Although the trails are not marked, staying on track was easy. Start at Lincoln Crest, the highest…read morepoint on Bouquet Canyon Rd, which is marked by a large entrance sign to the Angeles National Forest's north end. Hop the gate and head east up the service road for the power lines. Three possible routes exist from the one trailhead. The first and hardest is to turn right at the second gate. The second and shortest is to go right to Mount McDill Trail just past an electrical tower that splits the service road. We took this option which was 6.7 miles roundtrip with a 1600' elevation gain. The third and longest is to stay on the service road that traces the power lines. In all three cases, head left upon reaching the top of the ridgeline. The trails have open sightlines to see the surrounding mountains. The top of Mount McDill has an unobstructed vista that includes the Antelope Valley, San Gabriel Mountains, and the mountains in the Los Padres National Forest. Obviously, the views are long. The road continues past Mount McDill to transmission towers. Although this is a popular off-road vehicle area the service road was gated shut. Despite that, plenty of dirt bike tracks were carved into the trails along with a makeshift wooden bike ramp. The weather varied wildly just like it had on other hikes we'd taken in the area. Sure, weather is unpredictable but hiking in the Santa Monica or Verdugo Mountains is rarely this erratic. Even though it had been 70 in Los Angeles all week, the trail had patches of snow and 30 mph winds that blew hail in our faces.

I stopped by this park with my wife and our baby yesterday in the morning after we tried to go to a…read moreWatermelon Festival nearby at Hansen Dam but lost interest after the coordination there. So we just wanted to take our baby on a walk around the park because the weather was nice. Parking here is not great because some spots are spacious but others were very tight like it was for motorcycle. There also not a lot of spots in the private lot either. I ended up just parking on the street since it was easier. We walked around the jungle gym area and wanted to go to the open field grass area but everything is gated off now. They do have a basketball court here and people were playing a pick up game. We didn't try to go inside the recreation center or look at the swimming pool. There not a lot of smooth pavement here if you're going to be pushing a stroller around so I just had to improvise.

I was honored to visit Tameobit Wildlife Sanctuary with a group of people focused documenting the…read morenative plants and wildlife of the area. Tameobit is the newest Wildlife Sanctuary in Los Angeles County and is named after a historical indigenous village in the area. It's about 84 acres in size and offers a wide variety of habitats including riparian, Joshua Tree, and chaparral. It's perfect for a quick hike and to learn about local native plants. Unlike most Wildlife Sanctuaries in LA County, it offers amenities such as restrooms, drinking fountains and a parking lot right next store at Sorenson Regional Park. Free street parking is also available if you'd like to visit outside of park hours. Free admission.

I can't say enough about this place...I called discreetly to ask questions about diving safety as…read moremy husband was currently in a predicament and in a hyperberic chamber at UCLA. Whoever I spoke to guided me about what the best way to handle everything would be. He spent a lot of time answering all of my questions in a very non-judgy way. Honestly, I wish that I dived as I would definitely give this place my business. I do not live locally there, or I would send my husband. Thanks to the expertise of the person who answered the phone at the shop, I can now encourage my husband to come clean about it and let the dive master know(as well as his dive buddy).

The nicest dive shop around to get your Nitrox tanks filled. They do lots of beach diving, which…read moreI've been getting into recently, and hope to dive with the crew here soon. And they're also nice, with fair prices, and seem incredibly experienced. Highly recommended.

Unfortunately this ride is closed for the foreseeable future. I'm not sure if it will be opening…read moreback up. But it's such great ride if you like drop towers. This is one of the tallest drop towers in the world.

Today we're here to ride Lex Luthor at Six Flags Magic Mountain! The World's Tallest Drop Tower!!!…read more(Since Orlando Free Fall killed someone and Zumanjaro was closed without warning, which I cannot express just how pissed off I am at that). Once you pull down the OTSR's, you notice something interesting about them. And that's because they feel just like a lapbar. They aren't bulky, they give a ton of room, it feels just like a lapbar! And honestly. I like it! It gives so much room. So yeah, SWEET! We then start to ascend the Superman tower. If you're facing right, you get a good view of DC Universe as well as a good view of Batman, Riddler's Revenge, Twisted Colossus, Scream and Wonder Woman: Flight of Courage. However, if you're facing the other side, you get a good view of Twisted Colossus, Goliath, Full Throttle, Revolution, Tatsu, Viper, and X2. But either way, you're getting a GREAT view. Now, back when Superman was open, a Superman car will dispatch and it will cause the tower to shake a little bit. No this does NOT mean the ride is unsafe, you're gonna be fine. This is a structural thing that is done with 90% of coasters. But yeah, it scares the crap out of the GP. And I'm sorry to be mean, but I find that to be HILARIOUS! However, Superman is now dead so you can no longer experience this feeling, which is a bummer! =( We eventually hit the top where Lex Luthor says some dialogue before laughing. We are then waiting in suspense for a few seconds before we eventually plummet 85 MPH straight down from 400 ft in the air. And yeah, this is awesome on its own. But if you do what I do and close your eyes and look straight down. It becomes INSANE! Almost gives you the feeling of the first drop on X2. Well... not quite.... but it's sort of similar. Eventually, we slow down to a crawl right as we hit the bottom, where we can't help but clap. So yeah, that's Lex Luthor. And yeah this is a GREAT drop tower! I definitely prefer it to Superman as it's currently one of the best drop towers that I've ridden. So STRONGLY recommend trying this out as it's a great ride and a must do for all drop tower enthusiasts! Just be careful because Six Flags could tear this ride out without any warning, especially now that Superman Escape From Krypton is closed forever! Seriously Six Flags, KEEP YOUR HANDS AWAY FROM LEX LUTHOR!!! Final Score: 95/100 Opened July 7, 2012 Manufacturer: Intamin Last Ridden: May 4, 2018

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.

Little Hands & Flourishing Minds is such an amazing preschool. My child has special needs and a…read morelist of sensitivities. Mrs. Bricia was so helpful and patient with both my son and our family in guiding us on how to parent our ASD son. Multiple times my son would have "episodes" and Mrs. Bricia would help teach him how to self regulate. She taught him emotional control that he never had before and helped him learn not only social skills, but educational skills as well. I never thought my son would be able to go to a public elementary school, but after 3 years enrolled at Little Hands & Flourishing Minds he was taught the social and emotional skills he needed to thrive and be successful at a public school. I am so grateful and thankful to Mrs. Bricia for helping my son.

My daughter has been going to Mrs. Bricia's school for over two years now. We've had the most…read moreamazing experience and I have recommended it to a few of my friends and relatives. It is clear that teaching and guiding little humans is her true calling and she executes it flawlessly. She's very responsive to all inquiries, a great communicator, very flexible and always puts kids needs first. My daughter is thriving at this school and although it is time for her to move on to kindergarten in fall, she keeps saying she'll still be coming to Mrs Bricia after school haha The incredible amount of love and care my daughter has received at this place made her confident and ready for kinder and beyond. Thank you, Mrs. Bricia!

It's a pretty steep hike, but it's absolutely worth it for the views. If you are fit and healthy,…read moreI'd highly recommend trying out the mount Islip trail. It took me about 4.5 hours to complete, 9.5 miles from Crystal Lake to the windy gap trail

I have done Islip a few times and love this area. I have even hike up to Mt Islip from Crystal…read moreLake. This review will be a 5 peak challenge that I did. You need to hike with someone and drive separate cars so you can leave one car at the Vincent Gap parking lot. This will allow you to do the 5 peaks all in one directions without having to make the hike much longer by hiking back to your starting point. Here are the 5 peaks in the order you will do them in if you decide to take on this challenge: Islip, Mount Hawkins, Throop Peak, Mount Burnham, and lastly one of my all time favorite peaks...Baden-Powell. Parking- so again you leave one car at the Vincent Gap parking lot which is used for people who are hiking to Big Horn Mine or Baden-Powell; you and the person you are hiking with will drive another 10 minutes or so until you get to the trailhead for Mount Islip. Trail (Peak 1)You will hike by the Little Jimmy Campground until aroun 2 or 2.5 miles you will reach an intersection where the PCT and Windy Gap connect...at this intersection you need to go to the right which is the Mount Islip trail and after about another mile you will reach your first peak, Mt. Islip, which has the remnants of a stone structure (elev. 8,262) and there are great views down toward Azusa and on a clear day all the way toward the ocean and even Catalina with views in the opposite direction toward the high desert Trail (Peak 2)- you will follow the same trail back to the intersection with the PCT and these next 2 miles to the 2nd peak will be the steepest but nothing too bad until you reach Mount Hawkins (elev. 8,783) at this point you will have hiked a little over 6 miles and 2 or 3 hrs so might be a good idea to take a little longer of a break to eat something...there was no sign or marker that we found here to officially signify Mount Hawkins but it will be the highest spot in the area and if you are using All Trails map it will show that you have reched the peak Trail (Peak 3)- continue on the PCT toward Throop Peak for about .75 miles and you might be able to find more than one way from the PCT trail up to this peak and there is a marker to confirm when you reach this summit (elev. 9,118) Trail (Peak 4)- continue on the PCT for a little over a mile and you will reach Mount Bunham (elev. 8,990) and there was no sign or marker when we hiked it *we saw less than 10 people during the first 9 miles and these 4 peaks the whole morning during the 4 hours or so...that is about to change as you hike the last 5 miles to Baden-Powell and the Vincent Gap parking lot...this trail is much more popular and crowded and we probably came across nearly 100 people in the last 5 miles Trail (Peak 5)- you will hike a little over a mile to reach Baden-Powell which has amazing views, there is a monument to the founder of the Boy Scouts which the mountain is named after and you will usually find a wooden sign or two and a flag at the summit...this peak sometimes has a lot of people but there is plenty of room at the top for everyone to spread out comfortably...enjoy the views (elev. 9,384) and you will head down the PCT to the parking lot where you left the other car in the morning Distance- about 14 miles Elevation Gain- a little over 4,000 feet Difficulty- hard because of the overall distance and some people may have trouble with the altitude but on the easy side of hard because it is not overwhelmingly steep in any part and the gain is nice and gradual Duration- anywhere between 6-8 hrs of course depending on your pace as well as how long of a break you take at each peak