moregenuinely so much to see! Theres a free area to walk through with a petting zoo and we were lucky enough to be able to get hands on with some of the animals, feeing and petting them! The animal keepers are extremely sweet and super knowledgeable. The actual museum itself is closed and they did say they don't have an exact date but to check in with them in a couple weeks. Hopefully we get to enjoy the museum soon! They also let us know the ranch house was open to explore so we checked it out. It's a self guided museum with lots of history to read about and see for yourself, so don't miss it before heading out of the park.