Beyond The Acorn - Outdoor Living - Spring 2014

Beyond SPRING 2014

SPRING 2014

The Acorn

The fine art of

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table of contents

SPRING 2014

Features 34 every hour is happy hour

How a Simi Valley couple transformed their backyard into a tropical resort decked out for year-round enjoyment.

38 enchanted evenings

This Newbury Park family took a hands-on approach to creating their backyard paradise.

Photo by RICHARD GILLARD

40 Fueling the

active lifestyle

Pedalers Fork in Calabasas has a new spin on delicious, locallysourced food and artisan coffee.

44 on the trail

There’s a wealth of scenic open space and scores of hiking trails just outside your back door.

Departments

51 stop and smell the wildflowers

44

A photographic journey of blossoms and blooms spotted on our local trails.

10 Letters from beyond

Greetings from the publisher and editor.

WHO

HOW

56 build your own veggie planter

Be creative with your raised planting beds and get ready for the summer harvest.

14 A gift that keeps growing

24 60 keep the kids outdoors Ed and Lynn Hogan’s generosity goes beyond the Gardens of the World.

An intricately planned activity proves

there’s no obstacle to fun when you’re a kid.

16 the yin & yang of ACORNUCOPIA travis goldstein

A modern-day Renaissance man reveals 62 gadgets for the grill

his passion for bonsai.

18 mister macgyver

Great new products to enhance your outdoor grilling and dining experience.

RESOURCES

Scott Dorsey needed a special type of 66 reSOURCES outdoor shade so he created his own

A guide to people and vendors in this issue. version of an innovative home product.

WHAT

20 backyard vineyards

Raising grapes and home winemaking are all part of the current grape craze.

FINAL WORD

74 greetings from

paradise lost

WHEN

24 OUT AND ABOUT

Get out your planner—there’s a lot going on around town this season.

WHERE

27 On The Cover:

Newlyweds enjoy a quiet moment in the backyard “spool”—bigger than a spa, smaller than a pool—perfect for romance and relaxation.

Cover Photo by RICHARD GILLARD 8 beyondtheacorn.com | spring 2014

27 treasures for the garden

Add character to your yard with specialty pottery, graceful statuary, topiary and unique vintage specialties.

WHY

32 plan before you plant

Hiring a landscape architect can save your sanity—and maybe your marriage.

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Letters

Welcome We are the architects of our lives and how we choose to spend our time.

As spring rolls around, our attention turns to the outdoors, be it our backyards or the natural environment. The diversity of interests among our readers makes for compelling stories. Significant pastimes for one family may inspire another reader to adopt something new to add to their family’s narrative. Where we live affords us amazing opportunities to embrace nature

and enhance our lives.

If the home is the heart of a family, then the backyard might be considered the lungs. A strange analogy? Maybe not. The lungs bring in vital oxygen to reenergize our bodies and keep our cells functioning; they remove poisonous carbon dioxide and cleanse the body with each exhale.

Building and enjoying your backyard sanctuary for yourself, your family and your friends is reenergizing. The backyard can give us peace from the stresses of the world, fuel our creativity, be a meeting place for loved ones, or be a romantic haven. All that while bringing us our own private slice of nature. It’s where you may exhale, shut out the world’s trials and tribulations, and just let go. Whether your refuge is built in steps over years or is created in one mass undertaking, you can enjoy the process and applaud your accomplishments as each piece of your plan falls into place.

Spring also brings us out of our homes to take part in the many activities that bring us closer to nature and our neighbors. These pastimes also boost our mental well-being, health and ultimate happiness.

In this issue we barely touch on what is available in our area, which shows us that there is a wealth of subjects and people to write about in future issues of Beyond the Acorn.

The art of the outdoors is essential to the quality of the life we create. So enjoy taking those giant leaps, or baby steps, to sculpt how you enjoy your slice of nature, and just breathe in.

Lisa Rule, Publisher lisabeyond@theacorn.com

10 beyondtheacorn.com | Spring 2014

There’s something different about the air in spring. It tastes fresher, sweeter somehow.

And I wouldn’t be surprised to find out there’s a pinch of aphrodisiac in it. What is that subtle something that makes us want to open the windows and kiss the morning, or linger outdoors long past bedtime like a lover reluctant to take his leave?

Even though we don’t have tough winters here, we still feel the arrival of spring as it blows in on a warm breeze. And that’s when we head outdoors.

We seem to know just when it’s time to heat up the pool for the first swim day of the year and fix a great meal on the grill, using cool new barbecue gadgets. It’s also when we feel compelled to dress up the yard with new furniture cushions, can’t-pass-it-up garden art and generous amounts of mulch for the flower beds.

Unless, of course, we’re dodging the gentle rain of a spring shower. That’s a welcome event, especially for our thirsty gardens and the hills surrounding them. Don’t you love when that blush of green changes the landscape almost overnight, turning our brown hillsides into velvet-covered pillows?

That sight is like an invitation to hit the trails and roam the hillsides. Lucky for us, this community has a wealth of trails to explore. We’ve got a feature story on local hiking, complete with a starter list of trailheads and maps to help you find them. There’s also a lovely photo gallery of wildflowers to remind you to keep your eyes, and your senses, open while you’re out there.

Others respond to the call of spring closer to home, spending enchanted evenings in their own backyard resorts. We met two families who took that to heart, building beautiful pool areas that are so welcoming, it’s hard to come up with a reason to vacation anywhere else.

For still others, spring means grabbing the toolbox and prepping the yard for summer veggies. If you’re thinking of building your own raised planting beds, we’ve done a good bit of the legwork for you.

That’s just a sampling of what this issue of Beyond the Acorn has in store.

We’ll be back on your doorstep in July. Until then, happy spring.

Leslie Gregory Haukoos, Editor-in-Chief beyond@theacorn.com

Beyond The Acorn

Publisher Lisa Rule Editor-in-Chief Leslie Gregory Haukoos Advertising Director Nick Oliveri Creative Director David McMartin art director Timm Sinclair photography director Richard Gillard

editorial Consulting editor Kyle Jorrey Contributing Writers Stephanie Bertholdo, Sylvie Belmond, Anna Bitong, Ela Lindsay, Erin Newman, Carol Pond, Darleen Principe, Stephanie Sumell Copy Editors Idie Emery, Carol Pond, Erin Newman

ART contributing designers Sarah Ely, West Maätita, Beth Thayer, David Lopez WEB DESIGNER Beth Thayer photoGRAPHY staff photographers Michael Coons, Iris Smoot advertising account executives Mona Uttal, Richard Singer, Sue Martin, Jennifer Carlo-Valdez, Diane Verner, Chanda Losey, Stacey Janson, Stephanie Alatorre Administrative controller Andy McGinnis administrative assistants Marilyn Burin, Donna Bondy Beyond the Acorn is published by the Acorn Newspaper Group in association with J. Bee NP Publishing, Ltd. Address correspondence to 30423 Canwood St., Ste. 108, Agoura Hills, CA 91301 (818) 706-0266. Send editorial comments to: beyond@theacorn.com For advertising: beyondsales@theacorn.com

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Written by Stephanie Bertholdo Photo by IRIS SMOOT

E

a

gift

d and Lynn Hogan, founders of the across from the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts travel company Pleasant Holidays, Center offered the perfect opportunity for the two to build the kind of gardens they’d may be big kahunas in the travel come to appreciate as world travelers. industry, but that’s not nearly the most striking thing about the Lake Sherwood Flowers, trees and stunning landscapes at the Gardens encourage folks to breathe, couple. relax and rejuvenate, something the Ho What’s most captivating about the gans believe is necessary for the soul. ConHogans—besides their penchant for certs and art shows are regularly presented sharing their good fortune—is the pair’s inside the sanctuary. passion for the small things. They exude “I love the summer concerts,” Lynn says, delight for the accomplishments of their adding that the place is packed during the children and friends, gush about their summer, especially when the Air Force pets, and expound upon politics and culEd and Lynn hogan Band performs. ture with ease.

Ed is particularly fond of the Mission

“We have a lot of hope in this counCourtyard area of Thousand Oaks’ garden try now,” Ed remarks. paradise. Thousands of fourth-graders Yet they’re probably best known— and loved—for one “big” thing they did for the city and people of come to the Gardens each year to learn about the missions, he said.

“We have an actor play the part of Father Serra, and he fits the bill.”

Thousand Oaks: building the Gardens of the World.

The 4½-acre public oasis on Thousand Oaks Boulevard allowed the The Hogans, both 86, have another interest that sparks their Hogans to share their love of foreign locales by nurturing English, Ital- passion: animals. And, as is their way, they put their money where ian, Japanese and French gardens right in their own backyard. The land their hearts are.

that keeps growing

14 beyondtheacorn.com | spring 2014

Photo courtesy of Gardens of the World

Their Rancho St. Francis project, named after St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals and the environment, is located on 22 acres in Hidden Valley. The Casa Pacifica Equestrian Education Program offered there teaches horsemanship skills to kids in crisis to help develop confidence, discipline, responsibility and compassion.

Rancho St. Francis was opened in 2004. The Hogan Family Foundation, the charitable organization Ed and Lynn created, opened a second ranch in 2007. The Camarillo facility focuses on the rehabilitation and care of injured, abused or neglected horses, and offers a safe haven where aging horses can live out their lives comfortably.

The foundation’s horse rescue has captured international attention. While talking about it recently, Ed pulls out his iPad and clicks on a video of him atop a 15-year-old black Friesian horse. The graceful animal was shipped to him from Holland by a movie producer who might have had it euthanized if a proper home hadn’t been found.

To date, the Hogan Family Foundation has rescued 86 horses.

Abused and abandoned dogs are also near to the Hogans’ hearts—that’s why they

The 4½-acre Gardens of the World reflects styles from all over the globe.

created Big Paws 4 A Cause. Some of the canines rescued by the organization are later trained as therapy dogs to aid veterans suffering from anxiety, and others are adopted out to families in need of a loving companion.

Not surprisingly, Ed and Lynn have pooches of their own. There’s Cappy, short

for Cappuccino, a name that speaks to the chocolate retriever’s flat coat, and Louie, the poodle Lynn won at an auction at St. Jude’s Catholic Church in Westlake Village. Their Lhasa apso is called Bunny. hogans on PAGE 54

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The

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F

or someone who spent a large chunk of his adult life posing in front of cameras and moving fast from big city to big city, Travis Goldstein seems somewhat shy.

The 34-year-old—whose face and figure have appeared in countless magazine ads from his work as a fashion model in places like New York, Milan and Paris—comes across as soft-spoken and reserved.

16 beyondtheacorn.com | spring 2014

Travis Goldstein meticulously prunes a bonsai in his Thousand Oaks studio.

The former fashion model learned the ancient art of bonsai while he was living in Japan.

But then again, maybe it’s not shyness at all.

Maybe Goldstein has just mastered the art of tranquility. After all, he did leave his modeling career in 2008, after studying the art of Japanese bonsai with Masaru Ishii, late owner of Chikugo-En Bonsai Nursery in Gardena, and opening his own nursery and studio in Thousand Oaks.

Now the Oak Park resident spends most mornings in an almost-meditative state, tending to the hundreds of potted miniature trees at his California Bonsai Studio on a hillside at the end of Moorpark Road in Thousand Oaks.

At least one bonsai came from a drought-tolerant California juniper that he estimates to be nearly 2,000 years old.

He also has bonsai made from Japanese black pine, Kishu juniper, boxwood, ginkgo and dozens of other species.

“It’s the regular caring for something outside of yourself that, for me, is kind of like a meditation process,” Goldstein says.

“It’s a time to kind of clear my mind. My focus is on the trees, and it’s peaceful at the same time.”

Goldstein, who grew up on his parents’ 70-acre horse ranch in Paso Robles, is no stranger to exploring nature.

“I spent my childhood walking around in the woods and along the creek bed,” he says. “I spent a lot more time with nature than I did with other people.”

That could be why, after completing a three-month modeling contract in Japan in 2000, Goldstein decided to learn the art of styling bonsai. Eventually, he traded in his career in the camera’s spotlight for an enterprise that keeps him closer to natural beauty.

Goldstein on PAGE 55

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MacGyver

Written by Ela Lindsay Photos by Richard Gillard

S

ome friends refer to him as “MacGyver,” the 1990s television character who fabricated clever devices on the fly to get himself out of jams. Scott Dorsey of Calabasas is a self-proclaimed inventor who’s been designing unique and clever items and redesigning others since he was a child.

“I have been doing it all my life,” he says.

“For more than 50 years I have been modifying designs, starting with my first bicycle.”

Typically, Dorsey’s inventions grow out of a personal need for something he’s not finding in the marketplace.

“I always question why something is made one way and why not another way, perhaps with less parts or to make it better or more efficient and possibly for less,” he says.

“What I pride myself in is the ability to work basic principles and modify designs to suit my need. Why reinvent the wheel?

“If my wife asks me to fix something and I tell her it can’t be fixed, she thinks I’m lying,” Dorsey says with a laugh.

Before the days of flat-screen televisions, Dorsey wanted to install a TV in an outdoor pavilion with a device to hoist it up and down from the ceiling. When he found no 12:29 PM

such thing existed, he designed one of his own.

“By using a garage door opener, some pulleys and counterweights, I was able to lower and raise a 60 -pound television with a remote,” Scott Dorsey he says.

In 2005 Dorsey developed his own version of another idea which he’s since introduced to the consumer. He calls it OhmBrella, the ultimate awning. It’s an adjustable louver system that allows outdoor spaces to be protected from direct sunlight and rain.

The OhmBrella, like most of Dorsey’s inventions, was born from a personal necessity. “With our home located in a very windy area of Calabasas (where there’s) a high risk of fire, we were limited in possible solutions.

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“And they’re available in any color of the rainbow,” he says, adding that his systems are 100 percent made in the U.S., “90 percent in SoCal.” How did he come up with the name?

“In Italian ombrello is umbrella. Also, ‘ohm’ is a term having to do with electricity.”

But for some customers, the name is associated with an ancient word used in meditation.

“While this . . . was never our intention,” Dorsey says, “our customers will say that sitting under their OhmBrella is one of the most relaxing experiences.”

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What

from vine to wine

BACKYARD VINEYARDS

Written by Anna bitong Photos by Richard Gillard, IRIS SMOOT

Can the vineyards of the Santa Monica Mountains compete with those in the renowned wine regions of Napa Valley and Paso Robles?

According to Martin Ramirez of The Vineyards of Ojai, grapes growing in local soil rival some of the best in the world, and some are being tended in unexpected places: peoples’ backyards.

For the past 20 years, Ramirez has installed and maintained vineyards in backyards all over the area, including Agoura Hills, Newbury Park, Thousand Oaks and Camarillo. With wine’s popularity booming and many local commercial growers finding success, more and more homeowners are getting into grapes.

“The trend has been growing like crazy,” Ramirez says. “Most of (my clients) are retired. They want to have something to play with. The wine that’s been produced out of their vineyard, they love it. They cannot believe that (it’s) from a little backyard vineyard because the wine is really good. The taste is great.”

20 beyondtheacorn.com | spring 2014

Dale and Carole Kornreich have transformed their 1-acre Agoura property into a working vineyard.

Ramirez planted 483 vines in Dale and Carole Kornreich’s nearly 1-acre yard in Old Agoura. The vines will bear cabernet, syrah and zinfandel, varietials that will do well in the area’s warm climate, Dale Kornreich says. Ramirez notes that grapes grown in warmer climates tend to produce sweet-tasting wines, while those tended in cooler weather make peppery varieties.

The viticulturist recommends planting at least 100 vines in a backyard. The stalks can produce 5 to 10 gallons of juice. Even better would be to plant 250 to 300 vines in a yard that is at least 100 feet by 80 feet, he says. The grapes would make enough juice to fill a 60-gallon wine barrel, or 300 bottles.

The Kornreichs, who spent about $20,000 for their vineyard last year and will pay up to $3,000 a year for Ramirez to maintain it, must wait at least two more years for their vines to sprout grapes suitable for wine-making. During that time grape clusters will fall from the vines, a process that yields fruit with higher-concentrated juice for a more flavorful wine.

Before planting vines, clients choose the grapes they wish to grow with a vintner who will eventually make their wine, Ramirez says. Before embarking on what will be a very long-term project, Ramirez makes sure he and the homeowners have clear goals. “I ask them what their intentions are and what they are looking for so there are no surprises.”

Residential vineyard owners may have their wine made without charge if they share the product.

“If I find a client willing to plant something experimental that

we are pretty sure is going to work, then we try to cut a deal,” Ramirez says. “We make the wine and then at the end we split the wine.”

The Kornreichs are on their way to one of the rewards of growing a vineyard.

“If you do it right all year long you’re going to make great wine. Fantastic wine,” Ramirez says.

In the meantime, the couple are enjoying the view. About 140,000 pounds of quarry rock were brought in to line their terraced hills filled with vines.

“It’s absolutely gorgeous when it’s growing,” Dale Kornreich says.

Making wine

Another growing trend involves the hobby vintners, those who purchase their grapes and concentrate on the winemaking.

Carol Marinello carries on a family tradition started in her ancestral home with a clear glass of chardonnay raised in a toast in the Simi Valley home she shares with fiance Mike Johnnie. There the couple uses a 100-year-old wine press that belonged to Marinello’s grandfather, passed down from her great-grandparents in Sicily, to create gold medal-winning wines.

“We have a number of wine parties every year,” Marinello says.

“It’s really lovely. Wine tends to open people up and (help them) relax, which is just great because we have high-stress jobs. You can sit down and say, ‘OK, I’m not thinking about work and (I’m) just enjoying people’s company.’ That’s what wine does.”

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Carol Marinello’s wine press is a family heirloom, passed down from her Sicilian great-grandparents. The couple has fun designing their wine labels, paying tribute to various family milestones with each batch of wine.

The countdown to the celebration begins during harvest season, between late August and November, when the couple drives to Paso Robles to sample wines and choose grapes. They buy about a half-ton of the fruit, which costs around 75 cents a pound, and take it home de-stemmed and crushed in fermentation tanks. The bounty produces about 600 bottles a year.

It’s Marinello’s favorite part of the process: “We bring it home and everything smells like wine and grape and harvest.”

Then it’s time to make wine in a corner of their garage: a small room with cream walls and a white-shuttered window facing the street. Several 60-gallon oak barrels made in France and weighing 550 pounds each line the wall below the window. Nearby is the refurbished 120-pound vintage press. Wine glasses hang from a rack made from old parts of the press stained the color of Bordeaux from decades of grape skins.

The couple, who started making wine together in 2001, seem to have perfected their process. They’ve won at least 25 Cellarmaster awards: gold, silver and bronze medals spanning more than a decade for their chardonnay and cabernet, which they pro-

Mike Johnnie and Carol Marinello have been making wine together since 2001.

Their wines have earned more than two dozen Cellarmaster awards for excellence.

duce every year, and their zinfandel, merlot, malbec and sangiovese, which they produce intermittently.

Newly harvested grapes are scooped or pumped through hoses into bins, then they undergo a multistep process that includes adding yeast to the juice to start the fermentation process.

At the end of fermentation, the wine is clarified to remove solids and poured into the oak barrels. Chardonnay is kept in the kegs for a year; the red wines for up to three years, developing their distinctive flavors.

Every year Marinello and Johnnie give their wine to friends who gather at their home and form assembly lines to fill, cork and label the bottles. The custom-made labels bear the name Cane Rosso Winery, (“red dog” in Italian) and have photos of their beloved dogs, Bogey and Rico. Other labels commemorate birthdays and wedding anniversaries of family and friends.

Marinello is happy to pay tribute to her family’s legacy.

“My mom is absolutely thrilled,” she says. “The first time we used my grandfather’s press she was just crying. She said, ‘Grandpa is smiling at you.’”

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When

SPRING IS A GREAT TIME TO ENJOY WHAT OUR COMMUNITY HAS TO OFFER. HERE ARE A FEW HAPPENINGS CLOSE TO HOME.

SATURDAY, APRIL 19 Second Annual Entrepreneur Galz Business and Lifestyle Expo 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Poinsettia Pavilion 3451 Foothill Road, Ventura Businesses and brands showcase products and services, including jewelry, health and beauty items, crafts, fitness, wine sampling and home accessories.

Admission is free.

Visit www.entrepreneurgalz.com WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY, APRIL 23 to 27 114th Ojai Tennis Tournament 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

More than 1,500 players compete on 112 tennis courts in the Ojai Valley, Ventura, Oxnard and Port Hueneme.

Visit www.ojaitourney.org Call (805) 646-7241

Strawberry Festival

OUT AND ABOUT

Who knows what might result from a trip to the Build Your Own Strawberry Shortcake tent. Find out May 17 and 18 in Oxnard.

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FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY, APRIL 25 to 27 33rd Annual Santa Monica Mountains Trail Days At Danielson Ranch in Point Mugu State Park Free camping on Friday and Saturday night available; volunteers perform trail maintenance on Sat. and Sun; and a free thank-you barbecue for volunteers on Sat. Visit www.smmtc.org Call Barb Thomas (805) 492-0460 SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, APRIL 26 AND 27 38th Conejo Valley Home Remodeling Show 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sat. and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sun. Hyatt Westlake Plaza 880 S. Westlake Blvd., Westlake Village More than 170 vendors with information and products for homeowners.

Gourmet food trucks on site Sat. from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Free passes at www.westlakehomeshow.com.

Cost at the door is $4.

SUNDAY, APRIL 27 Conejo Valley Botanic Garden’s Annual Matilija Poppy Festival 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

350 W. Gainsborough Road, Thousand Oaks Tour 18 specialty gardens; see the white matilija poppy; Kids’ Adventure Garden, nature trail, children’s activities, docent tours, plant sale and

free popcorn.

Free admission.

Visit www.conejogarden.org FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY, MAY 2 to 10 “Festivo!”—Ventura Music Festival’s 20th Anniversary Season Celebration Performances by Igudesman & Joo; Tea and Trumpets; Judy Collins; Cantus; Rising Stars; Stanislav Khristenko; and Preservation Hall Jazz Band.

Takes place at various Ventura venues.

Tickets from $25 to $75.

Visit www.venturamusicfestival.org

Loving Heart Hospice Foundation’s Kentucky Derby Party 1 to 4 p.m.

Hummingbird Nest Ranch 2940 Kuehner Drive, Simi Valley Features traditional southern cuisine, mint juleps and bourbon sours, casino gaming tables, live entertainment, derby hat contest, silent and live auctions, and direct satellite coverage from Churchill Downs. Dressy attire.

Tickets are $75 by April 18 or $100 after that.

Visit www.LovingHHFoundation.com Call (805) 222-4673

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History Day They’ll be stepping back in time on History Day at Strathearn Historical Park and Museum in Simi Valley on June 14.

TEAM BUILDING

SUNDAY, MAY 4 Westlake Village Garden Club Garden Tour 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Tour five fabulous gardens in full spring bloom.

Benefits student scholarships, the Conejo Valley Botanic Garden and other local charities.

Admission: $20. www.westlakevillagegardenclub.com

BRIDAL SHOWERS

Annual Camarillo Hospice Spring Garden Tour Noon to 4 p.m.

Tour local homeowners’ private gardens.

Benefits Camarillo Hospice, which provides free assistance to Ventura County families facing a life-limiting illness or grieving the loss of a loved one.

Visit www.camarillohospice.org

CORPORATE EVENTS HOLIDAY PARTIES

THURSDAY, MAY 8 THROUGH SUNDAY, MAY 11 58th Annual Conejo Valley Days Conejo Creek Park South 1300 E. Janss Road, Thousand Oaks Features entertainment for the whole family, including freestyle motocross exhibitions, kids’ entertainment area, carnival rides, games, a Western-themed Main Street and saloon, and a food court.

Admission is $10 for adults; $5 for kids 6 through 12; free for kids 5 and under.

Visit www.conejovalleydays.us Call (805) 498-0624 Email info@conejovalleydays.us

SURPRISE PARTIES

BIRTHDAYS

SATURDAY, MAY 10 Simi Valley Street Fair 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

On Cochran Street between Sequoia and Galena avenues More than 300 vendor and food booths, Kids’ Korner, beer garden and arts and crafts.

Produced by the Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce.

Admission is free.

Visit www.simichamber.org/about-chamber/programs/simi-valley-street-fair Call (805) 526-3900

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SUNDAY, MAY 11 Eighth Annual Mother’s Day Brunch at Reagan Library 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Brunch, live music and museum tours.

Cost is $59.95 for adults; $29.95 for children ages 5 to 10;

EVENTS FOR ALL AGES!

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Where

Treasures for How does your the garden garden grow?

STATUES, TOPIARY, SPECIMEN TREES

Long after closing time at Baron Brothers Nursery, dozens of creatures remain behind to frolic around the lily pond on the 4-acre property in Camarillo. There are children with fishing poles, grizzly bears hunting salmon, youngsters wrestling puppies, graceful deer and howling coyotes.

“We have the largest selection of bronze statuary in the area,” says James Baron, who, with his brother Richard, owns the company. “The faces on the kids are like Botticelli’s; they are just really beautiful.”

When James and Richard Baron launched Pacific Landscaping Service in 1972 little did they know it would eventually grow to include a full-service retail garden center, 220 acres of growing ground and a reputation for carrying heritage specimen trees.

Alongside the large selection of plants, the garden center has all the tools and inspiration you need to make a garden thrive. Rows of Chinese glazed and Italian clay pots in various shapes and sizes offer plenty of choices. But it is the topiaries that command the most interest. They include simple spirals, Japanese-style pompoms, dinosaurs and a full topiary airplane poised to launch over a group of sculpted children at play.

And, if customers don’t find just what they want, Baron Brothers will custom order it for them.

Bronze statues of wildlife and children peacefully coexist in a Norman Rockwelllike atmosphere around the pond.

Baron Brothers 7568 Santa Rosa Road, Camarillo (805) 484-0085 www.baronbrothers.com

58 beyondtheacorn.com | january 2014

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Meadow Gardens’ wide selection of statues, pottery and fountains inspire creative garden design.

Carleen Reinstein says some loyal customers come to Meadow Gardens simply to relax and soak in the ambiance—the soothing sounds of water trickling from dozens of garden fountains, her birds singing gently, the heavenly scent of fine candles.

But that’s not her primary goal. This special place carries fountains, fine pots and statuary, all competitively priced and poised to adorn local gardens large and small. It’s more about helping customers create their own home garden retreats.

Meadow Gardens has a large selection of fountains reflecting styles inspired by fine American properties such as the Biltmore House in North Carolina and Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania. It also has Asian designs as well as lovely, rich Mediterranean styles.

The store, in its 14th year, evolved out of Reinstein’s work as a landscape designer. That coupled with her background in department store merchandising prepared her for what she does now, running a charming shop chock-full of fountains, pottery and small garden accessories.

Meadow Gardens 31149 Via Colinas, Westlake Village (818) 879-9555

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GREAT OLD STUFF When retired schoolteacher Laurie Turner began thinking about what she wanted to do with the next chapter of her life, her husband asked her, “What’s your passion?” Her response was immediate: “gardening and old stuff.”

And so the seeds were planted for Vintage Garden & Bloom in Thousand Oaks, a lovely little place packed with items from the past.

Turner is always searching for great old things, particularly from 1950s. She keeps them in their aged stage, rusted, peeling and in need of repair, what she describes as “time-weathered.”

Wandering through the shop and its garden is like going on a treasure hunt. The concrete animals tend to be from the 1940s. Although some people like to clean them up and give them a fresh coat of paint, Turner prefers them in their original state, peeled to perfection by the years.

Vintage Garden also carries a line of birdhouses newly constructed out of aged barn wood and specialty pottery by Guy Wolff and Campo de Fiori.

Artist Lynn Conlan helps Turner run the shop and her charming watercolors are showcased throughout.

The whole enterprise is supervised by Tangerine, a mellow cat who greets guests at the door and watches over their browsing with his curious stare.

Vintage Garden & Bloom 1696 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd.

Thousand Oaks (805) 379-1418 www.vintagegardenandbloom.com

GARDEN KNOW-HOW

Owner Glenn Izard opened Nordic Nursery in Newbury Park 35 years ago, when the stretch along the 101 Freeway ran through miles of open space, and new homes were still popping up by the dozens.

Today the friendly, family-run nursery is a full-service garden center with a nice selection of fountains, pottery and garden accessories.

The pottery, mostly Asian and Italian, is stacked in rows beneath the shade of a large old oak tree. It’s a pleasant atmosphere for browsing through pots glazed in brilliant blues, sea greens and white with embossed scrolling.

The gift shop is filled with garden accessories. There are some lovely hummingbird feeders, wind chimes in all shapes and sizes, and unusual garden garnishes like the peat moss purse planters. And kids can enjoy the garden tools made for small hands.

But Izard says Nordic’s real “claim to fame” is knowledge and expertise.

This gardener likes it because of its personal appeal, a far cry from the big-box warehouse stores. And that’s why customers from Malibu and Calabasas, and from Camarillo and Moorpark come to take advantage of Nordic’s treasures.

Nordic Nursery 1312 Newbury Road Newbury Park (805) 499-2613 www.nordicnursery.com

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Why

Plan before

You Plant

Written by Leslie Gregory Haukoos

Deciding to hire a professional to design our garden nearly caused a marital breakup.

We had just moved into a new home in Agoura that was surrounded by nothing but bare dirt. Our budget was very limited . . . as in very limited.

My husband thought we should take the do-it-yourself approach—conserve our funds and put all we had into plants. He figured a landscape architect was something like a gardener with a business card. Better to figure it out on our own as we went along.

I put my foot down and said I’d rather invest in a good garden design, even if it meant we’d have to leave half the yard barren for the time being.

We battled it out. As the gardener of the family, I wanted a truckload of new plants delivered to my driveway more than anything. But I knew in my gut that a good plan would be a sound investment, guiding all our later garden decisions.

My husband, who tends to argue in favor of maintenance-free cement patios and plants that don’t attract bugs, aims more for convenience than nature’s splendor. The more we spent on a plan, he reasoned, the less we’d have for plants and the longer we’d be living with dirt.

I held out and finally convinced him. We hired landscape architect Marsh Sanders to design the whole yard, even though much of the plan was, at that time, lofty dreaming

The process was simple, or so it seemed. We told Sanders our vague and ambitious ideas: we wanted paths leading to places, a covered pool that wouldn’t require much heating and could be off-limits to our three small children. We wanted it to feel like the gardens at the Westlake Inn. Nothing major, just make it like an aging Tuscan estate, we urged, on our miniscule budget, in an area prone to drought. . . . We didn’t have the money for garden benches, fountains or furniture, but we could envision them, so we needed places where they might work later on, when we could gradually add them to the garden.

Somehow, Sanders took all of our half-baked ideas and drew up a lovely plan. It had paths leading to destinations where we could eventually rest on garden benches. It had pairs of pepper trees lined up like soldiers down a meandering garden path. It had a step-up patio and a graceful water feature connecting Jacuzzi with swimming pool. The weed-covered slope would become a fruit orchard and grapevines would climb the arbors.

For quite a while,

that drawing was the closest we came to having a yard. At least we could sit on folding chairs on the bare dirt and imagine.

Nearly 10 years later, we finished implementing that plan. We had completed it in stages, when we could, and enjoyed it along the way. And because we took the time and used the resources to think ahead, today we have a cohesive garden rather than a hodgepodge of plants.

Our neighbor, who has since moved away, was the first on the block to build her pool when the whole neighborhood was new. We were all a bit envious as her family splashed in their tropical pond that first hot summer while the rest of us watched our small kids play in bare earth that required a whole lot of effort to keep out of the house.

Months later, this neighbor confided in us.

She was lying awake at night, haunted by a maddening thought: she had put the pool in the wrong place. It was too close to the house. It sliced the property in two, cutting off the back part of the yard, which used to have lots of potential but now would be like a separate planet.

Because it was right next to the house, the pool was shaded most of the day, even while the rest of the 1-acre lot was fully in sun.

Obviously, it was a little late to do anything about it.

It’s good to have a plan.

That said, the beauty of a garden is that it is a living, breathing

thing. It evolves and urges us to be flexible—to let it grow figuratively as well as literally.

That’s why the garden path with roses climbing the arbors has been updated with shade-loving climbers now that the pepper trees have matured. (Of course, our wise landscape architect predicted that years ago when he planted the baby pepper trees.) And after fighting an existing oak tree’s piles of fallen leaves for a number of years, we finally conceded and let them remain, a natural carpet underneath the grand tree. (Wait, that was Sanders’ idea, too.)

But even with the plan, we still had plenty of personalizing to do. It took us a couple of years to figure out where a fountain should go, then another couple of years before we could afford to put one there.

Turns out my husband is now a great fan of our garden. He’s out there almost daily with his laptop and his martini.

A garden, like a marriage, is a complex organism. Mine began with a plan and continues to surprise and inspire me.

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34 beyondtheacorn.com | spring 2014

Happy Hour

Every Hour is

Written by Ela Lindsay Photos by IRIS SMOOT

A

sign hanging on the outside bar at the De Maios’ Simi

Valley home captures the essence of their backyard hide away: “Lorraine and Vince’s tropical bar resort—where every hour is happy hour. Relax and enjoy.”

Vince De Maio says even he’s impressed with the way it all turned out.

“I wanted an outdoor space with all the conveniences of the indoors—and I wanted it to feel like a resort.”

And it does just that, but getting there was not smooth sailing. After the original contractor went bankrupt, De Maio, who worked in the car business for 26 years, had to don a contractor’s hat to oversee the completion of his vision.

He must have been a quick learner because the project, which took 19 months to complete, brought in a first place award from California Landscape Contractors Association for residential estate installation. Landscaper Oak Springs Nursery Inc. received that honor.

“The backyard is my baby,” De Maio says.

“Even if it’s raining, we can have a barbecue and watch TV outside because it’s all under cover. And during nice weather, don’t knock on the front door; come to the back gate because we spend most of our time there.”

The 750-square-foot, outdoor cabana is actually three rooms (without walls) with a dining room, a living room and a kitchen equipped with fridge, barbecue, stove-top burners, microwave and a countertop cooler for ice and drinks.

Everything about the installation is state-of-the-art. A fully automated remote-control system operates the cabana’s three flatscreen televisions, Blu-ray player, Internet radio and speakers. The automated features in the pool and spa are also operated via remote control. At the push of a button, De Maio can change the spring 2014 | beyondtheacorn.com 35

color of his interior pool light, turn on the spa bubbles or adjust the music playing for his guests.

“The lighting is all LED and energyefficient,” says De Maio of the more than 100 bulbs that illuminate the yard. They are only 12 watts instead of the usual 65 watts which translates into huge savings. “That way I don’t mind turning on the lights every night . . . and it’s very romantic.”

When they’re not in the pool or spa, guests can congregate at the 25-foot-long bar, gather around the gas-burning fire pit or lounge on easy chairs near the fireplace.

The dining area has sit-down seating for eight guests.

The pool features a Mexican-inspired Baja shelf, a roomy foot-deep area that’s perfect for lounging on a chaise partially submerged on a steamy day. Two swim-up cocktail tables are ideal for sipping margaritas in the shade of the palapas. Chosen for their real palm material, the tiki-style umbrellas add to the resort flavor. Two infinity edges give the pool a stunning nighttime presence.

The outdoor wood-fired pizza oven is another De Maio triumph, but it took a while for him to learn how to use it.

“The first pizza didn’t turn out. The second was worse,” he says with a laugh. But apparently he’s got the hang of it now because the couple often throws parties with homemade pizza on the menu.

No detail has been overlooked. Ceiling fans draw fresh breezes into the cabana,

I wanted an outdoor space with all the conveniences of the indoors—and I wanted it to feel like a resort.

— Vince De Maio

36 beyondtheacorn.com | spring 2014

The cabana is actually three rooms, merged under a single roof. There’s a living room seating area, a fully-equipped kitchen with bar seating and a dining room area. The pool has two distinct infinity edges.

and heaters keep it toasty in the off-season.

There’s natural Arizona Sweetwater stonework throughout and artificial turf, which is clean and low-maintenance. A full alarm system deters any would-be partycrashers.

All this is nestled under the spreading boughs of a huge oak tree that has been part of the landscape for several hundred years.

The capper on this outdoor haven is an 8-by-10-foot air-conditioned shed, complete with hardwood floors, cabana tiles, deep -freeze chest and commercial icemaker. A sign on the door says: “Resort Mini Suite #525.”

“It’s the day we got married,” says Vince De Maio, “May 25.”

Celebrating 29 years together this year, the couple say their personal Margaritaville was worth every penny.

“It’s not a backyard; it’s a resort.” spring 2014 | beyondtheacorn.com 37

EnchantedEvenings

Written by Leslie Gregory Haukoos Photos by Richard Gillard

T

his split-level tropical paradise grew out of the collective imagination of a very hands-on Newbury Park couple. Working without a formal plan or a professional designer, the pair envisioned a backyard retreat, with several separate destinations and plenty of room for family and friends to gather comfortably and informally.

The result is this charming hideaway, 38 beyondtheacorn.com | spring 2014

complete with a rock “spool� (somewhat bigger than a spa and smaller than a pool) with a hidden grotto and full-sized water slide, a tropical cabana with kitchen and barbecue, an exotic, cloth-draped gazebo, built-in fire pit and a cozy corner patio with a chiminea.

The couple described their dream to the folks at California Pools, who built the main water feature without a formally drawn de-

sign for the approximately 14' x 18' spool.

Then Brian Staben of the Rock Shop in Camarillo came on board and the dream really took shape. Having worked on rock structures at Disneyland, which has some of the best faux mountains around, Staben knew just how to craft realistic rock formations with lots of interesting nooks and crevices.

Far left, a neighbor’s grandchild gives the slide a try. Left, the couple enjoys a quiet evening together just outside the grotto.

Below, friends sip a cocktail while dinner cooks on the barbecue.

The homeowners credit Staben for the realization of their dream. Now the spool has a shallow pond at the top of the water slide, where guests like to hang out on hot days in just enough water to keep them refreshed while they chat with folks sitting at the tiki bar. The hidden grotto, affectionately dubbed “Boney Mountain Grotto,” after the local landmark, is deep enough for adults to stand in and can fit three or four people.

The spool features a graded beach entry but deepens to 4 feet 6 inches, which is

deep enough for safe water sliding. There’s also plenty of seating for several adults and lots of room for kids to splash around on the other side of a peninsula planter. And, when the jets are on, there’s enough length and resistance to get a bit of exercise as well, the homeowner says.

The main waterfall first pools in a 1-foot-deep area, where the family dogs like to romp, before it spills into the main spool. There’s a “cool splash” feature that can be manually operated to keep the water just the right temperature.

Up a few steps, but feeling worlds away, is the tiki bar cabana, which was built with bamboo and covered with thatched palapa leaves. The homeowners replace the leaves every two years, but they say synthetic ones are also available and require less frequent maintenance.

The homeowners did most of the landscaping themselves, with some advice on plants from a friend who’s also a landscaper. A prized feature is the banana plant, which produces sweet fruit each growing season—just like in a tropical paradise. spring 2014 | beyondtheacorn.com 39

Fueling the

active

Lifestyle

Cast Iron Skillet Fruit Cobbler Written by Stephanie Sumell Photos courtesy of Gideon Kleinman, Pedalers Fork

P

edalers Fork is more than just a business.

It’s a community.

Friends and business partners Tim Retelle and Robbie Schaeffer opened the restaurant, coffeehouse and full-service bike shop in April 2013 to provide a home away from home for their customers.

Now a popular hangout for cyclists passing through town, the establishment in the heart of Calabasas caters to health-conscious individuals who enjoy good food, good company and the great outdoors.

No bike?

No problem, Retelle says.

“When we first opened, I saw a woman 40 beyondtheacorn.com | spring 2014

dressed in normal street clothes walk out to the patio to meet her husband dressed in full cycling gear. . . . There’s something here for everybody.”

The restaurant on Calabasas Road aims to help change the way the food industry operates by eliminating as many steps as possible between where food is produced and where it’s consumed. The Pedalers Fork van travels up and down the coast, gathering food from farmers, ranchers and artisans who follow sustainable, organic practices.

“We want people to experience what real food tastes like,” Retelle says. “Our carrots come in with dirt on them because they were just picked that morning.”

Robbie Schaeffer

The 36-year-old says Pedalers Fork has put hundreds of thousands of dollars back into the community. The restaurant even purchases fresh herbs and vegetables grown by students at Muse School, a private school in Calabasas with an environmental focus.

“People who come here are investing in their own backyard,” Retelle says.

“You’re not only eating the best-quality food you are going to find, you are supporting the local growers in your area. . . . It’s all about doing the right thing.”

And doing the right thing never tasted so good.

Dan Murray, the restaurant’s executive chef, changes the menu seasonally to offer patrons the freshest ingredients possible.

“Pedalers Fork has become a place where the vegan and the carnivore can sit down together and be happy,” Murray says.

Murray says the quinoa burger, a tasty vegetarian patty, is a favorite among the restaurant’s regulars.

“The recipe has undergone many revisions,” he says. “It really gives you that satisfaction of eating a burger without the guilt to go along with it.”

The blueberry johnnycakes, miniature pancakes inspired by a Revolutionary War-era recipe, are also a hit.

“It’s easy to enrich food with butter,” Murray says. “Here, we try to find ways to make things as fresh and exciting as we can without the extra fat.”

The chef says he’s always trying something new. He offers two to three specials a day.

“We like to have fun with it,” Murray says.

Guests can dine inside or outside on the restaurant’s spacious patio,

Tim Retelle

which overlooks a natural creek. Light, bright and airy, the building—constructed largely out of recycled lumber—is rustic yet modern.

Gideon Kleinman, Pedalers’ marketing director, says the setting’s “warm and welcoming aesthetic,” which includes a display of vintage bicycles, lends itself to a variety of functions.

“If you come in with a suit and tie and you want to have a five-course meal, you can,” Kleinman says. “If you want to ride up here covered in mud after a mountain-bike ride, that works too.”

The coffeehouse at the back of the restaurant serves freshly brewed 10 Speed Coffee and baked goods made on site. The cold brew Yama coffee takes up to 18 hours to make.

The coffee shop opens at 6 a.m., so folks visiting the Calabasas farmers’ market in the Pedalers Fork parking lot on Saturday mornings can enjoy piping hot artisan coffees before the market opens at 8.

There’s also a full-service bike shop overlooking the dining patio and a bulletin board announcing organized rides through the area.

Retelle says Pedalers Fork continues to evolve.

So far, he says, it’s been the ride of his life.

“Robbie and I came into this thing with different backgrounds but the same goal,” he says. “I think it’s become bigger than any of us could have ever imagined.”

Pedalers Fork’s contemporary design is comfy and inviting. The restaurant is in the heart of Old Town Calabasas.

Banana Blueberry Johnnycakes Serves 4-6 ½ ½ 1 ¾ ¼

¼ ¼ 2 1 ¼ ¼

Executive Chef Dan Murray

Pedalers Fork Menu

Banana Blueberry Johnnycakes Quinoa Burger Blood Orange, Wonton & Almond Salad Green Flatbread Devils on Horseback Lamb Meatballs with Xocopilli Sauce Filet Mignon Cast Iron Skillet Fruit Cobbler Old Fashion Cocktail Old Fashion Cocktail

42 beyondtheacorn.com | spring 2014

cup red quinoa, cooked cup brown rice flour Tbsp. turbinado sugar tsp. baking powder tsp. ground cinnamon dash salt cup coconut, toasted cup red walnuts Tbsp. sunflower seeds Tbsp. bee pollen cup hemp seed, ground cup chia seeds

1 banana, roasted ¾ cup coconut milk ¼ tsp. vanilla extract 2 Tbsp. flax seed, ground and mixed with water 3 Tbsp. water ½ cup blueberries

TOPPING ¼ cup blueberries 1 Tbsp. bee pollen ½ oz. edible flowers maple syrup (optional)

Puree vegetables in a food processor.

Heat a saucepan over medium heat; add oil to warm.

In the saucepan, sweat vegetable puree until tender with cumin, chili flakes and a pinch of salt.

Spread and cool to room temperature.

Put cooled vegetable paste and remaining ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

Cook quinoa patties on both sides until lightly browned and warmed through, about 1-2 minutes. Patties should be crispy on the outside.

Toast the buns, then spread hummus on the bottom and raita sauce on top.

Assemble from bottom to top with quinoa patty, feta cheese, cucumber, pickled red onion, and arugula.

*Vegetable protein can be found in the spice aisle of most grocery stores.

Blood Orange, Wonton & Almond Salad Serves 4-6 2

1 1 1½ ½ 2

1¼ ½ 2

3

1½

cups butter lettuce mix or baby mixed greens, washed cup savoy cabbage, shredded cup red cabbage, shredded cups rainbow carrots, julienned cup red onion, julienned cups blood orange, peeled and cut into rounds ¼" thick cup sliced almonds cup green onion, chopped to ¼" pieces cups wontons, julienned and fried until crisp* Tbsp. sesame seeds, toasted salt and pepper to taste cups miso-ginger vinaigrette (or vinaigrette dressing of your choice)

Prepare quinoa according to package directions. Let cool at least 20 minutes.

Put dry ingredients in a bowl, mix. Add all wet ingredients except quinoa. Mix well.

Add quinoa and blueberries. Mix and let rest for about 1 hour.

Add other dried fruits and nuts if desired.

Portion johnnycakes with an ice cream scoop onto a preheated griddle and cook until browned on both sides (about 1-2 minutes).

Serve 4 johnny cakes per plate. Garnish with fresh blueberries, banana slices, bee pollen and

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl, flowers. Top with maple syrup if desired. setting aside half of the fried wontons and sesame seeds. Season with a little salt and pepper.

Toss with miso-ginger vinaigrette.

Garnish salad with remaining fried wontons Quinoa Burgers and sesame seeds.

Makes 4

½ 4 ½ 1 ½ ½ ¼ 1 ⅓ ¼

cup red onion, chopped cloves garlic, chopped cup chopped carrot Tbsp. canola oil pinch ground cumin, to taste pinch chili flakes, to taste cup hummus cup mixed quinoa, cooked cup textured vegetable protein * tsp. lemon juice

4 ½ ½ ½ 1 ⅓ ¼

hamburger buns cup hummus cup raita sauce cup feta cheese small Persian cucumber, sliced cup pickled red onion cup baby arugula

*Wonton skins can be purchased at most grocery stores.

Green Flatbread Makes 4 4 ½ 1

1

1

1 6 ½

pieces (about 4” x 12”) pizza dough cup herb pistou (or pesto) heaping cup shredded mozzarella or fresh mozzarella curds heaping cup asparagus, cut in 1” pieces cup baby artichoke hearts, cleaned and cut in half cup broccoli florets leaves baby kale, washed cup burrata cheese

Spread pizza dough on a sheet tray. Spread pistou on the pizza dough, covering the whole surface.

Layer mozzarella, then vegetables, and top with 3 dollops of burrata.

Cook in 450o oven for 10-20 minutes, until cheese is melted and the bottom crust is lightly browned. Serve hot.

Devils on Horseback Makes 12

12 medjool dates ½ cup blue cheese crumbles 6 pieces bacon, halved toothpicks

Slice dates partially through lengthwise and remove the pit.

Stuff each date with about 1 tsp. blue cheese crumbles.

Wrap each date with a half-slice of bacon and secure with toothpick.

Deep fry at 350o for about 6 minutes, or bake in oven at 350o for 30-40 minutes or until bacon is crisp.

Quinoa Burger

Lamb Meatballs with Xocopilli Sauce Serves 4-6

1 ½ ½ ½ 1 1 ½ ½ 2 3-4

lb. ground lamb cup onion, chopped cup carrot, chopped cup celery, chopped cup panko breadcrumbs Tbsp. kosher salt Tbsp. black pepper, ground Tbsp. cumin seed, toasted and ground cage-free eggs cups vegetable stock (as needed)

Devils on Horseback

2 cups cooked couscous, prepared according to package instructions 2 cups Xocopilli sauce* parsley and chives as needed to garnish

Mix together lamb, onion, carrot, celery, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, cumin seed and eggs in a bowl.

Portion 16-20 meatballs using 1-oz. scoop, about the size of ping-pong balls. Place on a sheet pan and let rest 30 minutes in refrigerator.

In a saucepan, bring cooking stock to a simmer and pour half into a roasting pan.

Place meatballs in stock. Meatballs should be about half-submerged in the liquid. Cover with foil and bake at 375o for 20-25 minutes to an internal temperature of 150o.

Remove cover.

(Meatballs can be made 3-5 days ahead if refrigerated in airtight container.)

For individual servings: In a bowl, scoop ½ cup couscous, top with 4-5 meatballs and drizzle recipes ON PAGE 72

Banana Blueberry Johnnycakes spring 2014 | beyondtheacorn.com 43

Find yourself, lose yourself

on the trail

“In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.”

44 beyondtheacorn.com | spring 2014

— John Muir

G

etting away from civilization and into nature can heal the soul, sharpen the senses and revitalize the body.

Whether you live in Calabasas, the Conejo Valley, Camarillo, Moorpark or Simi Valley,

you are within reach of a wealth of hiking trails that can bring you closer to the healing powers of the great outdoors.

Trails allow city dwellers to stretch their physical and spiritual limits while exploring new surroundings. The anticipation of discovering what lies beyond the next ridge, zigzagging up and down steep and narrow switchback trails, and leisurely strolling through grasslands dotted with oak groves are all part of the adventure.

The terrain and destinations are as varied as the people who visit the parklands to get away from it all. One trail may wind through a grove of redwoods in Malibu Creek State Park while another takes you to soothing and refreshing waterfalls in Solstice Canyon or Wildwood Park. Still others lead to eyecatching rock formations overlooking Simi Valley, Newbury Park and Malibu.

The songs of wild birds and occasional deer and coyote sightings make the outdoor experience even more special.

“What I like about all of the local trails are the spectacular views— the ocean, the mountains, the valleys.

The terrain varies. At times you are in lush greenery and other times seemingly desert conditions,” says Andrea Roschke of Oak Park.

Photo by JULIEN BELMOND

Sunlight gleaming through a majestic oak tree makes a morning hike magical.

Left: A trail winds through a field of wild mustard leading to Boney Mountain.

W ritten b y S y lvie B elmond T R A I L S l isti n g c o mpil e d by E r i n n e wma n M ap i llust r ati o n s by W e st M a Ätita Photo by DAVID McMARTIN spring 2014 | beyondtheacorn.com 45

Lang Ranch Pkwy.

2

ark Rd Moorp

Lynn Rd.

Newbury Park

5

Wen dy

4

Dr.

U.S. Hwy 101

 Lake Eleanor Open Space, Westlake Village 2.5 miles, easy This trail is relatively flat and somewhat rocky, but worth traversing for the lovely views of Lake Eleanor and Lake Sherwood plus wildflowers in the spring.

Trailhead: At the end of Highgate Road off Triunfo Canyon Road.  Lang Ranch and

Thousand Oaks

3

Westlake Village 1

Triunfo Cyn.

Woodridge Open Space System, Thousand Oaks 10 miles of trails, easy to strenuous Well-maintained trails and panoramic views are yours in northeast T.O.’s open space. Those up for a big hike can connect to Simi Valley and Agoura Hills from this system.

Trailhead: The east end of Lang Ranch Parkway.

 Los Robles Trail and Open Space

System, Conejo Valley 25 miles of trails, easy to strenuous This ridgeline trail system spanning from Newbury Park to Westlake Village has many ascents and descents for a good workout.

Trailhead: Many access points, but a popular one is at the south end of Moorpark Road in Thousand Oaks.

 Potrero Ridge Open Space, Newbury Park 200 acres of open space, easy to moderate Several short, hilly trails with multiple access points provide quick hikes near the Las Brisas area of Newbury Park.

Trailhead: There are many starting points.

One with paved parking is on the west side of Wendy Drive between Peppermint and Felton streets.  Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa

Hikers walk with their dogs (on leash) on a trail near the Satwiwa Culture Center in Newbury Park on a sunny spring day.

Roschke, who hikes every Sunday morning with a group of friends called Uphill Moms, says her three favorite hiking spots are Sandstone Peak at Circle X Ranch, Wildwood Park in Thousand Oaks and China Flat, a six-mile loop trail between Oak Park and Simi Valley.

“I enjoy hiking so much because I am getting exercise, having amazing conversations with my good friends and drinking in the sights. It clears my head after working crazy hours all week, and fills my heart and soul. It gives me perspective,” says Roschke, who owns a tax and accounting firm in Calabasas. “It’s definitely a healing experience, and starts my week off right.”

With hundreds of miles of walking, cycling and equestrian paths, the Santa Monica Mountains and Ventura County backcountry are a magnet for nature lovers.

46 beyondtheacorn.com | spring 2014

trail system, Newbury Park 13 miles of various trails and loops, easy to strenuous Rolling hills, a Native American culture center, plus views of (or a hike to) Boney Mountain on a trail to the ocean provide something for everyone.

Trailhead: Wendy Drive at Potrero Road.

 Wildwood Regional Park, Thousand Oaks 14 trails covering 17 miles, easy to strenuous Miles of open space with rolling meadows, volcanic outcroppings and two waterfalls offer hiking adventures for all levels.

Trailhead: At the west end of Avenida de Los Arboles off of Lynn Road.

Photo by RIchard Gillard

Avenida de Los Arboles .

6

State

Rout

e 23

Newbury Park / Thousand oaks

Newbury Park • Thousand Oaks

Agoura Hills • Calabasas • Oak Park  Cheeseboro Canyon/Palo Comado Trails, Agoura Hills

 Oak Canyon Park, Oak Park

14 miles, easy to strenuous Follow an old ranch road along a streambed and through oak groves.

From there, trails of all levels branch off. A great area to watch for owls, hawks and other raptors.

Trailhead: Chesebro and Palo Comado Canyon roads.

1.6 miles, easy Newbie hikers and young families will feel secure in this nature preserve.

The trail loops through oak forests and over Medea Creek and a pond features a manmade waterfall.

Trailhead: 5600 Hollytree Drive.

 China Flat/Simi Peak, Oak Park

 Paramount Ranch, Agoura Hills

6 miles, moderate to strenuous A steep ascent eventually takes you to China Flat, a lovely area with sprawling meadows dotted with oak tree groves and then to Simi Peak, the highest point in the Simi Hills.

Trailhead: Go north on Lindero Canyon Road and park at the China Flat trailhead sign on the left between King James Court and Wembly Avenue.

1.5 miles, easy This filming ranch, where many movies and TV series have been shot, is open to visitors and makes a great family outing with a maze of trails that branch out from the Western town.

Trailhead: 2903 Cornell Road.

 Peter Strauss Ranch, Agoura Hills 1 mile, easy to moderate This scenic ranch includes the original ranch house and remnants of a pool and dance floor, plus plenty of trees and a lovely lawn for a relaxing picnic-style mini-hike.

Trailhead: 30000 Mulholland Highway at Troutdale Drive.

 Cold Creek Trail, Calabasas

4.5 miles, moderate Also known as the Secret Trail, this hike offers panoramic views and up-close looks at sandstone slabs, boulders and caves.

Trailhead: 24270 Mulholland Highway.

 Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve, Calabasas 11.2 miles of trails, easy with some moderate climbs More commonly known as Ahmanson Ranch, this area was saved from development in 2003. Now the rolling hills dotted with oak trees provide an easy and scenic hiking area.

Trailhead: North end of Las Virgenes Road.

 Malibu Creek State Park, Calabasas

agoura / calabasas / oak park

2 5

Oak Park

Kan an

Thousand Oaks Blvd.

Chesebro Rd.

8 Rd.

Canyon

Rd.

15 miles of trails, easy to moderate This 7,000-acre state park is most famous as the home of the outdoor set of television’s “M*A* S*H,” but this gem has more to offer with scenery befitting its nickname, “The Yosemite of Southern California.” The redwood grove is a special treat.

Trailhead: 1925 Las Virgenes Road.

Lindero

wy.

.H U.S

1

101

Agoura Hills

Virg en

es R

d.

3

6

Calabasas

Las



7 4

d Hwy.

Mulhollan

spring 2014 | beyondtheacorn.com 47

MOORPARK / Simi valley

Erringer

Rd.

5

Yo s

Moorpark

em

1

ite

3

Av e

u Ro te 23

R

Los Angeles Ave.

Kuehner Dr.

te ra

r Tie

d.

aR

d eja

7

State Route 118

First St.

Sta 6

Madera Rd.

.

8 4

Simi Valley 2

Moorpark • Simi Valley  Big Sky Trail, Simi Valley

Photo by MICHAEL COONS

4.5 mile loop, easy to moderate This convenient hike in the Santa Susana mountain foothills intertwines with a housing development and parallels a streambed. Great for kids or those who want to stay near civilization.

Trailhead: North of the 118 on Erringer Road. Look for a small parking lot on your right across from the fire station.

 Canyon View Trail, Simi Valley

2.3 miles, easy to moderate Once home to Chumash Indians and later ranchers, this area offers rolling grasslands and abundant wildlife and is a gateway to connecting trails in Thousand Oaks.

Trailhead: On Long Canyon Road a few hundred feet east of Wood Ranch Parkway.

 Chumash Trail, Simi Valley

2.5 miles, moderate A perfect trail for a morning jaunt into the hills. It also connects to more strenuous and lengthy trails if you want to take it up a notch.

Trailhead: At the end of Flanagan Drive off the Yosemite Avenue freeway exit.

 Corriganville Park, Simi Valley

4 miles, easy One of Simi’s gems, Corriganville features old movie sets nestled in oak groves and rock cliffs. A great hike for kids.

Trailhead: Turn east on Smith Road from Kuehner Drive.

48 beyondtheacorn.com | spring 2014

The trails offer many kinds of recreational opportunities. People can do intense hikes or mountain biking for exercise or go on an inexpensive family outing to get away from technology.

Hiking is a great way to get a workout and, because the scenery can be so captivating, you may not even feel you’re working hard. The local trails provide fabulous picnic spots and are a good way to get away from it all on a romantic date.

About 33 million visitors come to the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area each year.

“The most common thing people say about hiking in the Santa Monica Mountains is how special it is to be able to fully immerse yourself in the outdoors while living near the secondlargest metropolitan area in the nation,” says Kate Kuykendall, spokesperson for the recreation area, which is part of the National Park System.

A deer runs freely through the Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve, also known as Ahmanson Ranch.

 Happy Camp Canyon

Photo by DAVID McMARTIN

Regional Park, Moorpark 12 miles of trails, easy to moderate Open riparian oak woodland vegetation provides a lovely outdoor experience that can include wildflowers and wildlife.

Trailhead: Take Moorpark Avenue to Broadway Avenue.

 Monte Vista Nature Park, Moorpark 5 acres of open space, easy Perfect for those who want a little more than an urban walk, this area provides easy trails in a parklike setting.

Trailhead: Spring Road near Tierra Rejada Road.  Mt. McCoy Trail, Simi Valley

2.2 miles, moderate Known for the cross at the top of the peak, which can be seen throughout Simi. Once at the summit, hikers are also rewarded with 360-degree views.

Trailhead: Washburn Street at Los Amigos Avenue in western Simi.

Above, an interesting rock formation reaches skyward along the Backbone Trail near Castro Crest. Below, a canyon in Malibu Creek State Park beckons hikers.

 Rocky Peak Trail, Simi Valley

Photo by JULIEN BELMOND

10 miles, moderate to strenuous Views of two valleys plus fascinating rock formations including a sandstone windmade cave.

Trailhead: Exit at Rocky Peak from the 118 Freeway and park just north of the bridge.

Trails ON PAGE 70

For those who want more We can only list a few of the dozens of great hikes in our region. For more details on these and other hikes, check out these sites: www.localhikes.com www.nps.gov/samo www.scout.me www.cosf.org www.venturacountytrails.org Malibuhiking.com www.calihike.blogspot.com To make contact with other hikers in your area, check out the meetup groups in your area at www.meetup.com.

Agoura Hills: www.meetup.com/TheWeekday-Trailblazers/ Calabasas: www.meetup.com/calabasasdayhikers/ Newbury Park: www.meetup.com/Hike-to-Health/ Simi Valley: www.meetup.com/Simi-Trail-Blazers Thousand Oaks: www.meetup.com/TOaks-Hikers/ spring 2014 | beyondtheacorn.com 49

HIKING ON PAGE 71

Before you hit the trail

Photo by IRIS SMOOT

Bonnie Clarfield, a supervisory ranger with the National Park Service, says open spaces are a sanctuary for the weary.

“If you’re stressed out, it’s almost like getting rebooted when you’re out there.”

Clarfield, an avid birder and hiker, urges trail users to stay on marked paths and keep dogs on a leash to protect sensitive habitat and wildlife.

“We have an incredible ecosystem, and we’re in a very special zone with diverse plants and animals,” says the park ranger, who has been working to protect park visitors and natural resources for 25 years. One of her favorite hiking spots is the Mishe Mokwa loop trail at Circle X Ranch. The five-mile trail meanders through chaparral and riparian habitat as well as rocky areas, and hikers can climb to the top of Sandstone Peak, the highest mountain between Malibu and the Conejo Valley.

“The flavor of the trails, especially the popular ones, is different on weekdays than on weekends and holidays,” Clarfield says. Places like Malibu Creek State Park and Solstice Canyon are relatively quiet during the week.

The region also has fun, little-known trails, like a half-mile forested path in Peter Strauss Ranch near Kanan Road and a two-mile loop at Arroyo Sequit off of Mulholland Highway above Leo Carrillo State Park.

Geoff Kish of Moorpark says one of his favorite spots is Mugu Peak because the five-mile trek offers a panoramic view of the ocean and a grassland valley with “amazing” changes of topography.

“That’s the place more than anywhere else that made me feel this is truly a beautiful natural area,” says Kish, a deputy director of the Santa Monica Mountains Fund, which supports resource protection and educational programs within the recreation area.

“Something about the scenery, native vegetation and wildlife—whether seen or unseen—simply makes one feel good, both physically and psychologically,” says Ann Tucker of Moorpark, who with Paul Smith leads hikes for the Moorpark Active Adult Center and the Conejo Recreation and Park District outdoor unit.

Staying safe while hiking is just a matter of doing some research and planning before setting out. Here are a few things to keep in mind: • Carry a map. Not all trailheads provide them, but park websites often have maps that can be printed and brought on the hike.

• Watch out for ticks, which can carry disease.

• Rattlesnakes are native to the area.

Pay attention to where you’re walking and give snakes a wide berth.

• Avoid poison oak by staying on trails.

• Bring enough water to stay hydrated.

• Long pants and long-sleeved shirts provide protection from sun, poison oak and insect bites. Light colored clothing can make it easy to spot ticks.

Young brothers partner up while hiking on a warm spring day along a fire road in Ahmanson Ranch in Calabasas.

50 beyondtheacorn.com | spring 2014

• Don’t hike alone; there’s safety in numbers. If you do go alone, let someone know where you’re going and when you expect to be back.

Photo by ERIN NEWMAN

• Basic safety supplies to carry include a fully charged cellphone, a light jacket, a whistle and a signal mirror.

Prickly Poppy June through August

m e S l l d n a p o t S the Wildflowers Photos by

David McMartin

A journey into the wilderness is great exercise. It’s an opportunity for friends to spend good time together and a chance to take a break from the details of daily life.

Hiking the trails also offers a chance to see things you may never have seen before, or to view familiar things in an entirely new way.

So, when you hit the trails, try looking around you with fresh eyes. spring 2014 | beyondtheacorn.com 51

1

Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. ~Albert Einstein 1

2

Humboldt Lily June through July

2

Catalina Mariposa Lily

3

March through May 3

Bush Monkeyflower March through July

4

Scarlet Larkspur May through July

5

Crimson Pitcher Sage March through May

6

Chocolate Lily February through June

7

Woolly Blue Curls March through August

8

Creek Monkeyflower March through August

9

10

Purple Nightshade March through August

10

Speckled Clarkia April through July

52 beyondtheacorn.com | spring 2014

9

5

4

8

6

7

spring 2014 | beyondtheacorn.com 53

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The Mission Courtyard area of The Gardens of the World is Ed Hogan’s favorite spot on the property.

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hogans from PAGE 15

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400 Rosewood Ave., #102, Camarillo, CA 93010 • 805-389-6870 www.camarillohospice.org

54 beyondtheacorn.com | spring 2014

Part of the Hogans’ charm is their ability to chat about many aspects of their lives simultaneously.

While talking about the Gardens, world travel and humanitarian projects, Lynn reveals that she and Ed have renewed their wedding vows three times over the course of their 60-year marriage. She also mentions that she worked as an artist for Walt Disney and painted animation cels for the original “Peter Pan.” Ed jumps back on his iPad to pull up a photograph of a chicken coop built by a group of Girl Scouts. Their foundation hosted a contest between a local Boy Scout troop and a local Girl Scout troop. The boys created “Tortoise Park,” and the girls built a chicken coop at Rancho St. Francis.

The Hogans loved both projects, but the chicken coop really tickled their fancy.

“It’s the Cadillac of chicken coops,” Ed says with unabashed glee.

Ed’s definition of wealth is threefold. It includes good health, good family and good friends.

“If you don’t have good health you become a burden on your friends and family,” he says. “Respect it, take care of it.

“If you have those three things you’re a wealthy person.” By Ed’s definition, the Hogans have it all.

It also keeps the single father of three closer to home and his family.

“I didn’t find modeling to be that fulfilling,” he says. “Bonsai has been a great artistic outlet for me.”

Although the California Bonsai Studio—which carries a large variety of bonsai trees for sale and offers classes on Saturdays—is a full-time venture for Goldstein, he says he hasn’t completely abandoned the rush of living the fast life.

“I’ve raced motorcycles since I was 10. And in doing that, I find I reach this state of focus where I’m not thinking about anything else that’s going on my life,” he says.

As a child, Goldstein developed a need for speed while going off-road in motocross races across California. These days, he mainly keeps on the road, entering races at tracks like Willow Springs Raceway near Lancaster and the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana.

For Goldstein, creating bonsai and speeding along the motorcycle track provide just the right balance.

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Goldstein from PAGE 17

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Vegetable gardens come in all shapes and sizes, as do the gardeners who tend them.

And although home gardeners might have differing skill levels, there are lots of do-ityourself raised vegetable planter kits that just about anyone can build.

Raised beds can be adapted to any size plot of land or placed in tiny outdoor spaces, such as patios, balconies and decks. And all of them offer simple solutions to backbreaking garden work.

Gronomics.com has a wide selection of raised-bed garden kits, such as its Vertical Garden, a unique design with a small footprint of only two square feet. This multitiered unit includes a drip-line irrigation Above: Cedar Beds from elevatedbeds.com can be staggered to create interesting lines in your landscape. The beds shown here contain a combination of vegetables and ornamental plants.

The planters from naturalyards.com are easy to assemble and have dovetailed joints for added strength.

system, so you can enjoy growing more veggies using less water—a perfect feature for drought-prone Southern California.

Then there’s the modular and rustic Garden Wedge, which is not only attractive, it’s wheelchair accessible. It’s ideal for small spaces but can be adapted to larger areas with

an extension kit.

For those seeking one-stop garden solutions, the Elevated Grow Shelter from MyPotsandPlanters.com includes a raised bed, greenhouse and pest barrier—all in one. The 4-by-4 self-contained growing system—100 percent made in the U.S.—comes

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with a reinforced PVC outer cover to protect plants from wind and heavy rain, insects, birds and animals. It also stands at a good working height to prevent strained backs.

For those who only have a foot or so of space to work with or a limited budget, Grow Bags from Raisedbeds.com offer a

cost-effective and unique environment for veggies. These bags hold 34 quarts of planting mix and are shallow enough for growing salads, yet deep enough for peppers, carrots, potatoes and tomatoes.

If you’re new to the world of building raised garden beds or you want some general how-to information, check out the website Greenlandgardener.com for ideas and products, as well as recipes for the produce you’ll be growing in your new beds. Its Raised Bed Garden Kits come in multiple configurations that are also available in recycled composite material or natural cedar.

Also, Vegetablegardener.com features ideas and photos from other raised-bed DIY gardeners.

But there’s nothing to stop the creative do-it-yourselfer from turning any large container, such as a vintage claw-foot tub or even an old desk or dresser, into a planting bed.

Add some drainage, soil, seeds or seedlings, and you’re good to go.

Those who are totally baffled by the gardening scene or who need a quick refresher course to update their skills might consider The Modular Elevated Garden Wedge, from Williams-Sonoma, stands at just the right height to taking a class at the Williams-Sonoma shop accommodate gardeners in wheelchairs. The Williams-Sonoma store in The Oaks mall offers at The Oaks mall in Thousand Oaks—great gardening classes on how to layer seeds, sprouting, tips on canning as well as other topics. for newbie and veteran gardeners alike.

Either way, a few unique planting Mention solutions for your large or small planting Beyond Magazine space can yield a satisfying harvest of fresh to receive vegetables. And the beauty of using any of these systems—or using your imagination to create your own—is the little-known - Golf Digest fact that many vegetables actually thrive in containers.

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A vintage bathtub from Williams-Sonoma becomes a charming planter when placed on a stand. But there’s nothing stopping you from getting creative with your own found container.

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The Elevated Grow Shelter comes complete with materials for a raised bed, greenhouse cover and screening to discourage pests.

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How to keep the kids

s r o o d t Ou

s b t a o c l o e n t s o fun! ’ e r e h T Written by Carol Pond Illustration by West Maätita

In the hopes of having a weekend we could look forward to rather than one filled with the usual chores and errands, I decided it might be fun to build an obstacle course in the backyard for the grandgirls to play on.

Turning for ideas to the Internet, I entered “obstacle course for 3-year-olds” into the search engine because (A) 3 is the average age of my three granddaughters and (B) I wanted something for kids and not for Marines.

The Internet, as usual, offered a wealth of ideas—not all of them feasible.

The rock climbing wall and zip line were out of the question. But I found enough ideas that I felt would work and set about

planning the course.

My hope for the obstacle course was to get the kids outdoors for a while, to keep them active and happy, and to wear them out so they’d go to bed right after dinner without a fuss.

By the time the weekend to look forward to arrived I was exhausted from setting up the course, but it was indeed a thing of wonder.

It started on the patio with a slalom course around some old paint buckets.

Each of the girls could ride their wheeled toy of choice between the buckets, arriving at the edge of the patio, where a 2-by-4 provided a bridge across the grass to a tunnel made out of a tube tent from

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our camping supplies. After they crawled through the tunnel they would climb up a step stool to a picnic bench, which they would walk across to where a rope hung from a tree limb. (The rope was securely tied to the branch by my husband, who has gnarly nautical knotting skills.) They would swing on the rope a la Tarzan and land on a mini trampoline placed just so, where they would happily bounce until the next sister came along, at which point a row of hula hoops was laid out along the ground for the girls to hop from one to the next. At the end was a small tub filled with bubble solution so we could sit and blow bubbles before they were ready to go through the obstacle course again.

That was the plan.

When the girls came outside I was all set to demonstrate the course to them, but before I could the oldest had jumped onto the nearest paint bucket and proceeded to hop from one to the next. The younger girls each climbed up onto a bucket and started dancing and twirling around. By the time they were so dizzy they couldn’t safely stay on their buckets, their older sister was twirling all the hula hoops around her waist. Of course, her sisters wanted a turn, so she let the hoops fall and ran to the trampoline, where she called, “This is great, Grandma!� as she bounced. The little ones were having trouble with the hoops, which were a little too wide for their reach, so they dropped them and headed for the trampoline. The oldest grabbed the rope and climbed like a monkey up into the tree, and her sisters quickly followed.

I looked up at them where they were perched on the branch, and they looked down at me and giggled.

What could I do? I went and got the tub and blew bubbles up at them until it was time to come down for dinner.

It turned out to be a weekend to remember.

The outdoor barbecue has become an extension of the kitchen and the wealth of cool new accessories make it even more fun to cook outdoors. Here are a few worth checking out.

Acornucopia

Gadgets for the grill

By Erin Newman

Grill Wok

Healthy grilled vegetables are a snap with this professional-grade nonstick grill wok. Built-in handles make it easy to carry, and the silicone-based nonstick coating means easy cleanup. $29.99 www.kohls.com Outset

Steak Station Digital Thermometer Manage up to four steaks—customizing each from rare to well done— with the Steak Station.

Each color-coded probe measures temperatures from 115o to 170o and transmits the information to the easy-to-read monitor. $29.99 www.bassproshops.com Charcoal Companion

Koko Charcoal

Pit Mitt

Composed of the same heat-resistant fiber used in military operations, this grill glove can withstand 475o to help you hold hot tools, pans, racks or anything too hot to handle. The textured surface provides a sure grip and the extra-long length protects your wrist. $19.99 www.todaysoutdoorliving.com Charcoal Companion 62 beyondtheacorn.com | spring 2014

This isn’t your grandpa’s charcoal. Made from 100 percent sustainable, natural coconut fiber, Koko burns cleaner, hotter and longer than standard briquettes. The doughnut shape of each carbonized briquette promotes greater airflow, resulting in better burning and consistent heat. This non-petroleum fuel source has no nitrates, glues, fillers or chemicals, and leaves minimal ash. $9.95 www.crateandbarrel.com aFire

Bistro Sauce Pot

Brushing marinade or sauce onto grilling meats has just become easier thanks to the Bistro Sauce Pot. Prepare just the amount of sauce you need in the pot.

The lid, with attached brush, allows for easy application as well as a place to store the brush while you grill. No more spills or drips, and it’s dishwasher safe. $25 www.bodum.com Bodum

Perfect Pizza Grilling Stone

Built of cordierite stone to withstand direct flame, this innovation makes it easy to bake pizza on the grill. The two-piece interlocking system allows air to circulate evenly in the hollow core, producing a perfectly crispy crust. $59.99 www.pizzacraft.com Pizzacraft

Steak Collections Grill Charms

Dazzle your guests with this set of six grill stamps that mark how each cut of meat should be cooked. Handy for any type of meat, the charms’ serrated design ensures they stay securely attached, even when the meat is flipped or moved around the grill. Made of chromed zinc, the charms are safe, and meat cooks evenly around them. $13.40 www.amazon.com Outset

Le Cadeaux Dinnerware

A patio table that includes Le Cadeaux melamine dinnerware is sure to impress guests. This shockproof, dishwashersafe set looks like high-quality porcelain or ceramic but offers the safety of melamine—no broken glass on your patio.

Le Cadeaux dinnerware is available in a stunning selection of internationallyinspired motifs and includes a wide variety of serving pieces. Available at selected retailers including Meadow Gardens, Westlake Village. from $15.75/dinner plate www.lecadeaux.com Le Cadeaux spring 2014 | beyondtheacorn.com 63

Sunbrella Fabrics

Outdoor furniture fabric is now moving indoors—and vice versa. It’s not new to see comfy outdoor furniture that rivals any indoor sofas and chairs.

What is new is now designers are using those durable exterior textiles inside the home as well.

Sunbrella fabrics, designed by home style icon Joe Ruggiero, come as beautiful sheers, jacquards and draperies in every color of the rainbow for matching sets of pillows, throws or upholstery.

And they’re family-friendly, says Maureen Holm, co-owner of PTS Furniture in Thousand Oaks.

She says the store sells a lot of indoor furniture made with these versatile and hearty Sunbrella fabrics, which are fadeproof and resistant to weather damage and stains, wherever they are situated.

“They feel like any chenille, cotton or A living room seating arrangement is completely upholstered in Sunbrella fabrics which come in linen,” she says. “But they have the same properties as outdoor fabrics. You can dozens of colors and designs, all with the durability expected of outdoor fabrics. even spill bleach on them and they won’t stain.” From $50/yard PTS Furniture 250 Conejo Ridge Ave. Thousand Oaks www.PTSfurniture.com.

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The Big Green Egg

Modeled after an ancient earthen cooking vessel known as a kamado, the Egg is a grill, oven and smoker all in one.

“The Big Green Egg is a versatile and efficient grill,” says Greg Strugach, marketing manager at Warehouse Discount Center. “Customers who are savvy about grilling come in and ask for the Green Egg. It has somewhat of a cult following.”

With insulating ceramics and the use of dampers, which provide precise temperature control, the Egg is equipped for making dishes above and beyond the routine steaks and chops. Any meat can be slow-cooked for up to 18 hours and infused with a wood-smoke flavor. Vegetables, casseroles, cobblers and other side dishes can be prepared in the Egg by using the indirect cooking method.

“Eggcessories,” such as baking stones, griddles and racks, are available. The Egg comes in five sizes.

From $419.99 Warehouse Discount Center 30621 Canwood St. Agoura Hills (818) 991-8846

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Egg fans will get a kick out

of this cookbook from Andrews McMeel Publishing. It includes more than 160 recipes that take advantage of the Big Green Egg’s unique features. In addition to recipes for grilling and smoking, there are several for making breakfasts, desserts and baked goods. In keeping with the cult-like following the Egg inspires, the cookbook contains favorites submitted by Eggheads from all over the U.S. Available at amazon.com.

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Resources WHO

WHAT

Page 20 “Backyard Vineyards” Martin Ramirez, The Vineyards of Ojai (805) 512-3552 www.vineyardsofojai.com

Page 14 “A Gift That Keeps Growing” Gardens of the World 2001 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks (805) 557-1135 www.gardensoftheworld.info

WHY

The Hogan Family Foundation www.hoganfoundation.org

FEATURE STORIES

Page 16 “The Yin and Yang of Travis Goldstein” California Bonsai Studio 4015 N. Moorpark Road, Thousand Oaks (805) 616-2271 www.californiabonsai.com Page 18 “Mister MacGyver” OhmBrella (888) 947-4233 www.ohmbrella.com

Page 32 “Plan Before You Plant” Landscape Design: Marsh Sanders, Design Concepts Landscape, Inc. (805) 522-1266 www.designconceptsland.com Page 34 “Every Hour is Happy Hour” Landscape Design: Victor Cacho, Oak Springs Nursery, Inc. (818) 367-5832 www.oaksprings.com Masonry, stonework and tile: Randy Hill, Hill Masonry & Construction, Inc. (805) 660-3472; (805) 584-1483 Stereo and video: Shelley’s Stereo and Video 22102 Clarendon St., Woodland Hills (818) 716-8500 www.shelleysstereo.com Pool Plumbing: Charlie Blair, Blair’s

(805) 746-4700 Cabana structure and patio overhangs: Dallas Levens, DDL Construction (805) 497-8821 Electrical: Agvan, Triple A Electric, Inc. (818) 437-0566 Appliances and heaters: Barbeques Galore 1263 Simi Town Center Way, Simi Valley (805) 526-1592 www.bbqgalore.com LED landscape lighting: Lightcraft Outdoor Environments 9811 Owensmouth Ave., Chatsworth (818) 349-2663 www.lightcraftoutdoor.com Outdoor furniture: Costco www.costco.com Fans: Lamps Plus www.lampsplus.com Tile: Euro Discount Tile 1276 E. Los Angeles Ave., Simi Valley (805) 526-5550 Straw umbrellas: Palapa Structures 5390 E. Los Angeles, Ave., Unit B, Somis (805) 386-0306 www.palapastructures.com Rain gutters: Preferred Rain Gutters (818) 998-0144 Pool plastering: M. Preciado Pool Plastering, Inc. (818) 361-1600

Summer Camp and Summer Intensive: Kids Summer Camp (Ages 3-5 & 6-10) June 16th – July 5th Summer Intensive (Ages 11-18) July 14th – August 2nd Industry Dancers and Choreographers Teaching at a New State-of-the-Art Pre-Professional Facility in Westlake Village

Competition and Performance Opportunities

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www.mppoolfinish.com Tool shed: Tuff Shed 12776 Foothill Blvd., Unit A, Sylmar (818) 838-7200 www.tuffshed.com Tile roofing: John’s Roofing (323) 376-4526 Barstools: Patio World 419 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks (805) 418-6172 www.patioworld.net Outdoor kitchen plumbing: Sketchley & Mason Plumbing (818) 347-5508 www.sketchleymason.com Waterfall lighting: Green Care (805) 890-4066 Landscape lighting: Asher, Best Pro Lighting (818) 442-7036 Tile sandblasting: Steve Pool, American Tile Descaling, Inc. (805) 552-1975 www.tiledescale.com Painting: Conejo Painting (818) 378-7790 Outdoor coach and pilaster lighting: Village View Lighting 490 E. Easy St. #1, Simi Valley (805) 522-4567 www.villageviewlighting.com Recessed lighting above bar: Simi Wholesale Electric & Lighting 2635 B Park Center Drive, Simi Valley (805) 242-5873 www.simiwholesaleelectrical.com Heating and air-conditioning: Brian Turner, Turner Air Conditioning & Heating (805) 577-8642; (805) 242-5873 www.simivalleyhvacservice.com Torches: Target www.target.com Pool equipment and automation: Pentair (800) 831-7133 www.pentair.com Wood-fired pizza oven and fireplace logs: Encino Fireplace Shop 17954 Ventura Blvd., Encino (818) 881-4684 Fire glass in firepit: Fire By Design (877) 807-8923 www.firebydesign.com Page 38 “Enchanted Evenings” Tiki bar and stamped concrete, retaining walls: David Culbertson, West Co. Construction (805) 432-6951 “Spool”: California Pools 107 N. Reino Road #345, Newbury Park

www.californiapools.com (805) 495-7220 Grotto and waterfalls rock work: Brian Staben, Rock Shop (805) 987-3000 Malibu and Tiki bar lights, rock heaters: The Home Depot www.homedepot.com Cabana bamboo: Cali Bamboo www.calibamboo.com (888) 788-2254 Chairs: Kmart www.kmart.com Pots and plants: The Home Depot www.homedepot.com Landscaping: Dan Garty (805) 490-8432 Solar pool heater: Suntrek Solar (805) 522-5102 Page 40 “Fueling the Active Lifestyle” Pedalers Fork & 10 Speed Coffee 23504 Calabasas Road, Calabasas (818) 225-8231 www.pedalersfork.com Page 51 “Stop and Smell the Wildflowers” www.davidmcmartin.zenfolio.com

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Calendar from PAGE 26

$9.95 for children ages 1 to 4.

RSVP by May 6. Seatings taken from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Visit www.reaganfoundation.org/events Call (805)577-4000 SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, MAY 17 AND 18 31st Annual California Strawberry Festival 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

At the Strawberry Meadows of College Park 3250 S. Rose Ave., Oxnard All things strawberry, including tart toss, relay race, contests, Strawberryland for kids, shopping, food and entertainment on two stages.

Admission is $12 for adults; $8 for seniors (62+), $5 Youths (5-12), $8 active military and dependents with ID; and kids 4 and under are free.

Save $10 on parking; use the free shuttle service.

Visit www.strawberry-fest.org SUNDAY, MAY 18 Kiwanis of Moorpark’s Annual Wine and Moonlight Fundraiser 2 to 5 p.m.

Secret Garden Restaurant 255 E. High St., Moorpark Wine, food, music and silent auction.

Visit www.moorparkwine.com Third Annual California Jazz & Wine Fest 1 to 4 p.m.

Conejo Creek Park North 1351 E. Janss Road, Thousand Oaks Jazz, rock and R&B performances, and wine, beer and foods.

Presented by Rotary Club of Westlake Village Sunrise.

Proceeds support Conejo Valley high school music programs.

Admission is $55. Must be age 21 or older.

Ten percent ticket discount available on website with promo code 1414.

Visit www.californiajazzwine.com Call (805) 380-6010 Email info@californiajazzwine.com SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, MAY 24 AND 25 Simi Valley Cajun & Blues Music Festival 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Rancho Santa Susana Community Park 5005 Los Angeles Ave., Simi Valley Live music on several stages, kids area, and more than 150 food, beverage, craft and sponsor booths.

Sponsored by the Rotary Club of Simi Sunrise.

Charity fundraiser.

Admission is $20 if purchased before May 1.

Visit www.simicajun.org Call (805) 517-9000 SUNDAY, JUNE 8 28th Annual Ojai Wine Festival Noon to 4 p.m.

VIP entry available at 11:30 a.m.

Lake Casitas Award-winning wines, premium craft beers and microbrews, plus live bands, dancing and boat rides Proceeds go toward Rotary community service projects Visit www.ojaiwinefestival.com

SATURDAY, JUNE 14 Sixth Annual Roadshow Revival— A Tribute to Johnny Cash 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Ventura County Fairgrounds 10 W. Harbor Blvd., Ventura.

Bands, car and motorcycle show, memorabilia, pin-up pageant, kids corral.

Admission is $35. On event day, tickets are $40.

Active military are half price with military ID. Visit www.roadshowrevival.com Call (805) 648-3376 History Day at Strathearn Historical Park and Museum 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

137 Strathearn Place, Simi Valley Presented by the Simi Valley Historical Society.

Entertainment, displays and demonstrations for the whole family at this historic landmark.

Admission is $7. Children under 6 free.

Visit www.simihistory.com Call (805) 526-6453 SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, JUNE 21 AND 22 P4P Expo—Preparedness for Preppers Expo 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sat. and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sun. Fairplex, Pomona Self-reliance, survival demonstrations; resources and supplies to use in case of a disaster.

Admission is $12 for adults; free for children 12 and under; $30 family passes; $10 military/

HEALTH Scientific Certainty with

through the Christ

Discover how an understanding of God as infinite good & ever-present Love brings healing.

International speaker Christine Driessen is a practitioner and teacher of Christian Science healing and is co-author of the book, “Soul of Medicine: Spiritual Perspectives and Clinical Practice” from Harvard Medical School.

View a talk by Driessen given at the Thousand Oaks Public Library Go to

PrayerThatHeals.org/health

police/fire with ID. Visit www.p4pexpo.com Call (909) 346-0277 FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY, JUNE 27 to 29 Kingsmen Shakespeare Festival California Lutheran University, Thousand Oaks “Twelfth Night” performances are June 27-29, July 3, 5-6 and July 11-13 “Antony and Cleopatra” performances are July 18-20, July 25-27 and August 1-3 Lawn box reservations are available in advance online.

Tickets are $20. Kids under 18 are free.

Visit www.kingsmenshakespeare.org Call (805) 493-3014 SUNDAY, JUNE 29 Flea Market and Swap Meet 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Seaside Park, Ventura County Fairgrounds 10 W. Harbor Blvd., Ventura More than 500 vendors with antiques, used and new merchandise.

Admission is $5. Early-bird admission available.

Visit www.rgcshows.com/Ventura.aspx Call (800) 560-7469

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To submit an event for the next Beyond calendar send information to Lindsay.Ela@gmail.com before May 30. Calendar will cover events takiang place from July through September, 2014.

How Green is My Valley?

At Tri-Valley, we offer a complete line of “green” products that work hard to clean your home and office and help clear the air, including the Simplicity Vacuum. Ask our friendly professionals for helpful advice on how to keep your valley green!

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Making Quality Estate Planning Available to Everyone Carmen B. Marquez, P.C. Attorney & Counselor at Law

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Trails from PAGE 49

Malibu Solstice Canyon Loop, Malibu 3 miles, easy A family-friendly canyon walk by a creek under a variety of trees leads to fascinating ruins of a house.

Trailhead: Corral Canyon and Solstice Canyon Roads.

Mishe Mokwa Trail to Sandstone Peak, Malibu 6 miles, strenuous If you’re looking for a great workout that pays off with views of the ocean, this Circle X Ranch Trail will fit the bill.

Trailhead: 12896 Yerba Buena Road.

Arroyo Sequit, Malibu 2 miles, easy This lovely, peaceful loop is less populated than others in the Santa Monica Mountains, so hikers may enjoy the meadows, birds and seasonal waterfall without the crowds.

Trailhead: 34138 Mulholland Highway.

Mugu Peak, Malibu 5 miles, strenuous You’ll have to work hard for these views.

At the top you’ll have the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean before you; in the other direction, the incomparable Boney Mountain, one of the highest in the range.

Trailhead: Begin at the Ray Miller trailhead, two miles past Sycamore Campground on PCH.

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Beyond The Acorn

Celebrate Family

our ReserveTY day! For advertising opportunities, o e c a p S please contact us at: (818) 706-0266

beyondsales@theacorn.com • BeyondTheAcorn.com

70 beyondtheacorn.com | spring 2014

Unobstructed ocean views await the ambitious hiker who follows this trail off Pacific Coast Highway, just west of Sycamore Cove State Beach.

Photo by DAVID McMARTIN

hiking from PAGE 50

“Our intent is to encourage walking, hiking and appreciation of our outdoor resources,” Tucker says.

In Moorpark, the Serenata and Monte Vista trails offer easy access for casual hikers who want to enjoy “a touch of nature in an urban surround.”

For more daring hikers, Happy Camp Canyon Regional Park, with 12 miles of trails in a 3,000-acre open grassland and forested wilderness, offers a total escape, according to Tucker.

Among her other favorite locations are Cheeseboro/Palo Comado Canyon, Ahmanson Ranch, Oak Canyon Park, Wildwood Park, the Chumash Trail and Corriganville Park, the latter a two-mile out-and-back trail good for all skill levels.

Boney Mountain, Sycamore Canyon, Potrero Ridge and Rancho Sierra Vista/ Satwiwa open space in Newbury Park also have trails that provide many great opportunities for a quick neighborhood hike.

Further east, mountains separating east and west Calabasas have a large network of switchback paths within walking distance of

Wildflowers bloom along the La Jolla Canyon Loop in Pt. Mugu State Park.

thousands of homes.

The 4.5-mile round trip Cold Creek trail off Mulholland Highway, which ascends 750 feet to the summit of Calabasas Peak, has sweeping views. Adventurous hikers will enjoy the 65-mile Backbone Trail that spans peaks and valleys in the heart of the Santa Monica Mountains.

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Generally, dogs are allowed on leashes throughout the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area and in city and county open spaces, but not in state parks.

Whether you are looking for a serious workout or a casual stroll through nature, there are dozens of ways to lose yourself, or find yourself, on the trails near home.

recipes from PAGE 43

with Xocopilli sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley and chives. Serve hot.

To serve family style: Mound couscous in casserole or serving platter, top with meatballs, drizzle with Xocopilli sauce.

* Available at most grocery stores.

Filet Mignon Serves 4 4

2 1 ¼ 1 2 2 ½ 4 ¾

8-oz. filets mignons salt and black pepper to taste olive oil as needed Tbsp. shallots, minced cup black rice, cooked cup vegetable or chicken stock Tbsp. lemon juice Tbsp. parsley, chopped Tbsp. chives, chopped lb. broccoli di cicco cippolini onions, roasted whole cup black garlic shitaki sauce or other steak sauce

Green Flatbread

pan, sauté shallots, add black rice, then stock, and continue to cook until liquid is absorbed and rice

Season steaks with salt and pepper on both is tender (per package instructions). Finish with sides. Cook on preheated grill or pan to desired lemon juice and chopped herbs. doneness.

On grill or in cast iron skillet, char the

To make black rice risotto, heat oil in a saute broccoli until cooked through.

Season everything to taste with salt and pepper.

Place a mound of black rice risotto in the center of each plate. Add charred broccoli and filet and top with a roasted cippolini onion. Drizzle steak sauce around plate.

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Cast Iron Skillet Fruit Cobbler Old Fashion Cocktail Makes 6-8 individual servings FRUIT MIXTURE 1 cup granulated sugar 2 Tbsp. cornstarch 2 Tbsp. orange juice 4 Tbsp. water 1 Fuji apple, cut in slices 1 cup blueberries 10 strawberries, quartered

Makes 1

1 2 2 3 1

white sugar cube dashes Angostura bitters oz. bourbon* large ice cubes orange peel

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In Old Fashion glass, muddle (crush) sugar cubes with Angostura bitters. Add bourbon and ice cubes, give full stir.

Combine sugar, cornstarch, orange juice Garnish with orange peel. and water in a saucepan over low heat. Stir until

* Pedalers Fork uses Buffalo Trace. mixture thickens. Stir in fruit. Set aside.

STREUSEL TOPPING ½ stick butter, cold 1½ cups granulated sugar 2 cups bread flour 2 Tbsp. almond flour ¼ tsp. vanilla ½ tsp. ground cinnamon

Mix together all dry ingredients. Cut in the cold butter. Add vanilla extract and cinnamon.

Stir until mixed.

Evenly portion fruit mixture into individual cast iron skillets or ramekins; top each with streusel topping, completely covering fruit.

Bake in 350o oven until golden brown and fruit begins to bubble, about 15-20 minutes.

Serve hot.

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2815 Townsgate Rd. Suite 335 Westlake Village “We Can Help! Don’t ignore the IRS, they will not go away.” spring 2014 | beyondtheacorn.com 73

Final Word

Greetings from

is e d a r Pa Lost

Once a hidden playground, lake enchanto is now a fading memory Photo Courtesy of Brian Rooney/ ”Three Magical Miles” Photo illustration by David McMartin

74 beyondtheacorn.com | spring 2014

E

njoying fun and sun is nothing new for our community. This image, taken from a 1940s postcard, shows locals splashing around in Lake Enchanto, touted at the time as the largest swimming pool west of the Rockies.

Originally Chumash land, the Agoura Hills acreage was purchased in the ’20s by automotive tycoon Harry Miller, who partially developed the property, then lost it when the Great Depression wiped him out. In the ’30s investors Warren Shobert and Arthur Edeson transformed the land into a weekend amusement park with rides and a petting zoo. The pool, which could accommodate 2,000 swimmers, had an island that doubled as a bandstand. The popular weekend destination was advertised as a “natural paradise.” It closed in the ’60s. Sometime later actor Peter Strauss, of “Rich Man, Poor Man” fame, lived on the property, selling it to the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area in1983 so that all could again enjoy its natural beauty. Today the pool is dry, and the land is quiet except for the sounds of nature, occasional groups of hikers and weekend concerts. Still enchanting.

— L.G.Haukoos

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