The Search for Chicago Deep Dish Pizza: N.Y.&C. Pizzeria vs. the memory of Lou Malnati's

So, ya'll should know that I am originally from Chicago (despite my use of "ya'll"), and I take my pizza very, VERY seriously. You do not trifle with Deep Dish. Yes, I capitalize the words. Just like one would capitalize God, Barbie or The Flying Spaghetti Monster.

I have been on a search to find good Deep Dish Pizza in LA. I have my requirements, which are very specific. Many people believe that Chicago Deep Dish Pizza is like pan pizza. It is not. Not in my world. Don't get me wrong, I love me some pan pizza. I really do. But pan is not Deep Dish.

So, the other day, I went to N.Y.&C. Pizzeria & Bar in Santa Monica, to see a man about a pizza.


(Hey, a menu!)

The restaurant offers both NY and Chicago style pizzas. And, while I don't mind NY pizza now and then, I was there for my hometown pride.

Sad to say, this wasn't up to snuff.

While they do seem to get the right idea behind the crust--that it is more of a dough shell than a fluffy dough--the pizza failed to impress me on a few levels. First, the most grievous offense: it was seriously lacking in cheese...which made the excess of sauce seem even more excessive. It was also a little bland. Now, some places mess it up by adding in the wrong kind of flavors (i.e. making a sauce that is far too sweet--I'm looking at you, Masa of Echo Park), but this was just...forgettable. It also seemed weirdly soggy. Perhaps that's not the correct term for what it was, because I am honestly having a hard time remembering the specifics. That is not a good sign.

I tend to like my pizza a little on the salty/buttery side, with ample cheese and either easy sauce or at least sauce that complements the rest of the pizza well. There was simply way too much sauce on this pie. And, it wasn't even memorable.


(Hey, it's a pizza!)

I feel like a bit of an asshat for bitching about the pizza, but you must understand: Deep Dish Pizza is holy to me. I come from the city that spawned Lou Malnati's. You better bring your A Game if you're gonna try to sell Deep Dish to a Chicagoan.

So, N.Y.&C. might have some decent NY pie--haven't tried it--but the Chicago Deep Dish failed to impress me. My suggestion for true Deep Dish, since I can't seem to find it in LA, is to get it direct from the source. "But, That's Crazy Talk! Lou Malnati's is only in Chicago!" Oh, my dears, that is why The Flying Spaghetti Monster gave us the gift of Tastes of Chicago! Yes, that's right. You can have a Lou Malnati's pie shipped across the country, to your front door. Do it. It's worth it.

Also, it should be noted, that I am willing to take donations of Lou's Deep Dish Pizza in lieu of gifts this year. Or, really just for any reason whatsoever.

The Lardon Truck

It's BAAAAAAAAAAAAACON!!!!!!!!!!!


(Brian scoping out the truck--I wanted a shot from the street, but it was so bright out and traffic was heavy enough that I gave up.)

Today, my friend Brian and I checked out The Lardon Truck while it was parked in Sherman Oaks.

Upon arriving, there was no line, which boggled my mind--how was there not a line down the block for this tasty, tasty fare?!?!

The menu is chosen with care and packed with greatness. I opted to get two items so I could try more than one thing, since Brian had already eaten lunch (he missed out--and said so, once he saw what I had).


(On the left are the bacon pancakes...on the right, the breakfast sandwich...yum!)

The dish I was looking forward to the most was the "bacon pancakes with bacon bourbon maple syrup"--which, of course, I ordered! :) It was good beyond my wildest expectations. The right kind of sweet and salty, with just enough of a hint of maple, as opposed to being overwhelmed by the taste of it. The serving is perfect for one person--not too much, not too little, and leaves enough that you could easily sample another item and not feel stuffed. I also liked that the pancakes were not overdone--sometimes, that happens with a lot of pancakes, and you end up with a sort of chewy/tough texture. Not so with these puppies. I can't wait to have them again!

I also ordered the breakfast sandwich ("smoked bacon, eggs over easy (although I had mine over medium) & cheddar"), which was also good. The roll it comes on is just chewy enough to add something interesting to the sandwich without making it difficult to eat. The cheddar was a good compliment to everything, and the bacon was wonderful--I swear, it had a little bit of sweetness to it. I also caught what I thought was black pepper in the sandwich, too. Overall, it'd be a solid choice for someone looking for a breakfast-at-any-time sort of meal.

We spent a lot of time hanging out in front of the truck, in the shade of their canopy (to hide from the 90+ degree Valley sun!). They provided a handful of small stools, which made for a great little place to sit down and eat. :) I have to say, everyone working on the truck was incredibly cool--very nice, gracious folks! Really made the visit even better! They were so nice that I even donated some change to the parking meter for the truck's spot. :) Just before we took off, we were offered some free bottles of water and a Lark brownie with bacon/Nutella spread on the house. So kind of them!


(So tasty...ignore the bite mark on the right side of it...)

I had one bite of the brownie and sent it home with Brian, since he was full from his earlier lunch when he stopped by to meet me and hadn't had a chance to eat anything from the truck (even though I offered tasters of my dishes, like a good friend). It was awesome. The brownie itself is intense, and the combination of the Nutella and the bacon mixes well--very sweet and salty mix, which adds to the richness of everything and gives it almost a liqueur taste. Super decadent!

I'm looking forward to a going again and trying the baco (sans horseradish, if possible, because I am a total wuss). :)

You can follow the Lardon Truck on Twitter and Facebook to find out their schedule and check out their website at http://getyourlardon.com. We were told that they mostly hit up the Valley, Hollywood/Silverlake, with some stops on the west side. They are totally worth the drive!

Jones Apple Pie

So...I'm no fan of Jones...but their apple pie? Yum.





Their apple pie is redonkulicious. It is served in a hot skillet, with some kind of sexy buttery cinnamony goodness melted around it. The pie itself is exploding with apples. They pour out of the crust, and that crust...pretty tasty. The recipe changed at some point the last two years, and the current crust is, well, crusted with sugar. I think the old crust was maybe a bit better, but this one is pretty good as well. After all, I'm not gonna bitch about some added sugar. :) I think the pie itself as a little rosemary in it, but I could be wrong. It is also served with some tasty vanilla ice cream, which always melts too quickly because it's on the skillet (albeit, in a little dish), but still...absolutely tasty.

I don't really love any of the food at Jones, except for this. This pie...totally worth the trip.

The Comme Ca Burger

And on the eighth day, the Flying Spaghetti Monster created the Comme Ca burger.




Comme Ca is a French place on Melrose, near La Cienega, and it has various French dishes and whatnot. But the only thing I bother to order while there is the burger.

This is a burger that can make me drool on command. One thought of it...and I'm salivating.

It's very simple. There is some kind of slaw that comes on it, but I always have them hold it. The fries are perfect--some crispy, some crunchy, right amount of salt, good width/length. The burger itself is large, with just the right amount of seasoning (which is to say, not so much that you wonder what they're trying to cover up). It's juicy. It's topped with yummy cheddar cheese. It's on a brioche bun.

One of the things I love about this burger is that it isn't junked up with a bunch of shit like a lot of other designer burgers (i.e. The Father's Office Burger, which everyone raves about, but which I find just okay). It relies on the quality of the meat, the cheese, the bun...which means that it doesn't have the luxury of sucking.

I will say that you should order it closer to medium rare, just for the juiciness factor. I ordered mine medium today, and it came out more well-done than I'd have liked (like medium-well), especially compared to previous visits.

The only other items I've had on the menu are the creme brulee (good--but it's hard to fuck that up, and I love it anyway) and these little, fresh baguettes that they used to give out as pre-meal bread. I didn't get a baguette today, which bummed me out--not sure if they stopped that practice or not, since it's been a while since I've eaten there.

So, having eaten this ridiculously filling burger, I am now going to sit on my couch like Jabba the Hutt and enjoy my AC on this insanely hot LA day. Because I won't be hungry again for the rest of the day, kind of like how a boa constrictor can eat a small child and live off of it for a week.

(Oh, and price? Around $15.)

(Oh, and my computer doesn't have a way to use the actual French letters needed for the actual name of the restaurant, or if it does, I don't know how to do it. And don't care enough to learn.)

BACON!

Um, so if you know me, you know I love me some bacon.

A friend just sent me the following article:

Lardon: Bacon Food Truck, on UrbanDaddy

I am so going to hunt this truck down and eat the shit out of its menu.

Out of LA: Mackinac Island Fudge

So, my favorite ice cream ever is called Mackinac Island Fudge, and it can only be found in the Michigan area (as well as some parts of Wisconsin, and one store in Illinois, where it is seasonal).

I love it.

There was a point in time where I went two years without having it. Those two years were sad.

At any rate, when I was home visiting Chicago in July, I took a short trip to Upper Michigan (where my family has a small house), and I was able to indulge. I think I had Mackinac Island Fudge ice cream three times in five days.

And the thing about Michigan...is that a single dip there is equivalent to a triple dip anywhere else:



Yum.

It's a very simple mix--vanilla ice cream, with ripples of chocolate fudge and chunks of chocolate fudge--but it's just so effing good.

Someone on Twitter just introduced me to the Wisconsin Made website, which actually sells pints of Mackinac Island Fudge from a company called Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream. Their ice cream is INCREDIBLE, although I'm not sure I've ever had their MIF. The ice cream is so good that their logo says, "You want nutrition, eat carrots." Amen.

Ordering their pints of ice cream and shipping them to LA isn't cheap (approx. $60+ to ship 4 pints to LA), but it might be worth it...I'm thinking about it. :)

Berendo Stairs to Griffith Park Observatory

The other day, I attempted to go up to hike at Griffith Park, only to find myself in a tangled mess of traffic due to a concert at the Greek Theatre. I opted to backtrack and go explore a set of stairs that I'd been interested in walking up for a while: The Berendo Stairs.



The stairs are located at the top of Berendo Street, on Cromwell, about a block north of Los Feliz Blvd, just west of Vermont. There's a lovely little entrance, which leads to a somewhat steep set of stairs. There are about 100 stairs to climb up before you come to a rest point, which has two semi-circular stone benches on each side of the path. Above the rest point, there are about 70 more steps until you reach the street.





Once you arrive at the top of the staircase, you can go to your right and walk up the street and around the bend to locate another staircase, which is next to a garage of a yellowish house. That staircase has about 70 steps, which take you up between two homes and veers off to the left. It comes out on Glencairn, at the end of a cul-de-sac.





Once on the cul-de-sac, you turn right and follow the street out to a fork/t-junction in the road. You follow the fork to the left (I think it's called Catalina) and continue on up the streets. You'll reach another fork, where Catalina becomes Glendower (the signs are a bit confusing), and you'll keep to the right. Continue on up the hill...you'll reach another bend in the road eventually, where there is another set of stairs going down (marked "public walk")--you can use those as a short cut back down to the Berendo Staircase, which I'll explain later.

Anyway, continuing on up the street, you will come to another fork in the road. To the left is Glendower Road, which is a "No Outlet" street. To the right is Glendower Avenue. You'll want to go to the left. You'll follow the street a short way until it dead ends.



To the left, you will find a small gate over a single lane paved road (next to a house). You can enter Griffith Park from this gate. There is a door on the left of it, which is supposed to be locked at sundown**. **(update: This gate IS locked at sundown--be sure to plan your hike accordingly, or you'll be forced to climb the fence and jump over, which can be done--because I had to do it--but it's not exactly fun!)



The single paved road snakes up the hill, leading to a network of other paths, one of which is a dirt path that veers to the left, up the hill. Follow that path, which will lead you to a trio of paths under the Observatory. If you take the path to the right, you will end up walking out right next to the Observatory!





This is a beautiful and unusual walk, as it incorporates these neat, beautiful (and in some cases, old) staircases...quiet, curvy roads in the hills, with beautiful homes everywhere...and quiet paths inside Griffith Park. The scenery is lovely, it's a mostly quiet trip (more folks around the Observatory), and it's almost entirely uphill from the time you start at the base of the Berendo Staircase, up to the Observatory. This is also a walk/hike that you can add or subtract from, depending on how active/energetic you feel.

The staircase that I mentioned earlier? The shortcut? That staircase, if you take it down, will lead to another staircase on a cul-de-sac. Take that second one and you'll find yourself on the same street where the Berendo Staircase ends up on...once you've come down the second staircase, you go to the right and follow the street down to the Berendo Staircase, which will be on your left hand side.



You can also add more on to your hike once you are in Griffith, either by exploring the other paths below the Observatory (which I haven't done), or continuing through the parking lot once you come out of the path at the top and moving into the network of paths behind the Observatory.

I believe that the route that I took was about 2 miles round trip--having a hard time figuring it out from my map, but that looks to be close. Add in around 250 stairs (climbing upward), give or take, too. Makes for a shorter trip, but has the potential for a good little workout! My legs are definitely sore!

Pretzel M&Ms

I really want to say that these bad boys are fucking fantastic. Because, really, who doesn't love chocolate covered pretzels? Perfect combo of salty and sweet.

But these...are just okay. The main problem is that the pretzels seem a little stale. I don't know if it was just the package I bought, or if it's something that plagues this version of M&Ms. I will say, though, that this is probably one of the more successful offshoots of M&Ms in recent years, save for Peanut Butter M&Ms, which nobody can fucking touch. I love those creamy bastards.

I tried the caramel ones, which made a quick appearance years ago--found them at some random shop, I can't even remember where--and they were baaaaad. Low quality caramel, had a weird overly sweet chemical taste and odd texture. I've never tried the coconut version, as I have a major aversion to almost anything coconut (except for Samoa Girl Scout Cookies--and the Dreyer's Slow Churned Samoa Ice Cream, which is kinda awesome). I avoided the raspeberry version, too, as I was afraid it would be too Fake Raspberry tasting for me (I loathe fake raspberry).

So, maybe I just think these are the most successful because they're the only ones I was interested enough to eat. :)

Anyway, they're not bad. I'd definitely opt for Regular, Peanut Butter or Peanut before getting these again, though--or just getting some actual chocolate covered pretzels. Also, side note, very small portion size in the bag I had--very few pieces. Maybe that's why it was only 150 calories or something.

Also, on another side note, what is with that X-Ray view of the Yellow M&M (aka Mr. Panicky)? What the fuck is that? To me, it implies, "Hey, you're eating my intestines." Look, M&Ms, if I want sausage, I'll eat sausage. But I don't want it anywhere near my candy.

Cinespia & Astroburger

Tonight, my friend Brian and I went to see our very first Cinespia screening at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, which is at 6000 Santa Monica Boulevard in Hollywood, near Gower. The movie? Casablanca.


(Hollywood Forever Cemetery sign on Santa Monica Blvd.)

Overall, it was a great night! Neither of us knew what to expect going into it. The film was projected on to the side of a building, and seating is all on grassy areas that are free of graves (or so I would assume...since there were definitely areas cordoned off that had gravestones in them, so nobody would sit on the graves). We arrived around 7:45, or so, having parked about half a mile away (in Larchmont Village). Parking is notoriously bad around the cemetery on screening nights, so we just parked further away and walked, instead of circling forever or paying at the lot in the cemetery.



(The walk into the cemetery!)

We brought some food and blankets, both of which came in handy! Lots of people bring alcohol, too, if that's your thing! :) I would recommend arriving earlier than we did--when I drove past at 5pm, people were already lined up, even though the gates don't open until 7:30. By the time we made it through the looooooooooong line to get in and walked through the cemetery to the screening area, most of the best seating was taken. We ended up sitting near the back of the permissable area, so we had to deal with a lot of people walking in front of us--kind of a pain--but we did have a clear view of the screen, so that's good! The film started at 9pm, and we were lucky that it never got cold--it was humid tonight, but not chilly, although we both ended up putting on the hoodies that we brought with! :)



(Screenshot...it was changing as I took the photo!)

The screening itself was very clear, even from far away. The sound is decent, maybe a bit of an echo because of the large space? There are distractions to deal with, in the form of the occasional helicopter, noisy people sitting around you, and folks walking in front of your view, but overall, I really enjoyed the evening!! I would recommend the screenings to groups of friends, dates, etc. I actually ran into a pair of friends, who are married, who were on a date night. :) I did see some children, but I don't think it's the best environment for kids--there's nowhere for them to really play, seating is crowded on the ground, and they might easily lose interest in the movie. Also, most of the screening options are really more for adult audiences. I did not go in search of the bathrooms, so I can't speak to the facilities or where they are located. That being said, there are plenty of trash cans around to help keep the sitting areas clean, and guides to help you stick to the right paths, etc. Tickets are $10 at the gate, cash only. I don't think dogs are allowed, even though I did see a woman with a shih tzu (which didn't make a peep all night).


(Brian's afraid I'll take his yummy sandwich, which was the Pulled Short Rib Sandwich from The Larchmont Larder--ps, they will pack picnic dinners for things like the Cinespia screenings and events at the Hollywood Bowl!)

Suggestions on what to bring: blankets to sit on, pillows, extra low beach chairs (the kind that are just a few inches off the ground), possibly bug spray, extra jackets/blankets in case it gets cold, plenty of food and drinks, good walking shoes, cash for tickets/parking.

On our walk back to the car, Brian indulged me in letting me stop for an Astroburger--a great, cheap, simple burger in LA. Tastes like a burger you'd grill at home (sort of a smoky flavor, wide patty, large sesame bun, simple American cheese), but mostly reminds me of the burgers at Portillo's, which is a Chicago institution (and there is a location in Orange County...still have to trek down there to have some!). There are various locations of Astroburger in LA--this one is right on the corner of Gower and Melrose (5001 Melrose Avenue), across the street from Paramount Studios.





I had a cheeseburger for less than $4 and was totally happy! :) Great place for a cheap, fast meal in LA! They also have vegetarian burgers (according to the sign).



(Astroburger...mmm...)

Escondido Falls/Canyon

On Valentine's Day of this year, I headed up to explore Escondido Falls/Canyon in Malibu, with my bestie.

The entrance--for lack of a better description--is just off of PCH, across from Paradise Cove (but slightly south). You'll turn off of PCH on to a small side road called Winding Way that is easy to miss (and I think it's West Winding Way, but not 100% sure). There's a tiny parking lot to park in, or you can park along the edges of the road to the side (which dead ends in a gate, I think). Just read the signs!

After parking, walk up the paved road. You'll be walking through some hills, with beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean and Malibu--and you'll get to see some cool houses. The paved road will dead end after about a mile, with a chain across the road, marking the spot where the trail begins (there is also a path that leads up to the paved road, prior to the chain, which I think might actually be marked with a sign--we kept walking down the road, though). The paths would appear to lead to the same spot...anyway, the paved road turns to a dirt road/path, which you will follow down into the canyon. You pass a small picnic area, but keep on going.



(View of the Pacific, from the paved road.)

We read that, when reaching a fork in the path, the smart thing was to go to the left, so that's what we did every time we came across a fork. It worked out well for us. :) The winding path to the bottom falls is fairly even and level, with a few ups and downs here and there. It's not too narrow, but not too wide either. The path does traverse the stream a few times, so be prepared to hop from rock to rock to cross the stream if there is water present--and be okay with getting your shoes/socks wet!


(RIP somebody's shoe...was left inside the river bed)

I believe the bottom falls are about a mile from the paved road. The hike through the woods is beautiful and often shaded, and you'll see the appearance of more boulders/larger rocks the closer you get to the falls.



(Bottom falls.)


The bottom falls are tall, but not particularly big, if that makes sense. There's a small pool at the base, and I did see a number of children/families in the area. This is the furthest point that I would recommend for any families; any pets; older/less agile folks; anyone afraid of heights. It's a pretty spot for relaxing or even eating a little snack/lunch. In fact, we did see some people with picnic baskets, but that seemed like a long way to walk if you're carrying something heavy!

To get to the two upper sets of falls, there is a steep path uphill to the right of the lower falls. We found it pretty easily, but it is not for the faint of heart! It's the sort of hillside that you scramble up, looking for good footholds/handholds, even branches to help you up. The ground can be loose, so BE CAREFUL.


(Pretty sure this is the view from the base of that first hillside, looking up.)


(Amy climbing up the first incline.)

At the top of that first incline, there is a very, very narrow strip of land leading to the right, and a drop off to the left. Edge your way along the strip to the right, against the brush, and continue upward (on our visit, there was a white strip of cloth tied to a tree at that juncture--on your left if you're going upward--and that's an important marker!!! You'll need it on the way down). There are a few more twists and turns along the cliffs, but it's fairly easy to follow.

Following the paths will lead you along the river and to the middle falls. These are smaller in height, but very cool looking, as the water spills down some boulders in an interesting fashion. As you approach the middle falls, you will walk along the stream and hop from boulder to boulder often. You must jump over the stream/collection pool, via boulders, to get to the point where you can continue higher. This requires climbing up a set of boulders to the left of the middle falls.



(The middle falls.)

The cool thing about the middle falls is that you can actually stand in the water, at the top of the mouth of the waterfall, if you're feeling adventurous (I peeked--wasn't sure that I felt safe enough to wade through the water that was about to rush over a boulder to drop below!). Anyway, after getting to the top of the middle falls, you can continue via two paths--one through some high grasses/shrubs/trees, the other by walking through the stream itself. If you follow the stream backward (which you can do from either path--the shrub path is simply a short cut around a bend in the stream), you will find your way to the gorgeous upper falls.


(Upper falls)

The upper falls themselves are very tall--150 feet?? There's a lot of mossy overhang under the falls, with a larger collection pool and a rope swing, I think. There's a large fallen tree that kinda hangs out to the right of the pool, which you can climb on if you're nimble enough (it's tricky). The tree is a neat place to pose for photos, or to even use as a jumping off point for the pool (I think this is where the rope swing comes into play?).


(Me, on the tree.)

To the left of the pool, there is a way to get up to a man-made wooden ladder, which allows you a peek into the inside of the falls. The ladder isn't terrific, and neither my friend or I felt great about actually boosting ourselves up to crawl inside the cave, as it was VERY slippery & muddy...but I did hear that you might be able to get a true view of the waterfall from the inside if you make it inside that cave-thing (it's low, requiring you to crawl, I would think...)



(Rainbow at the base of the upper falls, above the collection pool.)


The upper falls are really beautiful and would be a nice place to hang out & relax. We did see some folks swimming, too. We also saw more hikers on the cliffs surrounding the falls, but did not investigate any paths in that area.


(Another view of the upper falls.

The way back down is pretty much what you would expect, but I remind you to keep an eye out for that fork in the path at the top of the first big incline, where I mentioned the fabric strip on the tree!!! You'll need to go left there, along that narrow edge of dirt along the shrubs, so you can go back down the less-steep way. We missed the marker and tried to go down a really, really steep, crumbly hillside. It did not go well. At the bottom, there is a sheer drop off of a boulder that you must do if you're going to get down. My friend managed it with help from a bystander below--I chose to scramble (slowly and with some difficulty) back up the hillside, using any means I could to pull myself up--including tree branches--to reach the marker I'd missed.

I would recommend going early--parking is very limited and the path did get more crowded the later it got (I think we arrived around 10:30/11am?). When the path is crowded, you will have to wait for others to pass on the upper trails. Also, wear lots of sunscreen, bring water (and even snacks, if you plan to relax), wear pants (some poison oak and definitely a chance of ticks, I'd think) and good hiking shoes. While we did not see any wildlife, I would bet that there would be rattlesnakes up there in hot weather (especially along the paths to the upper falls, which are more exposed).

Also, for what it's worth...we went a couple of days after it had rained, so there was more water in the stream and in the waterfalls, making for a prettier experience. I've heard that, if you go during a dry spell, there's very little waterfall to experience. So, something to consider...

PROS: beautiful; unusual workout; decent length (~4 miles, plus uphill climbing): free parking/access; good for families/less agile/perhaps even elderly folks/dogs up to the bottom falls

CONS: limited parking; no facilities; upper paths can be tricky/dangerous; crowded later in the day; some poison oak

Santa Ynez Canyon & Waterfall

Today (Memorial Day), my best friend and I went to explore Santa Ynez Canyon & Waterfall, which is in part of Topanga Canyon State Park.

The entrance to the hiking path is located on a side road, off of Palisades (easy to reach from Sunset Blvd). It is at the bottom of a hill, across from the entrances to two gated communities. You can easily park on the street, just read the signs. :)

Upon going down the intial steps, you'll find yourself in a concrete wash sort of area, with a fence protecting a deep cement flood run off area (complete with graffiti). After passing that area, you'll come across some round cement stepping stones that allow you to walk through any shallow standing water, to the actual path.

The path itself is narrow (single file most of the time) and overgrown in spots. There is A LOT of poison oak, so BEWARE! I highly suggest wearing long pants. Also, there are probably ticks in the area (a sign at the trailhead warned of them). The trail itself is rocky at times, so watch your step. It meanders along the interior of the canyon, crossing over dry riverbeds filled with rocks of varying sizes, as well as riverbeds with water flowing through them. The water was not deep when we were there, as it hadn't rained all that recently, but keep in mind that it might not be safe to traverse after the rains (and wear shoes you don't mind getting wet, regardless of when you go).


(A view of part of the riverbed system we walked over/through/along.)

The trail itself does not present a challenge in terms of incline, as it's rather flat most of the way through. However, avoiding the poison oak and some of the overgrown trees is tricky. The further you go into the canyon, the more you'll find yourself scrambling across narrow ridges on the path above the riverbed or over rocks in the riverbed itself.

There is a fork in the trail, which will point you in a couple of directions. It is marked by a wooden post. To get to the waterfall, go right at the post. You'll see a sign designating the trail as the one that heads to the waterfall. The trail is more intense from this point forward, so keep an eye out and be careful! :)



(post at the fork in the trail--make a note that you'll be going to the right on your way in, left on your way out, back toward the highlands, I think)


(Sign. In case it wasn't obvious.)



As you go deeper into the canyon, you'll be able to see high cliff walls framing the path and riverbed. Eventually, the path will lead to a section of larger rocks and boulders. You must scramble over the boulders to continue on the path to the waterfall. It can be tricky, so watch your step and take your time.




(Rocks n' boulders n' stuff along the path.)


At one point, there is a large boulder that you must climb up in order to go any further. That boulder proved to be too much of a challenge for a few hikers that we ran across. There are a few slim footholds, but not a lot of handholds to grasp on to. The boulder itself sits just next to a pool of water along the stream, so be sure to try to keep your feet dry, to add for traction. My friend and I climbed up it by choosing good footholds, being flexible and sticking close to the rock (almost crawling up). Once over that boulder, you'll find yourself in a very rocky canyon, filled with medium to large boulders and boxed in on both sides by rock faces and dirt cliffs.


(The stream finding its way through the canyon.)

Continuing down that canyon, you'll reach the little waterfall at the end, which is a pretty sort of place--somewhere nice to take a breather. There is a small pool at the end, which the waterfall feeds into--it's a little deeper than some of the other pools, but not a place to swim or anything.


(The waterfall at the back of the canyon.)

Some adventurous person anchored two climbing ropes along the side of one huge boulder, so as to allow people to climb up and continue exploring. My friend was able to get up the rope, but had a hard time at the top (and that's saying something, because she's a personal trainer and fit as hell). I got about halfway up and saw no feasible way to continue. I had wet shoes (so no traction) and my upper body strength isn't as great as it would probably need to be to scale the boulder with a rope and no footholds (Did I mention that it's pretty much a flat, bald face that is probably 12 feet high?).


(Adventurous Amy, trying to figure out how to get back down off that huge boulder.)

I do not know where the trail at the top of the ropes leads to--perhaps another waterfall?--but I am sorry that I wasn't able to get up there, because it looked beautiful. :)


(The view of the way back out, from the base of the waterfall.)

The walk back out was pretty, but getting down some of the rocks we'd climbed up/over was tricky at times. Just take your time--should be okay. We also walked for a while down the riverbed, jumping from rock to rock and shore to shore, instead of dealing with the poison oak on the paths. The path does intersect with the riverbed a few times, so you'll be able to pick it up again to get out, if you pay attention.

Overall, the hike itself was easy on the paths, moderate to difficult once inside the canyon because of the boulders. I did see a number of families with children, even up at the waterfall, so it might be a good place for a family hike, if your kids are adventurous. No dogs are allowed, so just keep that in mind. :) We didn't see a whole lot of wildlife--one lizard, one frog, some birds and dragonflies/butterflies.


(Hiya Mr. Lizard! He ran off right after I took the photo--a little kid was chasing him.)

Be sure to wear sunscreen and bring water, maybe even a little snack. And, again, wear long pants--and good hiking/walking shoes! Enjoy!

PROS: decent length (maybe 4 miles round trip, if the signs were correct); good for families; quiet and peaceful; scenic; unusual workout; not crowded; often shaded; fairly clean; free parking/admittance

CONS: tons of poison oak (wear long pants!!); no bathroom facilities; possiblity of ticks (again, wear long pants); difficult to manuever at the end (requires good hiking shoes)

Welcome...

Welcome to my newest blogging adventure!

I've been thinking for a while, "Hey, I'd really like to blog about the fun stuff I find to eat in LA, and the cool places I find along the way." So, here I am!

I'm an amateur foodie, and I'm picky, but I loooooooove what I eat. I love sharing the places I find that I think are awesome. Finding a cool new place to eat, or a new hike, or a neat little store...so much fun!

Anyway, here's hoping you enjoy what I've got to say! :)