Topanga Canyon Adventures

TRAVEL BY NIC…….The Perpetual Tourist!

Topanga Canyon Adventures

Wow!  I haven’t made a post for quite awhile!  Trust me, I’ve still been going on my adventures, I just haven’t found the time to set down and put pen to paper….or fingers to keyboard!

So we’ve cruised around the Canyon roads of LA before, but I forgot how beautiful and relaxing it is!  For all of you out there that picture the typical craziness of LA, I urge you to venture onto the Canyon roads.  We started our adventures from PCH in Malibu.  We turned at Pepperdine University and worked our way up Malibu Canyon.  Right away you notice the beautiful view of the ocean you are leaving behind and entering the green hills and curvy roads that lie ahead.  Our 1^st stop was the Paramount Ranch, rather than me telling you to turn left on Mulholland and then right on Cornell, I suggest you GPS Paramount Ranch!  But then it’s ok to get lost in the canyons!

Paramount Ranch has been on my list of “must see” for a long time!  It is FREE to walk around this abandoned set out in the Canyon.  You will find a whole Western Town to wander around.  Isn’t it sad that instead of picturing  a shoot out, a bar brawl, horses galloping through town or cowboys spurs clinging on the wooden walk; I picture a film crew here filming the actors doing all that while sitting over to the side eating a Big Mac!  You cannot get into any of the buildings, but you can peak into some of them.  For the most part it is a boarded up set waiting to be used, to come alive with signage, windows, and “Action”!  I’d say there were about 8 or 9 buildings.  You’ll find a hotel, bar, jail, barn and barber shop to name a few.  The Sheriff’s office is the only building they had open for us and inside was a jail which was great for photo opps!  So I bet your wondering….what has been filmed there?!  Dr Quinn, HBO Carnivale, Love Bug, The Virginian to name a few.  The land/hills were used for other filming projects like M*A*S*H, Flintstones and many more.  We did not participate in this but they do offer “Silents Under the Stars”.  During the summer you can have a unique movie experience watching silent films under the stars. It sounds like a fun activity that is only $6!!  It’s just working your way out there at night and living about 2 hours away….ya know heart is willing but the body gets tired!!

From there we found The Rock Store!  The Rock Store is really a cafe where bikers hang out but it has had its share of celebrities stop by and its share of screen time!  The Rock Store is not far from the Paramount Ranch.. It was named after the river rocks used to build this cafe 1925.  The cafe is often used for commercials & feature films when a country gas station is needed.  You may recognize it from some of the following shows:   “Cobra” with Sylvester Stallone, “Mother” with Albert Brooks, and “The Sweetest Thing” with Christina Applegate & Cameron Diaz.

In-between the Paramount Ranch and the Rock Store is the Peter Strauss Ranch.  While Peter Strauss was working on Rich Man Poor Man, he loved the area so much that he purchased it!  That is how Peter Strauss Ranch came to be.  We drove into the parking lot but did not get out and explore. The ranch looks like a BEAUTIFUL place to go on hikes and explore but we more interested in the unique little Canyon stop across the road. 

So what’s across the road?!  The Old Place is across the road!  You can’t miss these cute worn western buildings with an old 50’s pick up sitting out front.  Right away I was attracted to the rugged stone path and the wooden adirondack chairs sitting outside.  I could picture myself relaxing and watching the cars go by on the Canyon road.  The Old Pace was a 1930’s general store and post office.  Some of the stars that have partied there are Al Pacino, Goldie Hawn, Jackson Browne, Bob Dylan and Steve McQueen.  I encourage you to stop,  get out and walk around, the place is so charming!  We had already eaten, but someday I would love to have a meal at The Old Place!  So stay tuned for info one day!

Next we ventured over to Topanga Canyon, as you curve your way into this artsy little town I say stop and sit a spell!  Topanga means “above place” and it’s a hideaway for recluses, outcasts and nature lovers.  One our favorite places to shop is a super fun vintage store "Hidden Treasurers".  Everywhere you turn in that store you appreciate their creativeness displaying their vintage finds!  Do any of you remember watching “Boy Meets World”?  I always thought Topanga, in the show, had such a strange name…..now I get it!

Shenandoah at the Arbor, 10631 Los Alamitos Blvd, Los Alamitos, CA 90720

Sooooo, since we were to full to eat at The Old Place, I bet your wondering where we ate?  We actually ate at super cute place / stop on our journey to the canyons.  Shenandoah is so charming and the food was great!  The guys were a little overwhelmed by all of the ladies!  A lot of showers, bridal parties, and Red Hat ladies know about this place.  The inside reminded me of a shabby Chic with country charm.  Outside you are shaded by huge mulberry trees.  The food was great!  They are known for their fried chicken dish, so that’s what I had.  The restaurant is nestled on a busy road surround by 3 stores that are just as charming as the restaurant!  Again, your just cruising down busy Los Alamitos Blvd, and if you don’t look quick you could miss this charming find!  GO,Go, go and try this one out!  (Can’t wait to take mom!)

TRAVEL BY NIC…….The Perpetual Tourist!

Santa Barbara Old Town- State Street

So whats not to love about Santa Barbara?!  Santa Barbara is so scenic!  The town is nestled in the foothills of the mountains, and the beaches are pristine.  The palm trees at sunset look like fireworks in the sky. 

One of my favorite places to visit in Santa Barbara…..the courthouse!  It is BEAUTIFUL on the inside and the out.  I was thrilled to learn that the majority of the building is available for public viewing. This courthouse was dedicated in 1929.  Outside you’ll enjoy majestic fountains, Gothic arches, and a beautiful working clock tower.  Inside you’ll find a Spanish feel, with cobble stone tiles on the floor that lead you to majestic winding staircases.  Beautiful ironwork, brilliant tile mosaic, and stained glass windows.  I’d have to say 2 of my favorite sites would have to be the “mural room”. A room that depicts historical scenes from floor to ceiling.  The dark wood and the ominous desk at the front of the room is a must see.  My other favorite thing…..the clock tower!!  You can travel all the way to the top of the courthouse!  The views are breathtaking!  Have you ever watched Psych?  If so you'll see lots of familiar scenes in Santa Barbara and particularly the court house.

Just 2 blocks from the courthouse you will find the best shopping!  Old Town runs about 7 blocks and is fun!  You’ll find your standard stores, but mixed in you’ll find cute little boutiques, retro theaters, charming eateries, and beautiful courtyards.  Again, even the shopping is beautiful & charming!  You’ll  notice beautiful foliage, courtyards, buildings with intricate detail,  colorful tiles and lots of Spanish flair.  Take it all in…..enjoy!

There is also a historic Mission up on the hill, Santa Barbara Mission is located at 2201 Laguna Street.  We did not visit the Mission this trip, but I’ve been there before and walked the grounds.  This historic place is worth the stop.  As of today, it’s only $6 per adult & kids 5-15 are only $1.

End your evening down by the Pacific!  Enjoy the miles & miles of beach and marinas.

On the way back home from  Santa Barbara, I recommend stopping at Hollywood Beach in Oxnard, CA.  We ate at the famous Mrs Olson s Coffee Hut.  Get there early because it's right on the breach and lines are known to happen at this cute little eatery!  The beach was so peaceful   Even saw a horse back rider!!  OK, So have to fit that in to our "Things to do list!"

The drive is just BEAUTIFUL!  I just have to share some of the sights along the road!

We drove along the coast and ended up stopping at Paradise Cove in Malibu.  Paradise Cove is just that, a cove!  Malibu is known to have celebrities residing everywhere so I kept my eyes open at at this beach! It cost $10 to park and even walkers have to pay as the enter the area.  Every direction you look you'll find photo worthy vistas.  I thought the bright blue pads layed out for people to sun on where particularly cool!  i haven't seen anything like that down in the OC!  Paradise Beach Cafe is the place to be!  They have inside and outside dinning.  Some of the movies filmed at Paradise Cove.....Beach Blanket Bingo, Monster-in-Law, The Way We Were, and the splash down in Apollo 13 took place at Paradise Cove.

TRAVEL BY NIC…….The Perpetual Tourist!

Light Houses – San Pedro & Palos Verdas

So we ventured up from Orange County to San Pedro coast.  It’s a totally different feel from down South.  Right away you’ll find the cranes that are scattered throughout the Port.  Recently they moved the USS Iowa to San Pedro  I know it’s available to tour, but we just didn't make it there this trip.  You can’t miss Vincent Thomas Bridge!  It’s a 1500 foot suspension bridge that links Terminal Island & San Pedro.  Perhaps you’ve seen the bridge in some of these movies:  "To Live & Die in L.A.", "Gone in 60 Seconds" and "Charlies Angels".

Our 1^st stop was the Korean Bell of Friendship. (Located in Angel’s Gate Park at the corner of Gaffey & 37^th Street). Parking is free. It is a massive bronze bell donated to Los Angels from South Korea in 1976.  It is high on a hill overlooking the beautiful Pacific coast.  The bell is modeled after the Divine Bell that was cast in 771 for Bongdeok Temple.  It’s made with 17 tons of copper , tin, with gold, nickel, lead, and phosphorus added to the alloy for tone quality.  It’s 7 ½ feet with the average thickness of 8 inches and 12 feet high.  The bell is only struck 5 times a year:  New Years Eve (Korean American Day 1/13), 4^th of July, Korean Liberation Day (8/15) and every 9/11 in memory of the terrorist attacks.  The bell does not have a clapper; instead, it is sounded by striking it with a large wooden log.  The bell is covered by a pavilion that is beautifully crafted.  The bell is worth the stop, it’s very peaceful & beautiful on the hill!

Once you leave Angel Gate Park, it’s a short jaunt down the hill to Point Fermin Light house. Parking is free. The light house was built in 1874 and located in a beautiful coastal park.  We visited the San Pedro sites on Memorial Day so the light house was not open to tour, but trust me you will still enjoy the view and snapping photos of this charming light house.  Tours are available every day except for Mondays & Holidays. Since the lighthouse is located on the eastern edge of Palos Verdes peninsula at LA southernmost tip, this is one of the few places in LA from where you can see the sun rising over the ocean!

Next we drove up the coast to Trumps Golf Course at 1 Trump National Drive, Rancho Palos Verdes.  I’ve got to warn you….as you drive up the coast from San Pedro you will encounter a detour from your coast drive!!  Guess why!  The highway fell into the ocean!  I find that kind of errie!  Anyway, back to Trump!  We love stopping here to have lunch!  Eating at Trumps establishment just makes us feel like we are HOT STUFF!!  Burgers run around $14 and I enjoyed some great chicken sliders that were listed as appetizers, they ran around $12.  It is a beautiful place inside and out.  They do offer 2 different dining areas with one being a little more formal then the other.  We were out touring and wearing just nice shorts and leisure wear and we were fine for dinning at lunch time.  Afterwards we enjoyed walking the grounds taking pictures and watching the golfers.  I did notice that they have a grill going outside, so it is possible to enjoy the beautiful weather and set outside and eat while watching the golfers.  There is plenty of free parking on the hill in front of the building, but we splurged and paid valet…..guess it was all a part of the la-te-da part of the experience!  So who saw Adam Sandler & Drew Berrymore in "Fifty First Dates?!"  This would be the golf course they used in the movie!

Our final tourist spot was just a few miles up the coast to Pointe Vicente Lighthouse, 31501 Palos Verdes Dr W, Rancho Palos Verdes.  Again, free parking.  This is a beautiful, photogenic lighthouse located on the cliffs of the coast.  The lighthouse was built in 1926.  Again, with it being a holiday weekend we were only able to appreciate it from afar, but even then, I was not disappointed.  You can tour the lighthouse for free, the 2^nd Saturday of each month, (except in March when it is opened on the 1^st Saturday to coincide with Rancho Palos Verdes Whale of a Day Festival).

Finally, we ended our day with a sweet bite that I highly recommend!  Vanilla Bakery in Santa Monica!  To be honest, you should include this bakery when you’re visiting Santa Monica …..not when you’re doing this tour!!  It was quite a jaunt from San Vicente to the bakery!  It’s just that we had seen the bakery featured on the cooking channel and wanted to try it out since we were that far North.  It was really yummy!  Vanilla Bakery was featured on the program because their specialty is in mini desserts!  I had a banana parfait in a cup the size of a shot glass!  They have mini smores, tarts, and cupcakes.  They also have regular size cupcakes & cake pops.  I thought the tiny sizes were just right!  It offered you just a few bites of dessert instead of a huge piece that makes you sick!  I only spent around $2- something for my treat.

So for a wonderful day of leisure we just picked a portion of the coast that we normally don’t get to see and made a day of it!  Besides gas and lunch, we had an enjoyable free day!!

Audiences Unlimited / Studio audiences

TRAVEL BY NIC…….The Perpetual Tourist!

 

Audiences Unlimited / See Dad Run / Paramount Studios -5555 Melrose Ave, Hollywood, CA

Hurray for Hollywood!!  I love seeing the behind the scenes magic that happens while filming movies & TV programs.  So the family participated in a taping of See Dad Run, a Nick-at-Night program that is taped at Paramount Studios.  I want to share our experience, however keep in mind each studio may handle studio audiences differently.

We chose to get our tickets through “Audiences Unlimited”, they are a reputable place that makes reservations for studio audiences all the time.  It does not cost anything to participate, but do expect to spend a good part of your day being involved in this experience!  Taping times will vary, our show started at 5:30pm and they informed us to arrive 60 minutes prior.  The entrance for this particular show was along a wall on “Gower Street”.  A parking lot was offered, don’t know the price, because free parking was available on Gower Street, so we parked for free!!  Audiences Unlimited is aware of your reservation, but entrance is not guaranteed, they let you know that it is on a 1^st come 1^st serve basis.  So we did arrive at 3:45pm.  Participants need to be over 16 years of age and they asked that we bring ID.  They also tell you not to bring your cell phone in.   Soooooo, here’s the real scoop....for us anyway!! (Not going to guarantee that the next bunch won’t go through a metal detector and have their ID’s checked!)  They only checked our printed reservation, not our ID’s and practically everyone had their cell phone out.  We did use a little discretion about blatantly pulling out our cameras/phones in front of a page, but for the most part, photos were taken!

They let us through the gate around 4:30pm, where we had a chance to go to the bathroom and get water before they took us into the studio.  From there we enjoyed the cool air while they played music to entertain us.  Since my husband and I work production we found it interesting watching all of the camera man, stage assistants, producers, and set people.  Really the time went fairly quickly.  Oh ya, remember the rule about 16 or older…..rules are broken when the star of the show or any of the folks working on the show have guests!  Matter-of-fact, we had Scott Baio’s wife and child right in front of us and one row over.

The studio audiences area is rather small.  If I had to guess…..I’d say it seated around 300 – 400 people.  This is my 3^rd taping of a show and they always have someone to entertain you in-between the scenes that are shot.  Our guy would play fun music, get us to dance, place games, tell us jokes, or offer us trivia.  The gal setting next to us won a script.   Prior to the actors being introduced they had us watch one of the episodes so we could get to know the characters.  Then the Hollywood magic began!

Each of the characters is introduced and then they jumped right into taping.  Of course you are expected to stay quiet, but encouraged to laugh.  So I find myself trying to have that last laugh so I could hear myself!  I know……what a dork!  I enjoy seeing the difference of what you see in real life verses what you see on your TV screen.  It’s so interesting how small the rooms really are and how the actors are standing just off stage ready to enter the scene.  It’s interesting to see how a scene may have to be done over and over until the Director is happy with the take.

I would say the taping did start at 5:30pm and we were in the studio until around 8:30pm.  I felt like the time went pretty quickly, but again, I enjoyed taking it all in.  Once the Director calls it a wrap each of the actors are brought back out for us to applaud them.

So we watched “See Dad Run”.  Scott Baio is the actor you may recognize, he plays David Hobbs,  the Dad.  David Hobbs was a dad on a sitcom for 10 years and now he is a stay at home dad with a teenage girl, a boy, and another young girl.  His wife is also an actor and is going back to work.  Some other fun characters, his producer and his former stage assistant.  Both of those people are involved with helping him raise his children.  Lots of times David Hobbs (Scott Baio) will try and refer back to an episode on his former show to help in whatever situation he’s in.  It’s a half hour sitcom that is pretty fun.

Here’s the kicker……..I used to have Scott Baio posters on my wall when I was a teenager!!!  So girls everywhere……those teen crushes…..maybe 30 years later you to will be able to be in the same room as your former poster crush!!  Teenage Dreams do come true!!

For a true Hollywood experience, everyone should do this at least once!  The only thing it really costs you is the time and the gas to get there!  Entrance is free, and in some cases, parking is free!!

Sunset Ranch / Horseback riding

TRAVEL BY NIC…….The Perpetual Tourist!

 

Sunset Ranch/Horseback riding - 3400 N. Beachwood Dr.

So I had a GREAT Mothers Day!!  My family helped me cross of an item on my tourist “To Do” list!!  Plus my girl had horseback riding on her bucket list….#26!!  So you know I can’t just ride horses at just any ranch…….right?!?!  It had to be Sunset Ranch!!  Why you ask?!  Because you get great views of the Hollywood sign and great views of Los Angeles!

Just the address alone should tell the most seasoned tourists that you’re headed for the iconic sign!  As you’re driving down Beachwood the Hollywood sign is straight in front of you!  Many people drive this street for perfect views of the sign.  Right before you reach the Hollywood Hills, where the ranch is located, you will encounter beautiful stone pillars that were supposed to support a gate into Hollywoodland.  Right in front of you is the original real-estate office for Hollywoodland.  In this area you’ll find a small shopping area with a market and café.

As you wind your way up the hill to the ranch, enjoy the twisted roads and beautiful mansions.  Just know that you’re surrounded by several celebrity residences.  I’m always eyeballing the joggers and dog walkers hoping I’ll see someone famous out on their run.

So once you get to the sign announcing that you’ve arrived at Sunset Ranch, just a heads up, the drive is incredibly narrow!  We chose to park towards the bottom of the hill, and this old mama had a hard time making the climb to the ranch but I made it!  There was some parking up near the ranch, but again, I don’t know what you do if you encounter a car coming the opposite direction….it is NARROW!  Besides reaching Sunset Ranch, you will also encounter miles & miles worth of trails that wind around through the hills of Griffith park.

 

Sunset Ranch offers all kinds of different packages.  We just did the 1 hour ride, which was just right for us!  Our 1 hour ride cost us $40.00 per person / 2 hour ride $60 per person.  Something to remember, you are expected to tip your experienced guides that take you up into the hills.  (tips suggestions range from $10-$20 per person).  Sunset Ranch also offers lunch & dinner rides that range in price.  As-of-today, they do offer 2 for 1 prices on Tuesdays!

So we took our 1 hour ride around 11am and it was sooooo hot!  There was really not much shade at all on the trails.  They will pick your horse according to your experience, “Beginner, Intermediate, or Experienced”.  You will of course be expected to sign a waiver and wear a helmet.  I was worried about getting on the horse!!!  LOL, I thought my husband may have to push my bum up since I have no upper body strength, but I was thrilled that the horses pull up to a ledge that we’re standing on, so it was no problem at all getting on your horse.  If you are afraid of heights, please keep in mind that the horses like to ride along the edge of the trail….so don’t look down.  Since the guides won’t remember your name, you’re expected to remember your horses name!  I rode “Mouse”!  Yes!  A horse named Mouse!  He was a naughty boy!  He kept holding up the hold whole line no matter how much I tried to get him to go!  (He just knew he had a non-experienced person on him!)

Our day was a little hazy, but on a clear day I’m sure you could see Catalina from up there!  I hope you enjoy my photos, but I gotta confess, it hard to take a good photo with one hand, on the back of a horse!  I couldn’t really zoom or anything fancy.  Just know, I highly recommend this ride!  If you’re going to ride a horse why not do it at a place that offers breathtaking views?!

Enjoy!