#150: Mandeville Canyon Hike

I am loving these Brentwood hikes! Brad and I took a stroll through Westridge-Canyonback Wilderness Park in the Santa Monica Mountains this weekend. We took the Mandeville Canyon trail, which has two routes. You can either go to the left on the fire road, or you can go to the right and hike up hill. Which one should you take? Well if you want a leisurely stroll that is a little more shady, stay on the flat fire road. If you are looking for a work-out with amazing views up top, hike up the hills.

The hike up the hills

There were a lot of mountain bikers on this trail, and some dog walkers as well. The hike itself isn't that shady, but we went late in the afternoon and the temperature was perfect. This is an out and back hike, 3.9 miles total. From Sunset, turn north on Mandeville Canyon Road and left on Westridge. Drive all the way up to the top of Westridge and park on the street for free.

Magnificent view at the beginning of the trail

The best part of the hike was the view. Just like the Top of Kenter hike (#149), you can see everything from the ocean to Mt. Baldy!

Mandeville Canyon Hike

The beginning of the hike

It's the same house on the cleared hill top that we saw on the Sullivan Canyon Hike!

Downtown

It's the Top of Kenter Trail!

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#149: Top of Kenter Hike

Another Brentwood hike! This one was hot, hilly and unshaded, but we were rewarded with a magnificent panoramic view of the city. From the top of Kenter we could see smog tinged Downtown, crystal clear snow capped Mt. Baldy, the Getty, and everything in between.

From Sunset, go north on Kenter and just keep going. It's windy and long, but you'll eventually reach the end. Park for free on the street. When we were there, it wasn't that crowded. Most of the people were walking dogs or on bikes. Next to the fire road there is a BMX course carved out of the hills! The hike is 3.7 miles long and is an out-and-back hike. It is rated as "moderate/difficult" probably because of the steep inclines.

The area is open until 8 pm, so we want to go back to watch the sunset one of these days. The view from the top must be breath taking at that hour!

Top Of Kenter/Kenter Fire Road

brad and arthur. we saw a home that had its own orchard!

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#148: Sullivan Canyon Hike

Our friend Arthur frequently takes his dog walking in Sullivan Canyon. Brad and I decided to join him this weekend, and we instantly fell in love with this gorgeous shady hike. Although you don't get a panoramic view, the golden leaves and the twisting streams that frequently cross your path make it feel like you've escaped the city.

The Sullivan Canyon hike starts at the end of Queensferry Road in Brentwood. From Sunset, turn north on Mandeville Canyon, right at Westridge Road, left on Bayliss Road and veer left on Queensferry. Park for free on Bayliss or Queensferry Road. It's a 10 mile loop, but we decided to just turn back around since the sun was setting and none of us wanted to do a serious hike.

There weren't very many people around, and most of those who were there were either with dogs or on bikes. The path was flat and wide. The only "tricky" part was the giant concrete "waffles" on the ground near certain parts of the stream. (They were actually only tricky for Brad--for some reason he kept tripping on them. :P)

This setting brought out the little kid in me. I think it was all the stream crossings. I ended up running/skipping/galloping most of the way and jumping over each crossing. It was really easy to run since it was shady and flat, so I would love to come back here for more exercise.

Who lives here?

On our way back, we saw a beautiful house on the top of a cleared hill. It looked like a painting. Does anyone know who lives there?

Sullivan Canyon

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#56: The Getty Center

Photo from spf-news

Who has not visited this art institution? One of my friends gave me the best Getty tip which I have yet to try: Assuming you're not a football fan, go to the Getty Center on Super Bowl day. She said that the center is the most deserted you'll ever see it, and you'll have the whole place to yourself! Well, not exactly to yourself: I'll be there too. ;)

The Getty Center in Brentwood is on every L.A. tourist's agenda, and with good reason; there's fantastic art and architecture at every turn. My favorite area is the garden. Bring a camera because there are great views of the city here too.

Getty Center