The view of the infinite Pacific Ocean is a bit blocked from here at Port Hueneme Beach Park, with the shadowy outlines of Anacapa and Santa Barbara Islands, part of Channel Islands National Park, impeding the horizon in two places. But those hilly outcrops also add some texture to the oranges and greens of the…
It’s quiet here. The weekday morning in Claremont, California is cool, although the sun is out, so I ditch my jacket in the car and enter the gardens. I am soon lost; physically I know roughly where I am, although my aimless wandering along non-straight pathways has me a bit turned around. But my cares…
2028 seems just around the corner. I realize it’s more than three years from now, which is a long time, especially in the sense of life. But with the 2024 Paris Olympics over, 2028 is next, and it is here in Los Angeles. And this amazing structure I’m standing in front of is going to…
The living room is something special. Airy, high ceilings with a large skylight, carpets featuring the house’s signature “insignia,” beautiful display pieces framing the sofas, and the fireplace is one of the most stunning I’ve ever seen. The rest of the house is fine, but the living room… yeah, it’s incredible. Yeah, this is nice…
Call it a happy accident or call it fate; either way, it is apropos that I am sitting here alongside Love Creek, a burbling brook running between my cabin and the house of my Airbnb host. Three bridges cross the creek, hence the name Three Bridges on Love Creek for Desiree Amor’s property. Desiree, A,…
My only goal is not to embarrass myself. As I hold my frog, Foo Froggers, gently in my left hand and make my way to the green painted lily pad on a concrete platform, I become aware of how stupid that sounds. Who cares what happens? The line of people waiting to borrow a rental…
Sometimes, things just work out. Timing is fortuitous and what might have been a fun activity becomes something incredibly meaningful. This is one of those stories. As regular readers of this website know, I’ve been endeavoring to explore each of Los Angeles’ official historic ethnic neighborhoods. It is one of my favorite parts of my…
During the height of Covid, I spent long hours searching for things reasonably local to Los Angeles to do and to write about, focusing on outdoor activities. One such thing was my visit to a date farm in Palm Springs, which you can read about here. Little did I know that A would become the…
These vines have seen some things. Despite the drizzle, which soon turns into full on rain, I am walking the grounds of Maurice Car’rie Vineyard with certified sommelier (WSET 3) Miguel Llamas. Just off Rancho California Road - the main drag that winds through Temecula’s wine region - sits this majestic chenin blanc vineyard. Being…
Some people don’t like zoos. Some people think zoos are exploitative, inhumane, or just boring. I am not one of those people, at least not here at this zoo, one I’ve been coming to since childhood. I’ve attended Zoo Camp, even spent my high school years as an accredited student docent. I’ve seen it change,…