In 1839, as the result of a 6,655 acre Mexican Land Grant, Rancho Boca de Santa Monica, which is now Santa Monica Canyon, the Pacific Palisades, and parts of Topanga Canyon, was formed by Ysidro Reyes and Francisco Marquez.

Subsequently, Francisco Marquez built the first known house in the Santa Monica Canyon, and within close proximity to the family cemetery.

This large plot of land remained within the Marquez family, until tragedy struck:

On December 31, 1909, Maria Donicia Valdez, the daughter of Franicso Marquez’s widow, Roque Valenzuela, and her second husband, while hosting a family gathering celebrating the New Year. Unfortunately, the menu included some home-canned peaches. The peaches, however, turned out to have been infected with botulism. Over the next five days, tragically, thirteen family members died, including an infant who had not eaten the peaches, but instead died of exposure due to the toddler being left by a window unattended in the subsequent anguish and confusion. Afterward, ironically and due to cruel fate, a large grave was dug at the very same family cemetery in Santa Monica Canyon that Francisco Marquez originally built, and the family members who were swept away during this horrible tragedy were laid to rest–side by side. Source: MarquezCemetery.org

In 1916, the last person to be buried in the Family Cemetery was a close relative, Pascual Marquez. Although there aren’t any formal records of the burials, it’s been estimated that at least 30 persons from the Marquez clan lie in the tiny cemetery.

Then, when Pascual Marquez passed, in his will he provided specific instructions that the family property in the upper canyon be divided into eight equal parts, to be bequeathed for the benefit of his widow and children; but that the adobe house and cemetery be given to the last close relative, Roman Marquez. But, in 1926, each of these parcels were sold to the Santa Monica Land & Water Company, who then subdivided this huge swath of land into different housing tracts.

During the process of subdividing the lots and grading the street, a worker for unknown reasons, be it by accident or design, destroyed the last remaining ruins of the original adobe house which was originally built by Francisco Marquez. Afterward, it became a moral, cultural, and historical imperative that the cemetery had to be protected and preserved, for the future of Los Angeles’ requirement to protect its architectural infrastructure and historic landmarks.

Based on that fact, the Santa Monica Land & Water Company determined that the land remain as part of the Marquez family’s name, so in 1944, they deeded back the cemetery to Pedro Marquez, Roman’s brother.

Due to its historical significance. the remaining heirs of the Marquez family felt the need to preserve and protect their family’s cemetery. So they initiated the process for the cemetery’s heritage and recognition.

So it came to pass, that on October 17, 2000, the Pascual Marquez Family Cemetery was designated as a Los Angeles Cultural-Historic Monument–No. 685. (PDF)

But, that’s not the end of this story. It subsequently became apparent that this special plot of land had no street frontage, sans a narrow path which only allowed for ingress and egress solely for the Marquez family members to enter and exit.

Even though the land in front remained undeveloped, the family wasn’t comfortable that other Los Angelenos and interested parties were excluded from being able to visit this very much storied and historical site.

And rightfully so, because just recently, in October of 2010, the street frontage property owners began construction for a new house.

However, due to the assistance of both the Cultural Heritage Commission, and City Councilman Bill Rosendahl, in January 2011, a deal was struck :

The agreement entailed for the La Señora Research Institute, a Canyon Nonprofit, to pay $35,000 for the parcel next to the street.

The rest of the land’s $127,500 value then becomes the consideration which comprises the charitable donation from the frontal property owners–Fred Marcus and Davida Rochlin.

Based on that, La Señora has agreed to raise the requisite funds needed to remove the current wooden fence that’s now in front of the parcel and replace it with an iron fence. After the terms and conditions are met, the final intention of the Marquez’s will be satisfied:

That will allow visitors and passers-by to see what will be known as the San Lorenzo Garden. The institute is also required to landscape the long-neglected property and be allowed to hold six events a year on the cemetery’s grounds.

While Travelin’ Local, the greatest gift of living in Los Angeles isn’t material possessions; rather it’s the chance and ability to both discover and see history come together.

Among the most unusual are the knotted and gnarled Australian Tea Trees. Twisted and knobby, these trees are only one of the many varieties of trees found in the Park.

These are a part of what Venice developer, Abbot Kinney, wanted.

And because he was a big fan of the Australian, Monterey Cypress and Eucalyptus trees.

Now, there are five major tree varieties located in Palisades Park:

• Dracaena draco aka Dragon tree
• Leptospermum laevigatum aka Australian Tea Tree
• Phoenix canariensis aka Canary Island Palm
• Pinus pinea aka Italian Stone Pine
• Washington robusta aka Mexican Fan Palm Source: Palisades Park (PDF)

Although each and every one of these trees are a kind treasure, today’s feature photographs are those from the Australian Tea Tree species:

Salt resistant and very hardy, the Australian Tea Tree, although not native to Southern California, fits in very well with the climate here. Used to stabilize the sand, this tree also has a myriad of other uses, including relaxing on a hot winter day:

So, the next time you’re in Palisades Park, don’t forget to take notice of the trees, although at a few locations, it’s impossible not to notice them because they meander right across the walkway.

And, in 1945 building “green” was relegated to academia.

This was the purpose for the Case Study Houses and Taschen’s book–it documents ideas that, for the most part, indeed became realities.

Art & Architecture magazine’s John Entenza, “a champion of modernism as well as the editor of the avant-garde monthly magazine, the Case Study Houses goal was to:

Enable architects to design and build low-cost modern houses for actual clients, using donated materials from industry and manufactures, and to extensively publish and publicize their efforts.

Foreseeing the coming post-war boom in architecture, Entenza invited known architects who had already gained a foothold in the genre:

Richard Neutra, Charles and Ray Eames, Craig Ellwood, and Pierre Koenig.

And others who were more locally known–including Whitney R. Smith, Thornton Abell, and Rodney Walker.

The objective for the Case Study Houses was for each architect to use their creativity and imagination to build a house with low-cost standard building materials.

And build they did.

In total, 23 dwellings were completed, most of them in the Los Angeles area.

Several designs never made it past the blueprint stage, due to a lack of an actual client, but were a way “to allow the architects to develop ideas about the use of materials, organization of plan, or their experimental features, in the hope that these elements could be applied when a client was forthcoming.”

Taschen’s Case Study Houses, combines exceptional people on each of the book’s pages; –author Elizabeth A. T. Smith, the former Chief Curator and Deputy Director for programs at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago; editor Peter Gössel, who designs Museums and Exhibitions, and most noteworthy, world renowned Julius Shulman, the recently deceased modernist architecture photographer in Southern California and across the globe for nearly eight decades.

A giant book, containing over 400 pages of photos, original blueprints and sketches, editorial commentary, and the the actual text from each of the Art & Architecture sponsored articles that provide details into the design, building process, and the problems and subsequent solutions unique to each structure.

By the time of the Case Study House’s initial work, Los Angeles was already a strong experimental framework for residential architecture:

From Irving Gill’s work to Frank Lloyd Wright’s block design to the pioneering Schindler-Chace House of 1921-22.

As I read each page of this gem, I was more and more intrigued by each design, how each architect worked to incorporate different ideas—added windows for more natural light, radiant heat, garden space that works along with the natural landscape, and minimalism.

These are ideas bandied about today, but merely an academic concept in 1950′s and 60′s.

With each of Julius Shulman’s photos, the details of each house are featured.

For many of the houses that still exist (two have been demolished and two have been remodeled), more recent photos tell the whole story.

At the end of the Case Study Houses, included are short bios of each of the architects that took part in the Program.

Los Angeles is blessed with many talented architects, and Taschen has brought several of these houses to life in this brilliant book.

To really understand how many houses are included I created a map of the Case Study Houses in Los Angeles.

Each icon has the address, architect, year built, and a photo from Taschen’s book–for areas such as Pacific Palisades, you’ll have to use Google’s increase size feature, because although one icon may only appear as one, there’s actually 3 right around it. Not included in the map is one small apartment complex in Arizona, and two more houses–one in San Rafael, near San Francisco and the other in La Jolla, a part of San Diego.

View Case Study Houses in a larger map

The Eames House was Number 8 of the Case Study Houses, which was an experiment in American residential architecture, sponsored by the Arts & Architecture magazine to build model inexpensive and efficient model homes for the 1945 United States housing boom– due to the end of World War II.

In addition, each home built would be for a real or hypothetical client would have to take into consideration every client’s particular housing needs–a house and studio for the Eames’ is described by their foundation in the following:

The first plan of their home, known as the Bridge House, was designed by Charles Eames and Eero Saarinen in 1945. Because it used off-the-shelf parts ordered from catalogues, and the war had caused a shortage in materials delivery, the steel did not arrive until late 1948. By then, Charles and Ray had "fallen in love with the meadow," in Ray’s words, and felt that the site required a different solution. Source: Eames Foundation

So, a new plan was needed.

The new design tucked the house sidelong into the slope, with an 8 foot (2.4 m) tall by 200 foot (60 m) long concrete retaining wall on the uphill side. A mezzanine level was added, making use of a prefabricated spiral stair that was to have been the lower entrance. The upper level holds the bedrooms and overlooks the double-height living room. A courtyard was also introduced, separating the residence from the studio space. This revised scheme required only one additional beam. The 17 foot (5.1 m) tall facade is broken down into a rigidly geometric, almost Mondrianesque composition of brightly colored panels between thin steel columns and braces, painted black. The entry door is marked with a gold-leaf panel above. An existing row of eucalyptus trees was preserved along the exposed wall of the house, providing some shading and a visual contrast with the house’s bold facade. Source: Wikipedia

From the time of its completion, the Eames lived there, making use of the studio and the grounds, until their deaths; Charles – 1978; and Ray – 1988.

Today, the Eames House remains in the Eames family and is preserved much as it was in when the Eames lived there. On July 15, 1988, the Eames House was declared a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #381, and on September 20, 2006, the Eames House was designated a National Historic Landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places on the same day.

Slider blueprint photo courtesy of Architecture Week.

Is this really a “Filling Station?”

Before I talk about that, even the term “filling station” isn’t used much anymore. Everyone says “gas station.” Just the name gives you a clue as to the age of this particular site.

Built in 1924 on land owned by the same family since a Mexican land grant of 1839, the Marquez Filling Station was the oldest continuously operating gas station in Los Angeles. In fact, it was operating until 2004.

A year later when descendants of the Marquez family prepared to sell the property, the filling station became threatened with demolition, spurring a preservation effort. Despite the owner’s opposition, an eleventh hour campaign resulted in it being declared Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #800.

Ultimately a neighbor acquired the property, and using “green” strategies for efficiency, material use, and site sustainability, the Marquez Filling Station is now a working architectural studio. In fact, the filling station was one of the winners of the 2007 Annual Preservation Award from the Los Angeles Conservancy:

The project also saved an increasingly rare example of Southern California roadside architecture while illustrating that even relatively small pieces of history matter.

When I first saw the station, I really had no idea what historical significance it had although I knew it was on the Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument’s list.

Not until I read more about the Marquez Filling Station, did I completely put all of its history together.

The Marquez Filling Station story is one reason why historic surveys are so important. Taking place right now, the Office of Historic Resources (OHR), a government agency with the City of Los Angeles, is identifying significant historic resources throughout Los Angeles. OHR, located in the Department of City Planning, is undertaking the survey with the help of a 5 year grant from the Getty, and they need your help.

Whether it is the story of a single property or your entire neighborhood, the OHR needs this information to help guide historic preservation professionals as they conduct the field surveys. The Year 1 survey areas are the first priority but it’s not to soon to get started in your neighborhood!

Not surprisingly, SurveyLA was a 2009 Emmy Award winner:

Los Angeles is a paradox; a mixture of old and new, traditional and modern, and always changing. And we wouldn’t have it any other way, so let’s go out there and find some history!

Historical Photo courtesy of the Office of Historic Resources

One such house is the home of architect Raymond Kappe, the founding Chair of the Department of Architecture at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, who with a group of faculty and students, started what eventually came to be known as the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc), which encourages learning through creative discourse and supports diversity of opinion within the framework of a common vision. His career spans several decades, and in 2009, he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award in "Stars of Design 2009" at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood, California.

Located at 715 Brooktree Road, and listed as Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #623, the Kappe Residence fits into the shaded landscape of the neighborhood. Barely visible from the street, hints of the design brilliance of Ray Kappe are clear.

Over the years, Kappe has completed some 100 single-family houses, but the crowning glory is his own home. Built in 1968, it’s the “best example of his strength as an architect: his ability to answer complex design problems with inventive, beautiful buildings.”

But, I’m not going to tell you anymore; I’ll let the architect speak for himself via a tour of his home, Kappe Residence:

In 2006, Ray Kappe began working with LivingHomes, a pioneer of modern, prefabricated homes which combine world-class architecture with an unparalleled commitment to healthy and sustainable construction. Ray Kappe’s initial LivingHome design was the first in the nation to achieve LEED Platinum and was the only home to win the American Institute of Architects’ top sustainability award in 2007.

With the combined forces of Kappe’s design talent and WIRED Magazine, sustainable architecture was taken to a new level in 2007 including; “a 4-kilowatt solar system including high efficiency, all-black SunPower solar panels that generate up to 50 percent more power than conventional panels.” The home also features a forced hot air radiant heating and cooling system; low-maintenance high-design ecological kitchen cabinetry; an environmentally friendly washer/dryer system that uses less water and energy; windows and doors constructed with recycled glass and aluminum; reclaimed redwood milled from old military barracks; FSC-certified exterior siding; tankless water heaters; and LED lights that consume less energy than conventional light bulbs.”

To see the floorplans, click here, but to see the construction of the house in two and a half days, watch the time lapse video below:

Hidden in them there hills are some wonderful treasures.

The beach is named after actor Will Rogers, who in the 1920s, bought the land and developed a ranch–186 acres along the beach in what is now Pacific Palisades was once owned by Will Rogers.

Rogers died in a plane crash in 1935, and when his widow, Betty, died in 1944, the ranch subsequently became a state park, part of which is Will Rogers State Beach.

But, I digress. Back to the original question, “What’s the best way to get to Will Rogers State Beach?”

By going under the Pacific Coast Highway, aka “PCH,” using a little known street called, Ocean Way, where there’s a set of stairs to get to and from Will Rogers State Beach, as shown in the photos and map below:

Once you reach the bottom, turn left, and you’ll find this:

This is the entrance to the tunnel that goes underneath the PCH. From this angle, it looks a little dark, but as soon as you reach the bottom, the sunlight streams in from the tunnel’s end, which is the sunlight from the ocean’s horizon.

Once you reach emerge from the tunnel, you’re greeted with this view:

Now you’re moments away from pursuing your beach activity of choice. The bike path is in front of you, volleyball nets to the right and left, the beautiful Pacific Ocean in front for swimming and surfing, and for everyone who likes to just hang out and lie on the sand and chill, there’s no shortage of that!

Here’s a close up map of the location:

View Steps to Will Rogers State Beach in a larger map

If you’re driving, there’s free on-street parking available on Ocean Way, Estrada Court, and Mabery Road. You might have to walk a little, as parking may fill up quickly, but I just think of it as good exercise.

Now, you know the best way to get to Will Rogers State Beach. It doesn’t get any better!

Founded by 1922 by Rev. Charles H. Scott, Pacific Palisades was initially envisioned to be an elaborate religious-intellectual commune. In fact, the world famous author, Aldous Huxley and his wife Maria, son Matthew, and friend Gerald Heard, called Pacific Palisades home.

With only 100 homes built by 1925, by today’s standards, it would have been a bargain compared to the current $1,329,856 median home price for a house in the Pacific Palisades.

This building is directly influenced by the Spanish Colonial and Malibu Tile Pottery’s multi-colored hexagon tiles and wrought iron detailing. An obvious elaboration from The Adamson House’s Exquisite Detailing. Although the backlight wasn’t ideal for the background, if you look hard, you can see the Pacific Ocean right behind the door.

Hollywood Babylon–its stars, celebrities, and of course gossip, killings, and suicide, extended to all parts of the city, even the Palisades.

Even here, screen actress Thelma Todd was supposed to have died of carbon monoxide poisoning in the garage pictured above, but as with most things Hollywood, the truth is often shades of gray or worse. Above the center support column of the blue garage doors, the Castillo Del Mar sign, translated from Spanish, literally means the “Castle of the Sea.”

I’ll leave you with a picture of the deep blue, aqua-tinted, and light breeze over the Pacific Ocean water, taken from a vista perched high above from the mountain top of Pacific Palisades. The cars at the bottom of the cliffs are traveling on Pacific Coast Highway, which continues north toward Malibu.

After an afternoon shoot and respite in the Pacific Palisades while Travelin’ Local, I don’t have to go to the movies to escape, I do every day as I frequent the most glamorous and interesting place in the world—Southern California and Los Angeles.

This beautiful and soothing refuge in Los Angeles is situated on ten acres very close to both the Pacific Ocean and Pacific Coast Highway.

Awash in abundant gardens, its natural spring-fed lake is home to a variety of flora and fauna, including swans, ducks, koi, and lotus flowers.

The sanctuary’s grounds include a Court of Religions honoring the five principal religions—Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism–of the world; the Mahatma Gandhi World Peace Memorial, where a portion of Gandhi’s ashes is enshrined; and a Windmill Chapel for services and meditation.

Words hardly do justice to the personal solitude, peace, and waves of restfulness that engulfed me as soon as I walked through the gates of this sanctuary.

Without any captions, here is a tribute to this special sanctuary:

]]> http://www.travelinlocal.com/a-sanctuary-in-los-angeles/feed/ 7 http://www.travelinlocal.com/goin-down/ http://www.travelinlocal.com/goin-down/#comments Fri, 13 Feb 2009 13:25:53 +0000 Lisa Newton http://www.travelinlocal.com/?p=483

I’m on my way back down to the base of Temescal Canyon. If you’ve been following me on my trek over the previous two posts, you were able to watch me as I made it to the waterfall, and then to the top of the mountain.

Going down a mountain, especially one that’s a little slick due to all of the recent rain required watching every step. One wrong move sometimes means you’ll fall down or find yourself in a tumbler–which isn’t nor can be a good thing.

And even though I was watching my steps, I was also watching the panoramic view. Probably not the greatest nor the latest news—but I still was basking in the glory of the moment and the bountiful California sunshine that the day afforded me.

People often say that hiking is boring–this particular hike is one in which “boringness” never entered the equation. In-between the initial steady uphill climb to slow dissent, I was totally captivated during the entirety of the 1+ hours I spent here. Indeed, afforded the opportunity I could and would spend even more time here, but such is life.

With the ocean on the left and multi-million dollar homes on the right, who could get bored? Temescal Gateway Park is located in one of the higher end real estate areas of the city, known as the Pacific Palisades.

Each and every home has a uniqueness all its own. I’m continually fascinated by houses that are built in and on hills. Part of my attraction to hillside houses, I’m sure, is because I grew up in Ohio, which isn’t known for its hills—because it’s mostly flat plains and farming country.

The other thing that Ohio isn’t known for is sailboats. There are some boats on Lake Erie; but my family was more into camping than boating.

As I said, we’ve recently had quite a bit of rain, but looking at this part of the trail, you wouldn’t have guessed that, being as its dirt brown. If you look closely, you can see the deep trenches made as the water flowed down hill; however, with the direct sun on it for most of the day, this part of the trail has already dried up.

I’ll leave Temescal Canyon and you with this thought:

Not too far from the end of the trail is a fallen tree spanning an even smaller creek. I’m sure many people have walked across the tree, maybe just to see if they could do it or to see what was on the other side, forging a new path.

Are there any trees you walk across in your neighborhood or parks you love to visit over and over again?

Whichever it is, Travelin’ Local, is all about what you like, where you want to go have fun, and hang out in your locales.

To strike that right balance only you know for sure but keep coming to check out what’s next here in our community.

Until then, please enjoy this video featuring Jeff Beck singing and playing “Goin’ Down”

]]> http://www.travelinlocal.com/goin-down/feed/ 6 http://www.travelinlocal.com/on-top-of-the-mountain/ http://www.travelinlocal.com/on-top-of-the-mountain/#comments Thu, 12 Feb 2009 14:04:27 +0000 Lisa Newton http://www.travelinlocal.com/?p=463

"I’ve Been to the Mountaintop"

By Martin Luther King, Jr.

“..I would move on by Greece and take my mind to Mount Olympus. And I would see Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, Euripides and Aristophanes assembled around the Parthenon. And I would watch them around the Parthenon as they discussed the great and eternal issues of reality. But I wouldn’t stop there.

I would go on, even to the great heyday of the Roman Empire. And I would see developments around there, through various emperors and leaders. But I wouldn’t stop there.

I would even come up to the day of the Renaissance, and get a quick picture of all that the Renaissance did for the cultural and aesthetic life of man. But I wouldn’t stop there.

I would even go by the way that the man for whom I am named had his habitat. And I would watch Martin Luther as he tacked his ninety-five theses on the door at the church of Wittenberg. But I wouldn’t stop there.

I would come on up even to 1863, and watch a vacillating President by the name of Abraham Lincoln finally come to the conclusion that he had to sign the Emancipation Proclamation. But I wouldn’t stop there.

I would even come up to the early thirties, and see a man grappling with the problems of the bankruptcy of his nation. And come with an eloquent cry that we have nothing to fear but "fear itself."

But I wouldn’t stop there.”

Source: American Rhetoric: Delivered on April 3,1968 Mason Temple (Church of God in Christ Headquarters), Memphis, Tennessee

Well, I did it and I made it.

Yesterday I posted about my trip to Temescal Gateway Park and walking the Temescal Canyon Trail to the top.

Reaching the waterfall and being able to document it and experience its changes was great; but after that, I still had a half mile climb to the top, plus I still had to make my way back down. In total, the trail is about 2.5 miles, however it feels much longer because of the long up and then the long down.

Was the climb worth the effort?

Absolutely, making and setting goals, then executing and accomplishing them is both tremendous life lessons and enable us to move forward in life. How many times do we read an article, blog, and/or listen to somebody who reminds us of this daily?

I’ll be going back for more soon:

Here you can see the grandeur of the city, spreading for miles and miles, plus the beauty and depth of the Pacific Ocean.

I then turned my head to the right side, and was greeted with this shot:

Although the sun does detract a little, if you look closely over the horizon, you can see a small island out in the distance. No sooner did I snap this photograph, I was then told by a fellow hiker, that this island is only visible from the mountaintop a few days per year.

As I followed the trail a little further down, the views just kept getting a little better:

That’s downtown LA in the center frame–with Beverly Hills, Westwood, and the San Gabriel mountains off in the distance. In total, the view length of this is about 20 miles, which to me is just amazing and comprises the perfect way to be able to actually look and to use the camera to share.

Today’s post was the tip, and tomorrow’s post will be including the views and sights on the way down.

Keep Travelin’ Local both here and where you live, by keeping it real.

]]> http://www.travelinlocal.com/on-top-of-the-mountain/feed/ 8 http://www.travelinlocal.com/a-waterfall-in-my-backyard/ http://www.travelinlocal.com/a-waterfall-in-my-backyard/#comments Wed, 11 Feb 2009 11:49:38 +0000 Lisa Newton http://www.travelinlocal.com/?p=453 It’s true. Temescal Gateway Park is a Los Angeles hiker’s dream. I hiked there a few months ago, but due to all the rain we’ve recently had, I was very curious to see if the park’s waterfall had managed to regenerate itself. At first blush, being that the last time I was here, the waterfall consisted of a trickle. (Bummer Dude!)

As its entrance is right off of Sunset Blvd, the park is easily accessible to both drivers and Metro bus users.

After parking at the park entrance, just follow the entrance road to the Temescal Canyon Trail head and that’s where the majestic canyon opens and starts. All you need to do is just go–it’s easy to find.

As always safety first! Be sure to bring along some water and a friend. Yesterday’s sojourn wasn’t firmly planned, so I hadn’t really prepared, however it wasn’t too hot (In fact, I was wearing a sweatshirt, which soon became sweaty), so water wasn’t an issue, but my shoes, which were an older pair were a menace. Due to several inches of rainfall in the past few weeks, the trail was a bit slick on the downside, and I did slip, luckily resulting in only a pair of dirty kneed jeans. I think my ego was definitely more damaged.

Although its chiming is labeled as “moderate,” I think that the Temescal Canyon Trail is a “little strenuous,” as the climb’s incline is about 1,000 feet in the first mile.

Since getting to the waterfall was my goal, the trip up seemed at times to take a while, but in reality, it’s was only about 20-25 minutes.

It felt so good to be outside hiking again—since I haven’t had too much time recently, this trail definitely got me “back in the saddle again” so to speak.

Temescal has long been a canyon that inspired nature lovers and enlightenment-seekers. During the 1920s and 1930s, the canyon hosted Chautauqua assemblies—large educational and recreational gatherings that features lectures, concerts and stage performances. The canyon was purchased by the Presbyterian Synod in 1943 and used as a retreat center until 1995 when the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy purchased the property.

After about a mile of hiking, I came upon the waterfall. As I said earlier, it was only a few short months ago that because of the drought conditions in Southern California, what was once a true waterfall had been reduced to a trickle.

Although a bit more than a trickle now—but not totally ground water satiated, it still has a ways to go before all the water is replenished at the fall; but be that as it may I could hear the waterfall before I approached it, and that made the ascent well worth the effort.

The waterfall is about ⅔ up the canyon wall, so I still had a ways to go to hit the peak and start on the trail down. About ½ a mile after the waterfall, I reach the Canyon Trail peak.

From here, you are able to see Beverly Hills and much of the Westside.

What I wasn’t prepared for was the views of the city as I started down. The last time I hiked this trail, it was fairly early in the morning on a not too clear day.

Today was the complete opposite.

So to keep things interesting, and because I took so many pictures, I’m going to save the trip down for tomorrow’s blog. So make sure that part of your online destination tomorrow is here.

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