The Worst Drive EVER!!! Through LA to Ventura Ranch KOA

Tuesday, February 25

Well it was moving day. We figured if we left around 10 am we would miss all of the LA morning traffic. NOT! I will turn the next few paragraphs over to my driver and what he thought!  Friggin' LA drivers are kamikazes'. Their theory seemed to be "let's play chicken with the motorhome".  One driver just had to get in front of us at a merge point.  If I hadn't slammed on our brakes, the car would've been crushed between us and a concrete abutment.  That was the worst of three near misses.

What made the journey worse is listening to Google Maps.  One would think that while driving down I5 and Google says "to avoid traffic congestion on the I5, take the I110", it must know a faster route.  As soon as we got onto the I110, what are the first words out of Google's mouth, "to avoid traffic congestion on the I110, take the I5".  It took us 20 minutes to get back on the I5.  Google tried it one more time... but I was wise to it this time.

We'd planned to tour Hollywood and Rodeo Drive. After the traffic experience, the tour is now cancelled.  Malibu may be on our list yet, but we'll wait to a Sunday.  That's my rant thanks for "listening" and I'm sure most of you've experienced the same thing.  Maybe I should add some James Bond accessories.  Now back to Deb.

We are never driving through LA again, unless we are forced to and then it will be either a Saturday or Sunday morning early!

Going down Highway 126 I noticed this! So Ray stopped for a picture. Turned out to be a reenactment for a show and we were shooed on our way PDQ.

We finally arrived at our destination, Ventura Ranch KOA in Santa Paula. Waited 20 minutes for the check in lady to talk with me as she was on the phone ... and finally were given our site. We pulled in and barely set up realizing that we could not get a satellite signal. I requested this when I booked the spot! I trudged back to the office and they did not have anything else available for a week. She ended up driving me up to the "manager's row" and asked if I could use 30 amp power for today and then move back one site to a 50 amp spot or we could use a 50 amp extension and just use power from the site behind us as those people were leaving. Sharon has an extra cord and she would not rent out the spot behind us. Turns out she is the assistant manager. Jacks up again and Ray moved us up the hill. Turned out to be a lovely spot, much better than what we originally had. The road is quiet and we have an orchard across the road from us. Ray noticed walking Freya down below it was quite stifling in the heat whereas on the hill we are getting the breeze.

Lemons growing in the orchard beside us.

Back in December 4, 2017, the Thomas Fire, the largest in California's modern history, burned down a bunch of this KOA, including all of the "Glam Cabins" and office. A few of the employee's trailers also burned down. Here is the link to the U-tube video if interested. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOzi0T1HU30

Needless to say once we were finally set up, everyone was bushed. Our original plan was to go out for lunch once we arrived.  With the much longer drive due to traffic and moving spots, we just stayed at the site and I had some leftovers for Ray and made a sandwich for me.  Threw together a stir-fry for dinner. It was really warm outside at about 81F but the Santa Ana winds were blowing so it was very nice outside in the shade. The plug fit our 50 amp cord so I attempted to turn on some A/C ... nope only 30 amp so blew the breaker.  The manager to turn it back on ...after he found where the breaker was. lol

There is a whole flock of Peafowl here. Sounds like cats yeowling. We heard them on and off all evening and then they woke us up at 3:30 in the morning. So we have gone from non-stop flights over our heads to yeowling peafowl. lol

Wednesday, Feb 26th

This morning we waited for the coach behind us to leave at 10 am and then moved into their spot so we have 50 amp power. With temps at 80 F plus I need to be able to turn on my A/C. While we were waiting for them to move, we toured the Tipi Village down below to see the creek and "Big Foot's" Watering Hole. See Dino and Lisa you were looking for the Sasquatch in the wrong place. lol

Santa Paula Creek

Big Foot's Watering Hole

By 11:30 am we were finally all set up again and headed into town for lunch. Santa Paula is only a 10 minute drive from camp. We chose Garman's Irish Pub. A great old place with original plaster walls. Santa Paula is an old spanish town with really old buildings and mostly Mexicans living here. A lot of spanish signs for names of businesses and even in the pub, one TV was turned to a spanish only channel.

I ordered the fish and chips and Ray the fish tacos. Talk about a great portion for only $14. It was crispy with a light batter. Delicious.

Santa Paula is a city in Ventura County, California, United States. Situated amid the orchards of the fertile Santa Clara River Valley, the city advertises itself to tourists as the "Citrus Capital of the World".[12] Santa Paula was one of the early centers of California's petroleum industry. The Union Oil Company Building, the founding headquarters of the Union Oil Company of California in 1890, now houses the California Oil Museum.

History[edit]

The area of what today is Santa Paula was originally inhabited by the Chumash, a Native American people. In 1769, the Spanish Portola expedition, first Europeans to see inland areas of California, came down the Santa Clara River Valley from the previous night's encampment near Fillmore and camped in the vicinity of Santa Paula on August 12, near one of the creeks coming into the valley from the north (most likely Santa Paula Creek). Fray Juan Crespi, a Franciscan missionary travelling with the expedition, had previously named the valley Cañada de Santa Clara. He noted that the party traveled about 9 to 10 miles (14 to 16 km) that day and camped near a large native village, which he named San Pedro Amoliano.^[13] The site of the expedition's arrival has been designated California Historical Landmark No. 727.^{[14][note 1][note 2][15]}

Franciscan missionaries, led by Father Junipero Serra, became active in the area after the founding of the San Buenaventura Mission and established an Asistencia; the town takes its name from the Catholic Saint Paula. Santa Paula is located on the 1843 Rancho Santa Paula y Saticoy Mexican land grant.

In 1872 Nathan Weston Blanchard purchased 2,700 acres (10.9 km²) and laid out the townsite. Considered the founder of the community, he planted seedling orange trees in 1874.^[16] Several small oil companies owned by Wallace Hardison, Lyman Stewart and Thomas R. Bard were combined and became the Union Oil Company in 1890.^[17][18]

In April 1911, Gaston Méliès moved his Star Film Company from San Antonio, Texas to a site just north of Santa Paula.^[19]

The large South Mountain Oil Field southeast of town, just across the Santa Clara River, was discovered by the Oak Ridge Oil Company in 1916, and developed methodically through the 1920s, bringing further economic diversification and growth to the area. While the field peaked in production in the 1950s, Occidental Petroleum continues to extract oil through its Vintage Production subsidiary and remains a significant local employer.

A major expansion began in 2016 when construction started on a 500-acre (200 ha) master-planned community of 1,500 homes.^[20]

Anyways, after lunch we walked a few blocks so Ray could get some pics of this historical town.

Agricultural Museum

Art Centre

California Oil Museum

This tree is enormous. Second picture, Ray is against the trunk.

Old Train Station, now Chamber of Commerce

Back home we relaxed in the shade, 82F outside ... but with the breeze it was comfortable. At 4:30 our host, Sharon, came over for Happy Hour. First though, she had to go back to the office to take some change and took Freya for a ride. Freya loves going in people's golf carts and jumps right in so off she went.

A lovely afternoon. As soon as the sun goes down it does get quite a bit cooler so we sat around our propane campfire and ate some appies. At 6:30 pm we called it a night. A lovely day.

Thursday, Feb 27th

Another sunny morning. Very quiet here at night. No peafowl making noise either to wake us up this time. Today a quiet day other than we took a drive into the Steckel Park, on the other side of the creek from this campsite ,and picked up a few groceries missed yesterday. Ray went back to the park and took Freya for a walk.

These two pictures are taken from the highway looking towards our KOA on the other side of the creek. Beautiful orchards.

Steckel Park

Stone Cabin

Santa Paula Creek

Back at camp, staff are putting together some of their new camping options for people. Still rebuilding after the fire December 2019.

It's really hot this afternoon, about 84F with a hot Santa Ana wind. I stayed inside most of the time and played in my kitchen. lol Short Ribs for dinner.

While inside come of our noisy nighttime neighbours came a visiting ...

Apparently if your vehicle or coach is nice and shiny they peck at it ... so far no worries for us. Still have some desert dust on the coach and car as well as the pollution dropped from the sky while in Newport Beach. The man who had this spot gave us his black plastic to use if they do start pecking at us. He needed it as he has a brand new Newmar coach and very shiny. lol

That was our first couple of days here.