This lookout tower is quite visible from many vantage points along the maze of hiking/running…read moretrails in Glendale. There are a variety of options for trails that are moderate to difficult , from fire road to single track. The trails are great for hiking, running, and are dog friendly. Access points are found within several residential spots in the area and the Sports Complex.

I'm a fan of historic hikes, especially ones that feature old relics, so visiting this historic…read morelookout tower was right up my alley. Cerro Negro (formerly San Rafael) fire lookout tower was built in 1934. It was operational for 26 years until the county turned it over to the Glendale City Fire Department in 1960. Since then it has been used as a communications site. It's unfortunately not accessible to the public and can only be viewed from behind a chain link fence. Located near the tower is an old, nonfunctional, Chrysler Victory Air Raid Siren. I've read that it produced the loudest sound ever achieved by a siren, delivering 138 decibels, and that it could be heard 25 miles away. It was tested on the last Friday of every month at 10am up until 1985. It's an interesting piece of Cold War era history that, depressingly, is starting to have increasing relevance today. You can access the site a number of different ways. For quick access you can just drive to the end of Sugar Loaf Dr and walk a short distance. My recommended method would be to take the 4-mile roundtrip hike from Descanso Gardens. There's an easy-to-miss entrance off of Descanso Dr before you turn right into the park that takes you to Descanso Motorway. From there it's a moderately strenuous climb where you'll travel counterclockwise, encircling the park, along the ridgeline. After you make the semicircle you should be able to see the lookout in the distance. The path should be fairly obvious from there.

Grounds are magnificent house beautiful 1937 glamour the Camellia with your blue is are…read moremagnificent. It's a lovely oasis for LA County.

The Boddy House, built in 1938 and refurbished in 2007, was the former mansion of Elias Manchester…read moreBoddy; a self-made millionaire, (1891-1967). Descanso Gardens was his 150 acre estate where the house is located. The entire estate was donated to Los Angeles County in 1953. Well worth seeing if you happen to be visiting Descanso Gardens. 22 rooms and over 12,000 Square Ft.

Millard House, also known as La Miniatura, is a textile block house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright…read moreand built in 1923 in Pasadena, California. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. It's a private residential house. NO public tour. Unless you're a family friend. Ha! Visitors can only ogle it from the outside street; you can do a drive by or walk by the house gate. It still a cool landmark. Overall, an interesting Pasadena landmark in an upper class neighborhood.

This is a very cool house, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Unfortunately, you can only see the…read morefront of it from the street, driving by. There are no tours available because someone owns it and lives in it now. Still very neat to see. I can only hope that one day the owner gives it to the city to become a museum.

A very cute and cozy park tucked away in a residential area. We were driving in the area for work…read morewhen we spotted this park. We parked and walked through the park and learned about the history of the place. It's all dated back to 1847. There was a huge oak tree planted here which died in 1987 and was cut down. The Oak of Peace played an important role in the history of California. it's a historic spot to be at it feels very serene here beautiful trees and plants all around picnic tables and restrooms available I also learned that you can rent it out and do private parties here. How nice would that be, specially kids birthday parties where they can be in nature, explore and run around. Very lovely find.

Small park, trees, no grass, and old building with history. residential houses all around.read more

This is supposed to be a memorial of the great 1934 flood of Montrose. If you see houses that are…read moremade from rock it's most likely from the flood bringing down the rocks

New Year's Eve 1934 saw a deluge of rain in the Crescenta Valley area leading to an avalanche of…read moremud, boulders and debris from the mountains into the town below with disastrous and fatal results. Wildfires had left the hillsides bare and unable to absorb the torrent of water. Seeking shelter in the American Legion Post 288 at the corner of Rosemont and Fairway were 12 citizens, including Red Cross Volunteers, that were swept away by the torrent of mud as the mountainside collapsed. This monument marks the site of this tragic event. Listen to a survivor narrate her experience of the flood here: https://www.cvhistory.org/meetings/meetings.htm Listen to Woody Guthrie's song about the flood here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABsRDPl2m_k&ab_channel=MrVm73 More on the historical marker here: https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=143027 A huge shout-out to the Historical Society of the Crescenta Valley for placing this monument. Plenty of free parking on the street.

Ambassador Mansions & Gardens is a very quiet, peaceful, and truly beautiful place. It's hidden…read morebetween buildings, and if you don't know it's there, you might easily miss it -- which makes it feel like a secret garden in the middle of the city. The territory is incredibly well maintained, with huge mature trees, beautiful flowers, fountains, mini waterfalls, and small ponds where you can see fish and turtles. There is also a lovely grassy area in the center where you can sit, relax, or have a small picnic. Geese walk freely around the gardens, and colorful parrots fly overhead, adding even more charm to the atmosphere. In April, the garden looks especially stunning -- the pergola and trees are in full bloom (I wish I remembered the names of those gorgeous flowers!), and the whole place feels alive and magical. Honestly, this garden is beautiful in any season of the year. You can come here with dogs, which is a big plus, but it's important to respect the property rules: pets must be on a leash, owners are responsible for cleanup, professional photography requires a permit, and activities like skateboarding, drinking alcohol, or organized sports events are not allowed. These rules help preserve the calm and cleanliness of the space. There is also a secondary school located on the property, which adds to the unique character of the place. Parking-wise, we were able to find free street parking nearby without any issues. This is a perfect spot to slow down, enjoy nature, and escape the city noise for a while. Highly recommended for a peaceful walk or a quiet moment surrounded by beauty.

Great place to relax and sit for a bit. This was one place I've heard about through a friend and…read morewanted to take my pal Jack to go for a walk and check out this scenery. Very peaceful and quiet. Dog friendly of course. There was multiple benches to sit on and enjoy the flowing water and koi fish ponds. The building structures were beautiful and well kept. I would recommend this place if you want to take a break and sit and enjoy the area. People were friendly and welcoming. Parking is a bit limited as we had to park across the street. This area is located behind apartments and a bit hidden from the public. Once you walk around you'll find your way. Overall great place to visit.

RE: There's another review for Rockhaven Sanitarium at:…read more https://yelp.to/ZIov0ej5Kbb We Are Friends of Rockhaven! Agnes Richards founded Rockhaven in 1923 after being a psychiatric nurse and witnessing the cruel treatment of women with mental illness. She made sure to call each and every patient a resident, and treat them with respect. The beautiful history of Rockhaven Sanitarium (or home for the Golden Age Stars) is the most vivid piece of history that's been forgotten by so many. My favorite actress Billie Burke (Glinda, the good witch), Mrs. Topper, and, well, just too many of her parts to list resided there until her death. Do you remember Elly May Clampett? She was played by Donna Douglas, who was also a resident at Rockhaven as was, Clark Gable's first wife, Marilyn Monroe's mother, Marion Rose of Vaudeville's Statler and Rose, Broadway's actress and producer, Peggy Fears; I'm just naming a few of the long list of golden age stars that have resided at Rockhaven. And, when you're enjoying the walk you can feel the glow they left behind. It's closed now due to the COVID pandemic but we're able to go once in a while to clean up a little and just 'be' in it's past. To relish in the feeling of just 'being' there, is amazing. You're able to touch all of the past around you! This is something I've seen only in LA and its surrounding areas. This type of museum interaction is priceless; it's like watching a golden oldie but, being right next to the star you admire(d) so very much. There's a group called Friends of Rockhaven that loves and cares so much for the Sanitarium; it's so heartwarming. One of the many protectors Joanna Linkchorst has allowed us to become one of the many friends of Rockhaven and contribute to its survival. It's been such a pleasure and an honor to help in any way we can and my sincere hope is that it won't be sold for demolition or forgotten. Thank you so much, Friends of Rockhaven for all you do!

This is such a gorgeous property with a lot of history - a real gem in the middle of Montrose. I…read morehope it can be rehabbed and turned into something historical and useful for the community. Definitely look into taking one of their free tours (donation optional at the end). Joanna and Mike are so knowledgeable and passionate about this place, it's really worth your time if you like history, architecture and are fascinated by mental health institutions of the past.

Local hike with tons of varying trails.I wouldn't recommending coming here on a weekend because of…read morehow narrow the trail is unless you want to stop and wait for people.

I came here today, I wouldn't say this is my trail of choice, but since chantry is still closed I…read morehave to settle . I don't like that the top section is very very narrow and some parts are missing or broken off so it's about ten inches wide on some sections . It's very dry so it makes me a little uneasy. I prefer chantry or Monrovia canyon falls, or schabarum lark for a deeper more forest type hike . However it is a historic landmark and has lots of sage and orettt wild flowers so it's not a bad choice .

Walking past this amazing example of Victorian Architecture in Glendale, you can't help but wonder…read moreof the other examples of period revival architecture in the city and what other properties in Glendale now have redevelopment where a beautiful historical example once stood. Built in 1892 by Henry C. Banker for Edgar and Alletia Goode, it is now the community center for Ivy Glen Apartments as a detached structure in front of the Complex. Thank you city of Glendale for preserving this magnificent structure as it is a shining example of our history and our willingness to preserve it.

I cannot say enough wonderful things about our experience here at Rubel Castle. Our host, guide,…read moreand local "Rubelligent" volunteer, Ms. Kathleen had all the intel about this historical property. She was so knowledgeable and helped set the stage for us to slip into a forgotten era and get a glimpse of how imagination met inventiveness with a DIY charm. ~ A LITTLE BACKSTORY FOR YOU ~ It's not pronounced Rubel as Barney from Flintstones. Rather, it's like Target is to Targét when we are trying to be fancy. So that's Rubel as in "Roo-bell." Unlike modern-day construction, Rubel Castle wasn't built overnight. It was made of collected recyclables and construction rubble that spanned many decades and took several friends and volunteers to build it. For Michael, however, the lifetime inspiration was first sparked at the age of 9. His love for canons was where it started and the rest is history you can hear about on the tour. But don't just show up like we did randomly one day. To book, visit RubelTours.org and make a reservation. ~ OUR TOUR EXPERIENCE ~ It's as if Michael Rubel, the creator and mastermind of this enchanted dominion had intended it to be--magical. Built in the castle period of wood and tin, every corner captured our interests, from antique cars to the 1890's Seth Thomas Tower Clock with a unique backstory (and only six in existence today). There were old vending machines, tools, trinkets, and machinery that time had long forgotten. Did I mention there was a drawbridge? Yes, and a dungeon too. I was just waiting for a dragon to come swoop down on us next. Walk in the footsteps of famous visitors like Alfred Hitchcock, Dwight Eisenhower, Jack Benny, and Bob Hope. It's a feast for the eyes no matter where you glance. I particularly enjoyed the bottle house that Michael built in 1968 as his "home" as a kid. That independent spirit was quite charming to see. ~ WATERCOLOR NATURESCAPE ~ We were fortunate to have our gracious host lead us on a tour and organize a special art crafting experience outdoors. It was absolutely lovely beneath the trees and between rusted vintage cars from the turn of the century. We each got a small canvas to paint our flowers in watercolor. (This particular experience takes place in the Spring and Fall, weather permitting.) We heard the squirrels rattling in the leaves and birds chirped and sang in the trees above. We discovered that peacocks apparently originated from this property, compliments of Michael Rubel. And did I mention that on the far side of the property, a custom garden was in full bloom? BOOK A TOUR Help support the Glendora Historical Society and keep this magnificently unique city-castle maintained. It's worth it.

A castle in Glendora? Yes, your eyes aren't deceiving you--Rubel Castle is real, it's magnificent,…read moreand it's gloriously eccentric. Thanks to the sheer persistence (and probably delightful stubbornness) of Michael Rubel, we now have this quirky, towering State Treasure sitting right in the middle of Glendora like a fairy tale that accidentally took a detour through a hardware store. This place is beautifully done, and part of its charm is that it's a full-on hodgepodge of relics, antiques, crystal trinkets, and "wait... what is that doing here?" moments tucked into every nook and cranny. You'll marvel, you'll laugh, you'll squint in confusion--honestly, it's everything you'd want in a castle built with love, imagination, and a dash of madness. And let's talk about the makeshift cemetery. Quirky? YES. Fun? Absolutely. Slightly spooky? Only if your imagination is over-caffeinated. But it fits the vibe perfectly--like the castle whispered, "You know what I'm missing? A tiny cemetery." The tours are fantastic, the guides are passionate, and the whole experience feels like you're stepping into a living scrapbook of California history and charming chaos. Overall: Amazing, amazing place. Book your tour. They only do tours every first Sunday of the month, so set your alarms, mark your calendars, tie a string around your finger--just don't miss it. Rubel Castle is truly a California State Treasure, and an absolute must-see for anyone who appreciates creativity, history, and a little eccentric sparkle.