Laura Randall's Blog

Delivered March 14, 2023

Dear Jack,

I didn’t intend to write this letter on Pi Day, but here it is. I want you to know that I have enjoyed going through the whole messy, frustrating, and challenging college search process with you. Don’t fall over. I know I yelled and nagged and criticized and was relieved (though not as relieved as you) when all the applications were done. But I feel like I got to know you better through the essays and related discussions and I’ll always be grateful for t...

This one in San Clemente deserves a closer look, especially when options are limited.

A forest emergency closure was extended to Sept. 22 this week for the Angeles, Cleveland and San Bernardino forests. That’s why I recently found myself on a trail I wouldn’t normally choose: Peaceful Valley Trail in San Clemente. My son wanted to take his mountain bike for a spin, and I wanted to get an outdoor cardio workout, the closer to the beach (and cooler temperatures), the better.

At first, P...

It was a double whammy for Southern California hikers this Labor Day weekend: all national forests were closed due to wildfire risk and temperatures were expected to hover in the nineties pretty much everywhere but the beach. What to do? Here are three close-to-home trails that I turn to when it’s hot and I’m looking for a hassle-free hike with minimal social contact. The forest closure is in effect until Sept. 17, though it could be lifted or extended at any time.

Ocean Trails Reserve, R...

Name: West Ridge Trail to Top of the World

Length: 5 miles out and back

Exposure: Sunny, minimal shade

Scenery: Seasonal wildflowers, panoramic views of the ocean and urban sprawl

Traffic: Expect lots of mountain bikers and people on weekends. Weekdays are generally quiet.

Three time’s the charm. It took three visits and three different starting points to understand the allure of the trails at Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park. The first time I hiked the Aliso Summit...

Kenter was one of my go-to hikes in 2020. Popular trails like Runyon and Eaton Canyon were overrun with newbies looking to get out of their homes, and I avoided them like the plague (sorry). Kenter, not far off the 405 and Sunset Boulevard, was never crowded, and the wide fire road allowed for easy social distancing. I saw more dogs than people on this hike, and the city-to-ocean views are unforgettable.

Length: 2-4 miles round trip.

Exposure: No shade on the trail.

Scenery: C...

I am ashamed to admit that until recently I had never even heard of O’Melveny Park in Granada Hills, let alone hiked its trails. It is L.A.’s second largest park behind Griffith, its flashier, better-known neighbor to the south. There’s no observatory at O’Melveny, but there are groves of lemon trees, fewer crowds and sweeping views that will take your breath away on a clear day.

Name: Top of O’Melveny

Length: 4 miles, moderate with bursts of steep elevation gain

Exposure: Sunny...

I’m all about moderate hikes these days. My dog loves hiking but she can’t handle the heat or any sharp elevation gains, so I’m always on the lookout for a three-to-five mile trail that offers a decent workout and some features that keep it interesting for me. I found a good one in Irvine Regional Park recently. Here are the details:

Name: Horseshoe Trail to Puma Ridge

Length: 3 miles (you can add another mile by doing a figure-eight loop that combines the Horseshoe and Puma Ridge ...

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I was happier than many Angelenos when self-quarantine measures took effect last month.  I love exploring the city and all its resources, but traffic has been so consistently bad and trails overrun with hikers in recent years that I found myself sticking closer to home. After most people started working from home, though, freeways and sidewalks seemed to empty overnight. I immediately started a list: Echo Mountain in Altadena, Aliso and Woods Canyons in Orange County, the Venice Canals,...

2 adults, 2 kids

13 days, 13 nights

5 nights on a train

4 nights in chain hotels in San Antonio and New Orleans

4 nights in a cozy attic suite near Logan Square in Chicago

Cost for train travel only: $788 (full disclosure: we used guest award points for 1 leg, which saved about $300)

Cost for train travel + lodging: $1,469.14 (full disclosure: we used award points for 2 hotel nights)

And here we go

The historic buildings of Heritage Square can be glimpsed from the 110 Freeway, a quick blur of patterned brick chimneys and Queen Anne turrets as the car whizzes by Avenue 43 north toward Pasadena. But to really experience this living history museum, its necessary to exit the freeway and follow the signs past a long row of tract houses and chain-link fencing to its formidable entrance gates.

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Behind the gates sit a cluster of beautifully restored 19th-century houses, along with a Southern...