Sharing our Conejo Valley Weekend Getaway Guide. Conejo Valley is only an hour away from LAX (Los Angeles Airport) so whether you’re looking for a quick weekend getaway from LA or traveling to Los Angeles and want to experience something new, I highly recommend visiting the area.
disclosure: this is a sponsored post.
Conejo Valley is located in the Santa Monica Mountains. The cities and communities of the Conejo Valley includes Agoura Hills, Lake Sherwood, Newbury Park, Oak Park, Thousand Oaks, and Westlake Village. Simi Valley and Malibu is at its borders with tons of things to do as well.
CONEJO VALLEY WEEKEND GETAWAY GUIDE:
Read up on our weekend getaway guide for restaurants to try, where to stay, and things to do in Conejo Valley. There’s something for everyone, whether you’re traveling with the family or going out for the weekend with friends.
We had a lot of fun. It was both a new discovery of places and a very relaxing trip. More importantly, the kids really had a lot of fun in spite the fact that this is not a trip to the theme park. Their faces were beaming with joy and they gave me a hug letting me know how much fun they had. And being the picky eater that they are, they found something really good to devour. It was a very successful trip. I highly recommend Conejo Valley as a Family Friendly Weekend Getaway Destination.
CONEJO VALLEY ATTRACTIONS
Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, Simi Valley
Take a tour of The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley. Walk through Air Force One, see a replica of the Oval office, get a glimpse of a fragment of the Berlin Wall, reflect at President Reagan’s memorial site and stroll through the beautiful grounds which includes replicas of the White House Rose Garden and South Lawn.
You can also see the 10,000 square foot Titanic Exhibit until January 7, 2018 where hundreds of Titanic artifacts that have not been together since the ship’s fateful night in 1912 with material and artifacts from the 1984-1985 discovery of the Titanic as well as with items from the 1997 movie can be viewed.
Tickets can be purchased online (timed entry) or on site and parking is FREE. They are open 10-5PM daily except some holidays.
The kids enjoyed going inside and taking pictures with the Air Force One and Marine One Helicopter. I’ve always wanted to see it so it’s one off my bucket list. Expect to spend about 3 hours. There’s also a cafe and the grounds are really beautiful especially the mountain fronting the Air Force One. Wheelchairs and strollers cannot be brought inside the Air Force One.
Every now and then, a Reagan Library Groupon deal comes up, do take advantage of the deal so you don’t have to pay full price.
Gardens of the World, Thousand Oaks
One of the best Free Things to do in Conejo Valley. It was built to commemorate the various cultures of the world. Here you will see different gardens representing England, France, Italy, Japan & the unique California Mission Courtyard. The place is very serene and the grounds are well maintained.
About 3o minutes would be enough to see everything but you can go on a picnic at the designated area. The kids enjoyed feeding the Kois at the Japanese Garden while I enjoyed looking at the cascading waterfall and cypress trees at the Italian garden. They are open 9-5PM every day except Monday. Parking is FREE.
Paramount Ranch, Agoura Hills
Update: due to the 2018 fire in the area, Paramount Ranch burned down. We are leaving these pictures here for everyone to see what it looked like.
Paramount Ranch was in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. There were several miles of easy to moderate scenic hikes. Equestrians and mountain bikers were able to access these multi-use trails. Wildlife sightings included red-tailed hawks, acorn woodpeckers, blue heron, and deer.
There is a western town at the location where films were still being filmed and visitors can see them then the fire happened. Some past films and TV shows created at Paramount Ranch were The Lake House (Sandra Bullock), Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, etc.
How sad it is that we can now only see it through these pictures.
Other Fun Things we’d love to try on our next Conejo Valley weekend getaway:
Horseback Riding with the kids, visit the Chumash Indian Museum and go on a Wine Safari with friends. Check here for more options.
CONEJO VALLEY RESTAURANTS
Lure Fish House, Westlake Village
The first thing on my itinerary was to try Lure Fish House coz’ I love oysters and the charming nautical-themed interior and fresh seafood did not disappoint. Make sure to come hungry so you can try more dishes.
We started off with charbroiled oysters. The hubby ordered ahi tuna while I had a long time deciding if I should get a crab cake or a lobster ravioli, I went with the latter.
Our picky eaters didn’t have a hard time finding what they wanted to eat as well. Big sis’ got grilled chicken while lil sis’ got fish and chips. I would like to try all 3 types of their fresh oysters next time plus oyster shooters.
Q Sushi, Westlake Village
I was worried about bringing the kids here coz’ the menu nor the place is not exactly kid friendly or picky eater friendly but we survived and the kids actually loved it. There were actually 3 other families dining there when we went. The kids (and I) enjoyed the crispy chicken (kaarage) while me and the hubby fell in love with their sashimi pizza, 24K Kobe beef, and every other dish we ordered.
The place has a modern interior. It’s great for date nights or a cocktail with friends. But for the foodie traveler like me, it’s really a must try in the Conejo Valley.
Tifa, Westlake Village
Tifa is at the same shopping complex as Q Sushi and if you are traveling with kids, this is the place to go get desserts. There is a colorful dancing water fountain outside, a bunny sculpture and inside Tifa are all the yummy gelatos you can choose from including chocolates, cookies and their really good chocolate brownie (ask for them to slightly heat it, deadly good). Plus games like chess and tic-tac-toe to entertain the family.
The Malibu Cafe, Malibu
A charming hidden gem tucked in the mountains, don’t leave Conejo Valley without visiting this place and taking a few selfies. Go as a group or as a family and enjoy drinks, food, a love boat, lawn games like giant Jenga or chess and more. You can either go for reserve seating at Malibu Cafe or order food as you go and eat at their lawn while you play and stroll around.
I got myself a cocktail while the hubby and the kids rode the boat at the lake, which is free by the way, just give a hefty tip. It’s a great place to take guests, throw a shower or to extend the partying after a wine safari in Malibu.
Other restaurants we’d love to try on our next Conejo Valley weekend getaway:
Boqueca Brazilian Cuisine, Sabor Cocina Mexicana, Carrara Pastries, Chocolatine French Cafe, Dong Ting Spring and Little Calf Creamery and Cafe. Check here for more options.
CONEJO VALLEY HOTELS
Hampton Inn Thousand Oaks
Hampton Inn in Thousand Oaks offers a big room, free parking, free breakfast, fast Wifi and is budget friendly. It’s perfectly situated to get you around Conejo Valley attractions. The coffee station is also available 24 hours for those who love burning the midnight oil (ehem, me).
Other hotels we’d love to try on our next Conejo Valley Weekend Getaway:
Courtyard by Marriot, Sheraton Agoura Hills, and Hyatt Regency Westlake. Check here for more options.
OUR CONEJO VALLEY WEEKEND GETAWAY ITINERARY:
SATURDAY
1045AM – Arrive at Gardens of the World, Thousand Oaks. We drove 3 hours. You can arrive early to add more activities.
1130AM – Lure Fish House in Westlake Village for lunch (they open at 1130AM)
1PM – Tour Reagan Library in Simi Valley.
4PM – Check in at Hampton Inn, Thousand Oaks. We took a nap til 7PM. You can include another activity instead or head for early dinner then drinks. We needed that nap!
730PM – Dinner at Q Sushi in Westlake Village. Lucky to get seats. They open at 4PM in case you want early dinner and close during lunch on the weekends.
9PM – Tifa in Westlake Village for gelato. It was in the same shopping center as Q Sushi so we just walked to it then played outside in the fountain.
10PM – Stayed up til 1130PM watching TV.
SUNDAY
9AM – Headed down for hotel breakfast.
10AM – Visited Paramount Ranch.
1100AM – Drove to Malibu Ranch. Take Kanan Road, the safest route to Malibu.
230PM – Drove back home.
Suggestion: If you can wake up early, go for horseback riding at 8AM or a morning hike. Check out these suggested trails.
Pin for later:
I have been to quite a few presidental museums and ROnald Reagan’s looks like one of the best. I love the ability to tour Air Force one and see a replica of the Oval office. I know Nancy Reagan created this museum with love of her dear Ronnie. So much to see in the whole valley.
What an amazing trip! I loved it and would love to do this. Especially those Gardens wow it was breath taking, to say the least. Thanks for sharing.
I was looking for some great places to take my daughter during my vacation with her when I have her these next few weeks. There are so many great local places that I didn’t even know about. I know I did want to go to the Regan presidential library but I didn’t know about the western town or the gardens. Those look absolutely amazing. My daughter would love that.
I know where we are going next time we are in Anaheim. We love to venture around California, there is so much to do and see. Conejo Valley sounds perfect for my adventurous family.
Looks like an amazing time! I absolutely love Cali. It’s my favorite place in the US and I hope to bring my kids there sometime soon. My mom used to live in Thousand Oaks but I haven’t been to most of these places so I’m adding them all to my bucket list 🙂
This looks like an amazing weekend getaway. You did so many thing and they all look wonderful. The pictures you took really make me want to plan a vacation here.
Love weekend getaways and this one looks like a ton of fun. So much stuff to explore and learn. And it seems like you can find some time to relax too. Need to find a good balance when traveling.
This looks like a fabulous place for a family or couple weekend getaway. I could go for either right now! My kids would like seeing the aviation/transportation pieces, and I would like the food! 🙂
Awesome!! Have Fun. Jealous you leave near where there are outlet stores though, hehe. Try the restos as well or cool down at Tifa after your trip to Paramount Ranch, they have a location in Agoura Hills, their gelatos are really good!
This was great! I live in camarillo so these are right near me and I never really knew about the gardens or paramount ranch! Can’t wait to check them out!