Hammer and Hiking

One of my favorite things to do is explore LA. Coming from such a small town, it seems there’s always something to do!

Hammer Museum is a stone’s throw from campus, and their historical society restores old films. Periodically they will show them in their beautiful theatre. It’s free for UCLA students, and very reasonably priced for everyone else. It’s a perfect date night idea or just something fun to do for a night out. Austin, Maria and I went to see “The Whistler”, which was adapted from a radio series. Now, none of these films are recognizable (they’re obscure and dated), but that’s the fun of it! This film was so charming.

Afterwards we went to Saffron & Rose for some traditional Persian ice cream, which was delicious. I was halfway adventurous with my choice – pistachio mint – and it paid off! Quite a delectable treat and a perfect way to end the evening.

The next morning Maria and I rose early and jumped in my car to make our way to the coast. We had heard of a great hike in Topanga State Park. The parking was not too bad for a Sunday morning, and we headed up to the entrance. There was a main trail and then one that started across a ditch. We opted for the one across the ditch remembering Whitman’s words, “I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference”.

The hike was not too far to reach the highest point. It was all uphill though, so it was a workout! We took our obligatory hiking photos at the summit before returning down and deliberating over a brunch place.

We chose one not too far away, situated right in the sand with an unmatched ocean view. It was a very quaint café called Back to the Beach with a darling orange and blue color scheme. I ordered the chocolate chip pancakes and I’ll tell you, the view wasn’t the only thing worthy of raving about! Definitely a must try.