Drive into the old west this week back in time into the late 1800’s to get a taste of a prospector’s California.  The tiny community of Camp Scheideck is rich in history and an adventure the whole family will love. Take 33 North past Pine Mountain Turn right just after the Ozena fire station onto Lockwood Valley Road. After about 2 miles you’ll see the signpost for Reyes Creek Campground. Turn right and travel up a hill and down into a canyon with a small river running through it. Time seems to transcend over 100 years into the past as you enter Camp Scheideck established in 1891.  According to Virginia D. Wegis, kin of some of the early settlers of the area and a treasure trove of information on the happenings of the time, “Judge” Scheideck homesteaded here from Germany creating the local post office and was deemed post master. In Wegis’s article, Cuyama Valley has a Colorful History, she writes, “There was a sign on the building reading ‘U.S. Post Office’, and on it someone penciled in ‘Below is the Most Office’. ‘Most’ is a German word meaning cider.” He had barrels of it distilling in the basement. They called him “Judge” because he had acquired some law books which he studied thoroughly. The locals called on him to settle disputes, even though he really wasn’t a judge at all. Visit Jim Smith’s website for fun information on the area’s history including more wonderful articles by Virginia Wegis.              Today, this private community of about 35 small riverside cabins gives a sense of harmony and nostalgia.   The land lease owners have created a make believe western ghost town with cemetery. Park at the General Store for supplies. From there you can explore the ghost town on foot.   You can camp at the Reyes Creek campgrounds which are mostly shaded skirting the river. The wading pools are low this year, about knee deep, but still flowing despite the drought. The bar and grill is open on weekends. Have a great burger and check out the old time photos of the camp.  Venture back taking a right on Lockwood Valley Road (east) as the road winds through the pines. Eventually the road straightens out passing the charming homes of Lockwood Valley. Pass a fairytale cottage with wishing well on your left; log cabins with their wraparound decks cling to the tree lined ridges up ahead. In Cuddy Valley bear right where the roads meet toward Frazier Park, where the business loop on your left leads you to Caveman Cavey’s Pizza, where they serve Lengthwise microbrew from Bakersfield on tap, a great way to end the day. Continue east to join I-5 south passing Pyramid Lake on your right. Join 126 west to return to Ventura. Jason Scott and Sunday Drive thank you kindly for driving friendly.  Strictly 4x4: Sulphur Spring Canyon             Lockwood valley Road offers a myriad of off road options, the first of which comes up on your left about 2 miles after Camp Shiedeck. Sulphur Spring Canyon is an easy, but narrow course allowing you to really test your mettle if your truck is long like ours. Slight caution is required throughout as you articulate this fun track at varying speeds tossing and turning your truck like a hard day’s night with a newborn. The road forks, we stayed left. That decision placed us in some mild peril. The small canyon starts to wind tightly as it narrows. Deductive reasoning told me stop and turn around but curiosity beckoned me forward.   Eventually my wife had to get out (she’s eight months pregnant) and guide me as I backed out of the situation. If your truck is smaller than our Chevy Avalanche, you may be able to go further than we did, but we don’t really know what lies beyond. On our way out we found the perfect plateau for tailgating. Although dry and dusty, the ground was carpeted with yellow wildflowers. We were surrounded by juniper bushes, whose fragrant blue berry like cones are used to flavor gin. Continue east on Lockwood (left) to join Sunday Drive. Jason Scott and Strictly 4x4 thank you for treading lightly.