While we all love CLU, it’s hard to dispute that campus isn’t the most interesting place on the weekends. Luckily, we live in Southern California, and there’s no shortage of amazing places to check out in just a short drive. I’ve spent many of my weekends this semester exploring nearby cities, beaches, and hikes, and I’ve accumulated here my best bets for an awesome day of off-campus adventure:
Around Los Angeles
Beverly Hills:
Photo by Ellie Long.
This area, known as being the epitome of luxury and celebrity life, makes for a glamourous day of city exploring. Check out Rodeo Drive, home to some of the world’s top designers (not to mention amazing architecture), and try to fit in with the ridiculously rich while browsing through Valentino. From there, pose with the iconic Beverly Hills sign in Beverly Gardens Park, on the adjacent Santa Monica Boulevard. Then, I recommend driving up the hill itself. While it’s fun to just drive around and take in the incredible mansions, you can also stop by Greystone Mansion. You can’t go inside, but you can wander the beautiful grounds, take in the view of LA, and geek out over all the TV shows and movies filmed there. It also doesn’t hurt that parking’s free.
Also Nearby:
- West Hollywood: Known to some as “gay capital of the world,” this vibrant neighborhood just north of Beverly Hills offers great shopping, food, and night life, at a fraction of the cost of Beverly Hills.
- Beverly Center: Really just a massive mall in Beverly Grove with cheap parking and a chance of celebrity spotting.
Venice:
Photo courtesy of Pexels.
Glamor and luxury not really your vibe? Never fear, that’s what Venice is for. This neighborhood of L.A. is known for its boardwalk, beach, and funky atmosphere. I recommend getting off the chaotic streets and parking in one of the beach lots, then walking from there. Enjoy people watching, street art, and performances while walking along the beach boardwalk. Grab food from one of the endless vendors and enjoy it while walking out on the pier. You have another opportunity for an iconic sign picture with the “Venice Beach” sign hanging over the busy Pacific Avenue. Or, simply bring a towel along and relax on one of LA’s most famous beaches.
Also nearby:
- Venice Canals: While I have yet to check them out yet, the Venice Canals are just a couple blocks inland from the boardwalk and promise a pleasant (and less crowed) place to walk and enjoy another day of LA sun.
- Santa Monica: I could write a whole entry on this beach city along, but in reality the boardwalk is simply a continuation of Venice (you could walk from one to the other easily) with a different, more upscale, vibe. Come here over Venice if you’re willing to splurge a bit more on food, or are looking to hang out on one of the world’s most famous piers. There is, after all, a rollercoaster over the water.
Downtown:
Photo by Ellie Long.
Downtown was known for many years as the boring, financial center of Los Angeles, but renovations over the past decades have made it a wonderful place to spend your day. Start at Grand Park, a 12 acre park with fountains and gardens galore in the middle of the city. I recommend walking up the stairs from the south end, where the massive LA City Hall lies, to the top, where you’ll find a great view and Grand Ave, which is a great street to begin your downtown exploration. For awesome photo opportunities, check out the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power building, which sounds pretty boring, but is surrounded by a literal moat that perfectly reflects the surrounding skyscrapers. The Walt Disney Concert Hall is also right next door, where you’ll find gardens and staircases that wind up the outside of the building which resembles the Sydney Opera House. Downtown is huge, and I have yet to discover most of the area, but these places give you a good place to start in your day adventure.
Also Nearby:
- LA Arts District: A neighborhood where old industrial buildings have been decked out in artwork, not to mention trendy food choices.
- Pershing Square: A famous square downtown known for its artwork and farmer’s markets.
Chinatown:
Photo by Ellie Long.
Chinatown in Los Angeles is right next to Downtown, making it easy to combine these two on an LA day. You’ll find delicious and affordable food, art galleries, and the filming sites of many famous movies (including Chinatown, Rush Hour, and La La Land). Not too far from Chinatown are two of LA’s other cultural centers: Koreatown and J-Town. I haven’t made it out to J-Town yet, but for great nightlife I definitely would check out Koreatown. It’s home to 24/7 Korean BBQ, bubble tea, and popular clubs. And, of course, California Donuts is located adjacent to Koreatown, meaning 24/7 delicious and cheap donuts as well.
Also nearby:
- Elysian Park: One of Los Angeles’s most overlooked parks in my opinion. Located right by Chinatown and Dodger Stadium, from the top you’ll get great views of Downtown.
Hollywood Boulevard
Photo by Ellie Long.
A tourist trap, but certainly a fun one! People flock from around the world to check out the famous Hollywood Boulevard, and it’s hard to not be caught up in the magic and wonder of cinema’s home when you’re there. After you find unavoidably expensive parking, let the crowds whisk you along the famous street and take it all in. Get pictures with your favorite celebrity’s star, and keep your eyes out for them in-person. Check out the Chinese Theater, the El Capitan Theatre where Jimmy Kimmel performs nightly, and of course the massive Dolby Theatre, where the Academy Awards are hosted. You can wander most of the complex that the Dolby is in without paying a penny, and if you find your way up winding stairs to the top of the building you get to see not only stunning architecture, but also a fantastic view of the Hollywood Sign. The whole area is an over-the-top shrine to cinema and celebrity, and it’s an awful lot of fun to be a part of.
Also nearby:
- Studio tours: If you’ve got the money, Warner Brother Studios and Universal offers tours and rides.
- Griffith Park: Drive up to the Griffith Observatory and pretend you’re in La La Land, or take a hike around the massive urban park and hope to (not?) run into P-22, the world-famous mountain lion that inhabits the grounds.
- Hollywood sign: Hike up to the very sign itself! While LA has made it harder and harder to access the trails, there’s tons of information online on how you can still reach it.
Museums:
Photo by Ellie Long.
The Los Angeles area is known for its amazing art culture, and boasts multiple world-class museums. The most famous of these is The Getty, located in the Brentwood area of LA. This museum is always free, with the exception of $10 parking, and is home to thousands of pieces by artists as famous as Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt, Claude Monet, and Vincent van Gogh, to name a few. Even if the art doesn’t catch your eye, the gardens and views outside of this stunning modern building might interest you. I have yet to make it to Los Angeles’ other premiere museum, the Los Angeles Country Museum of Art (LACMA), but it too boasts art ranging from antiquity to the modern era. While LACMA does cost $10 a ticket, it is free the second Tuesday of every month. And posing with the iconic light fixture sculpture outside is always free!
Also nearby:
- The Getty Villa: While not in Los Angeles (rather in Malibu), this extension of The Getty’s main campus is home to their antiquity collection. More enticing perhaps are the gardens and buildings built in the style of a Roman villa, and the views out over the ocean.
- The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles: This contemporary art museum is located near Grand Park, and would be an easy addition to a Downtown day trip.
Ventura Adventures
Malibu:
Photo by Ellie Long.
Every CLU student has been to Malibu, for us it’s easy to just think of as the local beach, but there’s so much more to it than that! Malibu Country Mart offers premiere shopping and is one of your best bets of spotting a celeb. The weekly Sunday farmer’s market is one of the best in the area. If you’re looking to splurge on a meal out, food on one of the many restaurants overhanging the water is certain to please. In terms of beaches, while Zuma is the most famous, Point Dume (literally feet east of the entrance to Zuma) is less crowded and has free parking if you can find a spot. Or, if you’re looking for more than sand and water, El Matador has countless caves and sea stacks.
Also nearby:
- The “Sand hill”: This is, well, a very large hill of sand. On the PCH in between Malibu and Oxnard, you’ll find a wall of sand that you can climb up for stunning ocean views, and, if you’re not afraid of finding sand in mysterious places for weeks on end, even roll down. You can pull over and park right beneath it.
- Point Mugu State Park: Right by the sand hill is this state park, where you’ll find miles of trails ready to explore.
- Mulholland Drive: This famous highway winds through the Santa Monica Mountains until it spills out into LA. You can make it a part of your drive home from Malibu by following it from its western end north of El Matador until it connects to the 23 Freeway.
Santa Barbara:
Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
This world famous beach city is a fun and far less chaotic alternative to Los Angeles. The beaches and wharf are relaxing places to hang out on a nice day, or check out State Street for great food, shopping, and cute buildings. For the world’s best acai bowl, I recommend Brasil Arts Café. Afterwards, head up the hill to Mission Santa Barbara, where you’ll find the historic mission building, gorgeous grounds, and a view over the city. Additionally, while I have yet to check it out, I have heard great things about the Santa Barbara Botanic gardens.
Also nearby:
- Solvang: This Danish inspired town offers taste of Europe in California, and is situated in the mountains north of Santa Barbara.
- Carpinteria: This small beach town south of Santa Barbara has a nice state beach which is far less crowded (and with cheaper parking) than some of its more famous neighbors.
Outdoor Fun:
Mount Baldy:
Photo by Ellie Long.
As I wrote about in one my recent articles, we live in an area with a seemingly infinite number of hikes to check out. While many of these are doable in just an hour or two, there are also many hikes that require a day and lot of effort to complete. One of the most famous of these hikes is Mount Baldy, a 10,064 foot tall peak which is the tallest in the San Gabriels. There are many different routes to the top with varying difficulty, but any way you go this is not a beginner’s hike, so you should either have a lot of experience hiking elsewhere and do your research, or go with someone who has gone before (or maybe even both). The summit however, is worth every painful step to the top. There’s no other view like it.
Also nearby:
- Mount Baldy road: If you’re not feeling up to summiting the mountain itself, simply the road to the trailhead gives some stunning views. You can also stop by the town of Mount Baldy, which has a cute rustic vibe.
Josephine Peak:
Photo by Ellie Long.
Slightly closer and less difficult than Mount Baldy is Josephine Peak. I recommend hiking the Colby Canyon route, which is a respectable 8.7 miles with 2,050 feet of elevation gain. This trail will take you along a stream, past waterfalls, and wind up a steep cliff face until meeting with the Josephine Peak fire road. From there, it’s a short distance to the 5,558 foot summit, which offers not only mountain views but a great view of Downtown Los Angeles on a clear day. This hike guarantees a memorable day in the wonderful San Gabriels.
Also nearby:
Mount Wilson: You can take the 20 mile trail to the top of Mount Wilson like I chose to, or if you have a more normal definition of fun you can drive to the top. You’ll find an observatory and views of Los Angeles and surrounding mountains (including neighboring Josephine Peak).
Angeles Crest Highway: This is the road to both the trailhead for Josephine Peak and the top of Mount Wilson, and its curves and drops are exciting enough in themselves to be an attraction.
So while CLU and Thousand Oaks might not offer the most exciting oppurtunities for fun on the weekends, there is absolutely no shortage of places to explore in a just a short drive! These are just a few of the places I’ve fallen in love with this past semester, and there’s still so much more to check out. Happy adventures!