Palm Springs

You can drive or take a train to Palm Springs for a relaxing day or two. At the south end of town, you can find Palm Canyon, which is a very nice place to go hiking. Ask a hotel for a map.

Palm Springs hotels sometimes offer discounts for rooms (when business is slow). You can ask at the hotels.

You can also take an aerial tram ride up to the top of the snowy mountain. Buy tram tickets at a hotel for a small discount.

There are some okay Indian restaurants with lunch buffet specials in Palm Springs.

palm canyon:

http://www.indian-canyons.com/Palm.html

aerial tramway:

http://www.pstramway.com/

Catalina Island

If it's a nice sunny day, why not go to Catalina Island?

On Catalina Island, you can swim, snorkel, kayak, ride bikes, ride horses, go parasailing, or take a bus or boat tour. You can see bright orange fish called Garabaldi, the California State fish.

You can eat buffalo burgers because buffalo have lived on Catalina Island ever since they were filmed in a cowboy movie there.

Public Transportation:

1)Metro bus#720 to 7th/Figueroa (about 45 min.)

2)Blue Line train to Long Beach Transit Mall - last stop (about 1 hour)

3)Walk or take shuttle bus to Catalina Express (about 10 min.)

IMPORANT: Make a reservation before - some trips get sold out.

Go early, so you can enjoy all day on the island.

Take some motion sickness pills, so you don't get sick on the boat.

Metro day pass: $5

Catalina Express round trip: $66.50

http://www.catalinaexpress.com/index.php

Motorcycle Class

A few weeks ago I took a motorcycle class for the first time. The class is only three days, so it goes really fast. For the first class , we met at Westside Pavilion at the corner of Westwood and Pico and quickly learned from lectures and videos how to operate a motorcycle safely and took a test after just three hours. It helped me that I had downloaded and studied the DMV motorcycle handbook before the class. Then Saturday and Sunday we practiced riding a motocycle at the Veteran's Hospital parking lot on Wilshire. The teachers were really good. They explained step by step and were very strict. I got pretty nervous about making mistakes. At the end of Sunday's lesson, we took a riding test, including starting, shifting, turning, and stopping quickly. I passed! I'm not sure if I will buy a motorcycle, but I'm glad I learned how to be a safe rider.

Westside Motorcycle Academy:

http://www.westsidemotorcycleacademy.com/

DMV Motorcycle handbook:

http://dmv.ca.gov/pubs/dl655/dl665mcycle.pdf

Griffith Park Observatory

You can do about a 30-minute hike from the parking lot below to the Griffith Observatory on top of the hill (or you can just drive all the way up there). There’s a good view of Los Angeles during the day and a planetarium show at night.

From the Hollywood Freeway, drive north on Western until it goes right. Then turn left on Fern Dell and park and hike (or drive) to the top.

Or take the Red Line subway north to Sunset/Vermont then take the LADOT bus to the Observatory.

Art Deco

Art Deco architecture thrived in the late 1920s and 1930s - the heydey of Los Angeles. Some of the best examples are (from east to west) Union Station, City Hall, the L.A. Times Building, the Central Library, the Park Plaza Hotel, Bullocks Wilshire, the Wiltern Theater, the Farmer's Insurance Building, the Sunset Tower, and the Crest Theater in Westwood. I usually don't think that Los Angeles has any architectural history, but these buildings are pretty cool-looking. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullocks_Wilshire

banana leaf wrap

My new favorite restaurant is Simpang Asia. It's located inside a small Indonesian market, and they feature delicious meals for reasonable prices, like nasigoreng and other rice dishes wrapped in a big banana leaf. If you have a taste for the exotic, check it out.

10433 National Blvd #2Los Angeles, CA 90034

You can take Big Blue Bus #12.

http://www.simpangasia.com/

Hollywood Bowl

The Hollywood Bowl is an outdoor amphitheater which holds concerts at night in the Hollywood Hills. You can see popular singers or hear jazz or classical music under the stars. There is even a shuttle bus which goes from the Federal Building in Westwood to the Hollywood Bowl. Bus tickets are about $5. Concert tickets range from about $10 to $100. It's an L.A. to tradition to bring a picnic basket with wine before the concert. Check it out!

http://www.hollywoodbowl.com/index.cfm

Fowler Out Loud

Free concerts and cultural events are happening regularly at the Fowler Museum (which our class recently visited). In the past, I have enjoyed free cultural performances in the museum courtyard ranging from Japanese paper cutting to Cuban guitar.

Coming soon are performances of Soul music, mermaid costumes, Brazilian dance, and Indian song painting. Check out the calendar ling below.

http://www.fowler.ucla.edu/incEngine/?content=cm&cm=calendar

taco trucks

All over Los Angeles there are white trucks lurking by sidewalks with customers hunched over dripping tacos on white paper plates. If you are brave enough to try one of these specious instituions, you can experience a real taste of L.A. Skip the trucks with burgers, fries, and Enlgish-only menus, and head straight for the trucks with Spanish monickers like "Mariscos" or "Cemitas Poblanos." The last one is a spicy fried chicken sandwich. The best tacos are usually $1.25 each, and you can find them in East L.A., downtown, Koreatown, and along Venice Blvd. in Culver City. On a cold night you can also try a hot corn drink "atol de elote" or a thick hot chocolate "champurrado." Be brave!

Watts Towers

Watts Towers were built by the Italian immigrant, Sam Rodia, from the 1920s to the 1950s. It's a fascinating part of L.A. history which has survived several earthquakes, as well as the notorious Watts riots of 1965. I went there last year for the first time when my brother and his wife were visiting L.A., and we were amazed by the detail of the structures, as well as the fact that Rodia built the whole thing out of "junk" by himself. Sam Rodia said, “Why I build it? I can’t tell you. Why a man make the pants? Why a man make the shoes?”

by bus: Metro Bus#305 (1.5-2hours)

by car: 405 south, 105 east, exit Wilmington (30min)

www.ibuildthetower.com/html/film.html

Train Travel

I just read a report that airplanes are the fastest growing contributor to global warming! In light of this news, why not take a train instead? In fact, Los Angeles has a great old train station, which is also fun just to wander around and pretend like you're in a classic movie. One night I ran through Union Station with ice-cream and flowers for my grandparents who were passing through by train. From Union Station, you can take a lovely ride down the coast to San Diego or up the coast to Santa Barbara. Keep going north and there are beautiful views of ocean waves splashing on rocks. You can go all the way to San Francisco - actually you can go anywhere in America. Just don't forget your fedora hat!

Amtrak:
http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/HomePage
Union Station:
http://www.westworld.com/~elson/larail/laus.html

japanese garden

Many people don't know that UCLA has a very nice Japanese garden. It's in the nearby neighborhood of Bel Air. You have to make a reservation because they only have a few parking spots. (I went there by bicycle once but it's not easy because the streets are narrow, and cars drive pretty fast in that neighborhood.) The garden is fenced in on a hillside and is designed like a Kyoto-style garden with Koi ponds. It's FREE and is open 10:00am - 3:00pm on Fridays.

Here's the website for more information:

http://www.japanesegarden.ucla.edu/html/reservations.html

Le Saigon

Have you tried Pho? It's a really nice Vietnamese hot noodle soup with bean sprouts and fresh basil. A person from Vietnam told me to pronounce it "Fuh?" with a rising intonation. Well, there's a really good place to eat Pho on the Westside called Le Saigon. They also have delicious fresh spring rolls. It's a small place on Santa Monica Boulevard near Federal. Prices are reasonable. Address: 11611 Santa Monica Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90025.

petanque!

I recently discovered the game of Petanque - a French game involving tossing metal balls close to a small wooden ball. Whoever throws the ball closer gets the point. Dolores (pictured) gave me a friendly beginner's lesson for free and explained some of the culture and history of the game, which is popular in the South of France. It costs $40 a year to join the L.A. Petanque club, which is comprised mostly of people from France. The Petanque courts are next to the archery range and near the dog-training area. Even if you don't play, it's a fun place to visit on a Saturday morning. From UCLA, take Blue Bus #8 or #12 and get off at Pico/Motor. The address is 2459 Motor Avenue L.A., CA 90064

http://www.losangelespetanque.com/index.shtml

kayaking

The UCLA Marine Aquatic Center has kayaking and windsurfing equipment UCLA students may use (free - $10). I had fun borrowing a kayak and paddling around the Marina. It's great to go with a friend on a double kayak, and it's really good (I mean hard!) exercise. It's supposed to be easier early in the morning when the water is calm but anytime is fun.

UCLA MAC webpage: http://www.recreation.ucla.edu/recreate/marina_sub.aspx?main=17&sub=451&mymenu=0

Rental Hours and Prices:
http://www.recreation.ucla.edu/site_pdfs/MAC/RentalHours.pdf

volunteer la

Want to meet people and do something good? There are many opportunities to volunteer throughout Los Angeles. Most volunteer activities are easy to do and require very little commitment. You can even volunteer for just one afternoon and that's it. In the past I've volunteered to clean up the beach, work in a school garden, feed rabbits, serve the homeless, and work at a women's shelter.
I met nice people and nice rabbits, too.

Go to www.laworks.com to check the project calendar for activities each month.

Go to www.volunteermatch.org to enter your zip code for activities in your area.

Go to www.healthebay.org to check the "Nothing But Sand" calendar for beach cleanups.

archery

Free archery lessons are offered every Saturday at 11:00am at Rancho Park Archery Range. The instructor teaches you basic archery safety and technique. Then you can practice shooting arrows at targets. I felt like Robin Hood when I hit the bullseye! It's located in Cheviot Hills Recreation Center, which is on Pico between Westwood Blvd and Beverly Dr. From Pico turn onto Motor, then turn right into the park. You should see the sign that says "archery range." Go past the baseball field, and the archery range is on the left near the dog training area. You can take Blue Bus #8 or #12 and get off at Pico/Motor. The address is 2459 Motor Avenue L.A., CA 90064. Phone:(310) 839-1516

http://www.laparks.org/dos/parks/facility/cheviotHillsPk.htm

Metro Day Pass

A $5 Day Pass lets you ride the L.A. Metro busses and subways all day. You can take the Rapid Bus west to Santa Monica or go east to Beverly Hills, Koreatown, and Downtown. From Downtown Union Station, you can take the Gold Line east to Chinatown and South Pasadena, the Red Line north to Hollywood and Universal Studios, or the Blue Line south to Long Beach. Another good bus is Metro Bus #2 which goes west to the beaches or east to Hollywood, Dodger Stadium, and Downtown. Just tell the driver you want a Day Pass and pay $5. It's a good deal and you get to meet lots of "interesting" people on the bus and subway! Check schedules and routes at metro.net.

http://metro.net/default.asp

http://www.the-bus-stops-here.org/la_mta.html

Sunset Ranch

For a unique experience in L.A., you can ride a horse in the Hollywood Hills at Sunset Ranch. Drive east on the 10 freeway, north on the 110 freeway, north on the 101 freeway, and exit Gower. Then drive north on Beachwood to the top. By bus, take Metro Bus#2 east to Sunset/Vine. Then take the Dash bus for Beachwood Canyon to the top of Beachwood. Then keep walking up to the ranch. It costs $25 for a one-hour ride plus a $5 tip after. While riding a horse, you can see the Hollywood Sign and a beautiful view of smoggy L.A.

http://sunsetranchhollywood.com/

Will Rogers

If you are not a big hiker, here's a short easy hike that's close to UCLA . Just take Metro Bus #2 going west to Will Rogers State Historic Park (not the beach). It takes about 30 minutes to the park by bus. Tell the driver where you want to get off. From Sunset Boulevard you have to walk up a long curvy road about 20 minutes to the park. There are polo grounds with horses and a hiking trail. The start of the trail is in the far right corner of the parking lot. Then it's less than an hour to the top for a great view of the ocean.

http://www.alamedainfo.com/Will_Rogers_ranch.htm