10 Things To Love in SoCal
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Ten things to celebrate ten years in California.
This week marks the tenth anniversary of a life-changing trip to Southern California. At the time I was living in Pittsburgh where I worked as a manager at a video rental chain store. I cashed in some vacation time and set out for ten days in Los Angeles with my boyfriend at that time.
Like proper tourists we visited Disneyland, Universal Hollywood, took a studio tour at Paramount and Sony, cheered in the audience of the Price is Right, and compared the size of our hands and feet in the forecourt of the Chinese Theatre. During the visit, I fell madly in love with Los Angeles.
When I returned to Pittsburgh, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was waiting for me in Los Angeles. Shortly before Thanksgiving, my relationship ended. Back at the video store people were discovering Netflix and Redbox and sales were dwindling. Autumn gave way to an unusually miserable winter of deep snow and chills. One morning, as I scraped ice from the windshield of my Jetta I decided I was done with Pittsburgh.
After a few months of saving up every penny I could, I sold my condo at a loss, quit my job of 11 years, shoved everything I could into my car, and drove 36 hours to Los Angeles leaving everything behind (except my cat, she was in the car too).
Despite knowing absolutely no one, not having a job, and signing an apartment lease only hours earlier via fax at a gas station somewhere in Kansas as I fell asleep on the floor of my bed-less efficiency apartment that first night I knew I made the right choice.
Ten years later I couldn't dream of living anywhere else.
In honor of the anniversary, I would like to share my 10 Things to Love About Southern California, in no particular order.
10. Theme Parks
We have three great theme parks within an hour's drive of Los Angeles plus Sea World in San Diego.
The most famous and by far the best is the original, Disneyland. Having a season pass to Disneyland was a childhood dream. I can’t begin to guess how many times I’ve been to the park in the last decade.
Knott's Berry Farm is another favorite. It has a few great rollercoasters, decent shows, and really excellent theme park food. Their Scary Farm Halloween and Merry Farm Christmas celebrations are among my favorite events of the year.
Where it lacks in beauty and customer service Six Flags Magic Mountain makes up in ultimate thrill rides. The rollercoasters in the park are crazy, terrifying, and amazing all at the same time.
9. Hiking
I would have never guessed that Los Angeles would be a hiker’s paradise. There are so many great trails within the city limits. Griffith Park has enough trails to keep you busy for weeks.
Every neighborhood seems to have its own local hiking hot spot. My neighborhood has Runyon Canyon. Just a few blocks from my house; I’m up there at least once a week.
A number of great Falcon Guidebooks outline the many trails available to enjoy. Support your local travel bookstore and pick one up. (Or they’re available from Amazon too.)
8. Grocery Stores of the World
As a visitor, you can appreciate the restaurants in Los Angeles. While visiting I recommend finding a list made by the late, great Jonathan Gold and visiting a place that seems interesting to you but is also a few steps outside of your comfort zone.
As a local, I don’t know how I could live without the grocery stores offering cuisines of the world. I should really do a full post about this, but my favorites are the Little Tokyo Market Place, the Continental Gourmet Sausage Company, Silom Supermarket, Ye Olde King's Head, and Northgate Market.
7. Pacific Coast Highway to Big Sur
Taking a day trip up the coast via Pacific Coast Highway into Big Sur is the perfect way to reconnect with nature. The narrow winding highway runs along the cragged coastline. Every few miles a new treasure awaits. There are sea lions and sea otters in the wild, waterfalls that look like they’re out of a tropical fantasy, larger-than-life trees, and fresh salty sea air.
6. The Weather
Cliched, I know, but it barely ever rains and it’s almost always sunny and seventy degrees (21°C). There are only a handful of days every year when the weather prevents you from living your best outdoor life. It gets a little hot in late summer and early fall, and we like to bemoan “June Gloom” when the temperature of the ocean causes a majority of cloudy days for a few weeks, but overall, it’s paradise.
5. Celebrity Sightings
Living here, you play it cool when you see a celebrity. “They’re regular people, just like us,” you say to other locals because we’re all so L.A.
That being said, when you grew up in a small town watching 90s Baywatch you’ll barely be able to contain yourself when you’re riding the down escalator at the Beverly Center mall and David Hasselhoff is riding the up escalator. Or when you’re doing your grocery shopping in the same aisle as Dawson.
When it happens, it’s a magical moment that doesn’t happen anywhere else in the world, and I’m not too cool to admit I love it.
4. Joshua Tree and Death Valley National Parks
Unique in their own desert ways both parks are like no other. A trip to Death Valley is a two-day minimum commitment with blazing heat and unforgiving terrain. In exchange, you’ll be treated to otherworldly geographic features that will mesmerize you.
Joshua Tree is best combined with a weekend in Palm Springs. The park is easy to see in a day with a number of great hikes. In addition to seeing the namesake tree visitors can try to spot quail and mountain goats in the wild. It’s also a great place to try out beginner rock climbing.
3. Hollywood
Hollywood as a destination improves a little every year. There are few sights in the world that are more iconic than the Hollywood Sign. Even now, ten years in, I gaze up at the giant white letters in awe as I traverse my neighborhood.
What I love about living here is the ability to take part in “the business,” as we like to call it. My day job is as a freelance casting producer. I take jobs of varying lengths helping find people to appear on TV game shows.
Between jobs, I’ve been known to take work as a background actor (aka extra). The money is crap and the hours are worse, but it’s a unique experience that lets you freely explore movie lots that are off-limits to tourists. And a few months later, you can point and scream, THAT’S ME! at the TV.
You can also get free tickets to just about any television show with an audience. Some will take some advance planning, but most shows can get you in the audience with just a few days’ notice. There are even companies that will pay you to spend the day in the audience of a show or TV taping.
2. The Ocean
Like everyone who lives here, I don’t appreciate the ocean enough. I’m not much for laying on the beach (the whole place is covered in sand) but there’s something reassuring about knowing it’s there whenever I have that desire.
The beaches are endless here. The vast wide sandy beaches go for miles and miles. There’s rarely ever a need to worry about finding a crowded beach. You can mix up your beach vibes depending on your mood. For the skater and stoner vibe, head to Venice. For the tourist and carnival vibe, try Santa Monica. Been working on your abs and want to show off for the other boys? That’s Ginger Rodgers Beach. Thinking about voting Republican? Try Huntington Beach.
It’s more than sunbathing and swimming. The possibilities are endless. You can roast marshmallows with friends on a beach bonfire at Dockweiler, ride your bike along the 22-mile Marvin Braude Bike Trail, ride a rollercoaster on the Santa Monica Pier, fish from the Redondo Beach Pier, or take a whale-watching cruise from Dana Point.
1. Day Trips
At the right time of year, on a clear day at the peak of Runyon Canyon, you can look to the west at the ocean and the east at the snow-capped mountains. This encapsulates the day trip possibilities from Los Angeles.
In an hour or two in one direction, you can be lying on the beach in Laguna an hour or two in the other direction you can be laying in front of a fire watching the falling show out the window in Big Bear.
Just three hours south can get you to San Diego with days and days full of big city activities, Four hours north will have you standing in Sequoia National Park looking up at the largest tree in the world. (Check out our list of 10 things to see in Sequoia and Kings Canyon).
Ten years of exploration have turned up all these treasures, I’m excited for the next ten, twenty, and more.
