A weekend getaway to Conejo Valley
Despite growing up in California, there is still SO much of the state I haven’t explored–especially in So Cal. Since moving to San Diego a year ago, I’ve been trying to prioritize discovering more of my home state: not only is it an incredibly popular destination for people all around the world, but it’s also a good reminder of how many adventures you can have in your own backyard.
Enter: a weekend in the Conejo Valley. Located just north of the city of Los Angeles and just in-land from ritzy Malibu, the Conejo Valley is an affordable base with plenty of activities of its own to offer. We drove up from San Diego in a super spacious Buick Enclave (and blessing of all blessings, didn’t hit too much traffic in LA) and had such a fun little weekend catching up with friends and exploring a new corner of our home state. A few highlights below!
Malibu Wine Safari
The reason why I was MOST excited to visit Conejo Valley: it’s home to the Malibu Wine Safari! It’s basically half wine tasting, half petting zoo, all on a beautiful ranch and vineyard in the heart of Malibu. You get to tour around in an open-air safari vehicle, stopping to sip the estate’s wine and pet the animals. It’s very up close and personal! We got to feed, pet and pose with giraffes, llamas, alpacas, zebras, and a Scottish highland cow. One of my unexpected favorite parts were the punny (and super LA) names of the animals: Kendrick Llama, Barack and Michelle O’Llama, Yak Efron, Justin Zeber.
It was just as much fun and as beautiful as I expected, although one thing we didn’t quite account for: the sun is much more intense when you lose that coastal breeze! Highly recommend bringing a hat and sunglasses, and heavying up on the sunscreen. And although I loved my jumpsuit-and-clog fit, I would recommend sneakers or comfortable flat sandals: there’s a lot of grass and dirt surfaces to navigate.
And if we had planned our day a little better (aka taken a Lyft), totally would have popped over to Malibu Wines to hang out and sip more wines and have a food truck picnic. There is a free shuttle between the two spots! I’m also super interested in trying out Malibu Wine Hikes next time I’m in the area (and maybe when it’s not the middle of a heat wave): hiking and wine tasting?! Sign me up!
Malibu Pier + Beach
Although I have all sorts of feelings about LA, I always adore a morning in Malibu. Sure, parking is insane and traffic on the one-lane highway can be nutty and it’s always such a scene–but it always feels like you’re actually living the California dream. We met up with friends for breakfast in Malibu both days–it’s right through the canyon from Conejo Valley, a pretty easy 30-minute drive. Although we tagged along with friends for brunch at Soho House Malibu one day, we grabbed breakfast at Malibu Farm the other one. Malibu Farm is one of my favorite restaurants: the farm-to-table food is delicious, and there’s just nothing quite like enjoying an egg sandwich while overlooking the turquoise of the Pacific Ocean and watching the surfers navigate the crazy-crowded surf break.
If you want to hang in Malibu without the crazy Malibu price tag, totally recommend staying in one of the towns in Conejo Valley and then just popping over to the beach for the day. Parking is crazy, but if you get there early (by 9am), you can usually nag a spot for the day. p.s. my dress is Everlane!
Wildwood Park Hiking Trails
There are so many great hiking trails in the canyons in the Conejo Valley: all levels and all lengths. This time of year, you either need to go early before it heats up or in the late afternoon as it starts to cool down, and pack lots of water. We opted for a late afternoon hike to Paradise Falls, which was the perfect way to work up an appetite for dinner! Would love to go back and explore more of these trails–I think it’d be especially good for a sunrise or sunset adventure.
Ladyface Ale Companie
Immediately after our hike, we headed for Ladyface Ale Companie on the recommendation on a long-time reader and faithful commenter (thank you, Gillian!). Nothing like an IPA as the ultimate post-hike refreshment! We enjoyed Chesebro IPAs, some delicious bar food and live music al fresco: such a lovely way to spend a Saturday evening.
Paramount Ranch
One particularly unexpected fun stop was at Paramount Ranch: located in the Santa Monica mountains, it’s where a bunch of Western TVs and movies have been filmed! It totally took me back to the Saturday nights of my childhood: I was OBSESSED with Dr Quinn Medicine Women, and a lot of it was shot here! There are also some hiking trails and horseback riding tours that you can do through the mountains here, which would be such a cool way to feel like you’re out in the Old West. 
We drove a Buick Enclave for the weekend, which was super spacious. With three full rows of seating (and two rows of cockpit seating), it felt especially luxurious for just the two of us. That said, it was a great road trip car: way better on gas than I expected, rear cameras made it easy to parallel park in crowded Malibu, and Apple Car Play was perfect to load up podcasts and preferred playlists for the drive.
Special thanks to Conejo Valley for inviting me to spend the weekend! Although they kindly covered my accommodation and some incidentals, all opinions are my own.
