Ahhh the San Gabriel Mountains...this range will forever hold a special place in my heart! It's…read morebeen an absolute privilege and completely transformative experience to call this place home. One of the most joyous surprises of my life has been discovering the hundreds of incredible hiking trails the SG mountains have to offer! I never expected somewhere so close to a crazy city like LA to have so much nature. I've seen more species of all kinds of creatures just in my SGM backyard alone in my short 5+ years here than I ever did growing up in the south. My words and photos could never do this range justice! I was ecstatic to discover that the SG mountains are now a protected national wilderness area!! 342,177 acres of the Angeles National Forest and 4,002 acres of neighboring San Bernardino National Forest have now been marked as a protected National Monument! And the people - I've met the most wonderful people in the SGV - many of you fellow Yelp elites as well! I've traveled the world and I can honestly say you don't find better folks! I've only scratched the surface too - I hope to spend the rest of my days exploring all the trails and capturing the natural magnificence of this fantastic range to the best of my ability! If anyone ever wants to hit the trails with me, I can make some great recommendations and would be thrilled to join you! Highly recommend exploring this place!

As part of a little tour a co-worker took us on, Walt's grave turned out to be on the route! It is…read morea bit of a hard find, but not so much when you have someone with you that has been here before. Visiting Walt's grave was amazing. I was, sorta, able to stand beside the man that left behind a huge entertainment legacy. If you are definitely a Disney diehard, this is a place to visit! It's exactly what you see in the pictures. Nothing fancy. No Mickey statue adorning his final resting place. Just a well manicured area, tucked away in the corner. Hope that Walt enjoyed us visiting and bring

I come here to bring Walt Disney gifts and to enjoy the peace that wafts through the space. I find…read moremy visits to bring me peace and uplifting feelings. Grateful for the ability to visit this beacon of inspiration for artists. I credit Walt with my love for character design, and for the reason I chose to go into a creative field. Thank you Forest Lawn for the clean and inviting space to pay respects.

Who tf knows what this park is called but it does exist. Blink and you'll miss it. Another homeless…read morerest stop basically but there is a tiny playground, a patch of grass and some pull-up bars. It's behind the bus stop. Overall yeah I'd say this park exists.

When Baldy opened back up, we took advantage and hiked it multiple times. It is spectacular. If…read moreyou hike up Ski Hut, it's an amazing booty builder hike. Bring poles. Restroom at trailhead. Restaurant at top of ski lift and I usually grab a chicken sandwich. Easy parking at trailhead. I put my adventure pass on the dash in case it's needed. Please come and create your own adventure.

The trailhead is before you've reach the Mt Baldy Resort at Falls Rd. I prefer to start my hikes…read moreearly so I never have trouble finding parking, but there should be adequate amount of parking. I've always found the hiking trails here to be well-maintained. However, if your goal is to go up to the summit, please know that the trail does get pretty technical during sections on the Devil's Backbone. There's the Top of the Notch restaurant about halfway up, but make sure you carry enough water with you if you plan to do this hike during the summer months or whenever the weather is warm.

I'm a big fan of abandoned places as I claim to see the beauty in destruction and desolation. Not…read moreonly are these spots adventurous; but they tell stories in their own defunct ways. My love for deserted spots stems from my childhood growing up in a poverty-stricken ex-steel mill city. Los Angeles isn't necessarily a playground filled with a plethora of abandoned places (as real estate is, although pricey, in demand) but there are some 'cool' places to see. How does an abandoned ski lift sound? Neat? It sure is... So where is this abandoned ski lift, you ask? In the Los Angeles National Forest and it's a bit of a drive to get there. First of all, you generally have to take the 210 to the 2 which is the main freeway going through the heart of the forest. And go through the heart of the forest, it does! This freeway is insanely scary as it is mountain-edging and and has more curves and turns than even the usual LA canyon roads. Not to mention, it is so high up that you get stuck in the marine layer/clouds. I drove at 9am and it was so scary I wanted to cry and there were times I had to drive 20 mph because you truly can't see more than two feet ahead of you. Good luck if your car breaks down. And this isn't just a morning thing... it was like this in the afternoon, as well. Once you get high enough to drive out of the Marine Layer... the views are gorgeous! You won't feel like you are in LA anymore and rather in a state like Colorado or the PNW. High mountain peaks and alpine woods abound: tall pines EVERYWHERE! The air is fresh and crisp and everything seems untouched by the LA smog. It's certainly worth seeing. Campgrounds and picnic areas will start to pop up as the 2 freeway in this area is part of the Pacific Crest Trail (that's right... you will see hikers a la Reese Witherspoon-style in the movie, "Wild". So let's discuss the actual ski lift, shall we? Kratka Ridge ski lift is located past the actual spot where a GPS takes you. Look for the Vista Picnic Area (there is a sign) which is a gravel shoulder parking area. This DOES require Adventure Pass parking (you can get a month pass for $5) but other than that... just pull over. You are immediately at the side of a large hill/mountain and you simply follow the single trail up. The initial trek is moderately difficult as it is steeper than it looks and the altitude gets to you. I workout daily and hike often but it was a workout for my lungs because you are higher than most are used to (you are about 7, 500 feet above sea level!). I even went home with some altitude sickness. But the environment and views are worth it: tall trees and pines, a constant roar of wind (but not too cold surprisingly), large rocks, and unusual plants opening up to stunning, take-your-breath away views of the the National Forest and LA down below. Again... you HAVE to see this! Lots of photo ops! Once at the top of the hike (it's really not that long. About 1.5 miles); you can't miss the abandoned ski lift. The rotting wood structure stands like an imposing fort with the actual lift chairs (single-person chairs) and cables still attached. It's very neat and cool to see but also sort of sad. Everything is clean with no garbage or spray painted vandalism (let's keep it like that, folks) and you can see far away to the Coachella Valley. A picnic table and flat spot (no shade) is also located near the lift. Interestingly, people still actually go up to this spot to ski and the snow in the winter gets deep. Certainly something to check out if into that sort of thing! Despite the crazy 2-freeway drive; Kratka Ridge is worth hiking whether you are into abandoned spots, amazing views that make you feel removed from Los Angeles, or both. You won't regret it! Just get ready for the altitude!

Great place to hike and see a deserted ski lift site. I was six years old when I first saw this…read morerunning. Now I'm 66 years old and have skied the Rockies in Wyoming down to Mammoth, still going strong. I wish my cat Wotan could come along, but he's a stay at home cat.

I was totally drawn to the adorable heart painted stairs on Sunset and Micheltorena. The stairs…read moreinclude 177 steps with 40 of the steps painted with hearts. The history of the stairs in Silverlake is actually quite interesting. Apparently, back in the day, the stairs made it easier in the hilly section of the city to access stops along the Red Car Electric Railway. The stairs were unofficially painted in 2015 and in 2019, it became an official public arts project. We took the steps beyond the painted hearts and you're essentially just walking through a neighborhood. It's a great spot for pics and a shortcut through the neighborhood.

I love stairs! Hearts are extra…read more We parked up on the hill to walk down to the stairs - much easier than looking for parking around Sunset. From the hilltop we walked down the stairs, grabbed a matcha at Alfred Coffee, climbed up the Music Box Steps, and explored a few more staircases around Silverlake before heading back up to the car up the Micheltorena Stairs. Such a fun way to get 7-10k steps in while getting to know the neighborhood.

Man how can you be a runner from LA if you haven't done the LA Marathon the one and only LA…read moreMarathon. From start to finish this a party regardless of where it ends. This is a tough course especially now that it ends at Avenue of the Stars with the last couple of miles being rolling hills but don't fear LA got you. I always enjoy this marathon but sign up early so you don't have to pay a crazy fee. I also get the refundable insurance just in case I learned my lesson when I got injured and had to walk most of the marathon in 2023. This has to be my favorite Road running race!

The experience of running in the LA Marathon was both unbelievable and unforgettable. The entire…read morecity showed up to support runners like myself in a way that felt downright transformative. Every mile was packed with supporters, live music, drag queens, and grab and go grub, so the energy through all 26 miles was amaze. The race itself was also thoughtfully organized, with friendly staff and signage throughout the entire race. My only quam is that after the finish line there was around a quarter mile walk to refuel and get to bag check. Although it's only a quarter mile, it did feel like an eternity on shaky lactic acid legs. With that said, I'm absolutely going to run it again next year. Only love to you LA (hearts)

A couple months ago, I attended a screening of "Let the City Speak", a documentary chronicling…read moreQuetzal's history from their humble beginnings to their current status as one of the most influential Chicano rock bands. Through director Akira Boch's lenses, the film covers various locations around East Los Angeles that I have never visited despite how close they are, one of which is Elephant Hill. Walking up Harriman Ave, the paved road transitions into a dirt trail surrounded by houses and small farms. The path inclines sharply in some areas and even with careful steps I was kicking up dirt due to mini ditches made from people off-roading. What you will find as you make your way up is a collection of abandoned items, such as rusted classic cars, mangled plastic dolls, weathered plastic bins, and shards from tiles and glass bottles. If you're paying attention, you will also notice purple cardoon flowers among the dry grass, a giant cypress resembling a woman's silhouette, snails clinging onto branches for dear life, and the screeches of hawks up above mixed with the scurrying of lizards below. There's a lot to appreciate here. I'd like to revisit this trail during milder weather, perhaps during the rainy season.

Great place for mountain biking and hiking close to Los Angeles…read more Nice trails and vistas