Cool Options

It’s nearly the end of August and most everything but the weather is shutting down summer operations to gear up for fall.

But as the dog days of summer settle over the county, with soaring temperatures inland and morning fog clinging to the coast, there are ways that parents can help kids make the most of what’s left of summer.

For coastal dwellers, the answer most days seems a natural: Go to the beach. It’s always open and the water is warm now--which is partly to blame for the morning fog.

For inland dwellers, the choices are more challenging. Almost all of the hot weather towns have some sort of community pool, most of which are open through the end of August. There are also hiking trails in nearby hills, swimming in the creeks or a lake, or even a few spins on an ice rink to deflect the heat.

East county residents can always drive out the Ventura Freeway to Lewis Road, south to Las Posas Road and down to the water. But while the state beaches at Sycamore Canyon and Leo Carrillo are beautiful, the waters are rough for swimming. Area residents might be more inclined to hit the two high school pools.

Ojai has Matilija Creek as well as some other streams, and Santa Paula residents have Santa Paula Creek and its renowned swimming holes.

If you are looking for a large, yet placid body of water, there is always Lake Casitas--but not if it’s a cool dip you are seeking. Only boats and fishes are allowed in that reservoir! You’d have to head to Lake Piru at the eastern edge of the county beyond Fillmore if you want to get wet. That lake is open for swimming, skiing, the works.

Recreation officials definitely don’t want anyone splashing around in the creek that bubbles through Conejo Creek Park, either--it’s just to look at. At Simi Valley’s Rancho Simi Park, you wouldn’t want to splash around in the pond there; the ducks and geese have beat you to it.

“Definitely not for people,” said supervisor Diana Riley at Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District.

Here’s a list of some places and activities that will help keep family members cool and distracted until it’s time to say goodbye to summer.

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Ojai and the Ojai Valley

One of the hottest valleys in the county, the Ojai Valley is also blessed with natural spots for cooling down. The cars that line Highway 33 above the city of Ojai are proof that lots of locals head for Matilija Creek when the sun is high.

Any spot along the road where you can find a place to park will yield a play day in the creek. It’s not too deep or fast-moving this time of year but neither is there any supervision. Be careful with matches because fire danger in the hills is classified as “extreme.”

For those who prefer swimming pools, time is running out. Sessions at Nordhoff High School pool end Friday. Hours are 1 to 5 p.m. today and Friday, with adult lap swimming from 7:15 to 8:15 p.m. Friday. There’s a $2 fee for either.

Lake Casitas near Oak View is open for day use--that’s boating and fishing but not swimming or skiing--from sunrise to sunset. And there is overnight camping as well. The cost is $5 per vehicle per day, or up to $10 with a boat. Campsites range from tents to RVs for $12 to $22. Call 649-1122 for reservations.

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Ventura

The city’s community swims at Buena High School pool ended last week, but there are plenty of programs left for summer, including nature and sports classes. Call 658-4726 for information on August offerings.

And if you have had enough water, the Ventura County Fair is in full swing through Sunday night at the fairgrounds in Ventura, with activities from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. (11 p.m. on weekends) and nightly fireworks.

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Oxnard

Oxnard has only one community pool, operated at Colonia Park, which is open from noon to 4 p.m. through Friday.

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Port Hueneme

The city has no pool, but offers activities at its community center from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Call 488-3625 for more information.

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Camarillo

Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District’s two pools are open through the end of August. The public can swim daily from 1 to 3 p.m. at Pleasant Valley Pool, an indoor pool on Temple Avenue off Ponderosa Drive; and from 1 to 3:30 p.m. at Freedom Pool, an outdoor pool at the Camarillo Airport off Skyway Drive. Lap swims are available at various times throughout the day. Cost is $2.25 for adults and $1.50 for children under 18. For more information, call 482-1996.

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Thousand Oaks

Through the Conejo Parks and Recreation Department, kids in Thousand Oaks can swim six days a week at one of two high school pools through Aug. 31. The Newbury Park High School pool is open from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Thousand Oaks High School pool is open from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays and from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Saturdays.

There are also evening family swims from 7 to 9 p.m. Monday at Newbury Park, and Wednesdays at Thousand Oaks High. Admission is $1.75 for adults and $1.25 for children. Under 2 and over 62 are free.

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Simi Valley

Two community pools, Rancho Simi and Sequoia Park, are open for swimming until Aug. 31 from 1 to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with Rancho Simi open the same hours on Sunday as well. In addition, Rancho Simi pool is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and Sequoia Park pool is open Monday and Wednesday evenings from 7 to 8:30. Cost is $1.75.

Call the Rancho Simi Recreation and Parks District at 584-4400 for more information.

Simi Valley also has the county’s only ice-skating rink, guaranteed to be cool inside. Easy Street Arena at 131 W. East St. is open for public skating from 9 to 11:45 a.m. and 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The rink is open from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, and 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. weekends.

There is also a pick-up ice hockey game from noon to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday. Admission is $5.50 for adults and $4 for students with a picture identification. Skate rentals are $2. On Tuesday nights only, you can skate for a total of $3, including rentals. For more information, call 520-7465.

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Moorpark

The city of Moorpark has no pool in an area that badly needs one. But the city’s recreation department does its best to offer other distractions, including a teen concert on Aug. 30. The concert will offer punk and alternative rock from 4 to 7 p.m. at Arroyo Vista Community Park. There’s an R&B; concert geared more to the older set from 6-8 p.m. Sunday. All concerts are free. For more information, call 531-9100.

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Santa Paula

In Santa Paula, it’s the YMCA that offers swimming. The pool stays open through Aug. 31, with public swimming from 1 to 3:30 p.m. and lap swimming all day Monday through Friday for $1.25.

Water aerobics is offered Monday and Wednesday evenings from 5:30 to 6:30, and it’s on a drop-in basis for $4 a class. Call 525-8371.

There is no swimming at the local Boys & Girls Club, but they get creative with water balloons and water fights to cool off. The building--which is not air conditioned--is open Monday through Friday on a drop-in basis for $1 per day for kids ages 7-18. Call 525-7910 for more information.

For a good hike and some outdoor fun, lots of people head up to favorite swimming holes along the Santa Paula Creek. To get to the Punch Bowl, lots of people park near Thomas Aquinas College along Highway 33, and hike in about four miles.

It’s a long walk, but you’re rewarded with a small waterfall and a great swimming hole. There are no lifeguards to warn you about the rocks, so watch out. And diving is always a bad idea where you are uncertain of the water’s depth.

Fillmore

School in Fillmore is already back in session, but the city is keeping the high school pool open for public swims from 3 to 4 p.m. weekday afternoons. The cost is $1, and they’ll keep it open as long as kids keep coming.

The Boys & Girls Club there also has an air-conditioned building with daily activities. Call 524-0456 for more information.

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Beaches

First, some of the best beaches, well worth a cross-county drive:

McGrath State Beach, Oxnard: There is camping here, so there are plenty of families, but the water can break pretty hard and be dangerous for young children. It is good for surfing and OK for boogie boarding, and a lifeguard is posted here.

Harbor Cove: Right across from the Ventura Harbor off Spinnaker Drive is a city beach with state lifeguards. It is great for small children, because it’s a protected cove and the waves pack much less of a punch. A beach wheelchair is usually available for checkout. Call 648-3321 to be sure.

San Buenaventura State Beach: This is a long stretch of lifeguard-monitored beach along the city of Ventura’s coastline, with entry points off of Seaward and California avenues. With the pier and playground at California and Surfer’s Point to the north, and the large concession stand near Seaward, it’s a beach with something for everyone. It too has a beach wheelchair available for check-out. Call 641-1932 for beach rentals.

Rincon State Beach: Just before the Ventura-Santa Barbara county line, this beach has a long, lovely shoreline. It is relatively uncrowded, but has no lifeguard. There is RV camping nearby, so there are lots of families and young adults.

Carpinteria State Beach: Right in downtown Carpinteria, just 15 miles north of Ventura on the 101, is a beach with three guard towers. And there are lots of little shops nearby if you feel like strolling down the street.

Bates Beach: From Ventura, take the Bates Road exit off the Ventura Freeway and make a left, then a quick right. This is not a state beach, so it is not guarded, which probably explains why it is also a clothing optional beach. Most of the nudists hang out at the far north end of the beach, so those who consider this an adults-only milieu will want to take the family to other parts of the beach.

But if you’re game, it’s fairly secluded--you can’t see the freeway from the sand, nor can the freeway drivers see you! (But be aware: State lifeguards have said that people with binoculars have been spotted in the bushes.)

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Channel Islands National Park

Park headquarters, located at Ventura Harbor off Spinnaker Drive, has a small but interesting Visitors Center open from 8 a.m. until 5:30 daily through Labor Day. It features a simulated tide pool that seems to delight children and adults alike.

Activities there include: A live broadcast from an underwater diver at Anacapa Island who explores under the sea as you watch, at 2 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays; a tide-pool program at 11 a.m Saturdays and Sundays; a what-to-do in the Channel Islands program at 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays; talks on various topics--such as whales and dolphins, the island Chumash and the kelp forest--at 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. For more information, call 658-5700.

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Island Trips

If you’ve been thinking about going whale watching, you haven’t missed the boat. Blue whales will be migrating through the Channel Islands through September, and Island Packers has scheduled trips every Monday, Thursday and selected weekends to track their course. (Weekend dates include this Sunday, Sept. 8 and Sept. 21.)

The boats leave Ventura Harbor at 7 a.m. and return about 4 p.m. The cost is steep, but the view is spectacular: $57 for adults and $47 for children 12 and under. Children under 2 are free.

Island Packers, the Channel Islands National Park concessionaire, also offers daily trips to Anacapa Island for swimming, snorkeling and kayaking, leaving the harbor daily between 8 and 9 a.m. Cost is $37 for adults, $20 for children.

Trips to other Channel Islands are offered as well, with prices and dates varying. Call 642-1393 for more information and reservations.

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Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area

Among the variety of programs offered at the national park area is an evening of “Native American Indian Games and Stories. The free program will be from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Saturday.

It includes a short walk with a ranger, games and stories, and will be held at the Satwiwa Natural Area, close to the Native American Indian Culture Center. Meet at Pine Hill parking lot off Potrero Road in Newbury Park. For more information, call (818) 597-9192, Ext. 201.

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Lake Piru

It’s about seven miles east of Fillmore on Highway 126, then up a windy road a few miles. But the lake offers all sorts of activities not available elsewhere in the county. You can swim and water ski in the lake, even tow an inflatable raft behind your boat if you like. But there are no jet skis allowed.

There is also plenty of fishing. And, says gatekeeper Shelly Fullerton, it’s not a well-known lake so there is rarely a waiting line to launch your boat. The fee is $6 per car and another $6 for a boat. But be warned, it’s hot up there. Call 521-1500 for more information.

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Hurricane Harbor

And if you want to step just over the county line, there is Hurricane Harbor next door to Magic Mountain off the Golden State Freeway, just south of the intersection with Highway 126.

The water park is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday through Sunday. Admission is $16 for adults and $10 for kids under 4 feet tall. Children 2 and under are free. For more information, call 255-4111.