While it may not be the destination you were dreaming of, staying at home or in the neighborhood can be a vacation if you treat it like one. Taking some time off at home can be cheaper and even less stressful than planning a family trip. With temperatures rising and sunny skies in the future, now is the time to enjoy a little free time.
1. La Cañada has a whole system of trails for you to enjoy. Get out in nature, breath in some fresh air (do bring your inhaler if your asthmatic, it's been pretty murky out there recently), and get a bit of exercise without heading out of town. The La Cañada-Flintridge Trails Council offers maps and guides on their website. Trails are appropriate for hikers, cyclists, runners, equestrians, and leashed dogs. Recently completed and dedicated, the Loop Trail is a citywide, circular trail that can be accessed near the Descanso Gardens parking lot.
2. Each weekend until the end of May, Treepeople lead volunteers in the planting of seedlings in forest areas devastated by the Station Fire. No special skills, experience, or strength is needed, just a willingness to get a little dirty. The work is part of the Forest Aid: Angeles project which will be planting over 70,000 seedlings in the Angeles National Forest. Check out the website for more information and to sign up.
3. You don’t have to be part of a school or work group to visit . Individuals, families, and groups can sign up for tours that include admittance to the visitor center, and visits to the Space Flight Operations Facility and the Spacecraft Assembly Facility. Sign up online three weeks in advance. Tours are offered once a week and last about 2.5 hours.
4. Take a culinary trip without leaving town. offers a number of fun cooking classes, including Mediterranean cuisine, spring dinners and grilling. Take a break by indulging your inner chef with a little time just for your own enjoyment in the kitchen. Wine will be served. Stop by Chez Cherie’s website for more information and to register for a class.
5. Okay. Maybe you don’t want to do anything on vacation but sit around and have a cocktail. That’s what Margarita Monday is for. Head over to Los Gringos Locos, slide into a booth, and let yourself be transported to Mexico. The drinks are huge and priced to please. And if you don’t look out the window, you can pretend you really have gone south of the border.
