FRAZIER PARK -- It's a staycation opportunity that's for more than just the history buffs.

A trip up the Grapevine offers several opportunities to learn about the area's history.

The Frazier mountain communities have a vibrant history that dates back to Native American settlements and later the present-day communities established starting in the 1850's.

To document that history and put it on display for all to see, the Ridge Route Museum has been open for more than 10 years in the community.

"I believe anybody could enjoy this place," said Daisy Cuddy, of the Ridge Route Historical Society. "It's just a wonderful record of the area."

The museum also sparks some quirky stories, such as why there is no longer a lake in Lake of the Woods.

"The lake didn't last, it washed out," said Bonnie Kane, the museum's historian. "In fact they they tried to open up the canal a little bit to help the water go, but the fellow who did it barely escaped with his life."

The museum has extensive documents on communities as far north as Wheeler Ridge, but also covers the history of Gorman and Neenach near the Antelope Valley, as well as Lockwood Valley, which is in Ventura County.

The museum highlights how the Ridge Route connects these towns, and how the route itself came to be.

"The first couple of Spanish trails that came up here could not go down Grapevine Canyon because it was blocked off in the summer with all the grapevines," said Carl Marsee, the museum's historian. "So they actually ended up going through this valley and all the way up to San Emigdio Canyon."

No quest for the history of the Ridge Route is complete without a stroll through Fort Tejon State Park, which was an Army fort in the 1850's and one of the early settlements along the Ridge Route. Today it's best known for Civil War re-enactments held throughout the summer, although state budget cuts have recently threatened the park. Seeing it first-hand is complemented by going to the Ridge Route Museum, which gives a taste of the area's vibrant history.

"It is tremendous," Cuddy said. "Mining, cattle, there's so much people don't even realize we have and it's all covered here."

The fort is open daily for a $2 admission fee for adults.

The museum is at 3515 Park Drive in Frazier Park, and is open Friday through Sunday afternoons and by appointment. For more information on the museum, you can call (661) 245-7747, or visit them on the Web at http://www.rrchs.org.