What to do and where to go on a second date in Los Angeles
In the vast catalog of relationship science research, very little focuses on the second date — or at least beyond what it takes to land one. There are ample studies…
The best cafes for checking out L.A.’s underground coffee scene
On the corner of East 4th Street and South Evergreen Avenue on a recent Friday night in Boyle Heights, a large crowd gathered in front of Picaresca Barra de Café…
7 new things to do in Ojai, like roam in an oasis of giant tortoises
First, let’s get this straight: All tortoises are turtles, but not all turtles are tortoises.The Turtle Conservancy, a 90-acre property on the outskirts of Ojai, is dedicated to the protection…
Fine dining at happy hour prices. Beyond wings and sliders
There are happy hours that function as post-work gatherings, fueled by discounted pitchers of beer, buckets of chicken wings, sliders and the sort of commiserating that can only happen between…
L.A.’s best inclusive play spaces for highly sensitive and neurodivergent kids
My 8-year-old daughter hates sand in her shoes, but loves to play in the sand. She doesn’t like very loud environments, but enjoys thrill rides at amusement parks. She gets…
8 great Santa Barbara hikes for your next weekend getaway
When you live in a town where the ocean is just around the corner, it feels almost wrong to spend a sunny day anywhere but the beach. As a lifelong…
17 splendid things to do in Laguna Beach
For the uninitiated, Laguna Beach is Southern California at its most postcard-worthy, a stretch of the Orange County coastline filled with frothy waves, winding canyons and afternoon beachgoers. Yet it…
Best bars and coffee shops in the San Fernando Valley
Long before the sun goes down, this downtown San Fernando wine bar-coffee shop — where the community is so tight-knit it’s hard to tell who’s an employee — is already…
Classic and new Japanese restaurants in Gardena and Torrance
On bustling Western Avenue in the heart of Gardena, Sakura-Ya and Chikara Mochi sit about 250 feet away from each other, frequented by South Bay residents for decades for fluffy…
For a California adventure that feels like summer camp, head to a dude ranch
Growing up in a ranching community on California’s Central Coast, I reaped the benefits of being surrounded by vast landscapes — hikes in the nearby mountains, adventurous lake activities and…