Unilocal Challenge 2015. 143⁄365 The Conejo Grade is a local 2.5 mile gem in the Conejo Valley that is a 7% grade that links Thousand Oaks to Camarillo in Ventura County. If you want to get to Ventura, Carprnteria, Santa Barbara this is your only option. There used to be a back road, that allowed you to bipass this traffic nightmare that took you from Newbury Park to Camarillo, but I believe that road shut down to thru traffic. The 118 also has a back way too, through Moorpark. So, Im not going to lie. Going down the grade is much better than trying to drive up the grade, cuz you can go fast. In fact you can travel fast enough to get a ticket. Going up a lot of cars do not have enough Ooooomph to get their loads up the hill. So plan to be sitting a while. And during the week its even worse with all the big rigs having to visit the weigh station and CHP office. Luckily all my cars have that extra punch, so Im not the one you will be honking at. Now going down, you may be lucky enough to spot the old Native American profile carved into the rock. Its huge. He will be on your left hand side. If you miss it, don’t worry. There is plenty of beautiful scenery to entice your eyes. Lots of rocks, hills, vegetation and on a clear day you can see the ocean. But at night, you wont see anything, since its pitch black. Occasionally, you may see the ghost hitch hiker. Whatever you do, don’t pick him up. If you do, the same thing happens everytime. He tells you a story, then disappears from your car. It’s true. My brother told me years and years ago. Now, if your hungry your outta luck. Once you pass the Wendys and start going down, there is no food or gas for miles. Miles! If your going up, the last good spot would be In and Out. So, be prepared. Fuel up the tank and the belly. The Conejo grade brings back memories of the hundreds of trips to the the VC beaches with my family. And all the trips I took with my grandmother to visit my Great Grandmothers house. Review #638
Convey R.
Classificação do local: 4 Oxnard, CA
If you give yourself plenty of space and coast, the drive down is smooth. If you know how your vehicle handles, you can coast down without ever touching the brake pedal. Then again, Camarillians heading home, tend to be weak drivers.
Sam L.
Classificação do local: 3 Woodland Hills, CA
You can’t avoid it… it’s the freeway. There’s traffic… trucks entering from the scales… and it’s steep… so it can sometimes be tricky navigating the people who slam on their brakes… slow down for no reason… or go super fast and then slam on their brakes. People never seem to know how to drive on this little stretch of highway. Aside from that, the view of all the Camarillo farm land… is really lovely… :)
Rocky M.
Classificação do local: 3 Ventura, CA
The Conejo Grade is the stretch of US101 between Camarillo and Thousand Oaks. It’s roughly 2 ½ miles long and at a 7% grade. At the top there are scales and brake inspection area for the large trucks. Besides being a stretch of road, the grade is the physical divide of the coastal plains of West and the inland area of East Ventura County. While not a terrible stretch of road, you do need to stay alert. Because of the steep incline you may find underpowered cars suddenly slowing down while heading south. Also when heading north into Camarillo you need to keep watch of your downhill speed. Some drivers tend to over-correct and slam on their brakes. It’s best to avoid rush hour traffic or you may find yourself going somewhere between 0 and 10 mph. As much as I dislike«The Grade» I can’t really complain. The other options are the 118 and the 1. Both of those are terrible options that are out of the way unless you are heading to Moorpark/Simi Valley(118) or Malibu/Santa Monica(1) for more info:
