Tuesday, July 12, 2011

#195: The Gentle Barn

Vegan, a blind cow

The Gentle Barn. The name conjures a place where pot bellied pigs lounge contentedly in the sun, horses smile at you as you pass by, and cows lean in for a hug every now and then. The animals here are happy, no doubt about it. Check out the grin on this little guy:



At Santa Clarita's Gentle Barn, you'll interact with some of the sweetest and most inspiring animals you'll ever meet. It's hard to believe that all of these gentle natured creatures were rescued by the Barn from neglect, abuse and slaughter. These animals are living proof that you can bounce back from a lifetime of cruel treatment. Here's the heart wrenching story of how the smiling horse above named Bonsai found his way to the Barn:

Bonsai lived with an alcoholic woman for the first 6 years of his life. When she was sober all was good, but when she was drunk Bonsai would get punched in the face. At 6 years old, he decided he would never trust humans again. It took us two and half years to get him to change his mind. He now works with autistic kids and gives them all the gentleness and kindness he wishes he could have had when he was a baby. (~from the Gentle Barn's website)


Brad and I took the 35 minute trip out to Santa Clarita last weekend, and I can definitely say that my $5 entry fee was well spent. The place was surprisingly busy for a hot Sunday afternoon--families with their children, couples, young and old came out to nurture these lovely animals.

Buddha

We started by paying a visit to Buddha, the gentlest cow you will ever meet. Buddha has arthritis, and she is the barn's therapy cow. When disabled kids come to visit, they gather around Buddha and hug her and pet her.


After giving Buddha a hug, we visited the horse area. For $2, you can buy a bag of carrots and feed the horses. The feeling of a horse's lips on your hands is pretty funny.


After petting the horses, we went to where the smaller animals were housed. Here we pet giant pot bellied pigs, docile goats, chickens, a couple of small cows, some shy llamas, a very vocal turkey, and a sweet emu.

photo from gentlebarn

On our way out we visited the gift shop and the Vegan food booths. The barn is open from 10 am - 2 pm every Sunday. This was such an inspiring place to visit. I highly recommend taking the drive to check it out!


Have you been to the Gentle Barn? What did you think of it? Leave me a comment below!



at 8:50 AM 2 comments
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Monday, July 11, 2011

#194: The Tar Pits at Towsley Canyon




My friend Mike hikes all over L.A., so when he told me that Towsley Canyon in Santa Clarita was one of his favorite hikes in the area, I knew I had to check it out.

Towsley Canyon used to be an oil drilling site. Native Americans were the first humans to use the oil in the canyon. In 1865, a settler named Darius Towsley filed the first placer claim in the canyon and other settlers soon took over. Although the wells are now gone, oil still seeps up through the earth, forming rivers and pits along the trail.


Mike and I started the hike at 3:30 pm last Saturday, thinking that we would beat the noonday heat. Unfortunately, the sun was still blazing hot. I think that 5 or 5:30 would have been a much better start time. After walking on a dirt road for a mile, we came to the Narrows--an area where the canyon walls... well.. narrow.


Out of the Narrows, we went up a series of switchbacks for about 1.5 miles, then went over the ridge of the mountain, and descended. Near the end of the hike was a clearing with a large tar pit on the left.


Ever since my visit to the La Brea Tar Pits (#25), I always wondered what tar felt like. Without the restriction of a fence here, I giddily grabbed a stick and prodded the viscous black liquid, which bubbled and gurgled in response. Note all of the other twigs stuck in the pit; apparently I wasn't the first one with that idea.



We also encountered my arch nemesis, biting flies, after the Narrows. Those buggers successfully bit me a couple of times before I stuck my arms in my shirt and hiked the remaining 3.5 miles without arms. Anytime a fly landed on me, I shouted "Get away! I hate you!", making Mike uncomfortable whenever we encountered other hikers, lest they think I was directing those insults at him.

Besides the flies and the heat, however, Towsley Canyon was a gorgeous and enjoyable hike; I can see why it's one of Mike's favorites. Just be sure to go early in the morning or late in the afternoon.


Tips for your visit:
  • The Towsley Loop hike is 5.1 miles, but if you don't want to hike that far, you can do about a 1 mile out-and-back hike to the main tar pit. If you wish to do the shorter hike, be sure to go in the clockwise direction via the first trail head on your left. The pit will be on your right.
  • There's a gravel parking lot when you turn in. Park here--it's free. If you go just a bit farther down the road, you will see a sign indicating a lot for which you must pay a parking fee. It doesn't make any sense to park there since the free lot is so close.
  • Since it's a loop, you can either go in the clockwise or counter-clockwise direction. We did the counter-clockwise loop. Both directions require steep ascents, but the counter-clockwise ascent is shorter and has switchbacks. The clockwise ascent is longer and steeper.
  • When you walk along the dirt road from the parking lot, you will see a sign for Towsley Loop on your left. That trail takes you in the clockwise direction. If you continue down the dirt road, you will soon see another sign for Towsley Loop directly in front of you. This trail takes you in the counter-clockwise direction.

See that sign on the left? That's the trail to go in the clockwise direction.

  • When we were descending, the trail forked a few times, but the forks met up with each other later. Just remember to keep going down.
  • We encountered about 10 groups of people during our hike, which took about 2.5 hours.
Have you been to the Towsley Canyon Tar Pits? What did you think of it? Leave me a comment below!



at 5:42 PM 2 comments
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Saturday, July 9, 2011

#193: The Grammy Museum




When I hear the word "museum," I imagine walking around reading little captions on the walls. I wasn't ready for what was waiting for me at the Grammy Museum in Downtown L.A.. The Grammy Museum is so much more than a museum; it engages your sight, hearing, and touch--a full multi-sensory experience.


My friend Marlena and I had been talking about visiting the museum for a while now, so once school got out, we headed over for some music education.


As we entered the lobby, we were greeted by Keith Moon's drum set and a friendly docent who shuttled us up the elevator to the fourth floor. From there, we entered "The Grammy Room" where Grammys from past decades are on display. Through the Grammy Room is a larger space where we saw memorabilia and artifacts, including Taylor Swift's boots, Pavarotti's suit, and John Lennon's penned lyrics.


My favorite thing on this level was a touch/listening station. With headphones on, you look down at a touch-screen with different genres of music floating across it. "Two Tone," "Third Stream," "Hard Bop"--you can touch whatever genre catches your fancy and it will start playing the music and show a description of the genre. Around the description is a cloud of other genres related to the one you chose. You can select another genre, and so on, which will send you on a musical journey that can take you from "Art Rock" to "Zydeco." Seeing how many musical genres exist in the world was an ear opening experience for me.


Down a level, we found a stage set up with two electric drum kits and guitars. Surrounding the stage are hand drums and two keyboards. I had a blast playing along to different types of music and discovering what all the guitar pedals do. The third floor also holds tons of costumes, from Michael Jackson, J.Lo (the infamous green Grammy dress), Cee-Lo, Barbara Streisand, and more. There are even a bunch of listening booths where you can practice your mixing and mastering skills. Don't miss the booth next to the Michael Jackson gloves, where you can listen to different Grammy performances as if they were coming through a gramophone, an old record player, a stereo record player, a cassette recorder, mp3 earbuds and surround sound 5.1. Of course, surround sound trounced them all.


On the second floor there's a gift shop, the current Bob Marley exhibit (running till October 2), and the Clive Davis Theater. Click here to see all the upcoming events at the Clive Davis Theater.

Tickets to the museum are regularly $12.95 for adults, but with a KCRW discount, it is $10. The museum is located at L.A. Live, 800 W. Olympic Blvd. Photography is not allowed in the museum.



Have you been to the Grammy Museum? What did you think of it? Leave me a comment below!



at 9:32 AM 5 comments
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Thursday, July 7, 2011

#192: Franklin Canyon Park



I don't know at what point I became a walking junkie, but it's safe to say that I've mastered my signature move: putting one foot in front of the other. Recently I've gone on so many walks and hikes that I thought nothing could cramp my style. Then the temperatures climbed this past week. Hiking in the blazing sun is like eating liver flavored ice cream--a typically fun experience gone bad.

Thankfully there are two remedies for summer hiking: do an early morning hike or find a shady hike. Which one did I choose? If you said "find a shady hike," you know me well. ;)


Mike and I set off to Franklin Canyon in Beverly Hills the other day at noon. The sun was in full force, but much of Franklin Canyon is shaded. As you drive through Franklin Canyon, you'll eventually catch glimpses of a large body of water on your left; that's the man-made lake known as Upper Franklin Reservoir (see the picture at the top).

Heavenly Pond

The Upper Franklin Reservoir is the beauty of the park; it gets its photo taken all the time and it's what the park is known for. I, however, prefer its little sister nearby, Heavenly Pond. At first glance, it's not very striking. A peek under the surface, however, reveals its true beauty. I'm talking about turtles--tons of them--and beautiful red carp, and even little baby geese. Awww.



We walked all over the park, went down Lake Blvd and back, searched for Wild Pond (never found it), passed a grass hut, and did a short loop trail.


Even though the park is close to busy Sunset Blvd, it seems very much secluded from the rest of the city. And while the trails are not long, there are many to choose from. Here are some tips for your visit:
  • There are two stop signs in the park that have cameras on them. You'll see the words "Photo Enforced" under the signs. Be careful or else you'll get a hefty ticket in the mail!
  • Be sure to check out the Sooky Goldman Nature Center, which has a stuffed mountain lion and hands-on displays for the kids.
  • Every Wednesday at 7 pm in the summer, the park hosts Family Campfire Evenings. Call the park for more info.

  • Click here for a trail map. The directions say to come from the 101, but you can also get there from Sunset Blvd. Just enter it into google maps and it will give you the shortest way.


Have you been to Franklin Canyon Park? What did you think of it? Leave me a comment below!


at 11:58 AM 0 comments
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Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Summer Fun! Things To Do and See in L.A. this Summer 2011



Whew, it sure is hot over here! Summertime has hit L.A. and I'm ready to bask in the sun and soak up that Vitamin D. To celebrate the dog days, here's my Summer 2011 list:



The Channel Islands are just a short boat ride away, but seem like another world. See eagles, lizards, foxes and sea lions at these island sanctuaries. You have your choice of five islands to visit and can either camp or do a day trip.




This O.C. event runs from July to August and features "live art"--that's right, real people actually posing in the art. You've gotta see it to believe it!




Don't know what to do with the kids this summer? Sky High in Costa Mesa is a tiny tot's dream come true; imagine wall to wall trampolines and a foam pit! Adults can enjoy this place too--they have dodgeball games and even "airobics" classes.



photo from kidsclubzilla

The GCC is the only facility in the world dedicated solely to protecting Gibbons. Tours are by appointment only and are $7-$12 per person with a $100 group minimum, so grab a bunch of your friends and make a day of it!



photo from hollywoodlegend

With thousands of rocky outcrops peeking out of the green hillside, this Chatsworth park makes for a great rock scrambling playground. This is where The Lone Ranger was filmed.



photo from alltrails

This Malibu hike was featured as one of the L.A. Mag's Ten Great Walks. They have it as as a 6.8 mile roundtrip hike, but if that's too far for you, I found this site which makes it into a 4-mile figure 8 hike.



Saturdays off the 405 is a free summer concert series at the Getty. Get there early to see the art and avoid traffic getting into the parking lot.




This is for all you westsiders who complain about having to drive to the eastside for good music. McCabe's serves up your weekly dose of live folk, country and rock music in an intimate concert setting. Added bonus: McCabe's is a guitar shop and concert venue in one.




Every Thursday evening of July, displaced westside indie hipsters converge on the Hammer Museum in Westwood for a free night of music and art.


Other Things To Do:

Culver City Music Festival: Eight free concerts on Thursday evenings starting July 7th

Santa Monica Pier Twilight Dance Series: Free summer concerts at the pier


Grand Performances (#130): Free summer concert series in downtown



The Hollywood Museum: a must-see for Old Hollywood lovers

The Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden: a zen garden in Long Beach

The Gamble House: take a tour of this National Historic Landmark, which was owned by David and Mary Gamble of the Procter and Gamble Company.


****Be sure to also check out last year's list of Things to Do and See in L.A. Summer 2010.****


at 11:10 AM 4 comments
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