Where to Stay and What to Do in Conejo Valley, California

With Southern California’s seemingly endless days of sunshine, it is a great place to visit any time of year. If you are looking to escape from the crowds in Los Angeles, plan a visit to Conejo Valley. It is conveniently located between LA and Santa Barbara, just 30 minutes from Malibu. They have a strong arts community including museums, music venues event. Together with several hiking trails, biking centers, horseback riding ranches and great places to eat it all makes Conejo Valley a great destination for a vacation.

Where to Stay

There are a lot of Conjo Valley Hotels however, the Palm Garden Hotel, which is found just off of Highway 101 in Thousand Oaks, makes a great home base for exploring the area. This urban hideaway is just a short drive from the Malibu coast, shopping, restaurants, wineries, hiking and more.

The hotel is set up courtyard style with the outdoor area as its centerpiece. There is a large heated pool and a hot tub. You will find comfortable cabana-style seating, a 6-hole putting green, a life-sized chessboard, and firepits.

The Palm Garden rooms and suites have recently been refreshed with a contemporary style. There are several with luxury upgrades including high-end end linens and a 42″ flat screen HD TV. All guests enjoy free Wi-Fi and complimentary buffet breakfast at Brendan’s.

What to Do

Set on one of the most beautiful spots in Southern California is the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum. It should definitely be on your lists of things to do in Conjeo Valley. The one-hundred-acre site is perched high on a mountain top with spectacular views of the surrounding mountains.

Many people aren’t aware that a Presidential Library is not a traditional library. You don’t visit them to check out books. Rather they are museums and archives that preserve the history of our American Presidents. They are educational and entertaining and perfect for visitors of all ages.

Each American President redecorates the Oval Office to reflect his own tastes. At the Ronald Regan Presidential Library, you can see an exact, full-sized replica of President Reagan’s Oval Office. It looks just like it was during President Reagan’s tenure in the White House. He used earthy tones, western art, and collection of Paul Rossi bronze saddles to decorate his office.

Although I enjoyed seeing all of the galleries, documents, and artifacts on view at the library, the most impressive exhibit to me is Air Force One Pavilion. The Air Force One 27000 sits squarely in the center of the room. This plane carried seven U.S. Presidents, from Nixon through Bush, around the world.

Visitors can board this 52-passenger, Presidential plane that was in use throughout Reagan’s presidency. As you walk through The Flying White House you’ll get a look inside the cockpit, view the command center, the galley kitchens, and the different cabins for the secret service, staff, news media and the President himself. Notice Reagan’s hallmark jar of jelly beans on his desk!

In addition to Air Force One, the Marine One Helicopter from President Johnson’s time in office is also located in the Pavilion. Like Air Force One, visitors are able to walk through this aircraft as well.

More things to do in Conejo Valley:

• Go on a Malibu Wine Hike
• Tour the Gardens of the World
• Go horseback riding in the hills.

Where to Eat in Conejo Valley

Try the Five 07 Coffee Bar & Eatery for breakfast. It is an artsy community cafe in the Conejo Valley. They serve tasty eats and specialty coffees made with locally sourced beans. Together with their acai bowls, crepes, smoothies sandwiches, and fancy toasts, Five 07 is the perfect place to start the day.

For a fast, healthy lunch or dinner opt for a meal at Sharky’s Woodfired Mexican Grill. There are several locations in the greater Los Angelas area. Luckily, there is one located close to the Palm Garden Hotel. Sharky’s is passionate about serving healthy food. They use natural and organic ingredients to make their burritos, tacos, salads, and pizza.

They strive to use local produce and phosphate and hormone-free meat, fish, and chicken, therefore it is not surprising that their food tastes good. You won’t find any GMO or rBGH in their dishes either. Sharky’s has very reasonable prices as well which makes a great option for an inexpensive meal.

Other Eateries in Conejo Valley include:

• Sharky’s Woodfired Mexican Grill
• Twisted Oak Tavern
• Ladyface Ale Companie
• Grabbagreen
• Plata Taqueria & Cantina

Finally, if you are heading south of Los Angeles during a trip to Southern California also be sure to check out this guide for what to do in Torrance. You will likely enjoy exploring this area as well.

Disclosure: Complimentary accommodations, meals, transportation, and some activities were provided by Visit Conejo Valley. No other compensation was received for this review. This post reflects the honest opinion of my experience without outside influence.