Ten Favorite Posts from ExperiencingLA.com

Here's a collection of some favorite posts from ExperiencingLA.com - ten to be precise. Feel free to click on the link for more information, and (in most cases) more photographs. Above, is a view from the Huntley Hotel in Santa Monica, looking north up the coast. 

A sea anemonea, in the tidepools at  the edge of the L.A. city limits, just north of the Pacific Coast Highway and Surfview Drive. Best time to go is at low tide. 

Randy's Dounuts, at Manchester and La Cienega (just off the 405) in Inglewood. One of the best examples of mid-century "programmatic architecture" - as well as yummy donuts. 

The Crossroads of the World center, located on Sunset Blvd in Hollywood, three blocks south of Hollywood Blvd. Opened in 1936, it is described as America's first outdoor shopping mall. 

My wife and I with our kids and their three cousins. This was taken a couple of years back at the Los Angeles Live Steamers in Griffith Park.  

A walk around Bungalow Heaven, a beautiful historic neighborhood in Pasadena. This is one of dozens of "urban hikes" I took around Los Angeles -- although it's a real stretch to classify this neighborhood as "urban."

Topanga State Park, a 17 square mile park - located entirely within the Los Angeles City Limits. It's considered the world's largest wildland within the boundaries of a major city.

Olvera Street, located downtown and considered the "oldest street in Los Angeles" Great memories coming here as a kid; great memories coming here with my kids. 

The contrast of costal fog and ridges of the Santa Monica Mountains on an early morning hike. This is from the Paseo Miramar Trail located in the Pacific Palisades district of Los Angeles, looking east at sunrise. 

An evening at the Getty Center just off the 405 Freeway, our last month living in Los Angeles. 

Really, these are just a sample of some of our favorite posts. Have fun exploring others on this site.

In the next day or two, ExperiencingLA.com will have had a quarter of a million visits. Seems like a good milestone to step away from this site for a couple of months - at least in terms of new posts. I'll put a "final something" up next week. 

© 2013 www.experiencingla.com



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Experiencing L.A. in Sullivan Canyon, Santa Monica Mountains

Sullivan Canyon - Santa Monica Mountains, Los Angeles

I took this photograph about 20 years ago while mountain biking in the Santa Monica Mountains. This was back before digital photography. Back when we used film and it actually cost money to take photographs. This was only one of two photographs I remember taking that day. 

I had a copy of this photograph in my living room. Everyone always wanted to know where I took it. People were suprised - shocked - when I told them "Los Angeles."

We were on this trail during the winter. Great time to go. After some rain, parts of the trail became a creek. 

Here's a link to the trailhead, as well as a few more photos. Have fun exploring. 

View Sullivan Canyon, Los Angeles in a larger map

© 2012 www.experiencingla.com


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Sunrise Over Los Angeles

When we lived in Los Angeles, I took regular morning hikes in the Santa Monica Mountains with a couple other guys from the church we were invovled with. We try to get together once a week to hike, as well as to pray for each other, our families, and the larger community.


The the low coastal fog yesterday morning made for an especially spectacular sunrise. Wow.


Equally as impressive was the fog up against the Santa Monica Mountains. In the distance is the faint outline of the San Gabriel Mountains.


A lone palm tree peaking up through otherwise shrouded hillside homes here in Los Angeles. Click on any of these photos if you'd like a larger view.

A view out towards the ocean. By mid-morning this fog burned off, but we were able to enjoy it as it hugged the mountains.

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"In the morning, O LORD, You hear my voice;

..in the morning I lay my requests before You and wait in expectation."

..Psalm 5:3

originally published 9/13/2009

© 2011 www.experiencingla.com

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Sunrise Over Los Angeles

Yesterday morning involved an early morning hike in the Santa Monica Mountains with a couple other guys from church. We try to get together once a week to hike, as well as to pray for each other, our families, and the larger community.

The the low coastal fog yesterday morning made for an especially spectacular sunrise.

Equally as impressive was the fog up against the Santa Monica Mountains. In the distance is the faint outline of the San Gabriel Mountains.

A lone palm tree peaking up through otherwise shrouded hillside homes here in Los Angeles.

A view out towards the ocean. By mid-morning this fog burned off, but we were able to enjoy it as it hugged the mountains.

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"In the morning, O LORD, You hear my voice;

..in the morning I lay my requests before You and wait in expectation."

..Psalm 5:3

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Andy Griffith Lake (Upper Franklin Canyon Reservoir)

Remember the old Andy Griffith Show? Franklin Canyon Reservoir, located here in Los Angeles, stood in for that North Carolina lake . . . 

. . .  where Andy Griffith and a much younger Ron Howard walked to go fishing during the opening credits.


Franklin Canyon Reservoir is a small (three acre) lake located just north of Beverly Hills in the Santa Monica Mountains. The Santa Monica Mountains cut through the heart of the city of L.A., dividing the San Fernando Valley from the rest of Los Angeles. According to the National Park Service website http://www.nps.gov/samo, this lake is technically the geographic center of the city of Los Angeles. I know, it's unbelievable. The lake, the hills, the trees (and the fact that I tried to avoid photographing homes that you can see from the lake) really gives the illusion of being hundreds of miles from the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles.


Early Thanksgiving Day about five years ago I took my kids and members of my extended family to see the lake, and walk around. There is a very simple, easy trail - great for little kids. It's took about 30 minutes to walk around the lake (we took our time). It's really a special little gem in Los Angeles and, of course, is still used as a location for films and television shows.


When I think about walking, specifically walking with my kids, I'm reminded of what Moses told the people of Israel some 3,500 years ago:

"These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down, and when you get up ..." Deuteronomy 6:7,8.

I love this challenge to believers to integrate their faith into their every day life with their children, rather than compartmentalizing it to a once a week activity. Plenty of places to do that in Los Angeles - including Franklin Canyon Reservoir.


Oh yeah, and ducks. I'm not sure if there are ducks there year round, but they were definitely around when we were there in November.

More info on the old Andy Griffith show and Franklin Canyon Reservoir (which went by the name "Myers Lake" in the show). can be found at: http://www.radoknews.com/andy-griffith-show-part-2.html

The address is "2600 Franklin Canyon, Los Angeles, CA" if you're trying to find it on google maps.