We moved to Simi Valley in 2009, and we found this house (located at 469 Highlander Road) our first…read moreyear of living here... and have returned to see it every single year. Yeah, it's THAT good. In fact, it's GREAT !! So many lights, characters and things to see. You can do a drive-by or park your car, get out and walk around. This is one of the best displays. There are other streets/homes in the area with fun displays that you should drive around, but this particular light display is the best by a longshot.

Amazing and beautiful lights for babys perfect night for the family amazing memories for the…read morepictures

What a wonderful community gathering to bring holiday joy to all! Folks selling holiday treats…read moreoutside their homes to add to the vibe. We got to hear some Christmas caroling. It was overall so clean too with trash cans lining the neighborhood. There is so much foot traffic and car traffic here so that was a surprise! I really loved seeing the canned drive container too! Thanks to the Gemini community for opening their neighborhood to us all! My only suggestion would be portapotties but I'm sure that would be an added expense. Maybe if it was token driven to help offset costs?

Wow! It was amazing! This is the definition of holiday spirit! The houses were decorated…read morebeautifully! Most had themes, and some of the houses really went all out! My favorite was the house with the dog theme, they even had pup Christmas carols playing! Some residents also get involved as part of the experience. One was driving an old style classic truck with a Christmas tree and Santa in the trunk bed. Another was dressed as Santa riding around on a Segway wishing everyone a Merry Christmas. There were a few food vendors, from residents setting up a stand to sell cookies and hot cocoa to food trucks. We started right as the sun set and it was the perfect time as there was less crowd. Although some houses had not turn on their display at that time we were able to see it on the way back to the car. I find it much more enjoyable to walk than to drive. You get an up close view and can really appreciate the efforts that is put into it.

Amazing Tour of one of Johnny Cash's first homes with first wife Vivian and four daughters . Our…read morehostess and tour guide Lisa was amazing!!! Knowledgeable warm interesting and inviting .. loved the whole experience. Highly recommended.

Perfect!! Amazing!!!! Coolest place ever!!! It's just the way interior is so cool. How about the…read morepink room??! Wow!

Randyland is the best! It's unique and beautiful on its own, but to make the experience extra…read morespecial, you'll want to reach out to schedule a visit with Randy in person. Depending on the season and the weather, he'll be able to tell you what time of day is optimal for the best light. In my case, he responded quickly and made it so easy. I'm drawn to quirky people who are compelled to do something, do it well, and keep trying out new ideas simply because they love it. That's Randy in a nutshell, and his enthusiasm and creativity are infectious! You'll leave feeling inspired to see the world a little differently and to make your OWN art more often. Enjoy!

OK, I have had this place on my list of things to do for years. I saw it on Atlas Obscura and then…read moreI saw a video about it on YouTube. It was definitely worth the wait! What an amazing experience! Went with my sister, mom and dad on a Sunday afternoon. Beautiful light in October...beautiful light sculptures and what an interesting interaction with the universe. Randy was just a lovely individual. Like a really interesting, eccentric artist who just is behind what he is proffering 100%. Great talk. GREAT art. Great day. I really recommend it 100%.

The places to shop down on main have never disappointed, from antique stores to trinket shops, well…read moreknown brands and a few local ones in between, I always leave with a bag full of goodies. They also have cute coffee shops and cafes throughout main street and full on restaurants too!! (some of them have gluten free and vegan options, just read the menu) Parking: free public parking spots around downtown, some pay to park on the street closer to main. They also have free events throughout the year, farmers markets, car shows and more.

Ending our weekend getaway, we took a stroll down Main Street in Downtown Ventura to do a little…read moreshopping. On a Sunday most stores open at 11am. So, it's best to grab brunch or visit nearby sites like Serra Cross or the Ventura Pier before you shop. There are free parking lots in the area, but by the time we headed over around 11:30 am, all the free spots were taken, so we used the metered parking which was pretty reasonable. Mission San Buenaventura is located on Main Street and offers services. The church is beautiful and Sunday service was very well attended. You'll also find many thrift and antique stores with reasonable prices. I loved that Main Street included a variety of stores and restaurants without including the cheesy and touristy gift shops. We had an enjoyable lunch at Immigrant Son caffe, purchased some sodas at a really cool candy store called Rocket Fizz and visited Very Ventura, a gift shop with a nice collection of Ventura related gifts. I purchased some stickers for my Yeti and a hat.

The Hobbit's House is just a cute house to see if you are in the area. It is not a must stop. The…read morehouse actually has an owner and there is an apartment there. It was built by a former artist for Disney Studios and the builder, Lawrence Joseph worked on all of it for decades. There are adorable cottages and a view from the street is super. I think some of it may be occupied, I am not sure, so I did not venture far, just the front and back yard and stopped when I saw what looked like an apartment building. It is an LA Historical Landmark and just so cute. It is near Sony pictures. It almost looks like you are walking into a movie set. There is a great garden and a pond and it really does look like a Hobbit house. We were not there long, maybe 15 minutes and did not need to be. So, if you have 15 minutes and want to see a super cool house go take a peek.

When in LA on a rainy bank holiday (dramatically less traffic) do what Angelenos do! See the…read moresights!! These are people's homes aka the Lawrence and Martha Joseph Residence and Apartments, commonly known as the "Hobbit Houses," located in Culver City, California. The structures were designed and built by Lawrence Joseph, a former artist for Walt Disney Studios, starting in the 1940s and continuing construction for decades. Now surrounded by high rises it is difficult to land a parking spot but worth it to get a closer look. For a moment imagine yourself on a walk through emerald green grass & fields of wildflowers. And then look up & see these enchanting cottages.

Park at abalone cove shoreline park…read more Parking opens 9am. Cost 12 dollars for 2 hours. Super scenic hike as you loop through the beach and up the hills. Recommend you bring some water shoes if you want to go look at the tide pools. The park benches are clean.

California has so many great places to hike and this is one of the nicest trails out there. We…read morestarted at Del Cerro Park and hiked down to the beach just east of Inspiration Point using the Archery Coastal trail. The hike wasn't difficult as the cool ocean breeze helped keep the temperature down. Our watch showed almost a 7 mile roundtrip route.

Beautiful sculpture called Chromatic Gate by Herbert Bauer in Santa Barbara. The Austrian-born…read moreartist studied at the Bauhaus under Wassily Kandinsky. Walk around the sculpture from all angles, frame yourself in a photo. This was in a park by the water. I do remember a man made fun of my polka dot dress.

I'm all for Public Art especially because it is free for everyone! I usually stop and check out…read morethe meaning of why and by whom it was created. I was checking out "Local Flavor" on Yelp and this was the first place listed. I had to go see it. It is located at the corner of Calle Puerto Vallarta & E. Cabrillo Blvd. in Cabrillo Park. At 21 feet tall, you can spot it from down the street. Plus it does stand out with it's blue, purple, red, mauve, orange and yellow colors! This gate was installed in 1991 and it had become faded and easy to miss, so it was restored! The restoration was completed in 2013. The new paint is highly durable aircraft specialty paint. Hopefully, it will last longer than the initial paint! Herbert Bayer is the man behind this art. He designed it but passed away in 1985 before it was built. This Gate is a Memorial to Herbert and his wife, Joella. You may recognize Herbert Bayer's other works. For example, Arco's red diamond shape called the ARCO "Spark" logo. And for Angelenos, we have a sculpture in Downtown Los Angeles called the Double Ascension. It is located in front of the City National Plaza (previously known as Arco Plaza) surrounded by a pool of water. He also designed the Articulated Wall which looks like a stack of French Fries, located in Denver, CO. I've seen these three in real life and with research, realized each one was created by Bayer! As stated in other reviews, this makes for a nice Photo Op and is Instagram worthy! If neither of these is your thing, then just come see it as an Art Installation. The next time I come back to Santa Barbara, I would love to see this lit at night!

The BEST OG in the chain!!…read more And trust me I have been to like 12 other various location... All of them are good!! The servers are the best, the managers always stop by and ask how everything is/was... ever the bussers are awesome! Thousand Oaks is just BETTER!!

This spot is always a reliable option when you're craving a comforting Italian-American dish in a…read morelarge group setting. Unlimited soup and salad is always a plus, especially when you are absolutely starving! I ordered the Stuffed Chicken Marsala and really enjoyed it. The chicken was moist and creamy with a nice savory umami flavor from the mushrooms, although it definitely leaned on the saltier side. The dish comes with two large chicken cutlets, and the mashed potatoes were smooth, creamy, and paired nicely with the chicken. I'd definitely order the Stuffed Chicken Marsala again. Also appreciated that we didn't have any wait on a Saturday evening, which was a nice surprise.

We love visiting Ojai. As it was Shangri-La in the movies, we can say that this driving route is…read more"The Road to Shangri-La". We usually enter the Ojai Valley via this direction, instead of coming around on the 101 to the 33. The Ojai Santa Paula Road aka Route 150 surrounds us in back country beauty and pastoral serenity. Passing through the outskirts of Santa Paula there are many interesting sights. The terrain becomes more rugged, and there's just so much to take in visually. From the KOA campground area (with ziplining we'll have to try one day!), and then Steckel Park, it's a short jaunt to the Saint Thomas Aquinas College campus. With it's impressive building towers peaking out behind tall trees and the mountainous backdrop, it has a spectacular setting. Santa Paula Creek runs nearby, with large rock outcroppings that add to the rugged scene. Then the road turns northward, passing through a rural area with several businesses including Painted Pony and Camp Bartlett. It's a windy section of road, climbing to the Upper Ojai Valley. Stay sharp and don't overdrive the curves! The first glance of the horizontally striated Topa Topa Mountains can take your breath away. You'll have better views as you continue the drive once you reach the Upper Ojai Valley. If you are nearby at sunset time you can view the magical "Pink Moment" when the light from the setting sun bathes the Topa Topa peaks with a pinky-lavender glow. At the summit there's a small grouping of places to stop, including Summit Drive-In and Stagecoach Station grocery store. The next section of the journey passes through the "Upper Ojai", home to vineyards, working ranches (including the spectacular Black Mountain Ranch - one of the largest privately owned ranches in SoCal), private schools, the Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts, and more. Once you reach Dennison Park, be ready for a quick, winding descent. Before you drop all the way down to the valley, take a few minutes to pull off for the scenic overlook of the Ojai Valley. It offers a magnificent view / photo op stop. Take in the peacefulness of the expansive valley, and marvel at the mountain peaks to the north that seem to stretch forever. From here, descend down some additional twists and turns and you're there - in the Ojai Valley. Once on the valley floor you'll have a whole other small town world to explore, set in a magical, lush, and fertile basin. Citrus, succulents, and lavender set the tone for botanical diversity here. Known as a haven for artists, private schools, museums, unique lodging, fabulous food, and independent businesses, it's a rare place to visit and refresh. The road that takes you there helps you shed your city skin and be ready for the Ojai experience. Enjoy!