Exploring California With SoCal Wanderer: Anacapa to Ojai Plus Favorite Gear Picks

KCET has announced a new 30-minute broadcast special and digital initiative exploring Southern California called SOCAL WANDERER. What started on KCET.org as a popular online blog sharing fantastic destinations and hidden gems, has now morphed into an on-air show that is an insider’s guide to the land of sunshine. Host Rosey Alvero examines the rich history, culture and
landscape of the region by connecting with engaged enthusiasts and local experts.

SOCAL WANDERER will premiere on Tues., Aug. 7 at 8 p.m. on KCET in Southern California.

The episode will also be released digitally as three segments that will stream starting on Tues., Aug. 7. Supporting the episode will be an interactive map, an article on the Ventura harbor and a guide to the increasingly popular tourist destination of Ojai.

nspiration Point at Anacapa Island, Channel Islands National Park
Inspiration Point at Anacapa Island, Channel Islands National Park
Anacapa Island Lighthouse
Anacapa Island Lighthouse

About the Adventure:

SOCAL WANDERER’s “Anacapa to Ojai” follows Rosey Alvero as she takes a ferry to Anacapa Island and learns about the fascinating history and ecology of Channel Islands National Park. She then visits the Ventura Harbor before riding her bike into Ojai for dinner. She finishes the night stargazing at Thacher Observatory.

The SOCAL WANDERER’s top gear picks:

From Anacapa to Ojai and everything in between (including ‘cave spelunking’ in San Francisco!), this is the gear Rosey recommends from personal use.

Socal Wanderer on KCET
Rosey Alvero at Anacapa Island, KCET.

Patagonia Men’s Baggies™ Jacket

In the episode “Anacapa to Ojai” on SoCal Wanderer I’m wearing one of my favorite and most versatile jackets by Patagonia. It’s actually a men’s jacket, but I loved it so much in the shop I had to have it and the XS fits me perfectly. My husband also has the same one! It has a liner which adds a bit of extra warmth and wind resistance, it’s also water repellent; it’s the perfect everyday jacket and has a cool vintage vibe plus a nice blue hue. It’s a nice way to add some style to my outdoor adventure wardrobe.

Patagonia Stormfront® Roll Top Pack 45L 

I also love the Patagonia roll top waterproof backpack. It’s perfect for water side adventures and keeping our most important gear safe. On our most recent camping trip in The Stanislaus Forest my
husband was paddle boarding and had this bag on and completely fell into the lake, luckily it worked as described and kept everything 100% dry. I also love the flash orange color, keeps it interesting, stylish, and easy to spot.

Danner Women’s Mountain Pass Boots

In the episode I also wear a pair of Danner boots. For every day adventures and day
hikes these are my go-to’s. I have had these for years already and they’ve crossed many miles and all sorts of terrain. They are still durable and have plenty of life left in them! It’s also another way to add some style to my outdoor wardrobe.

Shinola Bixby Women’s Bike

In the episode, I bike from Ventura to Ojai, and the Mob Shop of Ojai lent me the Shinola bixby — it was beautiful! It was easy to use and perfect for cruising and it’s just a stunning bike with beautiful
leather seats and handles. I also loved that it was a soft pink – feminine and stylish, but also functional.

Platypus GravityWorks Water Filter Kit

I recently finished a backpacking trip in Havasupai, AZ in May, and my favorite purchase we made for this trip was the Palytpus GravityWorks water filter. We camped far from the nearest water source of the campground (about 2 miles away), so having this on hand with the river flowing right by us made it so easy to always have fresh water. Bonus points because it works well to clean yourself up a bit or brush your teeth as there is a bit of pressure from the system. It’s easy to use, lightweight, and effective. Now, it goes on every camping trip with us!

Dickies Coveralls

This coming weekend I will be spelunking in Moaning Cavern. I love wearing Dickie’s coveralls for spelunking adventures that way nothing can make its way inside my clothes. When you’re squeezing into tight spaces and you know you’re going to get covered in mud and dirt, coveralls is ideal! It’s just too bad they only make them in men’s sizes.

GoPro Seeker Pack

Finally, another favorite we use regularly is the GoPro  Seeker backpack. It’s perfect for all of our camera needs. We can fit our GoPro in there plus mounts, our DJI mavic pro, and our Sony alpha. It has all size pockets so we can keep everything organized. Also love that it’s a sleek black color so it can work well in the mountains or city.

That’s all for now! If you have similar recommendations for weekend-adventure gear, please share those in the comment section below. Thank you!

You can join the conversation on social media by using #SoCalWanderer

About Rosey Alvero:
Rosey is always the curious adventurer up for any quest and seeks to learn from and empower those she meets on her travels. Growing up between San Francisco and Manila, she has since lived all over the world and thus developed a traveler’s intuition and
sense of curiosity. She is a co-founder of Cache Cache, a female-driven culinary and moving image centered experiential concept; a result of her belief that food and travel can bring people together. Over the past decade, she has taken her skills to professional kitchens across the globe, with extended stays in New York, Paris, Brussels, Manila, and San Francisco. She is thrilled to explore the Los Angeles region as the face of SOCAL WANDERER for KCET.

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