Lyla Ingram

Author: Lyla Ingram

Hello everyone, I am currently working on getting my associates in social media marketing here at VC. I have been managing a local plant shop (Fiddle & Fern) for five years now. Being a part of this business has really sparked my interest in entrepreneurship and agriculture. Outside of work I really enjoy spending time in nature, working on silly art projects, and having fun with fashion. A big goal of mine is to travel as much as possible, I absolutely love discovering new places and opportunities.

Guide to Ventura County Hiking

Hiking has always been something that I really enjoy, and I’m lucky enough to live in a city that has so many beautiful trails close by. Whether you’re in the mood for a lite, easy hike or an all day adventure Ventura County has so many options to choose from. Ventura County has some of the most unique and beautiful hiking trails, and I’d like to share with you some of my personal favorite trails ranging from easy, moderate, and difficult.

Starting off with some easy trails, I would recommend the Ventura Botanical Gardens. The Botanical Gardens has a pretty short, out and back trail with easy inclines located in the hills right above Downtown Ventura. Throughout the hike there are tons of unique plants and flowers to admire along the way. As you continue hiking the view just keeps getting better and eventually you get a stunning overlook of the whole city. Now, you can either be a member at the Botanical Gardens to have daily access or pay a small entry fee, but it is free to hike here on Fridays and the upper portion of the trail is always free to hike on.

Another easy going trail that I love to spend time at is Rose Valley Falls in Ojai. This trail is a short out and back trail with very little inclines. At the end of this easy trail is a beautiful waterfall. This is the perfect hike to do if you don’t feel like going on a long strenuous hike but still want the reward of a gorgeous view. If you’re wanting a nice, peaceful day in nature then I would definitely recommend going to Rose Valley Falls.

Moving on to some moderate level trails, I would like to mention the trails at Arroyo Verde Park. This is a loop style hike that’s a little longer than the trails I previously mentioned. I would say this is a moderate level hike because there is quite a bit of gradual uphill involved. In my opinion, this hike is definitely worth it because the trails are surrounded by wildflowers and the view gives you a unique perspective of Ventura.

I would also like to mention the Ventura Hills Nature Preserve trails that recently opened up earlier this year. These trails are on a more moderate level, as they are a bit lengthy and have some areas that are pretty steep. I really enjoyed checking out these new trails mainly because of the unique perspectives throughout the hike. The ocean view is obviously stunning in itself but I also found it pretty cool that about halfway through the hike you end up behind the hill giving you a really cool view you don’t normally see. So overall this hike gives you stunning views and great exercise.

Ventura Hills Nature Preserve

And finally, if you’re looking for a full day adventure I’d recommend hiking in the Santa Monica Mountains. All of the trails in the Santa Monica Mountains are unique and memorable in their own ways, however, I’d like to put some spotlight on the trails that take you to Boney Peak. This hike is pretty difficult and strenuous yet it’s one of my favorites. A couple years back my mom, brother, and I did this hike and it was very memorable. I recently revisited the memories we had on this hike with my mom and got some of her opinions and asked her about her favorite parts. In this conversation she says, “I’ll never forget how diverse the terrain was throughout the whole hike.”, “I loved how almost every turn you make transports you to a different place.” And I couldn’t agree more, this was one of my favorite parts of this hike as well. The frequent change of scenery definitely motivated me to keep going. Although this was a very strenuous hike, the scenery and the view from one of the highest points in the mountain range made it all worth it.

Boney Mountain Trail, Santa Monica Mountains

Overall you can’t go wrong when picking a trail to hike in Ventura County. There are so many other really cool hiking options here as well that I wasn’t able to mention in this article. If you are interested in other trails in the area (or anywhere really) I would highly recommend getting the Alltrails app. This app is super helpful when looking for new trails and finding up to date reviews on them as well.

https://www.alltrails.com/

The People Yearn For Community – Where is Your Third Space?

We all enjoy spending time with our friends and family but sometimes it can be hard to figure out what to do and where to go. Sure, going out for coffee or lunch is always nice but sometimes you don’t always want to spend tons of money just to hang out. That’s where the idea of a third space comes in — the place you go that’s not home or work. Third spaces help build community, allow for quality time to be spent with your people or yourself, and can even help you meet new people that have similar interests. Discovering a niche spot to spend time in that costs little to no money can seem pretty difficult sometimes. That’s why I’d like to highlight some pretty cool local spots that you may not even know about.

For all the music lovers out there I’d like to introduce The Grape. The Grape is a jazz club/bar in Ventura that has a warm and inviting atmosphere, where you can enjoy live music, bring in outside food, grab a drink, and dance with little to no entrance fee.

My dad frequently goes to The Grape and I love joining him whenever I get the chance. I decided to interview him about his experiences here and what keeps him coming. He talked a lot about the cool atmosphere and vibe that The Grape offers but also states, “what really keeps me coming here is all the local bands and artists that they frequently host.” Following that thought saying. “I love how they’re conveniently right down the street.” So the next time you’re bored and not sure what to do maybe listening to some live music at The Grape is a good option for you.

Another place I wanted to put some spotlight on is Night Owl Ciderworks in downtown Ventura. This is a really cool family owned cider tasting room. They often host various pop up events, like local artists, karaoke, drag bingo, etc. However even if there isn’t an event going on this is still a super cool place to spend some time. They invite you to come hang out, bring outside food, play games, and if you’re really feeling it crack open your laptop and get some work done. So if you’re looking for an inexpensive change in scenery to hang out perhaps check out Night Owl.

Or perhaps your niche is board games. If this is the case then maybe Punchboard Cathedral game room is for you. This is a new spot that just opened up in downtown Ventura that offers a wide variety of board games to play, anything from simple games to highly strategic games. You can come in with friends or by yourself and meet new people. With an inviting, comfortable atmosphere this could just be your new third space.

My main objective with this article was to highlight some local niche third space options that might be new to some people. Third spaces are all around us whether this be your local park, local hiking trails, the beach, local libraries, the list goes on. But if you’re feeling like you might want to expand your options and find something more specific to your personal niches then maybe one of the options I’ve listed above might be a good fun option for you to check out!