My favorite is the 10 to the 210 to the 118 which turns into the 26 and finally the 101 to Santa Barbara.
My vote for the best also and I use to work in Riverside and live in Ventura. By the Way I think you mean the 23 to the 101, not the 26.
One warning though is the Canajo Grade just east of Camarillo on the 101. Very steep down grade so use caution. You can use 118 after it is no longer freeway through Moorpark instead of using the 23 to the 101. It is more stop and go but it avoids the steep downgrade to get to the 101.
The problem I have with using the 5 to the 126 is the 5 between the 210 and the 126 plus the 126 itself is often congested, much more than the 118.
