lots of 101 reviews out there and this particular segment is the best of times and the worst of…read moretimes. Parts of it are super scenic and I am reviewing this vaguely defined segment as the stretch between Ventura and San Luis Obisbo. The views at times are incredible. For stretches it is almost as if you are on the Pacific Ocean and you wind up the coast. On the other hand parts of it are like the rest of traffic in LA and you will spend a lot of time in it. While I-5 is the efficient way to go from Northern California to LA, 101 takes a lot longer but its much more scenic and the landscape is fairly diverse as well. As with most highways there are spots with no services but not so vast that you cannot find gas or place to eat in a reasonable time frame

One of the few freeways in California that I don't mind driving…read more I've driven this freeway countless times while I went to school at Cal Poly. The girl I was dating at the time lived up in the Bay Area, so I drove from SLO to SF nearly every weekend my junior year. It's a very relaxing drive, and typically has no traffic, other than near Salinas/Monterey areas. Heading south, as soon as you pass through the mountains, it's all beach scene until Ventura County. Beautiful scenery everywhere you look. I plan on this being the new home for a lot of our future weekends as we drive north to explore wineries and cute little inns.

Carpinteria is a great California beach town. -A happy escape from my nearby metropolis. Messy, low…read morefidelity, reckless and wild, she is a sweet alternative to posh beach cities. Campfires leave the beaches in mesquite clouds at dusk. Waves carry surfboards into the sunset, and families find holiday here where an ocean-view room can be had for modest means. A Thursday night Farmer's market brings live music, fruit and art to the quaint streets of Carpinteria's downtown. Grab some guacamole and don't forget to tip the man playing the blues. The secret scoop: Carpinteria is a great place to throw a bachelorette party. It is a wardrobe change venue for many a surfer to and from wetsuit. A towel clad man at the side of the road is a common sighting. Enter the solution for all my fellow bachelorette-party-throwing lasses Borrow, rent or buy a convertible, bring the bride to be with you and be here in the morning just before high tide or at sunset, just after. When you see the surfers at the side of the road in wetsuits. Park. Dress in conservative layers (you'll need them) over your bikini that you wear because it doesn't show any tan lines. Wear your black rimmed glasses and your hair pulled back. Put the top down. Play Joe Cocker's "You can leave your hat on" or Di Angelo's "How does it feel" (my favorite) Ladies, make eye contact with your new found friends. Undo your ponytail, take your glasses off, pull your turtleneck sweater off. Pause. Stretch your arms out in front of you, palms side up, palms flat. Touch your fingers to your palms several times as an invitation. Invitation to what? To get a boy to dance for the girls! (PG 13 rating!) Sheesh! What did you think I was talking about! Fair is fair right? Trade a dance for a dance. Drive off into the sunset and spend your savings on pints for your soon to be married girlfriend. Good luck;-) *Cheers girls*

We've always passed through Carpinteria, but we never stopped and we always wanted to visit it…read more It's a small beach town, along the coast, past Ventura (15 minutes), before you reach Santa Barbara. We wanted to check out its main street, Linden Ave and parked on 8th street. There's a lot of street parking in the area, free, so that was nice. We enjoyed strolling around these nice, cute streets, full of Jacaranda trees in bloom. Linden Ave is the main street that takes you down to the beach and the campgrounds. There are cute stores along, restaurants, too bad some were closed at the time we got there, around 4 pm. A nice Mexican bakery was opened and a few restaurants that look good: Mexican, seafood, Italian, a wine bar. We'd like to check some of them out in the future. It doesn't take more than 30 minutes to check everything out. The locals are friendly and helpful, stop to chat with you and help with directions and recommendations. That was nice. We had dinner at The Spot, near the beach, at that was fun and sample some beers at the Island Brewing Company, a very cool experience. Carpinteria has a nice vibe, it's a place where you can relax and take a break from it all. If you're in the area and you'd like to take a side trip and want to spend some time on the beach, this could be a nice spot.

Ventura County Fire Station #20 sits just off Hwy 150 (Sta Paula-Ojai Rd) in the upper Ojai Valley…read more It houses a 3 man crew 24/7 and serve the area from the Sta Paula city limits to the Dennison grade. The crews have always been pleasant and professional in my dealings with them. They also serve as a resource for fire prevention and respond to emergency calls.

The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger…read morealike, and yet not withstanding, go out to meet it." - Thucydides Filled with courage and bravery - overcoming life threatening obstacles to save lives, homes, structures and landscape. Thank you so much for all that you have done for Ventura county! Some people don't believe in heroes - then they haven't met the Ventura County fire department!!

Saved many homes Malibu rose in many ways work throughout the night to save Malibu, Knowles and…read morecoast view Drive

Some people don't believe in heroes - then they haven't met the Ventura County fire department!!…read more Thank you for all you've done!!! True hereos!!

I invite you dear neighbor in completing the free FEMA funded & local EMS staffed, CERT training!…read moreSeveraI years ago i completed my training. Boy, I'm glad i did! I've applied the skills in a few emergency sutuations that have occurred along the way in the community and at my work site. I've decided to take the training again because its been just that very long! Here's a little about this training, "CERT educates individuals about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills. CERT members are trained in basic disaster response skills such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization and disaster medical operations." CERT training is in every city! Check out this website for information: http://vcfd.org/CERT "Here you can find resources, training and information about the CERT Program." My dear neighbor, keep in mind, that during an emergency, such as a natural disaster, our EMS 911 responders may not arrive at the drop of a dime to your door! You will have to rely on your own abilities or that of neighbors for aid. I'm looking forward to brushing up & learning new skills that will further empower me to be of service to my family and others in the event of a natural disaster or an emergency. I also look forward to learning from the wisdom and sage advice from those incredible & amazing EMS professionals that conduct these trainings. This time, MY tribe is getting CERT training too!!! So, encourage your family, neighbors, church groups, social media pals, co-workers, to participate. The more people trained the more self sufficient & self reliant we ALL will be in the time of need. Make a difference and become CERT Certified. The difference you may make could be in helping a dear loved one...