Driving to the small town of Fillmore, in upper Ventura County, you get a sense of what the San Fernando Valley must have been like in the days before development. Orange groves; wide, open land; and lots of railroad tracks.
We made the trek up to Fillmore to attend a Thomas the Tank Engine-themed event (yes, that Thomas business is quite a racket) at the Fillmore & Western Railway. (It was for Blogger Kid's pal, who celebrated his 5th birthday.)
The railway is located near Fillmore's historic downtown (some of which was rebuilt after the 1994 Northridge quake), which is also worth a visit.
Founded in 1888 by Southern Pacific Railroad superintendant Jerome A. Fillmore, the small city has a population of 13,640. Agriculture remains the chief driver for the town, which is accessible either by the 23 or 126 highways.
The 23 is the way to go -- the highway winds through hills, mountains and valleys on the way north to Fillmore from the 118. It's quite a site, and a refreshing drive outside of the urban sprawl of Simi Valley.
Productions regularly shoot in Fillmore, which can easily double for small town America. Besides "A Day Out with Thomas," the railway also features regular rides throughout the year -- as well as special events for Christmas, and a popular murder/mystery train ride.
Some pics from our day with Thomas in Fillmore:
(That term is bothering me -- "Historical Downtown" sounds a bit too much like "Hysterical Downtown." Why not just "Historic Downtown"??)
(Lose the kids in a maze for several minutes? Tempting.)
(The real oranges of Ventura County.)
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