Runyonland

In the Hills of Hollywood, there is a 160 acre oasis of hiking trails with spectacular views of LA called Runyon Canyon. It is a mere four blocks up the hill from Rock N’Roll Ralph’s (more on that craziness some other time). It’s a great place to walk your dog, in fact, you should be a dog person if you want to hike. Since the majority of the canyon is an off-leash area, you will definitely receive love from some dogs at some point on your hike. Which, admittedly, is pretty cool.

But - I must say, that this is no easy hike. You go from just a few feet above sea level all the way up to 1320 feet above sea level at Mulholland Drive. And it’s not a very lengthy hike, which makes Runyon no joke at all. I will compare it to this: On the Riviera in France and Italy, you can drive on a seriously curvy highway on top of cliffs that overlook the Mediterranean Sea. Some friends and I were freaking out about the 200 foot drop into the sea with no railing, when some 80 year old Italian dude on a Vespa flies past us (on the outside!) while smoking a cigarette like it was nothing! Crikey! Well, my first few times up Runyon were akin to that, with less fear but more embarrassment. There I was, huffing and puffing and considering turning around, when some 80 year old man ran right by me! Seriously. RAN. I couldn’t believe it, and the only reason I do now is because I have since learned there are people who’ve been using this canyon for exercise and sightseeing since it was opened as a public park. I’m no athlete, but I’m no couch potato either, I definitely get my regular exercise. It’s been a while since I’ve seriously thought about turning around, but the other day my “heat was up” as we say (namaste) and I was working when a literary agent I know quickly jaunted up behind me, chatted quickly, and was off like the wind. All the while with a baby on his back. On his fucking back!

As you can tell, being right smack in Hollywood makes Runyon Canyon an interesting cross-section of Angelenos. I go often enough to have a good feeling about who is a regular and who is trying it on. One athlete in particular gets his daily exercise by running up and down several times each visit, several times each week! It is not uncommon to see actors or other “celebrities” getting their hike on right along with some random Bubby. Everyone, no matter who, knows that they will not be bothered up in Runyonland.

I will repeat, it is a difficult hike! It is not a gentle stroll in the park. But the views of LA and the hills (including the BEST view of the Hollywood sign) are unparalleled. As a friend of mine said, “I totally thought my heart was gonna to pop, then I saw the most beautiful view of downtown I have ever experienced. I could even see the ocean.”

That is what Runyon Canyon is all about. This city is an urban experience, and I could easily get all of my exercise inside a gym while watching TV but I’d miss the sound of the birds. And the view of the mountains. And the smell of wild rosemary. Or the way only we know what fresh clouds smell and taste like. It’s about balance.




© 2008 MD TOTAL all rights reserved.

The American Riviera

Call me elitist, but in California, I prefer the beaches of Malibu to any other. (If warmth was not a factor, then Baker Beach in San Francisco wins hands down.) Malibu is a real schlep from Hollywood, but easily worth the trip. The beaches are beautiful, and Zuma Beach in particular faces southwest which means that you will get more sun all day long than if it faced just west or east. Saying that it is a clean beach makes me seem somewhat girlie, but sue me if I think having to watch for hypodermic needles in the sand is tired. You get the mountains to look at and no dogs are allowed. Don’t get me wrong, I like dogs! But in LA, if everyone brought their dogs to the beach, it would get seriously noisy and I enjoy hearing the waves crash. I only found out about the dog rule a couple of days ago, when the people next to me had two extremely adorable and admittedly bitty dogs with them. These were some very cool, happy and playful dogs. Ten minutes after they had settled (which, by the way was just enough time for them to apply sunblock and get their salad lunch together and start eating. I was impressed by the fact that they were able to toss a fucking salad at the beach like it wasn’t no thang, you know…?) SO- five bites into their salad, no less than three Malibu Police Officers ride up on four-wheeled ATVs. I don’t hear what is said, but I just knew it was about the dogs. Luckily, they didn’t get a ticket, cause Malibu Cops don’t play. They pack up and leave, which is the saddest of all because unless you live in Malibu proper, Zuma isn’t close to anywhere in LA, it’s even 20 minutes from Santa Monica.

Being 20 minutes from Santa Monica is what makes Zuma different from every other LA beach. It is not the crowd than you would expect. The distance keeps a lot of people away, and the people that do come are truly beach people. Best of all, it is much more than a mix of upper class Malibu residents, it’s a good cross-section of the Los Angeles middle class in general. People of every color, shape and size all play together happily, and it’s all so friendly. People go to play in the water and leave their stuff on their blankets without the worry of theft. And when the sea gulls try to take their food, we shoo them away, even going as far as hiding the food in their beach bags. I have gone to the bathroom and asked my blanket neighbor to look after my stuff because I was alone, and packing up would have been a major waste of time.

Zuma also happens to be down the hill from Malibu High School. I cannot imagine what life would be like going to high school two blocks from one of the greatest beaches in the continental US. It is so close to the school that students often surf at lunch! Crikey! In late spring, when it’s hot enough to swim but school is still in session, this beach is a popular destination for the kids to skip class. I know that’s where I’d be. As soon as I saw the high school, I immediately felt I’d be doing my imaginary future children a disservice by not living in Malibu and sending them to school there, it’s that great.

Zuma is an old school beach, with lifeguard towers, and food shacks that are permanent structures that are architecturally the same as the lookout tower/helipad and restrooms/showers. There is something distinctly Euro about having permanent buildings where you can get real cooked food, and sit in a chair on concrete under an umbrella or awning. They even play house music from time to time! The landscape is such a chaparral, the water is so azure, that it is easy to call Malibu the American Riviera.




© 2008 MD TOTAL all rights reserved.