LA Times - 19 May 2024

J OY LEE HAS LIVED in the L.A. area her entire life, but the 48-year-old says she hasn’t felt an earthquake in almost two decades. “Sometimes I will be on social media and suddenly my friends will start commenting on the earthquake, and I will realize I felt nothing,” she said. ¶ One time she thought an earthquake may have happened after seeing a strange ripple in the tank of her 5-gallon water dispenser. It was “like the scene where the glass of water vibrates in ‘Jurassic Park.’ ” ¶ As usual, she went to social media to confirm her suspicions. Indeed, there’d been a quake that, once again, she didn’t feel. ¶ Lee is what we’ve dubbed a “never-feeler,” someone who never — or very, very rarely — registers the rumblings of the earth beneath their feet. ¶ After two early January SoCal quakes (a 4.1 magnitude on New Year’s Day and a 4.2 four days later), The Times conducted an informal survey to find out more about the chronically earthquake-oblivious. Lee was among the readers to share their feelings — or lack thereof. Last month, when an early-morning quake was reported in View ParkWindsor Hills, the 2.8 magnitude shaker was considered a “light” earthquake — too low to trigger the shake alert app. But about 260 people shared did-you-feel-it reports, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Of 116 Times questionnaire respondents, about a quarter described themselves as avowed never-feelers: people who, despite living in the L.A. area for between two and 42 years, had never felt even the slightest quiver no matter the magnitude. Meanwhile, 61% reported that, while they had indeed felt the earth tremble at some point — especially if the quake was on the bigger side — they haven’t felt one in a very long time. Julian Lozos, an associate professor of geophysics at Cal State Northridge, said there is solid earthquake science behind why some feel quakes while others don’t in any given situation. “In general, you’re more likely to feel earthquakes if you’re sitting still [instead of] moving around, you’re more likely to feel them if you’re awake [instead of] asleep — obviously — but it also depends on where you are. There have been earthquakes in the San Fernando Valley, for example, that I’ve felt while people just on the other side of the Santa Monica [Mountains] haven’t. “And it would definitely depend on where you live in terms of there being a constant source of noise or movement, like living in an apartment building where there’s constantly other stuff going on versus a single-family home. In that case you’re more likely to either think that’s what it is or, more likely, to just have developed the ability to tune it out.” Indeed, Lee thinks her location may play a role in her earthquake ignorance. “[I] only have been quake-oblivious since moving into our home in Mt. Washington 17 years ago,” she said. “I think it has to do with the geology that our house sits on.” Linnea Stanley, a fouryear Angeleno who lives in Bel-Air but used to live in Beachwood Canyon by the Hollywood sign, wondered if she never feels earthquakes because “maybe I live far enough [away] from them?” Isabel Corazon, a 37-year-resident born and raised in L.A. and currently residing in downtown’s Historic Core, believes she may have grown immune. “I do find it strange since I’m hypersensitive to how others are feeling at any given moment in addition to how I’m feeling at any given moment,” Corazon said. “I’m highly intuitive and perceptive. So I’m honestly confused as to why I never feel earthquakes. ... Maybe when you have generational time spent in L.A., you become like one with the earthquake?” Lozos, whose area of expertise is computer simulations (“I make fake earthquakes on my computer”), has a keen interest in the never-feeler phenomenon, having observed it firsthand in the classroom. “I always ask my students if they’ve felt an earthquake, and most of them say they have — but some of them say they haven’t,” Lozos said. “I think some of that has to do with how much are they even thinking about it? I’m thinking about earthquakes most of the time, because it’s my job, right? So I’m more likely to feel something and go, ‘OK, was that an earthquake? Or was that my neighbors, or was that the fire station across the street?’ Whereas people who aren’t necessarily thinking about it all the time ... chances are they probably have felt earthquakes and just never thought to look into it. It’s like how much does it come to your mind to begin with?” The never-feelers’ theories Generally, the survey respondents who don’t feel earthquakes had three main reasons. A third of them, including Lee, cited their location. Lozos explained that differing locations — even within the same building — can make a huge difference in how a quake is felt. He used his personal experience at a 2014 earthquake conference in Japan as an example. “It was lunchtime and they had half of us at a fourthfloor restaurant and half of us at an 18th-floor restaurant in the same hotel when a magnitude 4.9 earthquake hit,” he said. “The people on the fourth floor felt a very sort of abrupt shaking — a jolty shaking — and the people on the 18th floor felt a lot more swaying. ... [which] one might perceive as the wind versus an earthquake.” Others theorized they had become desensitized to the jolts, jiggles and sways of the earth, due to medical conditions (from ADHD-induced wiggling legs to frequent seizures), previous earthquakes or even where they grew up. “As a native Seattleite, I have spent A LOT of my life on boats (rowboats, ferry boats, speed boats, Patrick Hruby Los Angeles Times What makes an earthquake ‘never-feeler’? SOME ANGELENOS DON’T EVEN REALIZE THE GROUND IS SHAKING BY ADAM TSCHORN [See Never-feelers, L4] Scan this QR code for ways to become more quake-conscious LATIMES.COM SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 L3

crew shells, kayaks, canoes, etc.),” wrote Colleen Davis. “Therefore, I am very used to the feeling of having sea legs and having water rolling under me. Who knows if there is a connection? But it makes as much sense as any other theory, I guess.” Lozos said most earthquakes are small and last for a very short period of time — a second or less. “And there are so many other things that can cause movement like that, that it might not even be something you think to check. So, later on, when the earthquake is on the news, or is exploding on [social media], you have to step back and think, ‘Did I feel something earlier? What time was that?’ There’s probably a lot of that.” A surprising number of respondents (to me at least) copped to being too distracted to notice. “I honestly feel like I just don’t pay attention,” said Tess Steplyk of her sixyear streak of quake obliviousness. “But most of the time I am quietly working from home. So I think it’s a skill!” Not paying attention is what Lozos thinks is probably at work for people who haven’t experienced a single shaker. “I’d be willing to bet that if they’re adults who have lived in California their whole lives,” he said, “they probably have [felt an earthquake] and just didn’t realize what it was. Also, if you haven’t felt one before, you probably have this mental image, like it’s going to be this big obvious thing. And, most of the time, they’re not.” Didn’t feel it? Don’t be surprised. Since 1999, the USGS has been running a postquake questionnaire called “Did You Feel It?” It asks people to detail the intensity of shaking and report damage. According to Vince Quitoriano, the program’s developer, of the more than 450,000 L.A. County responses since launch, about 96% reported having felt a quake. Using this data, the USGS has found that fewer than 10% of people are likely to feel a quake with moderate shaking if they are outside and in motion (say, walking or driving), while roughly 85% of people at rest and located on the higher floor of a building will feel the same intensity quake. However, the survey wasn’t designed to gather granular data from those who didn’t feel anything, says geophysicist David Wald, manager of the Did You Feel It? system (who created it in the aftermath of the 1994 Northridge quake). “What’s really unfortunate is that to answer the questionnaire to say you didn’t feel it just takes one answer,” Wald said. “We get their location, we get the actual intensity [of the quake] where they are based on other people’s reports and we typically know what story [of a building] they were in. But we haven’t put a lot of effort into [exploring] the boundaries of the havenot-felt because that’s such a small fraction.” Even so, he isn’t surprised that some people who have lived in the L.A. area for decades would say they have never felt a single earthquake. “On the scientific level, I would say that there are definitely so many circumstances that it would absolutely make sense that they didn’t,” he said. “It could have been that [during] one they should have felt they were in a car or in a small building and far enough away where only half the people would have felt it and they were watching TV loudly or whatever. ... So even if you lived in L.A., in the early ’90s, you might be in the situation where you wouldn’t have felt an earthquake.” [Never-feelers, from L3] L4 SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 WSCE LATIMES.COM *On approved credit. Some restrictions apply. Cannot be combined with any other offers. Promo period until 2025 with no payments required followed by 84 amortized payments based on the balance at the end of the promo period. Minimum financing of $2,500 and proof of income required. APR in loan agreement is fixed for the life of the loan. Call or see website for details www.americanvisionwindows.com. Offer Expires 05/31/24. CSLB# 778326. FOR18 MONTHS!* 888-920-5322 “Revolutionizing the Home Improvement Industry, One Customer at a Time, While Changing the Lives of Our Employees for the Better.” Bill & Kathleen Our Technicians Are AAMA Certified! CALL NOW

Granted, Botanica is a more labor-heavy model than many in our cohort. We are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner; we have a robust coffee/tea/bakery program, and the front of our space is a market stocked with natural wine, house-made goods and products from local, largely women-owned businesses. These are laborious undertakings that require substantially more staff (with specialized training, no less) than a dinner-only joint. But these elements of our business, costly as they may be, are the ones that make us an especially useful, multifaceted neighborhood spot. All this is to say that a restaurant like Botanica — like so many other independent, owner-operated neighborhood restaurants across the country — exists, first and foremost, to nourish its people. Hospitality is innately altruistic, and the neighborhood restaurant is especially, preciously, precariously so. I don’t have any grand solutions to propose, though I do believe that low-margin, financially uncertain businesses like ours will need structural support to continue to exist. That 3.11% of revenue that goes to credit card processing fees ($98,725 last year, paid to our point-of-sale system, Toast) would be a transformational addition to our bottom line. And I’d vastly prefer to reinvest some of the 4.89% that went to payroll taxes ($155,000 in 2023) into our team. In the absence of legislated solutions, it comes down to the diners. Nearly 20 years ago, right as I was starting out in the food world, Michael Pollan introduced the concept of “voting with your fork” via his seminal book “The Omnivore’s Dilemma”; it’s his way of succinctly expressing the importance and power that your daily food choices can have. I’ve been trying to come up with a corollary that relates to the restaurant world — “dining with your values” doesn’t have the same ring to it; my suggestion box is wide open! — as a way to convey what it means to support restaurants not just for the creative/buzzy/exciting food they serve but for the broader philosophy that informs their work and exponentially impacts their small corners of the world. Because for us to keep doing what we do, we need your support — and your understanding of the positive ripple effect that your support has. I hope this encourages you to feel good about your next brunch/dinner/ coffee/cocktail outing at a thoughtful, community-minded restaurant near you. It means more than you may know. Heather Sperling is the co-founder and co-owner of Botanica, a restaurant and market in Silver Lake. MY INDUSTRY has always been as difficult as it is magical. In the post-pandemic era, challenges are categorically higher. ¶ The threat to restaurants during the pandemic was obvious; it was a given that many wouldn’t come out the other side. In 2024, restaurants are back! No, restaurants are dying! No, restaurants are (sometimes) busy! It is whiplash, day to day. ¶ For many, including my restaurant, Botanica, solvency is more elusive than ever due to the elevated cost of doing business. Since opening Botanica nearly seven years ago, our labor costs have risen 40% for hourly workers and 25% for salaried management, the result of minimum-wage increases and market-rate pay increases. Our rent has risen 17%. Our sales, on the other hand, have grown only 2.3%. ¶ Obviously, this creates a nearimpossible status quo. In our industry, there are no mechanisms for alleviating costs other than trimming spending on goods and labor. In other words: There is no way to balance the books without compromising the quality, vision and values that define a business like ours. There are no tax breaks on costly insurance policies or credit card processing fees. And if we were to pass the costs on to our customers, we’d be compromising the vision and values that make us what we are. It’s an absolute conundrum. Our way of doing business is under threat. From frequent conversations with restaurateur friends (including my cofounders of Regarding Her, a nonprofit focused on female food-industry leaders), I know that what Botanica is navigating at the moment is far from unique. Why does this matter? Neighborhood-oriented restaurants are vital to communities and economies. They are meaningful gathering spots and dependable local employers. They support numerous other businesses: cleaners, farmers, coffee roasters, winemakers, equipment technicians, etc. They’re small and personal, and thus are approachable and accountable in ways that larger businesses aren’t. They’re often run by owners and managers who care deeply about their people, their neighborhood and their impact — even more than they care about their bottom line. I know this because Emily Fiffer (Botanica’s co-owner) and I are among these people. And, moreover, we’re friends with dozens of like-minded owners across L.A. and beyond. Eating at a place like Botanica might feel indulgent. Dishes on the spring menu range in price from $14 for marinated bean toast to $36 for Baja striped bass. But from our perspective, the purpose of our business is not just to provide a nice evening of beautifully prepared, local, sustainable produce and natural wine. Our goal is to run a business with the most positive possible impact on our community, economy and environment — a business that embodies what we call “nourishing hospitality.” There’s an economic concept called “the multiplier effect,” which describes how the effect of spending is greater than the original money spent. While every dollar you spend ripples through the economy in some way, restaurants surely must provide among the best bang for your buck, so to speak. So one day I sat down to try to calculate exactly how this works with our model, and I landed on a startling figure. Of every $1spent by a customer at Botanica in 2023, $1.005 went back out the door. Of that, 86.7 cents went toward “the good stuff” — meaning people, businesses and causes that it feels good to be supporting; 53.2 cents pays for the livelihoods of 50 staff members (including insurance, benefits and hefty payroll taxes); 26.2 cents buys products from a sensational web of farmers, purveyors and makers doing ethical, sustainabilityfocused work, who themselves employ countless passionate individuals; and 7.3 cents pays for a cadre of small businesses in supporting roles: our cleaning crew, florist, laundry services, a cavalcade of local equipment repair people, the family-run supplier of our recyclable and compostable to-go and market packaging, and so on. And then 13.8 cents goes to occupancy costs (rent, utilities and trash/recycling/compost pickup); administrative costs (office supplies, our accountant, various apps and tools essential to operations, phone and internet, etc.); and the cost of credit card processing — 3.1 cents I really wish we could spend elsewhere! The national average profit margin for independent restaurants is regularly cited to be in the zone of 3% to 5% (sometimes higher, often lower). This profit is necessary for retaining staff (raises), reinvesting in infrastructure (endless property and equipment repairs), navigating snafus (a power outage can result in thousands of dollars in losses) and repaying the investors, often friends and family, who funded the venture in the first place. Botanica closed out 2023 with a 1.19% profit — but not from restaurant operations; those were just slightly less than break-even. Our revenue was boosted by a handful of commercial photo shoots held at the restaurant on days when we were closed. BOTANICA co-owner Heather Sperling is proud that her restaurant supports an ecosystem. But she wants customers to realize how razor-thin the margins are at such businesses. Lily Qian For The Times Botanica’s expense and profit breakdown Phi Do Los Angeles Times Where every cent of your dollar goes at Botanica AN INSIDER BREAKS DOWN WHY SOLVENCY IS SO ELUSIVE FOR MANY AREA RESTAURANTS BY HEATHER SPERLING LATIMES.COM SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 L5 Michael Blackshire Los Angeles Times

L6 SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 LATIMES.COM N OCTOBER, Lauren and Peter Lemos locked the doors of their Chinatown sandwich shop for what they thought would be the last time. In late March they flipped Wax Paper’s lights back on — not due to newfound success or a windfall but because they couldn’t afford to shut down. ¶ “After closing Chinatown we realized we still have our lease, we still have our [federal] loans from the SBA, from COVID, the bills are still coming in,” Lauren Lemos said. “We can’t even afford to close. We can’t afford to be open, we can’t afford to be closed.” ¶ Wax Paper’s husband-and-wife team are hardly the only ones facing economic crises. Interviews with more than two dozen chefs, restaurateurs, policymakers and advocacy groups revealed pointed concern over the state of the service industry, and questions of longevity — especially in light of 2023, a particularly difficult year for restaurants in Los Angeles. ¶ The year was marred by entertainment industry strikes that affected the service industry throughout the region; pandemic-era loan and rent repayments coming due; and inflation of ingredient prices and services such as kitchen repair. L.A. restaurant closures included those from some of the country’s most celebrated chefs. Nancy Silverton shuttered the Barish; Walter and Margarita Manzke closed Petty Cash Taqueria and Sari Sari Store; Daniel Rose shut Café Basque; and Jean-Georges Vongerichten closed his eponymous restaurant in Beverly Hills. The Lemoses’ second location of Wax Paper, where heaped sandwiches named for NPR hosts and a small dinerstyle counter always saw a colorful lunchtime crowd, was hemorrhaging money. On a good day, post-pandemic, they would break $2,000 in sales — though Lauren Lemos estimates that they should have been making between $4,000 and $8,000 for their business model to make sense. In 2023, some days they didn’t break $1,000 in sales — which wouldn’t even cover the cost of the shop’s labor. The duo considered moving money from one restaurant to another, but with their Frogtown restaurant, Lingua Franca, also facing financial difficulty, they ultimately decided that they would only be bailing water without plugging the hole. “Costs are higher than ever, risks are higher than ever,” said Lauren Lemos. “I always want to have some kind of optimistic outcome for the future, but I do really worry, ‘Is it going to be sustainable?’ I’m not sure we’ll have mom-and-pop restaurants for a long time more.” The first months of 2024 have already seen some of the region’s most popular and beloved restaurants shutter, including the Manzkes’ Bicyclette — a 2023 L.A. Times 101 List awardee — and generationally embraced beach haunt Patrick’s Roadhouse. Francesco Zimone independently owns four U.S. outposts of Italy’s famous L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele, including Hollywood and Santa Barbara. He told The Times that in 2023 profit margin plummeted from 20% to 2%, causing him to operate with little salary for the year. In early 2024 he managed to expand to Long Beach and noted that the ability to order more ingredients in bulk has helped achieve better profit margins, and this year might see as much as 5% or 7%. “[I’m] worried,” he said, “but certainly grateful.” A spate of new state and local legislation also is shifting the landscape for the industry in 2024, including increases in the minimum wage both at independent-restaurant and national-chain levels. Come July, surcharges for employee tips, health insurance and other benefits will be outlawed, with operators having to roll those into listed menu prices, should they still wish to charge them when customers have a low tolerance for higher prices. Chefs and trade groups have complained that lawmakers leave them in the dark on the new laws’ details. Many said they wished more restaurateurs would be consulted by local, state and federal politicians when writing regulations that affect them. “They should want to be looking for ways to help the restaurants recover and survive,” said Jot Condie, president and chief executive of the California Restaurant Assn., which represents roughly 22,000 of the state’s restaurants. “I think they should first start from a place of doing no harm, or in other words: Take your foot off our neck and don’t make it worse. Then look for ways to help restaurants survive.” Multiple restaurateurs told The Times that the deck feels stacked against them. “We do it because we love creating and we love bettering the lives of our guests through great food, great dining experiences, great spaces, great beverages,” said chef David LeFevre, who with a series of partners operates the Arthur J, Ryla, Fishing With Dynamite, Manhattan Beach Post and more. “We’ve had restaurants that have struggled at times and it’s really tough, especially when you consider what restaurant owners put into it,” he added. “They’re not just borrowing money from people, they’re putting a lot of their own personal assets — sometimes all of it — into it.” THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS In January Uyên Lê took to social media to share that the prices at her Vietnamese restaurant in Silver Lake would have to increase for the first time in a year and a half. Inflation and other rising costs left her no other choice. Since launching Bé Ù in 2021, the chef-owner noted that the restaurant’s cost of ingredients and packaging had increased by between 35% and 50% — and sometimes more. “Vendors do not hesitate to raise their prices regularly on products,” she wrote, “and we are often very reluctant to pass those heavy costs on to our guests. … I am sure you understand considering the sticker shock most of you probably experienced at the grocery store lately.” Though the Consumer Price Index, compiled monthly by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, noted only a slight increase from February to March, prices are up roughly 25% over the last four years, causing customers to tighten their budgets, especially when it comes to food. The price of eggs, for example, rose 4.6% in March. These cost increases, at the large volumes necessary for restaurants, can hurt the bottom line, but chefs and restaurateurs routinely fear raising prices out of concern that diners will stop coming when they see their favorite items have increased by even as little as 25 cents. “The truth is,” Lê said in January, “this is a really tough business where the margins are razor thin, the predictability is very low, and the chances of catastrophe are high.” Even fluctuations in gas prices can be disastrous. Andy Kadin opened a Glassell Park deli in 2022, an evolution of his longtime bread bakery of the same name, Bub and Grandma’s. But his bakery wholesale accounts still comprise a large portion of his profits, with five bread delivery vans driving around the city daily, dropping off loaves to some of L.A.’s most lauded restaurants, cafes and grocery stores. When the cost of gas passed $6 per gallon last year, the thousands of miles driven weekly equated to thousands of dollars each week. Kadin raised his delivery fees to compensate for higher gas costs; drivers’ insurance costs also increased, and he began inquiring about outsourcing delivery services to designated delivery companies. It’s something he’s still considering. (California’s gas prices currently average $5.305 per gallon as opposed to the national average of $3.636, according to the American Automobile Assn., with select regions in the state seeing “eye-popping price increases” this year.) The war in Ukraine also affected the cost of U.S. flour. Should it rise again, the baker said that his operation will have to raise prices. “There are thresholds that once they go over that, people aren’t going to pay $12, $15 for a single loaf of bread,” he said. “I hope we don’t get there. If we do, we’re going to have to get very creative and have to do more with less.” And of course there’s the entire precarious ecosystem of local restaurants: If a large percentage of Bub and Grandma’s bakery and retail is restaurant wholesale, and many of his WAX PAPER’S Peter Lemos, top, and Lauren Lemos, above, closed one of their two locations, then reopened it because they weren’t making enough money to survive. RESTAURANT INDUSTRY CONFRONTS CHALLENGES MOM-AND-POPS SAY ‘WE CAN’T AFFORD TO BE OPEN, WE CAN’T AFFORD TO BE CLOSED’ AS LAWS CHANGE AND PRICES CLIMB BY STEPHANIE BREIJO I Robert Gauthier Los Angeles Times

BREWCO in Manhattan Beach, left, dismantled its outdoor dining area after new regulations. Andy Kadin at his Bub and Grandma’s. Wax Paper chef Tony Garcia. A surcharge at Kato, bottom, boosts benefits. LATIMES.COM S SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 L7 clients close due to their own struggles, that affects the bottom line for Kadin as well. “It’s very hard to quantify exactly why things are so tight, because the flour prices are staying relatively in place,” he said. “It’s hard to track what else is eating up the cash. But everything has sort of steadily climbed up, including sales on our part; we’re at our highest sales we’ve ever had, we should probably be up over 10% in profit, but we’re not.” Diversification, he said, is how he plans to combat it. In late April he debuted “BG Nights,” in the hope that live jazz, new small plates and beer and wine will bring in more revenue, he said, adding that the endeavor is already proving successful. The only way to really continue, Kadin said, is to keep growing. “It’s not solely the format that we thought it was going to be out of the gates,” he said. “It has to be a more comprehensive endeavor than what we were doing.” THE WAGE RULES CHANGE Minimum-wage laws also are buffeting the restaurant industry like never before. Federal minimum wage remains at $7.25 per hour, as it has for years, but in 2024, 25 states either saw their minimum wage increase or expect to increase it by the end of the year. This includes California, which in January bumped its hourly minimum wage from $15.50 to $16. It falls just behind Washington, D.C., and Washington state, at $17 and $16.28, respectively, as the highest statewide minimum wage in the country. The city of Los Angeles is set to increase its minimum wage to $17.28 per hour. Other localities, such as Long Beach, will see wage increases for specialized fields later this year. For many, local and statewide raises signify the hope of livability in some of the most expensive cities in the country. But multiple restaurateurs view raising wages as a financial kneecapping in an industry already surviving on barelythere margins. Some of the most vocal concerns from the industry arrived with AB 1228: On April 1 the new California law increased minimum wage for fast-food chain workers by nearly 25%, bumping hourly pay to $20 for restaurant locations with more than 60 outposts in the U.S. and affecting an estimated halfmillion workers. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, roughly 200,000 of them are employed in L.A. and Orange counties alone. In December hundreds of Pizza Hut franchises announced they would lay off more than 1,100 delivery drivers, shifting to delivery apps like Uber Eats. Many franchisees have already raised prices, while some have begun implementing self-serve kiosks and AI to limit human staff. “Gas isn’t going down, rent isn’t going down,” Mysheka Ronquillo, a cashier/cook at a Carl’s Jr. in Long Beach and a leader with the Fight for $15 and a Union in California, told The Times in February. A new statewide union of fast-food workers formed to advocate for annual wage increases and protections such as hourly minimums, along with existing trade unions, are celebrating AB 1228 as a victory. “L.A. is the center for the working poor,” said Unite Here Local 11 co-president Ada Briceño. “Many people in the low-wage industry are one paycheck away from homelessness, or already couch-surfing or already live in their cars.” Briceño said that most of the push-back that United Here Local 11 — which represents more than 32,000 restaurant and bar professionals, hotel workers and beyond — has noted regarding wage increases and other employee benefits stems less from small businesses and more from “corporate greed” by larger entities. In March Long Beach passed a measure that increases qualifying hotel employees’ hourly minimum wage from $17.55 per hour to $23 beginning July 1, and incrementally, annually, to $29.50 per hour by July 2028. Prior to the vote, Briceño said that roughly 160 small businesses in Long Beach signed pledges to the union in support of minimum-wage increases that would affect their workers. According to Briceño, higher wages don’t necessarily equate to a halt in business; where she said they have seen a crush of new-business permits is in the city of West Hollywood, which two years ago voted to raise its minimum wage, now at $19.08 per hour — the fourth-highest in the country. “We see that in areas where we have the highest wage increase — for example, West Hollywood — have a boom in business,” she said. “I think that’s really important.” But multiple West Hollywood restaurateurs said the minimum-wage increase and paidtime-off requirements forced them to limit hours, raise prices or cut staff entirely. Industry veteran Craig Susser operates celebrity hot spot Craig’s in West Hollywood. He recently told The Times that in order to financially offset the increase in minimum wage, he had to reduce the number of servers from 12 to nine, and sometimes to eight. THE END OF SURCHARGES The industry is bracing for impact.That’s because on July 1, California outlaws surchargesor “hidden fees” in restaurants and bars. The new law applies to a range of services, including travel booking and concert tickets. But unique to the service industry is the fact that many restaurants use service charges to balance pay discrepancies between front-of-house employees, such as servers, who traditionally garner tips, and the back of house, such as cooks and dishwashers, who do not. They are often also used to help pay for employee healthcare and other benefits. Several restaurants were scrutinized and legally challenged this year for their use of surcharges, including Jon and Vinny’s and Found Oyster. Last month Perch came under fire for charging a 4.5% “security” fee. Frustrated diners have taken to Reddit and written to the L.A. Times to voice their dismay. “These deceptive fees prevent us from knowing how much we will be charged at the outset,” Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta, who co-sponsored the measure, said in a statement the day the law was signed. A representative for the attorney general told The Times in February that restaurants and bars are advised to roll existing surcharge percentages into the listed menu prices come July 1. “Every restaurateur that I know who cares in this industry is using it in a way that is so immensely appropriate and responsible and forward-thinking that if it was to go away, it would be really crippling to everybody,” Kato restaurateur Ryan Bailey told The Times earlier this year. “We have people who have progressed from entry-level positions into management positions because they felt that we are taking care of them and care about their financial stability.” At Kato, the No. 1 restaurant on the 2023 L.A. Times 101 List, Bailey said an 18% service charge helps cover an employee benefits package that includes mental, medical, dental and vision services, and to offer a 40-hour workweek. Bailey, who heads Kato’s management operations but also has served as a business consultant to other restaurants, said operators — in an effort to not raise prices — might offset a ban on service charges by cutting staff from 30 to 22, or by requiring more staff contributions for insurance packages “For us, it’s definitely going to be a challenge,” he said. “I’ve heard certain operators say that it’s going to be very detrimental for the staff, that what they’re offering they might not be able to offer anymore.” He said he has heard some owners mention cutting select benefits to employees once the surcharge ban begins. Bailey, like many others, urged legislators and trade groups to provide clarity on the law before it takes effect this summer. “When there’s lack of clarity around an issue, that opens up the potential for lawsuits, which then opens up the potential of a huge loss for a restaurant, and potentially the closure of it,” he said. Last month prolific restaurateur Dustin Lancaster — whose hospitality group operates 13 concepts in L.A., plus Covell’s reservation-only Sidebar — preemptively did away with surcharges at his businesses that previously enforced them, folding the 4% service charges into his menu prices at L&E Oyster Bar and El Condor. “It’s not worth the conversations, confusion and pushback once the bill is enacted,” he told The Times, adding, “It’s sort of a ‘pick your poison.’ Customers’ complaints or pushback have been almost nonexistent regarding the price raises, but perhaps that’s because everyone has raised prices and they just expect to pay a lot more when going out. At the end of the day, not knowing how this would shake out seemed pragmatic to just make the switch sooner than later.” A SHIFT IN DINING PREFERENCES “People are spending more,” said chef David LeFevre. “But they’re not spending it at restaurants.” LeFevre said he’s heard from many patrons that they chose to invest in their immediate surroundings during the pandemic. Now they want to reap the benefits of the work they’ve put into upgrading their homes and prefer to spend time there — especially later in the evening. According to multiple chefs, the pandemic also shifted the hours Angelenos tend to dine. “I’ll tell you what people don’t do anymore: They don’t go out to dinner late,” LeFevre said. “If you look at 2019 compared to today, if you look at reservations after 8 o’clock, it’s dismal. … At the restaurants, the reservations after 8:30 [p.m.] are 50% of what we used to do, and that is a really big aspect of it.” The pandemic also altered where diners spend their money; after not traveling for a few years, LeFevre and others say many diners are opting to save to travel and then spend money on food in far-flung locales as opposed to dining out locally. Despite rising rates, the International Air Transport Assn. found that demand for travel this March was up 13.8% compared with March 2023; for international travel, it rose 18.9% in that time. The shift in post-pandemic diner expectations also is something LeFevre and his team still contend with, especially when it comes to outdoor dining. While all of the chef’s restaurants weathered the pandemic and remained open, their experiences and successes differed; some had parklet dining, others didn’t, but it proved to be crucial. Many restaurateurs heralded the provision when indoor dining bans heavily affected business; Casa Vega owner Christy Vega told The Times that the L.A. Al Fresco program saved her family’s Sherman Oaks restaurant, calling it “wildly vital to our survival.” According to a survey by the city, more than 81% of business owners interviewed said they would have permanently closed had it not been for the program. Some cities and counties pushed for parklet dining’s longevity, while others sought to disband it. At the statewide level, AB 1217 has extended parklet dining and other pandemic-era provisions into mid-2026. In December, the L.A. City Council voted unanimously to make its program permanent. In early 2023 Manhattan Beach had already voted unanimously to end the beach city’s use of temporary parklet dining areas, giving business owners 10 days to remove them. “Maybe have an exit plan that’s a little bit less like yanking the Band-Aid off and more like, all right, let’s use a smaller and smaller Band-Aid over time so you can adapt,” LeFevre said, “versus, ‘We’re going to do everything and then we’re going to take it all away.’ People don’t come to California or to the beach communities to dine inside.” More than a year later, Manhattan Beach’s Outdoor Dining Task Force is still weighing proposals and business plans to integrate al fresco dining back into its restaurants and bars. Through it all LeFevre remains hopeful. He has to, he says, to keep going. In June he plans to debut a Mediterranean seafood restaurant called Attagirl in Hermosa Beach with Fishing With Dynamite chef Alice Mai. “Sometimes you have to change the lens you look at it through,” LeFevre said. “I do think that there are some big challenges, especially in California, that are going to continue to come up ... but there’s a lot of optimism because I know how great it can be.” Robert Gauthier Los Angeles Times Yuri Hasegawa For The Times Robert Gauthier Los Angeles Times Mariah Tauger Los Angeles Times Jay L. Clendenin Los Angeles Times

L8 SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 LATIMES.COM T HE COST OF living in Los Angeles seems to increase by the day. Prices for necessities like housing, gas and groceries have all risen, while wages remain largely stagnant. For many, dining out has become a luxury, and even casual options may take you by surprise when you get the final bill. ¶ L.A. restaurants are facing many of the same challenges and still weathering the effects of the pandemic, as well as issues such as loss of business from last year’s writers’ and actors’ strikes. A minimum wage increase to $20 an hour for California’s fast-food workers has many worried that value-minded mega-chains will be forced to raise menu prices, while another state law set to take effect on July 1will prevent restaurants from adding unadvertised service fees and other costs to the end of a bill, which some restaurant owners predict will result in significantly higher menu prices. ¶ Despite these hurdles, many local restaurants are still committed to providing quality food at prices that diners can afford. A recent quest to find meals for less than $15 turned up a lot of options that aren’t just limited to high-profile chains. Southern California’s (usually) mild weather arguably makes our region the streetfood capital of the U.S., with Mexican and Central and South American cuisines and tacos in particular dominating the scene. Palm-size street tacos range from $1.50 to $5 each, while burritos packed with meat, rice and beans can climb into the low double digits. Weekend pop-ups and night markets can serve as laboratories for chefs hoping to launch eventual bricks-and-mortars in L.A.’s competitive market. Their menu items usually are priced lower than what you’ll find at sit-down restaurants as chefs refine their recipes and build their brands. For mindful diners who want to eat economically while still supporting restaurants and workers, there are a handful of consumer practices that make all the difference. In addition to favoring cash over credit cards, many neighborhood spots rely on word-of-mouth to attract new customers, so be sure to spread the word when restaurants impress you with thoughtful dishes at accessible prices. Tipping is a given, even for takeout spots. When possible, place orders in person or make delivery requests directly through the restaurant as opposed to using apps that charge fees for both parties. Many small restaurants rely on catering to stay in business, so consider a mom-andpop spot for your next company party or birthday blowout. And remember, it costs nothing to be kind and patient with the people who are taking your orders and preparing your food. From Wagyu shawarma in Studio City to health-focused mini-chains and Sonoran-style burritos, here are 15 places where you can get a satisfying meal for less than $15 (before tax). Avi Cue The Valley is rife with solid shawarma spots, and Avi Cue’s small storefront on Ventura Boulevard is one of the best. The brief menu is almost entirely priced at under $15 — go for griddled arayes with ground Wagyu beef for just $10 each; beef tallow fries loaded with strips of tender Wagyu shawarma, tomato, onion, parsley, tahini and amba sauce for $11; or stretch your $15 budget to the limit with a shawarma sandwich that features a fresh-baked half pita. There’s also a vegan version for just $12 that adds fried cauliflower with all of the shawarma toppings on the same, stillwarm pita bread. Canned strawberry-banana and peach juices are imported from Israel. The counter-service restaurant gets busy during lunch and dinner hours and often sells out, so order ahead of time to skip the line. Bar seating is available if you want to dig into your food while it’s still hot. l11288 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, avicue.square.site Bé Ù Blink and you might miss this tiny walk-up window on a bustling strip of Hoover Street in Virgil Village. The takeout restaurant from chef-owner Uyên Lê specializes in Vietnamese comfort food, such as double-fried wings tossed in a house lemongrass and fish sauce blend ($13 for five wings) and grilled street corn with scallion oil, crushed peanuts, fried shallots and spicy aioli ($7.50), plus banh mi sandwiches and rice and noodle plates. With an emphasis on Vietnam’s Buddhist cuisine, there are plenty of vegan options available, including banh mi with lemongrass-roasted tofu and a house vegan pâté for just $8.50. The salted pork baby back riblets that come with scallions and pickled cauliflower alongside jasmine rice are $13, though the rice plate with caramelized pork belly, eggs and pickled mustard greens ($15) proves as tempting. Chef specials on the weekend include a new, seasonal softshell crab sandwich coated in fried sesame dough. Lê is preparing to launch a fundraiser for the restaurant in June that will go toward renovations, including building a small patio. l 557 N. Hoover St., Los Angeles, instagram.com/beukitchen Con Sabor Every time I eat a pupusa, I think about what a value-hack it is. Just one of the thick, griddled masa cakes is hearty enough to comprise a meal, and they’re usually under $5 apiece. Sarita’s Pupuseria at Grand Central Market and Delmy’s Pupusas, which pops up at the Silver Lake and Crenshaw farmers markets, are a couple of favorites. Con Sabor has been around since 1997 and stands out as a prime option if you’re in Mid-City, with a bounty of creative filling options. Here, pupusas are $4 each, with chicken, cheese, beans or chicharrón, plus combinations like cheese, pork and jalapeño. Pupusas with seafood are $4.50 each, with shrimp (my favorite), tuna, salmon or sardines. Plenty of other menu items are under $15, including chicken tamales for $3 each, all-day breakfast plates such as chorizo with eggs for $12, three plantain empanadas for $9 and Salvadoran-style pollo guisado for $15 flat. l 5105 Venice Blvd., Los Angeles, (323) 936-0231, consaborla.com Curry in Hurry I’ll be honest: The phrase “Curry in Hurry” did not immediately breed trust, but I grew more curious about the fast-casual Indian spot in a strip mall off La Brea and Pico after seeing its almost perfect ratings on both Google and Yelp. The counter-service restaurant features a cafeteria-style bar where you can order daal, channa masala and eggplant a la carte or in combination plates. Tandoori items such as chicken seekh kebabs and paneer tikka get marinated overnight before they’re baked in a clay oven. You could make an under-$15 meal out of sides like veggie samosas (two for $7.49) and aloo tikki (two for $6.49) or a big plate of malai kofta for $14.49 that feeds two to three people. One-item combo plates with rice and naan start at $12.99, with options like goat or chicken curry and chicken or veggie korma. Upgrading your combo with chicken tikka masala will cost an additional $2 but is well worth it, with a generous portion of the creamy-rich curry. It’s also worth upgrading to garlic naan for an additional 75 cents. l 4934 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, curryinhurryla.com Mixt The California-founded chain Mixt was born of a desire to offer healthy, high-quality food in a fast-casual environment. Mixt is a certified B-corp that puts a focus on fair wages, serving organic and sustainably produced ingredients and reducing landfill waste. Build-your-own salads are tossed on the spot and start at $11.95, with your choice of organic greens, up to five specialty ingredients (such as jicama, pickled red onions, herb-roasted potatoes, caramelized onions, avocado and edamame) and your choice of dressing (such as lemon tahini and roasted poblano). Proteins including applewood-smoked bacon, grilled achiote chicken and crispy cauliflower or falafel are available as supplements. Or you can go for one of the signature salads. My favorite is the Mandarin, which skates in just under $15 — $14.95 — with hearts of romaine, kale, crispy chicken, cabbage, spiced and candied almonds, snow peas, jicama, spicy sesame seeds and miso-ginger vinaigrette. Warm bowls with grains such as lentils, cilantro-lime brown rice and rainbow quinoa are available at a similar cost, along with a handful of sandwiches. l 3100 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, mixt.com Sonoratown The Burrito 2.0 at Jennifer Feltham and Teodoro DiazRodriguez’s Sonoratown is the sort of meal that lingers, eliciting a pang of sadness as you finish that last bundled corner where all of the meat’s juices, dregs of pinto beans, melted cheese, creamy guacamole and spicy chiltepin salsa have puddled. Wrapped in a silken flour tortilla that’s cooked in lard, there’s no doubt that finishing the burrito will eradicate your hunger for several hours, if not the entire day. And yet, every time I eat one — always with the mesquite-grilled short rib, though chicken, pork chorizo, cabeza, tripe and roasted poblano chile with pinto beans are also available — I find myself wishing I had just one more bite left. At $12.50, the burrito is the most expensive menu item. The chivichangas are smaller wraps stuffed with shredded beef or chicken guisado and just $5.50 each, while the bean and cheese burrito (which is all the more satisfying thanks to those lardcooked tortillas) is just $4. The Lorenzo ($5), on a small, freshly fried tostada, is the only menu item that can be made vegan. l 208 E. 8th St., Los Angeles, sonoratown.com Suehiro Mini Founded by sisters Junko Suzuki and Yuriko Morita Regaert in 1972 before being passed down to Junko’s son Kenji Suzuki in 1991, Suehiro Cafe was a Little Tokyo institution. Sadly, the historic Japanese restaurant that specialized in latenight ramen, udon noodle and rice dishes was evicted from its original location last year and has since moved to a larger downtown space. For a cozier and more casual experience, there’s Suehiro Mini, also owned by Kenji, which has been going strong in Chinatown since 2019. The slightly stripped-down menu offers ramen, udon and soba noodle dishes, rice bowls and small plates, with most of the menu priced under $15. Gyoza ($10.75 for eight pieces) and chicken karaage ($9.75) are great as snacks, but for a full meal, you can’t beat the tonkotsu ramen with pork bone broth and thick strips of bobbing pork belly for $15 even — note that adding spice will increase the price. The restaurant’s hours are equally generous: Suehiro Mini is open daily from lunch to 1 a.m. l 642 N. Broadway, Los Angeles, suehirocafe.com/suehiro-mini -menu Uncle Paulie’s The celeb-favorite sandwich shop from Paul James and streetwear designer Jon Buscemi draws inspiration from the delis that James grew up with in Queens, N.Y., and gained national attention in 2022, when actor Pete Davidson was spotted wearing its merch. Now with locations in Beverly Grove, downtown, Studio City and as far afield as Las Vegas, the neighborhood deli remains laidback with approachable prices. Most of the sandwiches are under $15, including breakfast options on fluffy poppyseed Kaiser rolls (at $12, the sausage, egg and cheese is a standout), a variety of cold cut sandwiches (the towering Italian is $15 and one of columnist Jenn Harris’ favorite Italian subs in the city) and hot sandwiches (like the Carmine with roast beef, mozzarella and brown gravy on garlic bread for $14.50). There are also salads ranging from the cruciferous to potato or chicken and cold pasta dishes, all priced under $15. l 3990 Vantage Ave., Studio City, unclepauliesdeli.com Zankou Chicken First opened in Beirut in the 1960s before migrating with the Iskenderian family to Los Angeles in 1983, Zankou Chicken is an L.A. institution for Armenianinfluenced spit-roasted meats and its addictive, secret-recipe garlic sauce. Zankou has expanded to 13 locations across Southern California. A meal of whole rotisserie chicken, large sides of cucumber salad and rice, pink pickled turnips and packs of pita costs $29.99 (serves up to four) or $54.99 (serves up to eight). But we’re here to talk about meals under $15. Pita wraps range from $8.49 for roasted chicken to $12.49 for shish kebab; plates with hummus, tomatoes, garlic sauce, pita bread and a quarter-chicken (dark or white meat) are $12.99. Kebab plates land at $14.99 pretax, with marinated chicken or seasoned ground beef grilled on the spot (expect a 10- to 15-minute wait). Kebab plates come with all of the fixings to make your own wrap, including a juicy roasted tomato that I like to mash into the rice so that it’s present in every bite. l1415 E. Colorado St., Glendale, (818) 244-2237, zankouchicken .com AVI CUE Stephanie Breijo Los Angeles Times MIXT Danielle Dorsey Los Angeles Times BÉ Ù Stephanie Breijo L.A. Times AS INFLATION CLIMBS, MAKE $15 GO FURTHER GET MORE BANG FOR YOUR BUCK WITH THESE AFFORDABLE AND DELICIOUS MEALS BY DANIELLE DORSEY SUEHIRO MINI Danielle Dorsey L.A. Times ZANKOU CHICKEN Danielle Dorsey L.A. Times SONORATOWN Silvia Rázgová For The Times

A Regarding Her display placard at Frieze 2024. HEN CHEF Dominique Crenn won the World’s 50 Best Restaurants’ 2016 best female chef award, she famously called it “stupid. A chef is a chef.” ¶ “I agree with Dominique: A chef is a chef,” says Mary Sue Milliken, chef and co-founder of Regarding Her, a nonprofit organization for women in the food industry. “I agree we don’t need to talk about ‘best’ women anything. But the barriers for women in this field specifically, and many others, need to be eliminated in order for women to wield half the power and to create an industry that’s more hospitable and sustainable.” ¶ It’s a lonely, isolated business, especially for women. ¶ So on a Wednesday night in March, applause breaks out when an apron-clad Stephanie Izard stands at the end of a long table set up inside Guerrilla Tacos’ adjacent Guerrilla Cafecito, which normally serves coffee, pastries and breakfast burritos during the day in downtown L.A.’s Arts District. “How is everybody?” the chef of nearby restaurant Girl & the Goat asks the group of cheering guests. Izard has just come out of the kitchen alongside chefs Crystal Espinoza of Guerrilla Tacos and Kat Hong of Yangban. The three of them made buttery Peruvian empanadas, hamachi tostadas and golden Hokkaido scallop toast as part of the Women’s History Month festival put on by Regarding Her. “I’m really excited,” Izard tells the diners. “I think as much as we can celebrate women in the industry, the more the better.” In an industry that has never been easy for women and is itself struggling, Regarding Her provides educational and financial programming to help female chefs, leaders and entrepreneurs. A reckoning in the restaurant industry due to the pandemic has given restaurant workers a chance to step back and see that the system was broken. “We’re focused on women because it’s been so much harder for women for so many different reasons and we want for this organization to be able to help accelerate gender parity [and] eliminate the barriers for women,” says Milliken. The Chefs of the Arts District dinner is just one of dozens of events organized by Regarding Her, born on a Zoom call in 2020 as a pandemic crisis response from nine L.A. women restaurant professionals. The group has since ballooned to more than 1,000 members in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., and has awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants to business owners and launched the Academy, a 10-week career accelerator program for female entrepreneurs in the food industry funded by grants. “I remember exactly where I was,” says founding member and Guerrilla Tacos owner Brittney Valles of the moment that Regarding Her (or RE:Her) began. “I was in the catering van driving. I was on the phone to pick up a heater from some trailer park because we had to move our restaurant outside,” she says, recalling being in the throes of the pandemic. That’s when she joined forces with the other chef and restaurateur founders: Milliken of Socalo, Border Grill and Alice B; Dina Samson of Rossoblu and Superfine Pizza; Lien Ta of All Day Baby and Here’s Looking at You; Bricia Lopez of Guelaguetza; Kim Prince of Hotville Chicken and Dulanville; Love & Salt’s Sylvie Gabriele; Gasolina Cafe’s Sandra Cordero; and Botanica’s Heather Sperling. “We quickly realized that we really had struck upon something that needed a lot more of our energy,” Milliken adds. That “something” was support of all kinds: practical, emotional and financial for women in the food industry. Milliken and RE:Her have no problem focusing specifically on women. And though that’s the crux of what Regarding Her sets out to do, Milliken also makes a point to shed light on the unsustainable financial model of restaurants. “The idea was, at that time, to not only drive business to womenowned restaurants but to try to raise money to help those who were really struggling,” Samson says of their initial COVID grant program. Samson herself raised $150,000 through DoorDash and OpenTable partnerships; the money then was distributed to 15 female applicants. Now, despite partnerships and donations from large corporations, individual donors and grants, funding remains Regarding Her’s greatest challenge. Membership in Regarding Her is free, and the qualifications have expanded to allow not only female business owners but women in other leadership positions like CEOs and general managers to apply. It also offers access to an online network called Circle, where women can ask one another questions such as how to negotiate a lease, where to find a good plumber or how to choose a good point-of-sale system. According to Samson, members are quick to share resources and RE:Her has even offered advice and moral support to restaurants during the process of closing. In 2022, Regarding Her launched its biggest program yet, the Academy, the female entrepreneurs program that also offered each participant a $20,000 grant. Chef Rashida Holmes credits her participation in the Academy to her ability to transition her acclaimed pop-up Bridgetown Roti into a bricksand-mortar business set to open this summer. “I know I can reach out to them for anything,” says Holmes. “Someone like me who has spent 15 years in kitchens, nobody taught me how to do HR. Nobody taught me different strategies of management.” The consensus among women who participate is that the community and practical support has been the most invaluable and life-changing. “I think a lot of us sacrifice our own mental health so that other people in our restaurants, in our communities, can be better,” says Valles. “But, ultimately, the fish rots at the top, so if you’re not taking care of you, people are going to sense it.” Pointing chefs toward resources like therapy sessions and the 3 Chefs 3 Moms program from Chicago-based nonprofit Abundance Setting is one of the ways Regarding Her has aimed to encourage and support women. “I think Regarding Her, if we are successful, will help move that needle to heal the industry in certain ways, to make it easier and more sustainable and more attractive to women who want to have families and more attractive to people who love it but don’t want to work for dirt wages,” says Milliken. “Nonprofits are not going to save the restaurant industry,” she says when asked if organizations like Regarding Her could become the norm. “The nonprofit business will not be how the industry rights itself and gets on a better course. That’s going to happen through legislature and tax credits.” The Academy soon will be accepting applications for its summer program and community programming, like the dinner at Guerrilla Cafecito where chefs Izard, Hong and Espinoza collaborate. “It’s just fun to be back in the kitchen talking about our kids and talking about just being a female chef,” says Izard. “I would say we’re talking about balancing life, but that doesn’t exist.” CO-FOUNDERS Bricia Lopez, above left, Dina Samson, Lien Ta, Sandra Cordero, Sylvie Gabriele and Mary Sue Milliken. At left, Samson, Kim Prince, Milliken. Regarding Her Regarding Her Anne Fishbein The L.A. group championing women leaders in restaurants REGARDING HER LENDS A HAND WITH PRACTICAL SUPPORT AND COMMUNITY. BY HEATHER PLATT W LATIMES.COM SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 L9 Outdoor All Weather Fabrics Exclusive Designs Largest Selection Anywhere! 10654 W. Pico Bl. West Los Angeles 310-441-2477 fsfabricslosangeles.com

L10 SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 LATIMES.COM A S WE WALKED back to our cars after the party, my ex-boyfriend said, “I have something for you,” and dropped an object into the center of my palm. I unfurled my fingers and was delighted to find a large diamanté cocktail ring. “What’s this?” He grinned. “Isn’t this what you always wanted? For me to give you a big ring?” I laughed. His sense of humor was like kryptonite. We hadn’t been together in five years, but once you’ve had it, funny is hard to forget. “What’s the catch?” I knew there had to be one. I studied the tiny pavé diamonds covering the elaborate flower design. It was lovely, if not exactly my style. But I couldn’t get too lost in the moment. I knew he hadn’t purchased this trinket for me. “Where did you get it?” “I found it in the co-ed bathroom,” he said. “Sitting on the sink.” Suddenly things made a lot more sense. “So do you mean we’ve just run off with someone’s ring?” “Pretty much,” he said. The party we’d just left was held after-hours at a high-end retail store on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. A fashionista had inadvertently left it behind. “Don’t you think we should return it?” He shrugged. The store had closed. The ring was my problem now. Maybe he was right about the ring. I didn’t want to give it back — even if it wasn’t rightfully mine. It was thrilling. I could have trekked back to the store and banged on the window, as a reasonable person would have done. Instead, I slipped it onto my finger and admired it. The thing is, I was raised to want a ring from a man. When I was a kid, my single mother played the song “Diamonds Are Forever” by Shirley Bassey, and we danced around the living room to it. It was basically our theme song. Diamonds are forever, they are all I need to please me They can stimulate and tease me They won’t leave in the night I’ve no fear that they might desert me … I never thought much of it, but in retrospect, what was helpful about that messaging? Get the diamond because the man might not stick around? My mother kept an ad from Harry Winston featuring an engagement ring taped to her fridge. For a woman who didn’t care for marriage, she certainly savored the symbolism. As much as I enjoyed the fantasy of a ring from a man — that is, one purchased with me in mind and not procured from a toilet — experience told me that getting one was often the beginning of a new set of problems instead of the end of them. Sometimes the ring is the simplest part of a weighty emotional equation. It could become a glamorous placeholder: I like you enough to consider marrying you and I don’t want you going anywhere while I continue to think about it. Or even: This is what society tells us we should do next. I’d adopted this cynical view because I was used to things not working out. I’d had one divorce in my 30s. Then my four-year betrothal to a handsome, wonderful man had been called off, and I was left considering that I might have deliberately blown it up. Commitment after a certain age was messy and complicated. Perhaps I inherited that ambivalence from my mother. I still had his beautiful engagement ring, sitting in a box at home. My former fiancé had not asked for it back yet, which gave me hope that we might still find a way to work it out. But then again, I’d heard he was dating. “Good,” my mother said. “Let him see what else is out there.” So when my kryptonite ex emailed and invited me lastminute to the party, it sounded better than watching reality TV while my daughter was at her dad’s. “Maybe I’ll stop by,” I casually replied. An acting teacher of mine once said, “Whenever you’re doing a scene with a former partner, no matter what, you still want them to find you hot.” I thought of that statement as dresses accumulated in a pile at my feet. Why did he want to see me now? There was a lingering connection, some fun history and a flutter in my stomach whenever I saw his name flicker on the screen during a movie’s credits. It was enough to compel me to drive over to meet him for a quick drink. He was easy to find in a crowd. I typically searched for the most famous person in the room, and he’d be talking to them. He scooped me into a hug when I found him, and we fell into an easy rapport. I talked about my broken engagement, and he showed me vacation pictures of his lovely (young) girlfriend. Later as we left, there was a brief moment when we almost kissed in the elevator, and we could have ended the evening the way we’d spent plenty of others. But we didn’t. It was a test. He had a girlfriend, and I was still in love with someone else. Perhaps we needed one last look before moving on. We hugged goodbye. I had no use for a man whose heart didn’t belong to me, and I certainly didn’t need someone else’s ring. What I longed for was a true connection, to be all-in; the ring was incidental. In the morning, I called the store and told them I had the ring. They didn’t ask questions, but one of their patrons had been looking for it. I dropped it off and wondered about its owner. Months later my former fiancé, Rob, came to me and said, “I can’t imagine my life without you in it.” I felt the same. We’ve been married for 12 years now. A surprise I didn’t see coming was that Rob admitted he’d seen the jewelry ad on my mother’s fridge and assumed it was my dream ring. He had that sapphire cut in mind when he designed mine. So in the end, I manifested my mother’s ring — or maybe she manifested it for me. The author is a freelance writer and screenwriter living in Los Angeles. You can read more of her work at taraellison .com. L.A. Affairs chronicles the search for romantic love in all its glorious expressions in the L.A. area, and we want to hear your true story. We pay $400 for a published essay. Email [email protected]. You can find past columns at latimes.com/laaffairs. Chanelle Nibbelink For The Times L.A. AFFAIRS Rock and a soft spot HIS WIT WAS MY KRYPTONITE. THEN THERE WAS THE DIAMOND BY TARA ELLISON SOUTHCOASTPLAZA.COM COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA Discover New Boutiques Balmain, Bvlgari, Byredo, Cartier, Eileen Fisher, Giorgio Armani, Gucci, Jil Sander, Lacoste, Maison Margiela, Marni, Palm Angels Apple Store Baccarat Balenciaga Breitling Burberry Bvlgari Cartier Celine Chopard Coach Crate & Barrel David Yurman Dior Diptyque Dolce&Gabbana Graff Givenchy Hermès Louis Vuitton Mikimoto Montblanc Omega Panerai Porsche Design Rimowa Rolex|Tourneau Bucherer Saint Laurent Swarovski Thom Browne Tiffany & Co. Tory Burch Tudor Tourneau Tumi Van Cleef & Arpels partial listing Distinctive gifts for the distinguished graduate PORSCHE DESIGN GIFTS FOr every GRADUATE LOEWE BREITLING DIPTYQUE GRAFF TIFFANY & CO.

THE 101 BEST EXPERIENCES Essential things to do in Baja, California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia Photographs by Christopher Reynolds, Dania Maxwell, Robert Gauthier Los Angeles Times; Nic Coury For The Times; and Prisma by Dukas via Getty Images SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024

S2 SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 LATIMES.COM A brilliant, enduring moment can happen to anyone, any time, anywhere. But if you’re giving me a choice, I’d rather go looking for that moment at dawn on the salt flats of Death Valley. Or at the base of the Yosemite waterfall. Or on a busy night in Vancouver’s only Native restaurant. Or on a southern Baja beach with sunset coming. What secret thread runs through these places? Well, the same migrating gray whale might show up in Baja or British Columbia, depending on the season. Beyond that, these destinations are all on the West Coast, which we like to think of as our backyard, even though it rises, falls and sprawls for thousands of miles. We’re spoiled for choice as travelers living in Southern California: The beaches, deserts, mountains, towns, cities and people — some familiar, some startling — all roar for our attention. This list aims to cover 101 West Coast experiences that roared loudest when we showed up, looked and listened. Ahead you’ll find fresh information on plenty of destinations you’ve long meant to visit or revisit — the half-hidden glories of Yosemite’s Hetch Hetchy Valley, the stalls and buskers of Seattle’s Pike Place Market, the rugged slopes of Catalina Island’s back country. And because the West keeps changing, I’m hoping this list will alert you to many places and adventures you’ve never considered before. Maybe that means a weekend of eating your way through the restaurants along Bell Street in Los Alamos, a night of music on the waterfront in downtown San Diego or a steamy sauna on a reconditioned warship in the Inner Harbor of Victoria, British Columbia. How did we choose? By going everywhere. I have visited 87 of these places, from the southern tip of Baja (which you can reach in a seethrough boat) to the forests of British Columbia (where you can tiptoe across a suspension bridge that’s 230 feet above the Capilano River). For the other 14, all in the Pacific Northwest, we’ve relied on contributor Elisa Parhad. We’ve left out a few of the usual L.A. suspects (Disneyland, Disney Hall, the Getty, Griffith Observatory, the Hollywood Bowl and the Santa Monica Pier, for instance), because they’re so well known and close to home. “One cannot be pessimistic about the West. This is the native home of hope,” wrote author Wallace Stegner. Maybe hope is the thread connecting these places. They raise possibilities — even the scenes of wrongdoing and tragedy. If we meet these destinations with enough humility and curiosity, surely the sights and people will encourage us in ways we can’t imagine now. What’s more inspiring, more hopeful, than a West Coast road? Now, let’s hit that road, along with the beaches, the rivers and the slopes. Keep an eye out for gray whales. And please, write to [email protected] if you’ve got an idea for a place I should go next — or if you just want to tell me I forgot San Francisco’s cable cars. Christopher Reynolds SCAN THE QR CODE for an even deeper dive into the 101 best West Coast experiences — and to share your own favorite destination. Coast alongside the blue-green waters of BAHÍA CONCEPCIÓN The remote waters and beaches of Bahía Concepción begin about 650 miles down the Baja California Peninsula, south of the town of Mulegé. From the desert, sea and sky reaching in every direction, you imagine it all might last forever. No such luck. The bay ends 28 miles later, about 50 miles north of Loreto. Before you move on, your inner desert rat and beach bum need a pause by those cactus-covered slopes and turquoise waters. As you head south on the Baja Highway (Mexico 1), the bay begins near Playa Naranjos. From there the highway runs past about a dozen named beaches, some of which have rustic inns, restaurants or hook-ups for RV camping. There are no towns and no four-star resorts, just miles of sea, sand and cactus. Playa Buenaventura, about 25 miles south of Mulegé, includes the Buenaventura restaurant and Argghh bar (it’s about pirates). There you can get a hot shower for 50 pesos (about $3). Neighboring beaches with camping include Playa Santispac, El Burro and Coyote to the north and the highly scenic (and sometimes crowded) Playa El Requesón about a mile southeast. There’s a 0.8-mile hiking trail at Requesón. BONUS TIP: Punta Concepción is at the tip of the peninsula that shelters the bay. If your vehicle is ready for rugged roads and you get permission to camp from one of the ranchers on the point, you won’t find a more peaceful place to watch sunset and sunrise. Sample sophisticated dishes at FAUNA in the Guadalupe Valley This hot spot in the Guadalupe Valley, about 70 miles south of the Mexican border, includes a stylish dining room and sprawling patio with long family-style tables and broad views. The buildings are minimalist, with artfully weathered wood. The Fauna kitchen is led by chef David Castro Hussong, a distant relative of the same Hussong who started the famously raucous cantina in Ensenada (which lives on). Fauna makes a lot of best-of lists and is priced accordingly. The chef’s tasting menu is about $105. But a tremendous lunch can be had for about $50. I ordered a lettuce-with-mackerel starter, followed by broccoli with chiltepín peppers, then cabbage with chilhuacle peppers, then lamb — possibly the best meal I’ve ever had in Mexico, and one of the best I had anywhere last year. The restaurant, opened in 2017, serves lunch and dinner, beginning at 1 p.m. daily. BONUS TIP: If you can, leave time to tour the rest of the 200-acre Bruma winery complex. And if you haven’t been near Ensenada in a few years, the proliferation of wineries, restaurants and upscale lodgings in Guadalupe Valley may amaze you. Bruma tastings come with a short tour (cost $30-$35 per person). The Bruma property also has rentable villas and a B&B, Casa 8. Bob in a see-through boat at LAND’S END The jagged rocks of Land’s End mark the end (or start) of the Baja Peninsula, and it’s handy that one of those rocks takes the shape of an arch. All day every day (weather permitting), tour companies and panga captains take visitors out to the waters near the rocks. Depending on price, surf and time, some will drop you for a while on nearby Lover’s Beach. (Divorce Beach, where the water is more treacherous, also is close at hand.) I used Enva Tours, which has an office in the marina at Cabo San Lucas and runs boats out just about every hour at $29 to $39 per person. The boats are made of translucent plexiglass, which gives better views of the fish below and rocks around. (The hostess and captain said they work for tips only.) Don’t expect solitude, especially near sunset, when two dozen or more boats routinely jostle for position. Do expect a memorable, multisensory scene with laughter, chatter in various languages, sea spray and a setting sun. BONUS TIP: If you pay more, you can also do this by catamaran or yacht or glass-bottom kayak. Follow a mountain road to the atmospheric MISSION SAN JAVIER The mission in Loreto, founded by Spanish Jesuits in 1697, was the first Catholic outpost in the Californias — the starting point for the colonization of California. This was 730 miles south of San Diego and 72 years before the Franciscans started on the Alta California missions. The building you see in Loreto these days was completed in 1744 with many updates. It stands on a tree-shaded pedestrian promenade that’s full of restaurants, shops and hotels. Loreto’s population is about 20,000 and it faces the sheltered waters of the Gulf of California. Yet for many seasoned Baja explorers, the Loreto mission isn’t even the most intriguing church in the neighborhood. Many Baja mission aficionados say their favorite site about 25 miles southeast of Loreto in the rural hamlet of San Javier (population: about 40 families). To reach Mission San Javier (formally Misión San Francisco Javier de Viggé-Biaundó), you drive a twisty mountain road that will remind you of the raw landscape the missionaries faced. It takes about an hour. The church (built 1744-58) is younger than Loreto’s, but more of its original architecture has survived, including many elegant details. Moreover, it’s surrounded by rugged hills and enduring farms. BONUS TIP: A short stroll from the mission you’ll find a 300- year-old olive tree and ancient irrigation system. (There’s an entry fee of a few dollars.) A couple of rustic restaurants operate across the street from the mission. A priest comes on Sundays to celebrate Mass. If you’d rather not drive the road from Loreto to San Javier, several tour companies in Loreto offer day trips. Christopher Reynolds Los Angeles Times BAJA CALIFORNIA PENINSULA Brian van der Brug Los Angeles Times Brian van der Brug Los Angeles Times SO MUCH TO EXPERIENCE ON EVER-CHANGING WEST COAST

LAGUNA OJO DE LIEBRE, a.k.a. Scammon’s Lagoon, has two distinguishing characteristics. It’s surrounded by one of the world’s largest saltworks and — more to the point for most travelers — it attracts hundreds of gray whales each winter, many of which birth calves. In their wake come thousands of whale watchers. The lagoon, part of UNESCO’s El Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve, includes three primary areas for whale watching. About 20 pangas (small boats) have permits to take people out. In late January and early February, there can be 100 people per day watching whales. A typical tour would include 10 people on a 23-foot boat for about two hours at $58 each. Tour operators include Malarrimo Eco-tours, Mario’s Tours and The Californias. Though U.S. wildlife officials urge people to stay at least 100 yards away from the whales, Mexico takes a more relaxed approach. Sometimes whales approach boats and allow people to touch them. Sometimes the whales never get that close. Similar whale-watching tours are offered by many companies in San Ignacio Lagoon (about 100 miles south) and Magdalena Bay. BONUS TIP: These gray whales, often more than 40 feet long, typically spend summers in waters of the Pacific Northwest, swim 5,000 miles south for the winter, then swim back again. The newborn calves are usually about 15 feet long. The gray whale’s average lifespan is unknown. Brian van der Brug Los Angeles Times COMMUNE WITH WHALES IN LAGUNA OJO DE LIEBRE Paddle rapids on the AMERICAN RIVER Thanks to the snowpack left behind by this winter’s storms, we’re looking at a second year in a row of great possibilities for river running in California. The season typically runs April through September. Most guides agree that the American River’s South Fork, in the Sierra foothills’ Gold Country, is an ideal spot for rookie rafters and families, thanks to its evocative scenery and relatively mild Class II and III rapids. (I’ve done it at ages 11 and 57.) Unless you’re a seasoned river runner, sign on with a licensed, experienced company. More than a dozen operate on the river, many based in the ColomaLotus area. Rafting trips on the American’s South Fork typically begin north of Placerville, below the Chili Bar Reservoir. One-day floats usually cover the 13 miles of the Lower Gorge area. Twoday trips often cover 20 miles. As you might expect, the rides typically get gentler as spring turns to summer and summer eases into fall. Half-day and all-day rafting trips typically cost $150 to $200 per person. Less than 10 miles from the South Fork’s Chili Bar put-in, you’ll find Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park, where the Gold Rush began. Placerville, the nearest town to the rafting, has plenty of restaurants and shops, a few lodgings and an Old West feel along Main Street. EL DORADO COUNTY BONUS TIP: Statewide, you’ll find plenty of river-rafting outfitters, including many along the Middle and North forks of the American (both more challenging than the South fork) and the Merced, Tuolumne, Stanislaus, Lower Klamath, Kern, Kaweah and Truckee rivers. LATIMES.COM SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 S3 Creep into PINTURAS RUPESTRES, a cave full of ancient art You’ll find the Pinturas Rupestres south of Ensenada, about 3 kilometers north of Cataviña at Km 176 on Highway 1. A 10-minute walk from the parking lot by the highway, the well-marked and signed trail includes a tall, strangely stunted cactus. Markings include red and black hashmarks and a sun with 13 radiating rays. Be sure to leave the site as you found it — and consider that cave paintings are scattered throughout the peninsula. The same harsh setting that discourages visitors has saved these markings from long ago. BONUS TIP: I’d love to see the murals farther south, near the town of San Ignacio. Those murals, with human figures 8 feet tall, are said to be at least 7,000 years old (the oldest art known on the peninsula), attributed to the Cochimí people. You’ll need a permit — and the hardiness to hike several days with guides and pack animals. CALIFORNIA Gary Coronado Los Angeles Times

Step into history on ANGEL ISLAND If you’re standing along Main Street in the tiny, affluent, bayfront Marin County town of Tiburon, Angel Island State Park presents itself as a rich, green possibility just off the coast. A quick ferry ride ($18) will take you there, and on weekends there are several departures daily. (Another company offers daily service from San Francisco’s Ferry Building.) It’s the biggest natural island in San Francisco Bay, about 740 acres. But there’s far more to Angel Island than its marina at Ayala Cove, its bay views, campgrounds, visitor center, hiking paths and bike rentals. It’s a key landmark in Asian American history, often described as the Ellis Island of the west. From 1910 to 1940, this was the U.S. entry point for almost 1 million immigrants, including 175,000 from China. Those from China, scorned by U.S. immigration laws of the time, typically spent weeks or months locked in barracks before being allowed to enter. Some etched poetry on walls in the Immigration Station and barracks, a roughly 1.5-mile walk or bike ride from the Ayala Cove ferry landing. If you visit Wednesday through Sunday, you can see the Detention Barracks Museum and the Angel Island Immigration Museum (in the island’s former hospital). MARIN COUNTY BONUS TIP: Downtown Tiburon has its own bit of history: Several buildings on Main Street were built from old boats and now are known as “ark row.” Among them you can browse boutiques, grab a taco or admire the vintage and new specimens for sale in Schoenberg Guitars. Soak up art, science, culture and greenery at BALBOA PARK in San Diego This is San Diego’s backyard, a condensed, flatter version of Griffith Park, but with more historic buildings, more museums and a zoo with a global following. If you’re a Balboa Park rookie, start with the San Diego Zoo, which may take your entire day. (Admission: $68-$74 per adult, $58-$64 per child age 3-11). If you’ve already done that, well, it’s lucky for you that the zoo is less than 10% of Balboa Park’s 1,200 acres, and the park’s other institutions have been growing and changing. The park’s emblematic 1914 Botanical Building is due to reopen this fall after major reconstruction. The Mingei International Museum, which focuses on global folk art, has been boosted by a $55-million renovation in 2021 and Michelin praise in 2023 for its eclectic restaurant, Artifact at Mingei (which serves lunch Tuesday through Sunday, dinner Thursday and Friday). The park’s museums and other institutions cover art (fine, folk, contemporary and photographic), natural history, anthropology, flight and all the imagined worlds that come with Comic-Con (which opened its museum here in 2021). The Old Globe theater complex includes three stages. The big lily pond between the promenade and the Botanical Building may be the most wholesome over-the-counter tranquilizer in town. SAN DIEGO COUNTY BONUS TIP: When you’re chasing butterflies in the park’s Zoro Garden (between the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center and the Museum of Photographic Arts), remember that civic boosters staged the “nudist colony” there in 1935 to lure more visitors into the park’s Pacific International Exposition that year. Thumb through pages at BART’S BOOKS under an open sky in Ojai Sure, Ojai could survive without Bart’s. And Texas could last without cowboy boots. But what would be the point? Since the late Richard “Bart” Bartinsdale opened this place in 1964 (and left town soon thereafter), Bart’s Books has become a town emblem, catering to bookish locals and visitors with a disarming layout: Most of it is open-air, with bits of tin roof to shield books on those rare occasions when Ojai gets rain. The indoor portion is a converted house, with cookbooks in the kitchen and art and design books in the former garage. There are some rare books too. (A recent find: “The Year of Magical Thinking” in hardback, signed by its late author, Joan Didion: $400.) The shop is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with occasional readings and community events. But you can browse any time among the hundreds of used books shelved along Bart’s exterior walls, facing the sidewalk. The shop’s inventory was once all used, but now there are many new titles as well. The grand total: about 130,000 volumes. VENTURA COUNTY BONUS TIP: Used-book prices are marked in pencil on the upper right corner of the first blank page. The average: about $8. Feel the Old West vibes on charming BELL STREET in Los Alamos Los Alamos may not be all dressed up, but it has arrived. After dawdling along for a decade or more, this tiny, unincorporated, not-atall-nuclear town in Santa Barbara wine country is fast approaching the popularity of two other affluent, stylish, food-and-wine-focused hamlets in the area, Los Olivos and Santa Ynez. Still, Los Alamos doesn’t feel quite as fancy as those places, and a stroll down Bell Street remains a mellow affair, even though just about everything that ever happens in town takes place on that street’s four commercial blocks. (BTW: Alamos in Spanish means cottonwood trees.) So what does Bell Street have? A refined Old West vibe, several stylish restaurants, a handful of tasting rooms and a few antique shops. Bell’s Restaurant, whose bistro fare has a Michelin star, sometimes includes San Barbara sea urchins and is offered via a $110 prix fixe dinner menu Thursday through Monday. (Bell’s also does lunch on those days.) Bob’s Well Bread Bakery (Thursday through Monday) and Plenty on Bell (Tuesday through Sunday) are popular for breakfast and lunch. Full of Life Flatbread does big dinner business with its gourmet pizzas (Thursday through Sunday). Pico (that’s the building with the “General Store” sign out front) is another popular dinner spot, with a creative cocktail menu. Bear in mind: Much of the town is closed Tuesday and Wednesday. SANTA BARBARA COUNTY BONUS TIP: You could stay at a trendy motel (Alamo Motel) or a bedand-breakfast in an 1864 Victorian home with six elaborately themed, not-at-all-Victorian themed suites (Victorian Mansion). If you’re splurging, the hilltop Skyview Los Alamos may be the answer. Several shops and restaurants in town also rent cottages through Airbnb, including Bob’s Well Bread Bakery, Bodega Wine and Beer Garden and Pico. Take refuge in BAMPFA, Berkeley’s eclectic art wonderland This buttoned-down museum lives across the street from the University of California’s flagship campus, serving as a bright, quiet haven in the shaggy tumult of downtown Berkeley. The vibe outside is neo-Art Deco, because about half of the museum was adapted from the university’s 1939 printing plant and the rest followed in 2016. Inside, the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive curators make magic with temporary exhibitions and a collection that’s all over the place, including Ming Dynasty paintings, American Abstract Expressionists and Soviet propaganda films. Through July 7, BAMPFA is showing “What Has Been and What Could Be,” a exhibition full of striking juxtapositions from the museum’s permanent collection. In the “Serenity Now!” room, Albert Bierstadt’s 1872 “Yosemite Winter Scene” hangs near “Ichiren-bozu,” a luminous blue wool sculpture made by Berkeley artist Masako Miki in 2018. In the “Rad Women” room, one of Sojourner Truth’s 19th-century calling cards neighbors a 17thcentury Giuseppe Cesari painting of the biblical hero Judith showing off the severed head of Holofernes. The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday and the film archive presents about 450 screenings a year. ALAMEDA COUNTY BONUS TIP: After BAMPFA, check out the Berkeley campus — or, as locals would say, the Cal campus — and the commercial chaos that is Telegraph Avenue. For $5 per adult you can ride an elevator to the top of the university’s 307-foot Campanile, a.k.a. Sather Tower. Or eat lunch on nearby North Shattuck Avenue, where Chez Panisse and the Cheese Board Collective have endured since 1971. Munch burgers in Burbank alongside classic cars at the oldest BOB’S BIG BOY Is this an order of California burger culture with a side dish of cars? Or is it a heaping helping of car culture with a burger on the side? The answer is both. Burbank’s Bob’s Big Boy, open since 1949, is the oldest surviving Bob’s and it draws legions with its free Classic Car Show every Friday night. The car people gather around the restaurant’s 70-foot neon sign — a landmark of midcentury design — with gleaming chrome, rumbling pipes and upholstery smooth as a baby’s bottom. From 4 to 10 p.m. each Friday, the restaurant suspends its one-hour parking limit so that these gearheads can show off their rides and check the competition. Inside, you can get the Original Big Boy combo ($14.99) or all sorts of merch, 7 a.m. to midnight daily. But if you show up on a Friday at 9 p.m., as I did recently, you may face an hourlong wait, despite seating for 166. Alas, Bob’s carhop service is no more. But you might see a ’57 Chevy Bel Air. Or a Russian Volga. Or a DeLorean. Some owners like to leave their hoods up, including more than a few silver-haired car guys who were teenagers in the ’60s. L.A. COUNTY BONUS TIP: Jay Leno has been a frequent visitor. Director David Lynch came here daily for years in the 1970s and always ordered a chocolate milkshake. And when the Beatles showed up in one day in 1965, they sat in the last booth on the right. Christopher Reynolds Los Angeles Times Christopher Reynolds Los Angeles Times George Rose Getty Images Stephanie Breijo Los Angeles Times Christopher Reynolds Los Angeles Times S4 SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 LATIMES.COM

LOS ANGELES TIMES SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 S5

S6 SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 LATIMES.COM Confront a serpent under starry skies in BORREGO SPRINGS Before you head into the dry nooks and crannies of AnzaBorrego Desert State Park, make your way into the little town that’s surrounded by the park — Borrego Springs — and prepare to encounter one of Ricardo Breceda’s beasts. Breceda, a Southern California sheet-metal sculptor commissioned by local philanthropist Dennis Avery, has since 2008 placed about 130 metal works around Borrego Springs, a desert getaway that’s as sleepy as Palm Springs and Joshua Tree are trendy. Breceda’s works include dinosaurs, a scorpion the size of a Subaru and the artist’s magnum opus, a fearsome, whiskered, halfsubmerged serpent of the sand. That 350-foot-long serpent — actually a medley of five segments rising from the sand — lies along Borrego Springs Road, 2.3 miles north of Christmas Circle. The Anza-Borrego Desert Natural History Assn. store near Christmas Circle sells sculpture maps. Before or after beast-hunting, get a cool beverage at Carlee’s or see what’s on the walls at the Borrego Art Institute. Then take a hike. Out in the surrounding state park land, most hikers head first for the Borrego Palm Canyon Nature Trail (3 miles roundtrip) or the Slot (a 2.2-mile loop through a slot canyon). Photographers rise early and take their four-wheel-drive vehicles up a four-mile dirt road to capture the sunrise badlands panoramas from Font’s Point. SAN DIEGO COUNTY BONUS TIP: Expect brilliant night skies. Borrego is one of about 17 areas in the American West to be designated an International Dark Sky Community, a prime place for stargazing and night-sky photography. Nuzzle a new friend at the CANZELLE ALPACA FARM in laid-back Carpinteria If you know Carpinteria, it’s probably for the gentle waves that lap on the beach at the foot of Linden Avenue. “World’s safest beach,” boosters say. But they’re overlooking the alpacas. In the small city’s rural foothills, the Canzelle Alpaca Farm offers hourlong tours. Sign up and you’ll find yourself on a 20-acre hillside property where furry creatures with tiny heads gather next to a tall, red barn. These are the alpacas, cousins to the llama, friendly to most people. More than 40 live on the ranch, along with two llamas, one black sheep, one water buffalo and a peacock. The alpacas get fleeced every spring. Alpacas are native to South America. The Lonson family, owners of the farm, acquired their first ones about 20 years ago. Since the animals have mellow dispositions and only bottom teeth, they’re not much of a bite threat. Under guide Karen Putnam’s direction, a dozen of us took turns petting and nuzzling the animals, then feeding them carrots — in some cases, mouth to mouth. Tours are offered Friday through Sunday. To join a group tour, the price is $25 to $30 per person, advance reservations required; children are welcome, dogs banned. SANTA BARBARA COUNTY BONUS TIP: For $65 a head, you can take a 15-person sound bath in the pasture, surrounded by alpacas and resonating crystal bowls. Comb the beach that separates the CARMEL RIVER from the sea Every time I’m in Carmel, I make time for Carmel River State Beach. It’s where the river meets the sea, where songbirds and seabirds gather, where visitors can stroll along a milelong, mostly empty crescent beach, where you can flop near the driftwood on the inland side. Thanks to the wetland scenery, you often hear hundreds more birds than you see. Maybe even thousands. It’s mesmerizing. And it’s a bracing contrast to the storybook architecture and steep prices that dominate downtown Carmel. (Did I mention that it’s free?) The beach has its own parking lot, and it’s on the loop route for people driving Scenic Road. It’s also popular with local dogwalkers. Yet somehow it never seems as crowded as Carmel Sunset Beach at the foot of busy Ocean Avenue. MONTEREY COUNTY BONUS TIP: Be sure to drive — or, better yet, pedal or walk — all of Scenic Road. It’s a one-way, 3-mile loop that begins at the foot of Ocean Avenue, taking you past rocky ocean cliffs on the right, highly coveted residential real estate on the left. You can rent a bike from the Mad Dogs & Englishmen shop on Ocean Avenue. Drive your car through Leggett’s CHANDELIER TREE, a living redwood I understand. You do not want to damage an ancient redwood. But if there’s one around with a navigable hole in its middle, well, yes, you want to drive through it. Me too. In fact, I’ve driven through all three of the remaining drive-through redwoods in California. Leggett’s Chandelier Drive-Thru Tree is the tallest, straightest standout, the Clint Eastwood of redwoods. Since it was carved in 1937, giddy visitors have been steering vehicles through it. (So you’re not damaging a tree as much as you are recycling a roadside attraction.) Truth be told, there’s not a lot else to do in sleepy little Leggett, which is right along U.S. 101. The tree is estimated at 315 feet tall. The price is $15 per car and it’s open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, weather permitting. There’s a big gift shop. It’s a family operation, now in its fourth generation. Also: If somebody mentions the drive-through tree in Yosemite, gently inform them it that fell over in 1969. Also, before you drive through, tuck in your mirrors. MENDOCINO COUNTY BONUS TIP: About 30 miles farther north on U.S. 101, you’ll reach the 31-mile-long Avenue of the Giants, a corridor of natural wonder and roadside kitsch that includes Humboldt Redwoods State Park. Once there, be sure to inspect the magnificent 362-footlong corpse of the Dyerville Giant, once thought to be the world’s tallest tree. It fell in 1991, causing an impact so violent that some neighbors feared a train crash. See bold and joyful art at THE CHEECH in Riverside Officially, this lively museum is the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture, opened in 2022 through a collaboration among Marin, the Riverside Art Museum and the city of Riverside. But you can call it the Cheech. Which fits. It’s a breath of fresh air, a spectrum of bold colors, a grito, celebration and lamentation of the Mexican American experience. The Cheech’s two-story building, once the city’s central library, makes a good home for art, especially the unnamed kaleidoscopic 26-foot-high installation by brothers Einar and Jamex de la Torre and Frank Romero’s 8-by-12-foot canvas “The Arrest of the Paleteros” (which shows police shutting down vendors in L.A.’s Echo Park). Most of the art here has been made since 1965. Many works address simmering social issues. And many, thanks to their saturated colors and thick brushstrokes, look like they’re still wet. Adult admission is $15.95, which also gets you into the neighboring Riverside Art Museum. Both venues are closed on Monday and Tuesday. RIVERSIDE COUNTY BONUS TIP: Riverside has no mission, but across the street from the Cheech it has the Mission Inn, a gargantuan Mission Revival hotel that dates to the 1870s and fills a city block with 238 guest rooms, a spa, several restaurants, all manner of European architectural flourishes and an immensely popular winter Festival of Lights. Myung J. Chun Los Angeles Times Mark Boster Los Angeles Times Christopher Reynolds L.A. Times THE LAKE may come and go, but the wonder remains. Badwater Basin in Death Valley National Park is 282 feet below sea level, the lowest point in the continental U.S. It’s been a popular spot for years because the crusty old lake bed sprawls like a moonscape between forbidding mountains. Then in 2023, the valley got 2 inches of rain in a single day and suddenly Badwater had a lake again. It was only a few inches deep in most spots, but it stretched for more than a mile, lasted months and yielded astonishing panoramas, from the water’s edge and from Dante’s View, on a mountaintop 5,500 feet above. In February 2024 the lake remained. In fact, the valley got more rain that month, prompting rangers to declare it open for kayaking. Alas, evaporation happens. Especially in Death Valley. Kayaking season lasted about three weeks and ended March 4. Unless you arrive after another freak storm, chances are good that Badwater will be dry and crunchy when you get there. But you still need to get there, ideally for sunrise or sunset. INYO COUNTY BONUS TIP: Badwater, the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, Zabriskie Point and Dante’s View all deliver epic sunsets and sunrises, and all are within 25 miles of Furnace Creek, where most of the park’s hotel rooms are. Also, the gas station at Stovepipe Wells, next to Mesquite Flat, is usually less expensive than the one at Furnace Creek. WALK THE VAST SALT FLATS OF BADWATER BASIN IN DEATH VALLEY The Cheech Marin Arts Center. Christopher Reynolds L.A. Times Christopher Reynolds L.A. Times

LATIMES.COM SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 S7 Smile up at the colors and concrete of San Diego’s CHICANO PARK Some of the bright murals beneath the Coronado Bridge in San Diego’s Chicano Park are angry. Some are dreamy. Others are witty. But together, they deliver an umistakable message. They’re a Mexican American demand for respect and their location is no accident. When state and local officials expanded Interstate 5 through San Diego and built the Coronado Bridge in the 1960s, they split the bluecollar neighborhood of Barrio Logan. Then in 1970, when the California Highway Patrol started building an office where a park was expected, the neighbors rose up, occupied the site for 12 days and at last got a 7-acre park set aside. Soon after came the murals, followed by restaurants, galleries and the barrio’s designation as a cultural district. Now there are more than 50 murals, some celebrating Mexican icons such as Pancho Villa and Frida Kahlo. In 2016, federal officials added the park to the National Register of Historic Places, crediting artists Salvador Torres, Mario Torero, Victor Ochoa and others. In late 2022, the Chicano Park Museum debuted next door. SAN DIEGO COUNTY BONUS TIP:Within two blocks along Logan Avenue, you can get flautas at Las Cuatro Milpas, tacos at Salud! and beer at Border X Brewing. Grab grub at COLD SPRING TAVERN outside Santa Barbara to the sound of acoustic blues Perched on the mountain pass between Santa Barbara and Santa Barbara’s wine country, the Cold Spring Tavern is a stagecoach stop that forgot to die. For several decades it has been uniting hungry and thirsty road-trippers, bikers and Santa Barbara gentry, often over red meat and beer. Built in the 1880s and run by the same family since the 1940s, the tavern interior features four stone fireplaces. Lunch options include three kinds of chili. (Last time in, I had the sampler plate.) But it’s weekend afternoons that make this place memorable. On Saturday and Sunday, the tavern’s Log Cabin Bar becomes a sprawling indooroutdoor operation. Hundreds of diners tear into tri-tip sandwiches ($14 each) from an outdoor grill, starting around 11:30 a.m. Then comes the live music, about 1:30 p.m. Acoustic blues specialists Tom Ball and Kenny Sultan, a duo for 44 years, have been playing Sundays at this venue for most of that time. SANTA BARBARA COUNTY BONUS TIP: The fanciest part of the property is its dim, rustic restaurant interior, where buffalo, venison, duck and boar often turn up on the menu for Friday and Saturday dinners (5-8 p.m., reservations required). The tavern is closed on Tuesday and Wednesday. Dig into a sandwich from the caboose-kitchen of DAD’S LUNCHEONETTE in Half Moon Bay Dad’s kitchen is a train caboose. And the food is tremendous. At least, my juicy, manytextured maitake mushroom sandwich was. Dad’s is an eccentric operation, one that aims to deliver “satisfying comfort food to be enjoyed quickly, messily, on our patio, or on the hood of your car.” (There’s some outdoor space where you can eat, but no dining room.) There’s often a line. Some weeks, without warning, pistachio orange cannoli materializes. Sometimes the kitchen runs out of ingredients and closes early. But it’s usually open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. The backstory is that chef and co-owner Scott Clark used to work in Michelin-star-winning kitchens but chucked that after becoming, yes, a dad. He and his partner, Alexis Liu, opened Dad’s in 2017. The menu is short and affordable — nothing pricier than the $14.50 hamburger sandwich (or, if you prefer, mushroom sandwich). The soup of the week is $8, homemade potato chips $4. We got our lunch there on a cold (but still busy) day and ate in our car. Still, the flavors and textures were so good that the interior went quiet for a good, long while. SAN MATEO COUNTY BONUS TIP: Dads might get free beer on Father’s Day. Queue up with college kids and cowboys at the DOWNTOWN SLO FARMERS MARKET If it’s Thursday, we should be in San Luis Obispo. For 41 years (with a pandemic hiatus), that’s been the day for the city’s Downtown San Luis Obispo Farmers Market. This is a market that comes close to being a full-blown street party. It takes over Higuera Street (SLO’s main drag) from 6 p.m. to 8:30 or 9, giving pedestrians free rein to nibble, sip, shop and hang out in the heart of downtown. From March through October, the market stays open until 9. If it rains, the market is usually canceled (check Instagram for updates). The market fills five blocks with more than 100 vendors, including produce sellers, street-food makers, assorted artisans and live music. It’s all a little bit collegiate (because the Cal Poly campus is close by) and a little bit cowboy. You can get ribs here, and pulled pork, corn on the cob, kombucha, soap, tamales, honey, mushrooms and that particular secular sacrament (a crescent-shaped bit of beef, grilled over red oak) that SLO folk call tri-tip. Some vendors take cash only. Bring the family (but not the dog). And be reassured: The lines may be long for barbecue from F. McLintocks Saloon and cold-brew boba tea from Sequel Cold Brew Tea, but they move fast. Cal Poly students make up an estimated 60% or more of the workers and a large chunk of the browsers. For further proof of collegiate influence, have a look at downtown’s Bubblegum Alley between Garden and Broad streets. SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY BONUS TIP: If you’d rather dodge crowds, take a hike among the raw slopes and experimental architecture projects in Poly Canyon, just north of the Cal Poly campus. Spend the night at the EAST BROTHER LIGHT STATION on a San Francisco Bay island You might be reluctant to stay at an inn that warns of flashing lights and foghorns all night, or bans one-night guests from bathing, or requires that you be ready to climb a ladder above roiling seas. But we’re talking about a lighthouse on an island. The East Brother Light Station is three buildings on a ¾-acre island near the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay. The main attraction is an 1873 Victorian home, topped by a beacon you can see for 13 miles. Its four bedrooms (plus one in a neighboring building) are rentable by the night, fancy dinner and breakfast included. Rates are $475 to $525 per night — or $2,500 to rent the island for a one-night “house party.” It’s open four nights a week. The lighthouse operated from 1873 until the 1960s. It reopened in 1980 as a B&B, run by a volunteer group dedicated to preserving the site. To get there, head to Point San Pablo Harbor in Richmond, where innkeepers Dre and Charity Elmore will pick you up by boat. It’s about 10 minutes to reach the island, with a 4- to 12-foot ladder climb likely on arrival. CONTRA COSTA COUNTY BONUS TIP: When you arrive at the harbor, you’ll be greeted by a 40-foot-long steel-and-ceramic crocodile, a hippo-sized cat statue and several other large, odd objects, neighbored by the Sailing Goat restaurant (open Friday through Sunday). The sculptures were made for Burning Man (many of the houseboat people are artists) and this is their retirement home. Take in the postcard-worthy views at EMERALD BAY STATE PARK Because it’s a seven-hour drive from Los Angeles, the big blue lake at the California-Nevada border gets more visitors from up north than down south. But Lake Tahoe demands our attention — not only for the ample snow that fell this winter on its many ski and snowboarding mountains but for the sheer postcard perfection of Emerald Bay State Park. In any season, you get dropdead views from Emerald Bay Overlook, the rocks next to the park’s main parking lot and its Eagle Falls Vista Point — panoramas that include the lake’s southwestern corner, the beaches around it and the forested slopes above. To punctuate the whole scene, you have tiny Fannette Island, plopped into the middle of the bay and topped by a stone teahouse ruin. Emerald Bay is one of my two favorite views on the lake (the other is the stony shallows of Sand Harbor Beach on the North Shore’s Nevada side). If you do the 72-mile drive around the lake — highly recommended — you can see both. In warmer months there’s camping. Close to the water’s edge (at the end of a fairly steep 1-mile trail) is Vikingsholm Castle, a Scandinavian-style mansion from the 1920s. EL DORADO COUNTY BONUS TIP: Beginning in late May, Kayak Tahoe usually has kayaks for rent at Vikingsholm, but the operation is first come, first serve (no reservations) and the paddle to Fannette Island is considered a stiff challenge for beginners. Allen J. Schaben Los Angeles Times Stephen Heraldo Downtown SLO Yury Zaryadov EyeEm / Getty Images Christopher Reynolds L.A. Times Robert Gauthier Los Angeles Times

Hike FERN CANYON, the lush trail with ‘Jurassic Park’ vibes The walls weep. The fronds drip. Your feet will probably get soaked. And you won’t mind. That’s what awaits on the short, scenic hike through Fern Canyon in Humboldt County’s Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. The Fern Canyon Loop Trail, which neighbors Gold Bluffs Beach, measures barely a mile. But the path takes you up a narrow canyon into primordial greenery between walls that rise 50 to 80 feet on each side. Parts of “The Lost World: Jurassic Park” were shot here 25 years ago, as were parts of the BBC’s “Walking With Dinosaurs.” Bring water shoes. And book it a week or two ahead (up to six months). Rangers have imposed a requirement from May 15 to Sept. 15 that hikers reserve permits for canyonadjacent parking in advance. With a limit of about 250 reservations per day, rangers aim to ease backups and reduce damage to the narrow, muddy road to the trailhead. The dayuse fee is $12 cash at the entrance. No dogs. HUMBOLDT COUNTY BONUS TIP: The second half of the loop hike is a less interesting route through Sitka spruce forest. When done, you might want to reverse your route and do the wet bit again. Enter a subterranean world at FORESTIERE UNDERGROUND GARDENS in Fresno When summer comes to Fresno, shade is precious. And the shade you’ll find in Forestiere Underground Gardens is like no other. An immigrant from Sicily, Baldassare Forestiere reached the U.S. in 1901. After several years of digging subway lines on the East Coast, he bought land in Fresno, where he planned to start a citrus farm. On arrival, he learned that his acreage was topped by three or more feet of hardpan — sedimentary rock that made farming impossible. So he took jobs selling fruit and digging canals for other farmers. On his own land, he dug a downstairs kitchen to avoid the summer heat. Then, using pick, shovel, wheelbarrow and construction skills, he dug out another room. And another. For 40 years. Forestiere died in 1946, but a warren of rooms, grottos, patios and courtyards remains, often shaded by citrus trees that Forestiere grew and grafted. Often their trunks begin below ground, branches reaching up through skylights. Though Forestiere never married (or added plumbing), he hosted parties and imagined his project as a resort someday. That didn’t happen. But more than 10 acres of his compound remain, owned and managed by his great-nieces, protected as a historic monument. The gardens close from early December through late March. Adult admission for a one-hour escorted tour is $23, reservations recommended. Children are welcome, pets are not. FRESNO COUNTY BONUS TIP: Novelist T.C. Boyle was so fascinated by Forestiere that he wrote a fictional story based on his life. It’s in a 2001 Boyle short-story collection called “After the Plague.” Graze the world at DTLA’s GRAND CENTRAL MARKET On the day you go to Grand Central Market for lunch, do not eat breakfast. This is L.A.’s original food hall, and it may give you a more vivid taste of L.A. diversity than any other address in town. Opened in 1917 and gentrified in recent years, the space offers quick food from around the world. Be ready to vie with downtown regulars for treasured table space. Need some Michoacán-style carnitas? Tacos Tumbras a Tomas is your place (and has more than 50 years’ tenure here). Hankering for a bento box lunch? Some vegan ramen? A pastrami sandwich? You’re covered. And you can cap off the meal with a $5 snap from the photo booth or a selfie in front of the neon display near Hill Street. In all, there are about 40 food stalls, plus several craft vendors in the less-trafficked weekend bazaar downstairs. L.A. COUNTY BONUS TIP: Across Hill Street, you’ll find the Angels Flight Railway, a 298-foot-long funicular that dates to 1901. (Its two orange cars charge $1 each way for a short, steep ride up Bunker Hill to California Plaza.) Across Broadway you’ll find the Bradbury Building, whose skylighted 1893 atrium was a key setting for Ridley Scott’s film “Blade Runner” (1982). Look up at 300-foot redwoods in the GROVE OF TITANS You are not shrinking. The trees are getting taller. That’s the wonder of the Grove of Titans, which includes redwoods more than 300 feet tall and 1,300 years old. They’ve been part of Jedediah Smith Redwood State Park since 1929. (They’re part of Redwood National and State Parks too.) As you follow the 3-mile trail to the grove, remember that for years, rangers kept mum about this place because they were worried about damage from overzealous hikers. Fortunately, in 2022 a park construction crew completed the rerouting of Mill Creek Trail, adding a quarter-mile elevated metal walkway that protects the forest floor. As you gape, remember the names that earlier Grove of Titans hikers have given to favorite trees: Screaming Titans. Lost Monarch. El Viejo del Norte. The trailhead is about seven miles east of Crescent City via the narrow, winding, rugged, 10-mile Howland Hill Road, once a stagecoach route. DEL NORTE COUNTY BONUS TIP: Save an hour or two in Crescent City for the 1856 Battery Point Lighthouse, which stands on a tidal island along a gorgeous stretch of coastline. At low tide, you can walk from the mainland to the lighthouse. Christopher Reynolds L.A. Times Christopher Reynolds Los Angeles Times Mark Boster Los Angeles Times Myung J. Chun Los Angeles Times Deetjen’s Big Sur Inn has offered food and lodging to travelers since the 1930s. DEETJEN’S BIG SUR INN pops up along Highway 1 like a weathered redwood hallucination. This rustic 20-room lodging and restaurant in Big Sur is the work of Helmuth Deetjen, an immigrant from Norway, who used his native building methods to craft the compound, which began as a tent home in the early 1930s. For a while in those years, the inn was where the pavement stopped in Big Sur — the end of civilization for southbound drivers. Now the highway goes through, except when it’s closed for mudslide damage and repairs, which we’ll get back to in a moment. The old Deetjen’s barn is now the dining room, warmed by a cozy stone fireplace. Though Deetjen died in 1972, he set up a nonprofit entity to keep the inn and restaurant going with as little change as possible. That’s why the Norwegian vernacular architecture has never seen a design update, the five units in the Hayloft Hostel building share two bathrooms and there are no televisions, phones or Wi-Fi in guest rooms. Reservations are taken by phone only. Rates are $100 to $340 for the rooms sharing baths, $250 to $435 for the others. Since January 2023, Highway 1 has been closed by mudslides and repairs in multiple places. Caltrans forecasts a reopening (with some delays) on May 27. Before you head north, check Highway 1’s status on the Caltrans website (dot.ca.gov). MONTEREY COUNTY BONUS TIP: The restaurant serves breakfast daily, dinner Friday through Tuesday. If you have breakfast in the dining room, Mr. Deetjen’s favorite classical music will be playing, and the old man will be looking down at you from a portrait on the wall. Christopher Reynolds Los Angeles Times SLEEP BY THE SEA AMID THE NORWEGIAN WOODWORK AT DEETJEN’S BIG SUR INN S8 SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 LATIMES.COM

IT’S LESS THAN six miles from San Francisco’s Ferry Building to the base of the Golden Gate Bridge — from the sublime to the ridiculously iconic. Why not make a day of it and cover the whole waterfront? Start at the foot of Market Street in the 1898 Ferry Building, with its restaurants, food-focused retailers and farmers market (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday). Blue Bottle coffee! Far West Fungi! Hog Island oysters! Now work your way north and west on the Embarcadero, by foot, bike or throwback streetcar. You’ll find hands-on science at the Exploratorium (Pier 15); an old-school lunch spot at Pier 23; a vast cruise terminal at Pier 27; a tourist-driven shopping scene (with sea lion soundtrack) at Pier 39; and a whole lot of T-shirt vendors, seafood restaurants and the Boudin Bakery at Fisherman’s Wharf. You’ll know you’re nearly halfway to the bridge when you reach the Hyde Street cable car turnaround on your right, the Buena Vista cafe on your left. (Celebrate, if you like, with an Irish coffee. You wouldn’t be the first.) A block after that, you leave Embarcadero and follow a much-trafficked route past Fort Mason, Marina Green, Crissy Field, the Warming Hut (a good snack stop) and Fort Point. All along the way, you’ll have epic views of the bridge above, the bay to your right and the green space and historic buildings of the Presidio to your left. (It’s a short detour to even more bridge views, along with some grass for picnicking, at Presidio Tunnel Tops, an addition to the park that opened in 2022.) SAN FRANCISCO COUNTY BONUS TIP: Yes, you could ride a bike across the bridge to Sausalito (1.7 miles) and catch a ferry back, but on the route to Fort Point, you’ll have fewer cars roaring past, less wind and more pleasant places to stop. Nic Coury For The Times WALK, RIDE OR GLIDE FROM SAN FRANCISCO’S FERRY BUILDING TO THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE LATIMES.COM SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 S9 Roam HEARST CASTLE, California’s first megamansion, in San Simeon In a state known for its outlandish mansions, this is the boondoggle that set the standard. Construction of Hearst Castle began in the 1920s and continued into the ’40s. There are 165 rooms in the compound, designed by Julia Morgan for newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst (who died in 1951). Now run by the state park system and open after a closure from 2020 to 2022, the hilltop castle is surrounded by three guest houses, one elaborate tiled indoor pool and another pool outdoors, all on 127 acres of gardens and grounds. Keep an eye out for the occasional roaming zebra. The rooms are festooned with art and furnishings Hearst collected abroad, sometimes arranged in mind-bending juxtaposition. In the Refectory room, the monastery vibe is complemented by silver candlesticks and bottles of Heinz ketchup. If this all seems vaguely familiar, it’s because writer-directoractor Orson Welles was thinking about Hearst when he made the 1941 movie “Citizen Kane.” Several different public tours are offered (some wheelchairaccessible, some not), plus evening tours in spring and fall. Tickets start at $30 per adult, $15 for children ages 5-12. SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY BONUS TIP: Seven miles north of the castle along the rugged San Luis Obispo County coast, you’ll reach the Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery, home to dozens or hundreds of whiskered beasts (depending on the season), basking, sparring, giving birth or mating. It’s free. There’s a parking lot, wheelchair-accessible boardwalk and usually a few volunteer docents. Stay at least 25 feet away from the seals. No dogs, no drones. Hike beneath waterfalls in Yosemite’s HETCH HETCHY VALLEY Hetch Hetchy sounds like some sort of backwoods secret password. And in a way, it is. The Hetch Hetchy Valley is full of granite walls and tall falls, and it’s part of Yosemite National Park. Yet it remains half-forgotten — because this spot, about 40 miles’ drive south of Yosemite Valley, is where the Tuolumne River was dammed in 1923 to feed San Francisco’s thirst. There’s just one road in — Hetch Hetchy Road, open sunrise to sunset, often closed in winter. There’s no campground, no swimming, no concessions. But you’ll find a handful of hiking trails, including the 5-mile round-trip to Wapama Falls. That’s the one you want, especially in spring or summer. First you park by the 430-foot-high O’Shaughnessy Dam. Then you walk across the top and through a tunnel. If it’s sunny, look for a rainbow in the mist. As you walk the trail along the reservoir’s edge, you’ll see gently curving Kolana Rock, the 1,900- foot-high Wapama Rock and 1,300-foot Wapama Falls. To the left of Wapama Falls, sometimes, is seasonal Tueeulala Falls. Most of the trail is easy. Near the Wapama Falls turnaround point, you’ll find a series of footbridges across Falls Creek, which roars, rises and flings whitewater across your path if runoff is heavy. This can be risky. If in doubt, turn around. There’s no point finding secret treasure if you don’t return to tell the tale. TUOLUMNE COUNTY BONUS TIP: Hetch Hetchy makes a great day trip if you’re already headed to Yosemite or Gold Country towns like Groveland, Jamestown, Sonora or Columbia, or if you’re staying at the park-adjacent Evergreen Lodge. In fact, that’s where the builders of O’Shaughnessy Dam stayed a century ago, before the lodge had aromatherapy. Hike the INDIAN CANYONS of Palm Springs Most of California’s palms are imported species. But when you hike into the Indian Canyons of Palm Springs — both owned by the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians — you see the real thing. In Andreas Canyon, you follow a 1.2-mile round-trip path along the year-round Andreas Creek, which is lined with Washingtonia filifera, the California fan palm. In Palm Canyon, a few miles away, the looping 2.7-mile Victor Trail drops into a shady fold in the desert hills where native palms congregate, then returns along a ridge. Those canyons, along with Murray Canyon and Tahquitz Canyon (which has a seasonal waterfall and history that includes ancient myth and Jim Morrison), are all part of the Indian Canyons network owned and managed by Agua Caliente leaders. Adult admission is $12; open daily Oct. 1 through July 4; on Friday, Saturday and Sunday in summer. No pets. Keep an eye out for desert bighorn sheep (on the slopes above) and rattlesnakes (underfoot). RIVERSIDE COUNTY BONUS TIP: There is an easier way to see this desert, of course— the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, which climbs 6,000 feet to a mountain station while you stand in the dangling gondola, oohing and ahhhing. Each gondola holds up to 80 people. You pay $30.95 per adult and slowly rotate as the gondola climbs 2.5 miles to Mountain Station (elevation 8,516 feet). It’s often 35 degrees cooler there with snow in winter. The last tram leaves the top at 9:30 p.m. or 10:30 p.m., depending on the day, so there’s time to catch sunset and eat at one of the two restaurants at the top. Paddle a redwood canoe on the KLAMATH RIVER in Yurok country Redwood Yurok Canoe Tours, a venture by the Yurok tribe, offers summertime visitors a chance to spend two hours on the Klamath River in a dugout redwood canoe — the same sort of vessel that Yurok members have used for centuries. The tours (usually June through September, $157.50 per adult) begin and end in Klamath. They’re led by Yurok guides who tell how canoes are carved and how the tribe hopes for a river renaissance as upstream dams are removed over the next few years. There’s also a four-hour tour. If you want to cover more territory at higher speed, the tribe also offers summer jet-boat tours lasting one or two hours. The longer tour covers 22 miles of the river. Adult prices: $45-$59. DEL NORTE COUNTY BONUS TIP: Klamath River Overlook, at the end of Requa Road in Klamath, offers a spectacular view from on high of the river meeting the sea. Tour the caves and coves of LA JOLLA The kayak journey from La Jolla Shores to La Jolla’s sandstone cliffs is ideal for a newbie: You launch at the shore, paddle a mile and find yourself at the foot of cliffs riddled with sea caves that belong on someone’s screensaver. Often seals and sea lions swim nearby. When the water is calm enough, you can paddle into one of the caves. This is part of a typical La Jolla kayak tour, which takes 90 minutes to two hours. I did mine with La Jolla Kayak (adult rates: $44 for a single kayak, $69 for a double), but there are several rental shops within a few blocks on Avenida de la Playa. (In cooler months, you can rent a wet suit with the kayak.) There’s also plenty to see on land around La Jolla Cove. At Boomer Beach, crashing waves throw spray above rocks. At Point La Jolla, sea lions have basically taken over. (Give them room.) The grassy expanses of Ellen Browning Scripps Park practically demand that you lay out a picnic. And then there’s the Cave Store, which looks like a basic souvenir shop. Inside, there’s a tunnel — 145 steps carved through sandstone in 1902-03 by Chinese immigrant laborers, whose names were not recorded, on the orders of entrepreneur Gustav Schultz. At its bottom, the tunnel connects with Sunny Jim Cave, which opens to the ocean. You might see sea lions there — or kayakers. Admission is $10 per adult. SAN DIEGO COUNTY BONUS TIP: A few steps from the Cave Store, the Coast Walk Trail offers a 0.6-mile clifftop path past homes most of us can only dream about. Gina Ferazzi Los Angeles Times Robert Gauthier Los Angeles Times Future Publishing via Getty Images

S10 SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 LATIMES.COM Go over the top at San Diego’s LAFAYETTE HOTEL The LaFayette Hotel is old. And new. The lodging and its NeoColonial façade have stood since 1946 on San Diego’s El Cajon Boulevard, but the hotel’s latest incarnation looks like nothing this 2½-acre property has seen before — it’s a riotous mix of materials, styles and eras, from checkerboard marble floors to hand-painted toilets. Besides its 139 guest rooms and pool, the five-building complex includes a lobby bar that may remind you of a grand hotel in London; a Oaxacan restaurant (Quixote) that’s as dim and mysterious as a church crypt; a faux-’40s diner (Beginner’s) that’s open all hours; a pool bar designed to evoke Italy’s Amalfi Coast; and a basement bar (called Gutter) with a two-lane bowling alley. In January, the LaFayette added Lou Lou’s Jungle Room, a 580-seat supper club and live-music venue. (This is the space where Tom Cruise sang “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” in “Top Gun.”) In April, Esquire magazine named the LaFayette its 2024 new hotel of the year. A fine-dining restaurant is expected later this year. The San Diego company behind this venture, Consortium Holdings, runs several restaurants and bars in North Park, but this is Consortium’s first hotel. It’s Vegas without a casino, a cruise ship without an ocean, Hearst Castle with bartenders. Room rates begin at about $200. On the eve of opening, I asked Consortium co-founder Arsalun Tafazoli about the hotel’s governing philosophy. “More is more,” he said. SAN DIEGO COUNTY BONUS TIP: You can buy a day pass to use the pool for $46. Tread the sand and probe the tidepools of LAGUNA BEACH Laguna Beach‘s coastline leaves newcomers slack-jawed — clifftop views of crashing waves, sea-carved rock formations, lush landscaping. To get the best of that, and a sampling of local culture and commerce, you can start at the city’s Main Beach, head north to Picnic Beach, then loop back. The last time I did this was January, late afternoon, the sun throwing golden light everywhere. Beginning near the beach’s iconic lifeguard tower, I tiptoed along the sand and stones at low tide past Bird Rock and Recreation Point, following the water’s edge past couples and families peeking at tidepools. At Picnic Beach, where a stairwell rises from the sand, I climbed up to the walkway that’s officially known as the California Coastal Trail. Then I headed south again, enjoying the same scenery from 100 feet higher up. This route takes you through Heisler Park, which has grass, bathrooms, a dozen picnic tables and a gazebo with such a compelling view that it’s often crammed full of tourists at sunset. The trail runs close to the Laguna Art Museum and Las Brisas restaurant (which goes back to the 1970s, has sea views from its patio and offers a $49 brunch on weekends). You’re also steps from the start of high-toned Forest Avenue, which has been a one-block pedestrian promenade since the first year of the pandemic. ORANGE COUNTY BONUS TIP: If you’re exploring with kids, forget Forest Avenue in favor of Main Beach Toys & Games, which has had its spot facing Main Beach for many decades. Dig for rare books and vinyl in THE LAST BOOKSTORE in DTLA This is not the last bookstore downtown, but it might be the largest new-and-used bookstore in California. Bookseller Josh Spencer started with a dead bank building on an iffy downtown block and turned it into a reader’s refuge full of drama and hope. The Last Bookstore opened in 2005 as booksellers were faltering across the land. Since then it has expanded twice and has been housed in this 22,000- square-foot space since 2011. The ground floor is filled with new and used books; used vinyl, CDs and DVDs; an annex for art and rare books; and a stage for readings and other performances. The tall, white columns, circa 1915, suggest you may be sifting through the ruins of a lost civilization. Dangling artworks hint at magic in progress, while the Last Wall offers books for $1 each. But the flashiest bit is yet to come. On the upstairs mezzanine, you find the Horror Vault and the Labyrinth, where used books might be arranged by subject, color or shape. Don’t miss the tunnel. Around the periphery, studios harbor makers with work for sale. If literature is dead, or downtown is, don’t tell this place’s 150,000 Instagram followers. Open daily, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. And the bookstore has a smaller sibling location (with books, plants and vinyl) in Montrose: Lost Books. L.A. COUNTY BONUS TIP: There are at least two other cool bookshops downtown: Hennessey + Ingalls (art and architecture, Arts District) and Kinokuniya (lots of manga, Little Tokyo). And the Central Library (with its mural-filled upstairs rotunda) is four blocks away at 630 W. 5th St. Prospect for treasures in LONE PINE’s western movie museum Lone Pine is a tiny town in just the right place. It sits astride Highway 395, which makes it a handy stop on the way north from Los Angeles to Mammoth or Bishop, or on the way northeast to Death Valley. As you pass through, leave time to check out Lone Pine’s Museum of Western Film History, which has a fascinating array of posters and props and an 85-seat theater. The museum also can explain the Lone Ranger’s origin story. Adult admission is $5. The museum offers maps of the filming locations in the neighboring Alabama Hills, which is part two of this excursion. These boulder-strewn hills may not be quite as red and stately as Arizona’s Monument Valley, but they’re just as essential to the history of the western genre. This will become clear as you head up the gravel road into the Alabama Hills. Perhaps 500 movies — not to mention scores of TV shows and ads — have been filmed here, beginning in the 1920s. These hills feature in “Django Unchained” (2012), and in “Iron Man” (2008) they stood in for Afghanistan. INYO COUNTY BONUS TIP: The Museum of Western Film History mostly looks back to the past, but its parking lot includes eight Tesla charging stations. Christopher Reynolds Los Angeles Times Christopher Reynolds L.A. Times Christopher Reynolds Los Angeles Times THERE ARE PLENTY OF huggable boulders in Joshua Tree National Park. Hidden Valley is a nice place to start. Unfortunately, it’s not so hidden these days. It’s right along the main road (Park Boulevard), with a 44-site, first-come, first-served campground sheltered by boulders bigger than your house (see the tiny dangling climbers up there?). Of the 3.3 million visitors who came to the park in 2023 — the most ever — legions paused here. Fortunately, many keep going. Within about two miles of the valley, you can explore Barker Dam (sometimes there’s water) and Cap Rock, where road manager Phil Kaufman bid a fiery farewell to the late singer-songwriter Gram Parsons in 1973. About nine miles farther along Park Boulevard you’ll find Jumbo Rocks and Skull Rock Trail, prime spots for family hike and spooky selfies. There are also Joshua trees in the park. To HUG A BOULDER IN JOSHUA TREE’S HIDDEN VALLEY

LATIMES.COM SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 S11 Get dressed up and deceived at Hollywood’s MAGIC CASTLE The Magic Castle, a den of mystery and prestidigitation in a customized Hollywood hilltop mansion, has seen good times and bad. But the club keeps coming back, now with a set of new leaders who arrived in 2021 and ’22. Inside you’ll find a dash of Vegas, a dash of Hollywood history and a dash of deep magic geekdom — more Harry Houdini, less Harry Potter. With an invitation from a member (or a booking at the neighboring Magic Castle Hotel), you can make a reservation and turn up in formal attire, hand over $35 to $45 per person, then step through the secret door (pssst! bookcase!). You’ll find a series of rooms with oak paneling, eerie oil portraits and handy bartenders. You’re obliged to order in the snazzy dining room (entrees: $45 to $60). Proceed to a 45-minute magic show in the main theater, then meander through the mansion, dropping in on card tricksters, sleight-ofhand artists and other entertainers. The club is adults-only except for brunch performances on weekends, when children are welcome. L.A. COUNTY BONUS TIP: The Magic Castle Hotel is a converted 1950s apartment building, not nearly as fancy as the castle. Room rates start about $225 (and most units have kitchens). The furniture and grounds are worn, but we had alert service. And that red phone by the pool? That’s the free popsicle hotline. Meander the supremely charming MAIN STREET, HALF MOON BAY Half Moon Bay is just far enough south of San Francisco that it feels like the country. Then again, it may be the feed store on Main Street and the fall pumpkin fest causing that effect. Most of the buildings along Main Street, Half Moon Bay, date back to the 1950s or earlier, and the wide sidewalks and slow pace all but cry out for you to ditch your car and walk for a while. Its five or six busiest blocks include enough shops and restaurants to keep you going for a few hours. Half Moon Bay’s population is about 11,000. Within 100 steps of Half Moon Bay Feed & Fuel (founded in 1911), you’ll find a couple of art galleries, a gourmet olive oil retailer and the Barterra Winery tasting room. Elsewhere on Main, you will find Garden Apothecary (garden products, herbal skincare, herbs and teas); Earth Impact (plants, gifts); LuzLuna Imports (fair-trade goods from Latin America); and Coastside Books (where I found a book on Willie Mays I’d never seen before). Main Street is also where the annual Art & Pumpkin Festival takes place, and this is no small thing. The 2023 winner, Travis Gienger, drove about 35 hours from Anoka, Minn., to deliver his prize pumpkin, which weighed in at 2,749 pounds, a world record. (The next fest: Oct. 19-20.) SAN MATEO COUNTY BONUS TIP: Savvy locals line up before the 10 a.m. opening time at the city’s beloved Garden Deli Cafe so they can get first crack at the operation’s fresh bread (three varieties) and sandwiches. See the barracks that held the prisoners of MANZANAR Officially, it was called the Manzanar War Relocation Center. Here in an isolated corner of the Owens Valley, more than 10,000 Japanese Americans were imprisoned after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. This painful homefront chapter of World War II began in early 1942 when President Franklin D. Roosevelt authorized the incarceration of Japanese American men, women and children in 10 camps across the United States. Fifty years later, the National Park Service restored and recast the camp as Manzanar National Historic Site, a place for contemplation of war, liberty, prejudice and endurance at the foot of the Eastern Sierra between Lone Pine and Independence. When you drive the camp’s periphery, pause at the cemetery, where six people remain buried and a tall monument is etched with Japanese characters. There’s a visitor center (open Thursday-Monday), theater, museum and reconstructed barracks, where exhibits explain how families lost property, converted fruit crates into furniture and debated whether their mess hall should serve Japanese or American dishes. The U.S. government paid some reparations in 1948 and more in 1988, when President Reagan declared the incarcerations “a mistake.” The site is free, open daily from sunrise to sunset. INYO COUNTY BONUS TIP: At least 10 white Americans were convicted of spying for Japan in that era. But NPS research found that no person of Japanese ancestry living in the U.S. was ever convicted of any serious act of espionage or sabotage during the war. Listen for Mexican echoes in MARIACHI PLAZA If Los Angeles has a Mexican heart, this public plaza (and Metro subway stop) must be a ventricle. It’s where mariachi musicians hang out in hopes of being hired. You’ll see them lugging their instruments to and fro, or practicing a little, sometimes on the plaza bandstand or near the J&F ice cream shop or the statue of singer Lucha Reyes. First Street, which fronts the plaza, features abundant murals, the Casa del Mariachi costume shop, Casa del Musico music store and the Espacio 1839 boutique. There are several tempting casual places to eat and drink, including the clothnapkin Casa Fina restaurant, the casual Street Tacos and Grill and the Eastside Luv bar (which is open Thursday through Sunday nights). To the west, there’s the historic Boyle Hotel, once a hangout for wayward musicians, now the ground-floor site of a La Monarca Bakery & Cafe and the Libros Schmibros Lending Library. L.A. COUNTY BONUS TIP: If you have time for a 2-mile detour to the southwest, the 6th Street Bridge between Boyle Heights and downtown (opened in 2022) is so theatrically handsome, especially at dusk, your jaw may drop. Luis Sinco Los Angeles Times Silvia Rázgová For The Times Christopher Reynolds L.Angeles Times Dania Maxwell Los Angeles Times Dania Maxwell Los Angeles Times Christopher Reynolds L.A. Times Drive scenic Highway 395 to MAMMOTH MOUNTAIN When the urge strikes to zoom downhill on snowy slopes, many Southern Californians think first of Mammoth. For good reason. It may not be as close as Big Bear, but the attraction of 11,053-foot Mammoth Mountain, 300 miles north of Los Angeles, is strong. Besides extensive skiing and snowboarding and a lively aprés-ski scene, there’s cross-country skiing, snowshoeing — even ice-climbing at nearby June Lake and Lee Vining Canyon. The mountain ski operation was founded in 1953. And the destination has greatly strengthened its summer game in recent years. Once the snow melts — which may take longer than usual after this year’s ample snowfall — the mountain’s summer offerings include more than 80 miles of singletrack trails for mountain bikers, a via ferrata for climbers, assorted hiking trails and gondola rides to the summit. There’s also golf and fishing. MONO COUNTY BONUS TIP: If you’re headed to Mammoth in summer, pay special attention to the possibilities in the Reds Meadow Valley. That includes horseback riding at Red’s Meadow Resort, a short hike to the frothy, 101-foot-high Rainbow Falls and Devils Post Pile and a chance to hike a portion of the Pacific Crest Trail and John Muir Trail, which converge in the valley. see what they look like, consult any book by Dr. Seuss. RIVERSIDE AND SAN BERNARDINO COUNTIES BONUS TIP: Here are a few. Admission is $30 per car. There’s no water, food, gas or lodging (except campsites) for sale inside the park. The vast majority of the park’s 515 park campsites are by reservation only at recreation.gov.

S12 SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 LATIMES.COM Make some driftwood magic on MOONSTONE BEACH in Cambria Moonstone Beach, the most popular stretch of shoreline in Cambria, collects driftwood the way Beyoncé collects Grammy awards. Which means that an enterprising beachcomber can gather up sticks and bits, lean them together and create just about anything. Even if the effort doesn’t launch your career in architecture, you’ll have a renewed relationship with the beach. And this beach has much to offer. Just a few steps from the sand and rocks you’ll find a pleasant boardwalk, then twolane Moonstone Beach Drive, then a row of about 10 inns, some best suited for family retreats, some for romantic getaways. One of my favorite family lodgings is Oceanpoint Ranch, which has 61 rooms on its generous 9-acre property, along with a pool, shuffleboard, horseshoes and a casual canteen restaurant. Summer weekend rates start at about $265, but weekdays can dip under $200. For a more romantic vibe, try White Water down the street. Cambria’s east and west villages sit a bit inland, and Main Street includes abundant restaurants, art galleries and boutiques but no chain stores. SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY BONUS TIP: Moonstone isn’t the only walkable beach in town. North of the boardwalk, Leffingwell Landing Park begins, offering more trails and coastal views. To the south, there’s the 437-acre Fiscalini Ranch Preserve. Take a bite out of Big Sur at NEPENTHE If you’re new to the West Coast, the name might sound like one of those new medications you need to ask your doctor about. If you’ve been here a while, you may know that Nepenthe, a Bohemian aerie in the heart of Big Sur, is where mountains, sea and Ambrosia burgers converge. It’s beautiful. And tasty. In all the California coastline, it’s often said, there is no more dramatic meeting of land and water than the 75-mile stretch known as Big Sur. Nepenthe is a highlight of that stretch. Since 1949, diners have gaped at the surf and rocks 800 feet below. It’s often busy, for multiple reasons. (Besides its views and style, Nepenthe has one of the most spacious parking lots in Big Sur.) While you’re there, leave some time for browsing the Phoenix gift shop a level below. Leave even more for exploring the rest of Big Sur. Since January 2023, Highway 1 has been closed by mudslides and repairs in multiple places. Caltrans forecasts a reopening for through traffic (with some delays) on May 27. Before you head north, check Highway 1’s status on the Caltrans website (dot.ca.gov). MONTEREY COUNTY BONUS TIP: For a breakfast overlooking that prime Nepenthe view, head for Nepenthe’s on-site offshoot, Cafe Kevah, open 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily, weather permitting. Examine a watershed moment in history at the NIXON LIBRARY AND MUSEUM The first Californian elected president was a piano-playing attorney and former vice president, awkward with small talk, named Richard Nixon. That was 1968. Six years later, he resigned. The strange story of what happened in between is told at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in Yorba Linda. As shown in dozens of exhibits on the 9-acre site, Nixon negotiated the U.S. withdrawal from Vietnam, created the Environmental Protection Agency and led a diplomatic breakthrough with China. But operatives of his campaign were caught breaking into Democratic National Committee headquarters (in the Watergate office complex), and Nixon and aides were caught trying to cover it up. His own secret tapes sealed his fate. He is the only U.S. president to resign. Nixon and his wife, Pat, are buried here next to the modest home where Nixon was born. (There’s also a presidential helicopter on site.) She died in 1993; he died in 1994. Adult admission to the library is $28. This year, the museum also includes a temporary exhibition on American POWs during the Vietnam War. ORANGE COUNTY BONUS TIP: The National Archives has digitized 4,042 reels of Nixon’s infamous White House tapes. Whether you’re in the library or on a computer at home, you can eavesdrop on Nixon. Savor Italian food and bohemian books in NORTH BEACH Just as the reports of Mark Twain’s death turned out to be “greatly exaggerated” back in the day, reports of San Francisco’s demise seem premature now. Yes, Market Street, the Financial District and Union Square have doom-loop troubles. But look at North Beach, which still harbors Italian flavors and bohemian memories the way Gavin Newsom harbors ambitions beyond Sacramento. Start with City Lights bookstore, the Beat Generation survivor that has sold countless copies of Allen Ginsberg’s “Howl” (1956), Jack Kerouac’s “On the Road” (1957) and bookshop co-founder Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s “A Coney Island of the Mind” (1958). Admire the copper-green flatiron glory of the 1907 Sentinel Building (owned by Francis Ford Coppola’s family) at Columbus Avenue and Kearny Street. You also can’t miss Coit Tower’s views and Depressionera murals ($10 per adult if you live outside San Francisco) or the sandwiches at Molinari Delicatessen (established 1896), which you can eat on a bench in Washington Square. Get coffee at Caffe Trieste (since 1956). Buy a pie at Tony’s Pizza Napoletana on Stockton Street or seafood at Sodini’s on Green Street. SAN FRANCISCO COUNTY BONUS TIP: If you’ve found North Beach, you’re a few steps from Chinatown. Dinner at the stylish China Live restaurant complex on Broadway? (It’s about 400 feet from City Lights.) Two other lively, upscale Chinatown restaurants are handy: Empress by Boon on Grant Avenue and Mister Jiu’s on Waverly Place. Save room for dessert at the ORANGE WORKS CAFE in Strathmore At a country crossroads near the buckle of the Central Valley’s citrus belt — and handy for many a traveler to Sequoia or Kings Canyon national parks — the Orange Works Cafe stands out for its gourmet sandwiches and ice cream. Especially its orange ice cream. The cafe, a family business along Highway 65 in Strathmore between Lindsay and Porterville, is surrounded by miles of orange orchards. Some of that fruit goes to the packing house across the street, then into the cafe’s desserts. A 6-ounce serving of ice cream ($3.99) delivers the creamy texture of a vintage 50-50 bar with a sharp tang of freshness. The Orange Works people (who also have a Visalia location) rotate other homemade, farm-fresh ice cream flavors too, including persimmon, pomegranate, gingerbread cookie in December and Peeps at Easter time (I’d like to see those orchards). The cafe makes turkey, ham, pastrami and roasted eggplant sandwiches, along with a popular one combining tri-tip and roasted garlic. TULARE COUNTY BONUS TIP: For $13, you can get the lunch special — a sandwich, potato chips, a drink and 6 ounces of ice cream. The Strathmore cafe is open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Christopher Reynolds L.A. Times The Richard Nixon Library & Museum Brian van der Brug Los Angeles Times Christopher Reynolds L.A. Times

LATIMES.COM SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 S13 Drink from a jar in PAPPY & HARRIET’S in the desert Pappy and Harriet, the visionaries who made this place happen, have moved on. Yet no desert roadhouse can beat Pappy & Harriet’s in Pioneertown for comfort food, frontier feel, a world-class license plate collection and joyful noise under the desert sky. The joint, about 15 miles west of Joshua Tree National Park’s west entrance, was built as a movie-set cantina in 1946 and has operated under its current name since 1982. The current owners arrived in 2021. But it all feels as native as a creosote bush. Steaks are cooked on an outdoor grill (Santa Maria barbecuestyle), beer is served in Mason jars and all meal service (hearty portions) is first come, first served. A beer is $8, a burger $16. Expect lines on weekends. There’s one stage outdoors, another indoors, and there’s no telling who might show up. One night several years ago, it was Paul McCartney. Among the 2023 performers: Phoenix, Cody Jinks, Interpol, Pretenders and Ramblin’ Jack Elliot. SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY BONUS TIP: You’ll want time to nose around the rest of Pioneertown, all of which was built as a movie set. It’s edging its way back toward becoming a true western town with a motel, saloon, shops, occasional theater and weekend Wild West reenactments on a pedestrian-only main street that’s spelled M-A-N-E. Get schooled in marine biodiversity at POINT LOBOS Just look at Point Lobos State Natural Reserve and it will speak for itself. With its thick foliage, gnarled old trees, drifting fog, floating kelp forests, stony outcroppings and barking sea lions (in Spanish: lobos marinos), it’s a 554-acre world of its own. And a lesson in marine biodiversity. And a photographer’s dream. Like a lot of people, I like to start by driving to the end of the park’s main road, parking and strolling around the 0.8- mile loop trail through China Cove and Bird Island. No matter what’s happening in the sky, the waters of the cove always seem to glow an eerie green. From there, if I have time, I move on to Weston Beach (named for photographer Edward Weston, who haunted these shores for years) and the Cypress Grove Trail. (Be warned, however, that many trails were damaged in winter high surf and flooding, and may still be closed.) As you check out the birds, rocks and greenery, bear in mind that Native people gathered here for thousands of years. By the late 19th century, Chinese fishermen, Portuguese whalers and Japanese abalone divers had arrived, all now gone. The waters offshore are part of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Admission is $10 per car, plus an additional $2 for a map/brochure. No dogs (except service animals). MONTEREY COUNTY BONUS TIP: On busy days, the reserve’s 150 parking spaces often fill up, so it’s wise to come early. The reserve is open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, with last entry at 6:30 p.m. Spot a fox or launch a kayak from SANTA CRUZ ISLAND What if a chunk of California broke away and floated offshore before anyone had time to build an ADU on it? You’d get something like the rugged bluffs, beaches and sea caves of Santa Cruz Island, the largest portion of Channel Islands National Park. The island’s Scorpion Anchorage, where most visitors arrive, is about an hour’s boat ride via Island Packers from Ventura Harbor. You can do a day trip or camp. Either way, you can kayak in sea caves with a guide and rented vessel from Channel Islands Adventure Co. Or hike to Smugglers Cove. On your way, keep an eye out for island foxes, which have grown bold and numerous in recent years. Once, the island’s hills and valleys were home to 11 Chumash villages (and Santa Cruz served as a sheep ranch as recently as 1984). Nowadays, there’s one 31-site campground about half a mile’s walk from Scorpion Anchorage. The park service controls about a quarter of Santa Cruz. The rest, owned by the Nature Conservancy, is off-limits. SANTA BARBARA COUNTY BONUS TIP: For a shorter day trip, consider nearby Anacapa Island, home to a 1932 lighthouse, spectacular views, two miles of trails, seven campsites and, during the March-through-August nesting season, enough swooping, shrieking, pooping seabirds to trouble Alfred Hitchcock’s dreams. Blend into the rugged coast at SEA RANCH About 100 miles north of San Francisco on a rugged stretch of Sonoma County coastline, the enclave of Sea Ranch includes about 1,800 low-slung homes, many of them vacation rentals, all designed under tight limits to blend into the landscape, mimicking natural forms and spreading along 10 miles of coast. If you’re coming from a densely populated coastal neighborhood in Southern California, this place might look like a nature lover’s dream, and it has won design prizes from the American Institute of Architects. Yet from its start in the 1960s, the builders of Sea Ranch tangled with some environmental groups. Many say frustration over Sea Ranch helped provoke the creation of the California Coastal Commission in 1972. Nobody denies that these handsome homes are in the middle of a beautiful place. It includes six publicly accessible trails, a links-style golf course and an iconic curvy chapel of stone, redwood and stained glass by artist-designer James Hubbell. Rental homes typically go for $350 to $950 nightly, often with multiple-night minimums, and are available through various vacation rental companies and in some cases the Sea Ranch Lodge. All of Sea Ranch’s roads and most of its trails are private and intended for use only by owners, renters and their guests. SONOMA COUNTY PRO TIP: The Sea Ranch Lodge has a dining room (lunch and dinner), cafe (breakfast and lunch), bar and general store, along with 17 guest rooms. Summer rates for those rooms start around $450 per night. SAN DIEGO’S answer to the Hollywood Bowl is hard to resist. When you sit in one of the red folding chairs or flop on the artificial grass of the Rady Shell at Jacobs Park downtown, you may be distracted by passing sailboats to your left. Or jutting skyscrapers to your right. Or the sun sinking into the harbor. The Shell, which opened in 2021, has a layout that’s flatter and simpler than the Hollywood Bowl’s. (But you can’t bring your own picnic.) It stands on a 3.7-acre finger of land that reaches from downtown’s convention center into San Diego Bay. A few blocks to the north stands Petco Park, home to the Padres. The shell is home to the San Diego Symphony and a summer schedule of classical and pop shows, including “movies in concert” with the symphony playing the score. You can sometimes eavesdrop on orchestra rehearsals on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays (check the schedule at theshell.org/ rady-shell-community/ open-rehearsals-at-the-rady -shell/). SAN DIEGO COUNTY BONUS TIP: This isn’t the only music on the water in the neighborhood. On nearby Shelter Island, Humphreys Concerts by the Bay (next to Humphreys Half Moon Inn) has been staging summer concert series (actually spring through November) in its 1,400-seat outdoor theater since the early 1980s — offering just about every genre except classical music. Denis Poroy For The Times Denis Poroy For The Times WATCH PASSING BOATS — AND A SHOW — AT SAN DIEGO’S RADY SHELL Myung J. Chun Los Angeles Times Christopher Reynolds Los Angeles Times Myung J. Chun Los Angeles Times

Roam the electric superbloom that is SENSORIO in Paso Robles The hills around Paso Robles get toasty hot in summer, which is why the area is covered with vineyards. But not the property on the edge of town that glows by night as if lit by magic grapes. That’s the Sensorio light display. This series of solar-powered, glow-in-the-dark art displays by Bruce Munro began in 2019 with “Field of Light,” a 15-acre installation illuminated by 100,000 spheres with optic fibers inside. Later Munro added 69 “Light Towers” made of wine bottles whose colors change to music. In 2023 came two more works, including “Fireflies” (almost 10,000 flickering points of light). Now comes another new work, “Dimensions,” a work of “light, sound, movement and shadow” by an L.A.-based sculptural duo known as HYBYCOZO. It’s scheduled to open May 24 . There’s no better place to be at dusk in these hills than Sensorio, surrounded by stately oaks cast into silhouette. Most people stay 60 to 90 minutes, but there’s a bar, a kitchen making burgers and sandwiches, a taco truck and frequently live music, so you might linger longer. Adult admission starts at $45 for the Munro works, $30 for “Dimensions,” $65 for both. Through the end of May, Sensorio is open from 7 to 10:30 p.m. Thursday through Sunday, but hours are adjusted as the time of sunset changes (and in winter the attraction is closed on Sunday night). SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY BONUS TIP: Between forays to the scores of tasting rooms of greater Paso Robles, walk a lap around Downtown City Park, a green space surrounded by restaurants and shops with a small-town atmosphere. Listen for history in SONOMA PLAZA Maybe you’ve already tasted at your favorite wineries in Napa and Sonoma. Now stand in the wellheeled Sonoma Plaza and listen for historical echoes. Sonoma and its plaza-adjacent mission were born just as Mexico was wresting control of the Californias away from Spain in the 1820s. Then in June 1846, about 20 English-speaking men decided to liberate California from Mexico and staged the Bear Flag Revolt. This didn’t last long, but it inspired somebody to design a flag with a bear. And it underlined Mexico’s vulnerability. By 1848, the U.S. had grabbed control of Alta California in the Mexican-American War. Now Sonoma County is at the heart of Northern California wine country, with more than 425 wineries doing their best to contend with Napa Valley’s roughly 475. Downtown Sonoma (population: about 10,700) is filled with bistros, tasting rooms and shops. Don’t miss Sonoma State Historic Park, which includes Mission San Francisco Solano de Sonoma, founded in 1823. You’ll find a commemorative display, added in 1999, listing names of over 800 baptized Native “neophytes” buried in the cemetery. At most California mission cemeteries the Native dead go unnamed, but the keepers of the Sonoma mission, a unit of the state park system, made this gesture of respect a priority. SONOMA COUNTY BONUS TIP: Two great venues outside town for wine tasting and history: Gundlach Bundschu Winery (since 1858) and Buena Vista Winery (since 1857). Hike, bike or kayak at TWO HARBORS on Catalina Island Most Catalina Island visitors head straight for its only city, Avalon. Two Harbors — which is farther from Avalon than it is from the mainland — will give you a taste of the island’s wilder side. Basically, it’s a dock and village at the island’s skinniest point, so you can stroll the half-mile from Catalina’s leeward Isthmus Cove to its windward Catalina Harbor. This is where the demanding Trans Catalina Trail (38.5 miles, usually four days) ends, and many visitors hike and bike the hills while pitching tents at Two Harbors Campground, (which rents equipment). The village includes a general store; two restaurants; a few rental villas; a yacht club; a dive center; kayak rentals; and the Banning House Lodge, a 12-room hotel in a 1910 Craftsman home. On a spring visit, I stayed in the lodge, which housed hunters in decades past. It sits on a ridge 400 yards from the dock with dual harbor views, a bison head in the game room and a strong continental breakfast. Rooms start at $400-$440 in summer. The Catalina Express sails between San Pedro and Two Harbors several times daily in warmer months, a roughly 75-minute ride. L.A. COUNTY BONUS TIP: The Cat Harbor Overlook makes a great challenging hike from the lodge. It’s a 4-mile out-and-back route (a.k.a. Upper Ballast Point) with about 1,000 feet of elevation gain to a gazebo overlooking Cat Harbor and miles of the island’s raw windward coast. Walk on the UCLA campus, starting with the Hammer Museum If you’re out to explore the most sought-after four-year university in the country, where do you start? Since we’re talking about UCLA, you can begin with the paint, sculpture and wit deployed at the recently expanded, university-affiliated Hammer Museum. In less than 35 years, the Hammer has morphed from an oilman’s vanity project into an esteemed contemporary showcase. Also, it’s free. In 2023, director Ann Phlbin unveiled a $90-million expansion. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday with parking underground. For a sense of the UCLA campus (which has 31,600 undergrads and drew about 145,900 freshman applications in 2023), I suggest walking a 2-mile loop from the Hammer. Head north on Westwood Boulevard to Bruin Plaza (where a big, bronze Bruin bear statue awaits your selfies). If the campus is calm, climb to Shapiro Fountain, where protesters clashed over Palestine in April and May. The big brick behemoth to your right will be Powell Library. To your left: Royce Hall, host to many a concert. Circling back, you’ll pass the Fowler Museum (global cultures) and the student store in Bruin Plaza. So even if you don’t get admitted, you can get outfitted. L.A. COUNTY BONUS TIP: In the Hammer Museum courtyard, Lulu, a restaurant by California cuisine pioneer Alice Waters and David Tanis, serves lunch (Tuesday through Sunday) and dinner (Wednesday through Sunday) under orange lanterns. Thumbs up on the $18 mozzarella, prosciutto and arugula sandwich. Takako Hatayama-Phillips Getty Images Christopher Reynolds Los Angeles Times Francine Orr Los Angeles Times IF YOU HAVEN’T wandered around Venice Beach at sunset, you haven’t drunk deeply of Los Angeles. Romp on the wide, sandy beach. Join the foot traffic on Ocean Front Walk or pedal the bike path. Stand and watch the daredevils who swoop through the skating bowls. Grab a selfie at the rainbow-painted lifeguard tower. Tip the opera singer, or the stand-up comedian — really, any sidewalk performer who can compete with these distractions deserves a dollar or two. On Sunday evenings, you might catch the Venice Electric Light Parade (people in costume and on bikes with elaborate LED rigs). Whatever the hour, you can count on seeing Rip Cronk’s mural of Venus on roller skates (near Speedway and Windward Avenue) and the dangling VENICE letters at Pacific and Windward. Not that Venice is all sweetness. This area can worry you with its hucksterism and squalor, the scent of weed, the troubled people who may be sleeping a few blocks inland in tents and under tarps. But its best moments are brilliant. L.A. COUNTY BONUS TIP: Just a few blocks from the beach you’ll find the boutiques and restaurants on mile-long Abbot Kinney Boulevard. Beginning at Westminster Avenue, these upscale sidewalks are a world away from the souvenir vendors at the beach. Here you might see $195 Scandinavian tea kettles (at Huset) or taste impeccable orecchiette con salchiccia ($25 at Piccolo). STROLL OR ROLL ALONG VENICE BEACH Jason Armond Los Angeles Times S14 SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 LATIMES.COM

Travel back to 1939 at UNION STATION, the last grand American train depot For my money, Union Station and Griffith Observatory are the most dramatic public buildings in Los Angeles. But only Union Station can get you out of town fast. It’s the last of the grand American train stations, a marriage of Mission Revival and Streamline Moderne styles that has been a landmark since its 1939 opening. It’s also a point of convergence for Amtrak, local light-rail service and buses. (And I’m not sure how this happened, but it hosted the Oscars in 2021.) Take a good look at the high ceiling, the grand arches and the 286 built-in mahogany chairs (for ticket-bearing travelers). Every time I step in, I imagine boarding the Coast Starlight for the 35-hour, 1,370-mile journey to Seattle, the grandest American train ride this side of the Rockies. Whether you’re going to step aboard or not, you can get a snack at the station. Traxx bar and restaurant’s kitchen is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays, noon to 7 p.m. weekends. L.A. COUNTY BONUS TIP: Across Alameda Street stands Olvera Street, a mostly Mexican marketplace created in the 1930s to boost tourism on one of the city’s oldest streets. Walkways are lined with souvenir vendors, eateries and a handful of shops. Learn what keeps the WATTS TOWERS upright This tall, rough-hewn landmark, built by an enigmatic Italian American laborer and surrounded by a blue-collar community that’s mostly Latino and Black, has become one of the West’s most emblematic works of art. Sabato (Simon) Rodia, a wiry immigrant from Italy, not quite 5 feet tall, started this backyard project in 1921 and spent 33 years putting up Watts Towers (up to 99 feet high), using rebar, concrete, cast-off tiles, bottle caps and bits of colored glass. (Weirdly, Italian immigrant Baldassare Forestiere was doing something similar in Fresno through most of those years, but working his way down, not up.) Rodia walked away from his project in 1954 and died in 1965. For decades, arts advocates and government officials tangled over the city’s sometimes corrupt and incompetent maintenance of the landmark. Yet his towers survived, credited as inspirations by local heroes including artist Betye Saar and jazz great Charles Mingus. The triangular property is now a state historic park and community arts center, and after years of restoration, the scaffolding is down. The area inside the property’s walls is open for guided tours (about 30 minutes, $7 per adult) on Thursday and Friday, but the window of availability is small: 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 3 p.m. Fortunately, you can see a lot of the towers from outside the walls. L.A. COUNTY BONUS TIP: The towers play host to annual Day of the Drum and jazz festivals each fall, typically the last weekend in September. Take in Shakespeare under the oaks at WILL GEER THEATRICUM BOTANICUM in Topanga The Hollywood Bowl is acceptable. But if you’re after an intimate summertime arts venue steeped in Southern California nature, culture and politics, you could try Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum. The 299-seat open-air theater, tucked into a 14-acre Topanga Canyon property, offers several shows each summer, usually including two or three by Shakespeare. The 2024 summer season includes “The Winter’s Tale” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” by Shakespeare, a retelling of the Peter Pan story, an adaptation of Molière’s “Tartuffe” and “The Hispanic/Latino/ Latina/Latinx/Latine Vote” by Bernardo Cubría. Though Will Geer is best known for playing the grandfather in “The Waltons” in the 1970s, his career in acting, folk music and labor activism spanned four decades. Geer was blacklisted during the McCarthyism of the 1950s, which is when he and his wife, Herta Ware, moved from Santa Monica to the Topanga property, planted extensive gardens and invited other blacklisted artists to come entertain one another. Woody Guthrie briefly lived in a shack there. “They did Shakespeare in the dirt,” Theatricum office manager Gina Shansey likes to say. Though Geer died in 1978, the theater company remains a family operation, led by producing artistic director Ellen Geer (Will’s daughter) and associate artistic director Willow Geer (Ellen’s daughter). Adult admission to the plays is usually $30 to $40. L.A. COUNTY BONUS TIP: Seating is wooden benches. Be sure to grab one of the cushions that staffers offer as audiences enter. It’s also wise to bring mosquito repellent. Brian van der Brug Los Angeles Times Francine Orr Los Angeles Times Christopher Reynolds Los Angeles Times FOR THE SECOND YEAR running, abundant winter snow has given Yosemite Valley ferocious waterfalls. You can’t beat the sensation of mist on your face while the sun is shining. And this summer, the valley probably will be a lot less crowded. Why? After dropping peak-season reservation requirements last summer, the park has brought them back. There are lots of details to this, but for Yosemite visits on weekends and holidays between 5 a.m. and 4 p.m. through June 30, rangers say drivers must reserve in advance through recreation.gov. The same goes for drivers entering the park any day July 1 through Aug. 16. From Aug. 17 through Oct. 27, the requirement reverts to weekends and holidays. The reservation fee is $2, on top of the park’s usual $35-per-car entry fee. If you have an overnight reservation in the park, you don’t need a day-trip reservation. Also, if you want a view from higher up, Glacier Point — with its dizzying views of Half Dome and the valley floor 3,200 feet below — will be accessible once Glacier Point Road opens for the summer (typically in May or June). The road was closed in 2022 and only partly reopened in summer 2023. MARIPOSA COUNTY BONUS TIP: Here are three waterfall hikes to ponder. First there’s Yosemite Falls, a 2,425-foot medley of cascades that is California’s tallest waterfall. It’s a 2-mile round-trip climb up the Yosemite Falls Trail to Columbia Rock, with 1,000 feet of elevation gain. Or aim a little higher and try the Mist Trail to Vernal Falls, a 2.4-mile journey, same elevation gain. And if you’re brave, you can keep going on the Mist Trail up to Nevada Fall. That will make it a 5.4-mile round trip, a 2,000-foot elevation gain, and now I’m tired. Francine Orr Los Angeles Times FEEL THE ROAR OF WATERFALLS IN YOSEMITE VALLEY LATIMES.COM SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 S15 Spend a full day on WILSHIRE BOULEVARD’S MUSEUM ROW Shall we see the 340-ton boulder first or the “Boyz n the Hood” props? The 1947 Ferrari or the lagoon full of goo? These questions face newcomers to Wilshire Boulevard’s museum row. The boulder is part of the L.A. County Museum of Art’s “Levitated Mass,” by Michael Heizer. The “Boyz” props reside in the six-level Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, which opened in 2021. The Ferrari is one among 400-plus cars at the Petersen Automotive Museum. The goo is, of course, the La Brea Tar Pits & Museum. All four of these institutions, plus the Craft Contemporary museum, stand within 1,000 feet of the corner of Wilshire and Fairfax Avenue. A good look around will take you a full day, easily. I’d start with the Academy Museum, largest of its kind in the U.S. But my answer could change in late 2024, with the anticipated opening of LACMA’s controversial new main building. In any case, no matter where you start, you’ll eventually need to check out the tar pits’ tragically mired mammoth and the 202 cast-iron lamps of Chris Burden’s LACMA installation “Urban Light.” They flicker to life each evening at dusk. L.A. COUNTY BONUS TIP: Technically, those pits of goo are asphalt, not tar. Also, reaching these museums will get easier in 2025, when a Metro subway station is due to open at Wilshire and Fairfax.

Enjoy the glow of a bonfire on CANNON BEACH Lined with lush forested headlands, colorful tidal pools and celebrated sea stacks that rise dramatically out of the Pacific, Oregon’s Cannon Beach inspires awe at every turn. There are a million ways to soak in this natural beauty, but none of them are as iconic as a bonfire on the beach. DIY bonfires are easy to assemble with a quick stop at the grocery store for a bundle of wood and s’mores supplies. (Given that Oregon is renowned for its local wines, brews and cheeses, why not load up on charcuterie fixings as well? For the best selection of local varieties, head to Fresh Foods Marketplace.) Just remember these simple beach bonfire safety rules: Keep your fire to 3 feet in diameter, away from driftwood or dune grass; and completely douse the fire with water when done. Cannon Beach’s expansive sandy shore, at 4 miles long and half a mile wide, means that the bonfire scene rarely feels crowded, but a twilight walk likely will find fires concentrated (understandably) at the iconic landmark of Haystack Rock. For a quieter experience, head to Arcadia Beach, with sea-stack views of Lion Rock that are just as stunning. BONUS TIP: For ease and an upscale experience, several local resorts offer a bonfire with s’mores package as an add-on, including Hallmark Resort and Spa ($25), Surfsand Resort ($50), the Ocean Lodge ($99), and Stephanie Inn ($99), where a butler will assemble a fire for you with premium fixings. — Elisa Parhad Stand on the rim of a sleeping volcano at CRATER LAKE Some national parks are finely wrought jewels with many facets. Crater Lake is more like an uncut diamond that’s bigger than your head. It’s all about a single, astonishing body of water that fills a vast, volcanic blown-out mountaintop in southern Oregon. It’s one of the most arresting sites in the American West, with one lonely island below and a grand old hotel above. Beyond that, the place isn’t so simple. Because so much snow falls there, it’s sometimes impossible to reach a viewpoint. This year, rangers expect the park’s Rim Drive (a 33-mile loop around the rim) to open in June or July, but the park’s main visitor center is closed for renovation until late winter 2024. Also, the National Park Service in March fired the park’s concession company. A new operator, ExplorUS, signed on to take over and said it planned to open the Crater Lake Lodge for the summer as usual. The lodge, perched on the crater’s rim since 1915, is set to open May 17 through Sept. 30, snow permitting. Rooms start at about $250. Why is the lake so blue? It’s about 1,940 feet down, the deepest in the U.S., created when Mt. Mazama erupted, the caldera filling with water from snow and rain. Scientists say this happened only 7,700 years ago, so Indigenous people may have seen it all. In summer visitors can hike portions of the rim or drive around it. You can hike down the steep 1.1-mile trail to water’s edge at Cleetwood Cove. If you can make that hike, you can take a boat tour, allowing a three-hour visit to Wizard Island. BONUS TIP: Fishing for trout and salmon is encouraged (if you buy a ticket for the boat tour). Explore the culinary delights of Portland’s thriving FOOD POD scene L.A. may have introduced taco trucks to the world, but Portland perfected these movable feasts into a whole new architectural category. Food pods are communal groupings of food carts (the preferred local term) that feature elements that many food trucks in L.A. don’t have — ambiance and amenities encouraging you to stick around. Akin to an outdoor food hall, food pods are complete with tables, heated seating, live music and string lights to create the perfect gathering spots. As an Angeleno, I’m a little bit jealous. More than 500 carts across the city offer everything from Texas- and Korean-style BBQ to locally sourced sushi and gluten-free Indian food. This thriving scene is far more than just food. These are evolving communities with unique vibes, constructs and personalities. Midtown Beer Garden, popular with the downtown working crowd at lunchtime, is one of the oldest food pods in town. Prost! Marketplace, on NE Mississippi Avenue, is another. The BIPOC- and queer-focused food pod/brewery Lil’ America in southeast Portland hosts drag shows, markets and yoga, while the long-standing Hawthorne Asylum features quirky public art. Sometimes high-profile food carts, such as the venerable Kim Jong Grillin (which just moved to the Cart Blocks downtown), act like headliners, bringing crowds to fledgling pods. To figure out where to go, use Travel Portland’s Food Cart Finder and Near Me Now tool. BONUS TIP: New pods crop up frequently, such as the latest Alberta cArts, which brings together Paladin Pie, Baon Kainan, Chubby Bunny and others in the Alberta Arts District in northeast Portland. — E.P. Play lightkeeper at the historic HECETA HEAD LIGHTHOUSE, which still shines in Florence A stay at Heceta Lighthouse Bed & Breakfast is a bucket-list item for any fan of these mostly obsolete historic structures. But never mind history. If enjoying the slow life amid a dense Sitka forest with a pictureperfect view of the wild Pacific Ocean sounds good, it should be on your list too. At the turn of the 20th century, Heceta Head’s lighthouse required three families to keep the oil-fueled First Order Fresnel lens burning, turning and clean from soot. But don’t worry: You’ll be kept busy with more relaxing activities. Turns out there are a million different ways to enjoy the gifts of this lush coastal hamlet. First, you’ll be welcomed with a tour of the lightkeeper’s cottage and shown to your room. At 4:30 p.m., head to the wine-andcheese social, featuring many Oregon products. After dinner (not included in a stay), take your lantern on an evening stroll to peek inside the lighthouse tower, which still sends pulses of light 21 miles out to sea. Come morning, you’ll enjoy a delightfully meandering seven-course brunch. If a $200 to $600 stay isn’t doable, experience the views, stories and culinary delights of the property at the interpretive center between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. (seasonally). BONUS TIP: On special occasions a few times a year, including Valentine’s Day and Easter, the lighthouse offers a sevencourse brunch ($74) to nonovernight guests. — E.P. Seek glass floats along the Oregon coastline in LINCOLN CITY Some of the shiniest treasures you can find among the Pacific coast’s sand, shells and driftwood are the old blue and green glass floats used by Japanese fishing boats for much of the 20th century. While it’s unusual to find these drifting antiques in the wild these days, you just might get lucky in Lincoln City, where the Finders Keepers Program is upping the stakes for the joyous pursuit of beachcombing. Since 1999, “Float Fairies” have been hiding locally made glass floats along the city’s seven miles of beaches for the public to discover. You guessed it — you find it, you keep it. This activity takes place year-round, inspiring beachgoers to keep special vigilance for roughly 3,000 colorful signed and numbered orbs. Floats are placed during the day in the space between the high-tide mark and the embankment. If you get lucky, register your float by calling (541) 996-1274, texting FLOATS to (866) 943-0443 or visiting Explore Lincoln City to receive a certificate of authenticity and information about the artist who crafted it. If you happen upon a special float drop day, there may be extras to discover, such as 50 red, white and blue floats for Memorial Day or 100 Japanese antique floats for Antique Week. BONUS TIP: If, like me, you don’t find a float, consider making your own at the Lincoln City Glass Center ($75 and up), one of several local glass studios where you can explore the local art of glass. — E.P. Spend the night in a former classroom at Portland’s McMENAMINS KENNEDY SCHOOL The McMenamins Kennedy School isn’t your typical hotel. This former elementary school from 1915 serves pub fare out of the former cafeteria, has a dreamy outdoor soaking pool where the teachers’ lounge patio once was, and houses guests for the night in the school classrooms, complete with serviceable chalkboards. Once you know that, it’s less surprising that the old gymnasium and auditorium now offer music shows and movies instead of basketball games and spelling bees. Like the entire portfolio of McMenamins properties — 57 rehabbed buildings converted to hotels, pubs, breweries, music venues and movie theaters throughout Oregon and Washington — the Kennedy School is a universe unto itself. The history here is palpable, and you’ll want to explore the campus in detail. Start at one of the three bars serving brews made on-site at the brewery in the former girls bathroom. My favorite is the Boiler Room, where you can inspect the beautiful railings made of vintage plumbing parts by McMenamins’ own plumber (and artist), John Allen. Depending on the night, rooms go for $150 to $300. Pets are an extra $25 per night. BONUS TIP: If the scholastic atmosphere has you aching for homework, get a McMenamins Passport ($35) at the front desk to collect stamps and a prize for up to seven sites on the property. If you like historic properties built on quirky vibes and handcrafted community, collect stamps at all of the McMenamins sites; fill up a booklet to reach Cosmic Tripster status for plenty of cool rewards. — E.P. Elisa Parhad For The Times NurPhoto via Getty Images Food truck pod, Portland. Michelle Woo Los Angeles Times Curt Peters OREGON Explore Lincoln City Kathleen Nyberg McMenamins S16 SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 LATIMES.COM

Catch your breath beneath stunning MULTNOMAH FALLS The Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge is awash in waterfalls, but none match the height, accessibility and beauty of Multnomah Falls. The gushing two-tier cascade is crossed by a quaint 1914-era footbridge 105 feet above Lower Multnomah Falls for a picturesque scene fit for a postcard. I’m not sure which element of the Benson Bridge I like better: the view of it with the Upper Falls as a backdrop, or the view you get from it of both Upper Falls and Lower Falls. Both are spectacular. Make your way to the top of the falls for a revelatory view of the Columbia River. It’s worth the effort — you’ll clock in 2.4 miles on the steep, roundtrip journey. With great beauty comes great popularity. In an attempt to quell the crowds, timed entry is required between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Once you’re within 14 days of your visit date, you can make advance reservations ($2 per vehicle) at recreation.gov. More openings become available two days ahead, and a limited supply of same-day passes can be had at the Gateway to the Gorge Visitor Center or Cascade Locks Historical Museum. BONUS TIP: You can avoid the summer reservation requirement by taking a tour bus. Options include Columbia Gorge Express and the summertime Waterfall Trolley. — E.P. Shop for handmade goods at the PORTLAND SATURDAY MARKET This is the type of place where you can find artisanal wood cutting boards, blown-glass chess sets and hand-dyed tea towels, all sold by the artist who made them. A weekly gathering of creativity, craftsmanship and community, the Portland Saturday Market has the feel of a low-key, open-air festival with a distinctly Portland vibe. Even if you don’t plan to buy any of the handmade items, come to breathe in the city’s alternative spirit, enjoy the street music and try some of the city’s foodcart delicacies. However, knowing that you might not ever find some of these goods anywhere else, it can be hard not to partake. Among my many irresistible Saturday Market purchases since my first visit in 1998, I love my Olander Earthworks sand spheres — carved ceramic balls that create mesmerizing impressions on sand. The Portland Saturday Market was started in 1974, modeled after the Eugene Saturday Market, and has become the largest continuously run outdoor arts and crafts market in the U.S. This summer it celebrates 50 years at a blowout event on June 29. The market runs from March through December on Saturday (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and Sunday (11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) BONUS TIP: Pair your visit with a stroll or ride along the Willamette River in Tom McCall Waterfront Park (where the market is located), a peaceful riverside greenway that functioned as a six-lane highway from 1943 to 1974. — E.P. Browse the largest bookstore in the world, POWELL’S BOOKS in Portland It’s a boon for bibliophiles, a paradise for philobiblists. A temple of tomes. This is Powell’s Books, Portland’s cozy answer to gray winters — a bookstore that is so big, its subtitle is “City of Books.” No topic is too esoteric, no author too obscure. If it’s in print, you’ll likely find it here. There is a lot to love about Powell’s besides the sheer magnitude of its bound and printed stock (roughly 600,000 titles at the main Burnside location): knowledgeable staff ready to go along with you on any requested book journey; the incredible organization of its books throughout three floors of color-coded rooms; the antiquarian feel of the Rare Book Room; and the shop’s packed calendar of literary events. I cannot think of a David-sized bookstore anywhere that can take down this Goliath. Even if books aren’t your thing, the carefully curated assortment of gifts and souvenirs surely will impress you. The inspiration I get from browsing the shelves at Powell’s leaves me both exhausted and exhilarated. For a respite (followed by an immediate dive into my stack of purchased books) I hit the lightdrenched Guilder Cafe, inspired by “The Princess Bride.” BONUS TIP: Legend says that touching the stone Book Pillar, which lists eight iconic books at the store’s entrance, will give you good luck in finding your next book. But at a place like Powell’s, I doubt you’ll need it. — E.P. Take a fast and furious jetboat ride down Oregon’s ROGUE RIVER You can float, boat, raft or paddle down Oregon’s Rogue River, one of the first U.S. waterways listed as a Wild & Scenic River by Congress in 1968. But nothing beats the thrill of a Hellgate Jetboat Excursions trip, and anyone, regardless of age or ability, can join in the fun. (Multigenerational travelers, take note.) You’ll ride fast and furiously downriver in a specially designed boat made to skim the surface of the water, taking in bow dunks and 360- degree spins on the way. If you don’t think you’ll get wet, think again. But it’s not all just for amusement’s sake. When the boat slows down to navigate beneath Hellgate Canyon’s soaring cliffs, you’ll have time to take in the gorgeous scenery, complete with unique geology and wildlife, including river otters and bald eagles. While scenic wilderness cruising and high-speed jetboating may seem like opposing activities, this iconic Rogue ride has been going strong for 65 years. A one-hour ride (adult ticket: $38.95) covers 14 miles of the river. When the boat pulls in, those on the dinner or brunch excursion head to the historic Hellgate River Lodge Restaurant (an old homesteader’s property) for a meal served familystyle on a covered outdoor patio facing the river. Hellgate Jetboat Excursions run seasonally from May 1 through September. BONUS TIP: Other touring options offered by the company include the River Run (one hour), Quick and Scenic (two hours) and White Water (five hours). The brunch and dinner options are 36-mile rides that last approximately four hours. — E.P. Wolfgang Kaehler LightRocket via Getty Images Hellgate Jetboat Excursions Michelle Woo Los Angeles Times LATIMES.COM SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 S17

Glide by sandboard on dunes at Florence’s SAND MASTER PARK My sons still beg me to return to what they consider the ultimate highlight of our recent West Coast road trip: sandboarding on the dunes in Florence, Ore. I’ll admit that conditions were perfect — a cloudless day with no expectations regarding the weird activity Mom had heard about. Lon Beale, a.k.a. Doctor Dune, owns Sand Master Park in Florence, a 200-acre property that includes dunes and a shop. Considered the godfather of modern sandboarding, he offers rentals (of boards he invented for the sport) and lessons ($55 an hour). For first-timers, sandboarding is a fast, bum-aching cousin to snowboarding, skateboarding and surfing. Incredibly fun, but just know that sand isn’t as soft as snow or water. Board rentals are a bargain at $18 for 24 hours ($16 for sand sleds) — a timeframe that allows you to take the boards wherever you please. Given that dunes stretch 47 miles from Florence to Coos Bay, boarders have plenty of options. We took our boards back to our campground on the dunes at Jessie M. Honeyman Memorial State Park, where we spent the afternoon sliding dunes that overlook Cleawox Lake and the distant ocean coastline. We even ended up catching a fish in the lake. We cooked it right on the sand with our portable camp stove. All the while howls of joy continued on the dunes until twilight. BONUS TIP: The Sand Master Park store includes a library of sand (Beale calls it a sandbrary) that Dr. Dune has collected from all over the world. — E.P. Camp, hike and climb at SMITH ROCK STATE PARK in Oregon’s high desert Smith Rock rises like a fortress out of Central Oregon’s high desert scrubland, cradled by the winding Crooked River, which weaves in and out of the 650-acre Smith Rock State Park. Much like Seattle’s Mt. Rainier or Japan’s Mt. Fuji, Smith Rock is the region’s beloved volcanic icon. Its towering spires, pillars and cliffs are made of solidly compact tuff, making Smith Rock highly scalable — so much so that modern rock climbing is said to have been born here. Climbers have access to more than 2,000 wide-ranging climbing routes, including the iconic 350-foot tower known as Monkey Face. (Yes, it really looks like a monkey’s face.) Try a climb with Smith Rock Climbing Guides, or one of the many local companies offering guided climbs for all ages and abilities. Rock climbers aren’t the only ones who can enjoy stunning views of the park and the entire Cascade Range from on high. Hikers can take the 3.7-mile hike to Misery Ridge, a looped extension of the 2.5-mile River Trail. Wildland Guiding Company leads free community hikes here on some weekends during the summer — a time when heat can become extreme, so be sure to stay hydrated. BONUS TIP: Between early spring and late fall, extend your stay at the Bivouac Campground (known locally as the Bivy), a walk-in tent campground at the south rim of the canyon. Overnight permits cost $8 per person per night and include restrooms, showers and a charging station. — E.P. Stuff yourself with cheese at the TILLAMOOK CREAMERY My grandmother used to call grilled cheese sandwiches “cheese dreams,” and that’s an apt description for all the food at the Tillamook Creamery, one of Oregon’s most celebrated dairy producers. Before you pull into the sleek, renovated headquarters of the Tillamook County Creamery Assn., you’ll probably pass many of the family-owned farms that contribute milk for Tillamook products. That’s right, this section of Oregon’s coast, 75 miles from Portland, is cow country. For a cheesy snack, head to the Dining Hall, where said cheese dreams are there for the trying, in addition to cheeseburgers, mac ’n’ cheese, pizza and root beer floats. This is also one of the few places you can try Tillamook’s fried cheddar cheese curds (absolutely do it). A separate line leads you to ice cream heaven, where the threescoop sampler is the obvious choice. Not a dairy consumer? Nondairy foods and other allergy-friendly items are on offer, including soups, salads and sorbet. After feasting on cheese, you can take the free, self-guided tour to learn about how Tillamook products are made, test how fast you can change out a milking pump on cow udders and peer onto the production floor, where the cheese loaves are crafted. The Tillamook Creamery is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. BONUS TIP: For a deeper dive into the world of Tillamook products, book a premium experience, such as the specialty cheese Tour + Tasting for $15 or Exclusive Ice Cream Experience, offered at $45. — E.P. Ramble through wine country in Oregon’s WILLAMETTE VALLEY South of Portland and north of Eugene is a long and broad valley along 100 miles of the Willamette River. Some 700 wineries speckle this area, known as one of the world’s premier producers of Pinot Noir grapes. A meandering, multiday romp through the Willamette Valley is the best way to experience the region’s award-winning restaurants, wine-tasting experiences and cozy accommodations in McMinnville and smaller towns nearby. While the sunny summer is a popular time to go, I’m a sucker for the fall harvest and winter cellar seasons, when you can enjoy some wine by the fire as the fog rolls in between the fir trees. I also love the small inns and bed-and-breakfasts that perfectly suit this place and time. For a luxury farm stay in Carlton, Inn the Ground offers farm and permaculture tours and a view of cows grazing outside your room. Sleep at a vineyard in Stoneycrest Cottage (part of Durant at Red Ridge Farms) or in one of the three grain silos that make up the lodging at Carlton’s Abbey Road Farm. BONUS TIP: Wild Oregon truffles are another delicacy of the Willamette Valley, flavoring hazelnuts, french fries, cheeses and chocolate during fall and winter. Around this time, fervent hunters seek the fungi (about the size of a ping pong ball) beneath the roots of Douglas fir trees. First Nature Tours offers an all-day foraging excursion from Portland, or eat your way through decadent truffle flavor on Taste Newberg’s Truffle Trail. — E.P. Elisa Parhad For The Times Airen Vandevoort Stoney Crest Cottage Elisa Parhad For The Times Prowl BALLARD’s locks, shops and troll You can spend a lot of time among the century-old brick buildings, sleek boutiques, busy bars and inviting restaurants in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood. Start with Ballard Avenue, which is at once historic, hip and increasingly prosperous — the sort of place where you might order terrific mushroom toast ($15) in the Parisian setting of Sabine Cafe or lose yourself among Ballyhoo Curiosity Shop’s taxidermy, amethyst clusters, bowling trophies and assorted horns, skulls and skeletons, human and otherwise. I strolled the avenue at length, ogled the throwback murals in Hattie’s Hat (a diner and bar established in 1904), admired the equally old flatiron building that holds McLeod’s Scottish pub and wished I could hear the Yonder Mountain String Band at the Tractor Tavern that night — but it was sold out. The Tractor Tavern has offered a full schedule of live music shows, heavy on the Americana, for 30 years. If you’re into engineering, the neighborhood highlight surely is Ballard Locks, an enormous 1917 maritime landmark that allows boats (and salmon) to transit between the freshwater of Salmon Bay and the saltwater of the Puget Sound. The site includes a fish ladder observation room where, in summer months, you can peer through an underwater window at salmon struggling against the current. That’s still not all. You can stroll the beach and wetlands at nearby Golden Gardens Park, and bike or walk on the BurkeGilman Trail, which runs 19 miles between Golden Gardens and Bothell. Or you can walk 300 yards up Market Street from the locks to the National Nordic Museum, whose building opened in 2018. Like so much Danish design, it’s minimalist and elegant, a two-story building devoted to the cultures that many Seattle immigrants brought with them from homelands including Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Greenland. BONUS TIP: In front of the National Nordic Museum you will find a 14-foot-tall troll with a shingled trunk, a.k.a. Frankie Feetsplinter. Everyone’s favorite troll in Seattle is supposed to be the one under the bridge in the nearby Fremont area, but Ballard’s is friendlier and made of recycled wood, not concrete. Frankie is one of six trolls scattered around the Pacific Northwest by Danish artist Thomas Dambo. Row, row, row at the CENTER FOR WOODEN BOATS You can borrow a boat for nothing from this enterprise at the southern end of Lake Union. Or you can browse and learn about the history and boatwrights’ secrets behind these wooden vessels. First about the boats for nothing at the Center for Wooden Boats: They’re rowboats, also known as peapods because of their shape. Under the center’s Public Peapod Program, you can borrow one for up to an hour from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday to Sunday, advance reservations required. The center also manages a fleet of rentals, from kayaks to large sailboats, and runs charter cruises. Founded in 1976, the center now includes a dockside complex with an education building (completed in 2018) holding several boats on display. It’s free, open Wednesday through Sunday except for three down weeks in winter. There’s also a workshop, a roster of courses in how to build and navigate boats, and further facilities on Camano Island. “That’s the core of the center, getting people out on the water,” said Jonathan Tune, a volunteer at the front desk. “Even on a miserable day, it’s pretty fun.” BONUS TIP: Before you leave the southern end of Lake Union, also check out MOHAI, Seattle’s Museum of History & Industry. It’s housed in a big, white building (once a naval reserve armory) at water’s edge and includes multiple exhibits (including Boeing’s first commercial plane, from 1919), a cafe and a store. Through June 2, one exhibit details the history of rowing in Seattle, including the University of Washington team’s 1936 Olympics win, which inspired the 2023 film “The Boys in the Boat.” Adult admission: $22. S18 SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 LATIMES.COM WASHINGTON Bloomberg via Getty Images Christopher Reynolds Los Angeles Times Elisa Parhad For The Times

1941, taught at the Rhode Island School of Design before emerging as an international artist in the 1970s. (He lives in Seattle.) The Chihuly Garden and Glass space is open daily; adult admission, $35. BONUS TIP: Don’t miss Chihuly’s collections. In early 2023, the Chihuly team replaced its on-site restaurant with a bar (which also serves food) that is decorated with the artist’s sketches and two dozen of his many collections. They’re hung on the walls and inset into tabletops: tin toys, pocket knives, fishing reels, electric irons, alarm clocks, shaving brushes, Mexican ashtrays and, on the ceiling, accordions. “There are 83 of them here,” bartender Jojo Buharaksa told me, pointing up. “And there are more in his studio. Way more.” Gawk at CHIHULY GARDEN AND GLASS It’s been 12 years now since glass artist Dale Chihuly upstaged the Space Needle. In 2012, when the landmark’s owners invited Chihuly to display his array of colored glass creations at its base, the idea was to complement the Needle (which dates back to 1962) and bring more contemporary energy to the Seattle Center area. Mission accomplished. These days, you’ll find glass art spread among eight rooms at Chihuly Garden and Glass, including a translucent, 40-foot-high greenhouse and a walled garden where the colors and shapes harmonize and contrast with plants and trees. Even many visitors who arrive skeptical (I was one) are knocked out by the colors, shapes and glass-blowing demonstrations. Chihuly, born in Tacoma in Dive into Astoria’s dramatic COLUMBIA RIVER MARITIME MUSEUM Learning about the dangerous conditions of the infamous Columbia River Bar is what brought my family to Astoria’s Columbia River Maritime Museum, but we weren’t expecting such a joyful voyage through maritime trades, regional history and life at sea. The museum sits at the mouth of the Columbia River, where intense Pacific Ocean currents meet up to wrestle with the domineering forces of the river. The sandy deposits beneath the turbulent waters constantly change positions, making this bar crossing one you’d prefer to face with one of the world’s best river bar pilots, many of whom get some schooling here in town. This seagoing drama makes excellent exhibit fodder, ranging from tidal science to shipwrecks to the visual beauty of cannery labels. My kids got a kick out of playing storm-watching newscasters in front of a green screen, as well as the display of CG-4300, a life-size U.S. Coast Guard Motor Lifeboat in the midst of a nail-biting rescue. The building’s backside has floor-to-ceiling windows that showcase the realities of day-today life on the Columbia River outside. Included with admission ($18 for adults, $8 for kids) is a visit to the Lightship Columbia, a national historic landmark that once navigated ships through the area. BONUS TIP: Get an elevated view of the Columbia River Bar from nearby Fort Stevens State Park at the South Jetty of the Columbia River viewing platform at parking area C. While there, walk past the Peter Iredale, the beached skeleton of a 1906 shipwreck. — E.P. Soak in a floating HOT TUB BOAT on Lake Union It’s irresistible: a hot tub you can drive around a lake. Naturally, this has become a thing among Seattle folks. You recruit a group of six and spend two hours floating on Lake Union, heedless of the lake and air temperature, in a 104-degree tub/boat. You’ll need to choose between Hot Tub Boats, originator of the concept in 2011, and Lake Union Hot Tub Boats, which came along in 2019. Either way, you’ll be out on Lake Union for up to two hours, spending $400 (and up) for up to six people. Some people may lean toward Lake Union Hot Tub Boats because that company allows alcohol and features wood-burning stoves on its boats. But I wanted to see the company that started this, so I went to Hot Tub Boats’ headquarters on Lake Union. The company, founded by Adam Karpenske, makes its own boats, which are 16 feet long and about 6 feet wide. The hot tubs inside them are 8 feet long and about 4 feet wide. A drybox holds phones and water-vulnerable valuables while a waterresistant Bluetooth speaker delivers tunes. Boats are emptied and washed between customers. Children are allowed with life jackets. “In the summer, we are bombarded with people from out of town,” Hot Tub Boats manager Jared Smith told me. “A lot of people, just walking in, are mind-blown.” BONUS TIP: You steer the Hot Tub Boats with a simple joystick. The decks are teak. LED lights illuminate on the boat and in the tub. Christopher Reynolds L.A. Times Wolfgang Kaehler LightRocket via Getty Images Elisa Parhad For The Times LATIMES.COM SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 S19 NOT MUCH ELSE OF 1907 remains visible in Seattle. But Pike Place Market thrives as a place to get fish and produce, meet a friend, maybe hear a busker and savor the sight of the orange Market sign with the blue Elliott Bay beyond it. At risk of destruction 50 years ago, the market has grown into one of the city’s top tourist attractions, alive with more than 220 vendors, artisans and performers on 9 acres. The Pike Place Fish mongers, renowned for their hollering and flinging of salmon and halibut, are a crowd favorite. (Newbies, beware the booby-trapped monkfish.) Browsing stalls, you may be offered a Chilean nectarine at Sosio Produce or a card trick at the magic shop. Downstairs, there’s an alley plastered with bubble gum. At 1912 Pike Place, caffeine seekers line up for coffee from the original Starbucks (it opened in 1971). Meanwhile, a massive waterfront redevelopment project continues along Alaskan Way. What you won’t notice, at first, is my favorite restaurant: the Pink Door, founded by Jackie Roberts in 1981. It hides unsigned behind a pink door on Post Alley yet has room for 500-plus diners. Its Italian menu makes the most of local seafood. Tarot readers, cabaret singers and trapeze artists perform. (For the aerialists, try a Tuesday or Saturday night.) BONUS TIP: That piano player at Pike Place and Pine Street? His name is Jonny Hahn and he’s been working that corner for 37 years. SEE FISH FLY AND BUSKERS JAM AT SEATTLE’S PIKE PLACE MARKET Christopher Reynolds Los Angeles Times

BAJA CALIFORNIA o Coast alongside the blue-green waters of Bahía Concepción o Sample sophisticated dishes at Fauna in the Guadalupe Valley o Commune with whales in Laguna Ojo de Liebre o Bob in a see-through boat at Land’s End o Follow a mountain road to the atmospheric Mission San Javier o Creep into Pinturas Rupestres, a cave full of ancient art CALIFORNIA o Paddle rapids on the American River o Step into history on Angel Island o Walk the vast salt flats of Badwater Basin in Death Valley o Soak up art, science, culture and greenery at Balboa Park in San Diego o Thumb through pages at Bart’s Books under an open sky in Ojai o Feel the Old West vibes on charming Bell Street in Los Alamos o Take refuge in BAMPFA, Berkeley’s eclectic art center wonderland o Munch burgers in Burbank alongside classic cars at the oldest Bob’s Big Boy o Confront a serpent under starry skies in Borrego Springs o Nuzzle a new friend at the Canzelle Alpaca Farm in laid-back Carpinteria o Comb the beach that separates the Carmel River from the sea o Drive your car through Leggett’s Chandelier Tree, a living redwood o See bold and joyful art at the Cheech in Riverside o Smile up at the colors and concrete of San Diego’s Chicano Park o Grab grub at Cold Spring Tavern outside Santa Barbara to the sound of acoustic blues o Dig into a sandwich from the caboose-kitchen of Dad’s Luncheonette in Half Moon Bay o Sleep by the sea amid the Norwegian woodwork at Deetjen’s Big Sur Inn o Queue up with college kids and cowboys at the Downtown SLO Farmers Market o Spend the night at the East Brother Light Station on a San Francisco Bay island o Take in the postcardworthy views at Emerald Bay State Park o Hike Fern Canyon, the lush trail with “Jurassic Park” vibes o Walk, ride or glide from San Francisco’s Ferry Building to the Golden Gate Bridge o Enter a subterranean world at Forestiere Underground Gardens in Fresno o Graze the world at DTLA’s Grand Central Market o Look up at 300-foot redwoods in the Grove of Titans o Roam Hearst Castle, California’s first megamansion, in San Simeon o Hike beneath waterfalls in Yosemite’s Hetch Hetchy Valley o Hug a boulder in Joshua Tree’s Hidden Valley o Hike the Indian Canyons of Palm Springs o Paddle a redwood canoe on the Klamath River in Yurok country o Tour the caves and coves of La Jolla o Go over the top at San Diego’s LaFayette Hotel o Tread the sand and probe the tidepools of Laguna Beach o Dig for rare books and vinyl in The Last Bookstore in DTLA o Prospect for treasures in Lone Pine’s western movie museum o Get dressed up and deceived at Hollywood’s Magic Castle o Meander the supremely charming Main Street, Half Moon Bay o Drive scenic Highway 395 to Mammoth Mountain o See the barracks that held the prisoners of Manzanar o Listen for Mexican echoes in Mariachi Plaza o Make some driftwood magic on Moonstone Beach in Cambria o Take a bite out of Big Sur at Nepenthe o Examine a watershed moment in history at the Nixon Library and Museum o Savor Italian food and bohemian books in North Beach o Save room for dessert at the Orange Works Cafe in Strathmore o Drink from a jar in Pappy & Harriet’s in the desert o Get schooled in marine biodiversity at Point Lobos o Watch passing boats — and a show — at San Diego’s Rady Shell o Spot a fox or launch a kayak from Santa Cruz Island o Blend into the rugged coast at Sea Ranch o Roam the electric superbloom that is Sensorio in Paso Robles o Listen for history in Sonoma Plaza o Hike, bike or kayak at Two Harbors on Catalina Island o Walk on the UCLA campus, starting with the Hammer Museum o Travel back to 1939 at Union Station, the last grand American train depot o Stroll or roll along Venice Beach o Learn what keeps the Watts Towers upright o Take in Shakespeare under the oaks at Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum in Topanga Canyon o Spend a full day on Wilshire Boulevard’s Museum Row o Feel the roar of waterfalls in Yosemite Valley OREGON o Enjoy the glow of a bonfire on Cannon Beach o Stand on the rim of a sleeping volcano at Crater Lake o Explore the culinary delights of Portland’s thriving food pod scene o Play lightkeeper at the historic Heceta Head lighthouse, which still shines in Florence o Seek glass floats along the Oregon coastline in Lincoln City o Spend the night in a former classroom at Portland’s McMenamins Kennedy School o Catch your breath beneath stunning Multnomah Falls o Shop for handmade goods at the Portland Saturday Market o Browse the largest bookstore in the world, Powell’s Books in Portland o Take a fast and furious jetboat ride down Oregon’s Rogue River o Glide by sandboard on dunes at Florence’s Sand Master Park o Camp, hike and climb at Smith Rock State Park in Oregon’s high desert o Stuff yourself with cheese at the Tillamook Creamery o Ramble through wine country in Oregon’s Willamette Valley WASHINGTON o Prowl Ballard’s locks, shops and troll o Row, row, row at the Center for Wooden Boats o Gawk at Chihuly Garden and Glass o Dive into Astoria’s dramatic Columbia River Maritime Museum o Soak in a floating hot tub boat on Lake Union o See fish fly and buskers jam at Seattle’s Pike Place Market o See Seattle’s big hammering man at Seattle Art Museum o Soar and swoop in a Seattle seaplane o Zip to the top of Seattle’s Space Needle o Sleep in a treehouse outside Seattle at Treehouse Point o Study Huskies on Seattle’s University of Washington campus BRITISH COLUMBIA o Roam among riotous flowers at Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island o Tiptoe high above a misty forest on the Capilano Suspension Bridge o Cruise False Creek by ferry o Taste and shop postindustrial Granville Island o Board HAVN, a WWII warship turned floating day spa o Chase history around Victoria’s Inner Harbor on Vancouver Island o Climb and slide the open-air Malahat Skywalk o Savor the game at Salmon & Bannock, Vancouver’s only Indigenous restaurant o Pedal (or walk or skate) along the scenic Stanley Park Seawall o Meet a pioneering painter in the Vancouver Art Gallery Christopher Reynolds Los Angeles Times S20 SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 LATIMES.COM Check off the list as you explore the best experiences the West Coast has to offer CABO SAN LUCAS Brian van der Brug Los Angeles Times Christopher Reynolds Los Angeles Times CAPILANO SUSPENSION BRIDGE CHIHULY GARDEN AND GLASS Don Bartletti Los Angeles Times HIGHLIGHTED ITEMS ARE THE TOP 10 RECOMMENDATIONS. HETCH HETCHY VALLEY

LATIMES.COM SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 S21 Soar and swoop in a SEATTLE SEAPLANE A seaplane takeoff is like magic. You’re floating (on water). Then you’re cruising. Then you’re sailing (through the sky). And if you sign on with one of the two seaplane companies that fly from Lake Union, a spectacular series of sights will follow, beginning with the Cascade Mountains to the east, Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains to the west. On the afternoon flight I took with Seattle Seaplanes, our 20-minute, 30-mile journey included the University of Washington campus, the lakeside estates of Bill Gates’ neighborhood, the lonely West Point lighthouse, the active machinery of Ballard Locks and the idle machinery of Gasworks Park. From about 1,000 feet up, the wake of a lone boat on Lake Washington looked as elegant as a calligrapher’s script. The views get doubly interesting when the plane tilts to turn. Pilot Yvette Meadows gave us a good look at the waterfront and the Space Needle too before our gentle return to the water. We flew in a five-passenger Cessna 206 (and yes, before signing on, I checked that the company had a clean safety record). The cost was $136. The other company doing sightseeing flights from Lake Union is Kenmore Air, which advertises 30-minute flights for $119. BONUS TIP: You could fly farther. Seattle Seaplanes and Kenmore both do longer sightseeing flights and charters, and Kenmore offers scheduled flights to the San Juan Islands and Victoria, British Columbia. See the big hammering man at SEATTLE ART MUSEUM The Seattle Art Museum — SAM for short — has a strong collection, an attractive roster of traveling exhibitions, a tempting store and a convenient location. It’s about two blocks from the waterfront and roughly the same distance from Pike Place Market. You can’t miss the kinetic sculpture out front — Jonathan Borofsky’s 48-foot-tall “Hammering Man,” which may remind you of Borofsky’s “Molecule Man” in Little Tokyo, DTLA. The museum is closed on Monday and Tuesday. Through Aug. 4, SAM will feature an Alexander Calder exhibition that’s startling in its variety, from the massive dangling metal works to the delicate miniatures affixed to the wall like rare butterflies. All 45 works are owned by the museum. And then, coming June 21 and staying through Sept. 2, there’s “Poke in the Eye: Art of the West Coast Counterculture,” which looks closely at the 1960s and ’70s. One caveat: Adult admission to SAM is $29.99 to $32.99, which makes it one of the priciest art museums in the West. BONUS TIP: SAM also runs the Seattle Asian Art Museum in Volunteer Park and the 9-acre Olympic Sculpture Park, a great (and free) waterfront destination on a sunny day, a mile northwest of the museum. Zip to the top of Seattle’s SPACE NEEDLE Since the World’s Fair of 1962, the Space Needle has stood at attention in the middle of Seattle’s skyline, promising epic views and a future of Midcentury Modern sparkle. Is it tired? A little. But the family-owned attraction got a renovation in 2018, and there’s no better place to see the city and Puget Sound from 520 feet up, especially around sunset when the mountains are clear. The observation level rotates. Adult admission is $35 to $39. (Or you can get a combined entry with the Chihuly Garden and Glass for $59.50. That’s $20 less than they cost separately.) While aloft, you can get a drink or bar food in the Loupe Lounge. The ride to the top takes 43 seconds, and at least one elevator operator (his name plate said Isaac) has developed a brilliant deadpan spiel lasting exactly that long. BONUS TIP: There’s good food, and good browsing, waiting near the Needle’s base. Try the dumplings at Sichuan-inspired Tyger Tyger. Or for a cup of coffee, dip into the studio and hangout area of public radio station KEXP. There you can get Caffe Vita coffee or browse vintage vinyl at the tiny Light in the Attic Record Shop. The Seattle Center’s other attractions include the Museum of Pop Culture (in a Frank Gehry building), the Seattle Center Monorail, the Climate Pledge Arena and the Pacific Science Center. Sleep in a treehouse outside Seattle at TREEHOUSE POINT TreeHouse Point, where scores of newlyweds sleep in trees every year, is half an hour east of Seattle in a forest of fir, spruce, cedar and hemlock along the Raging River. It’s a treehouse hotel, with seven elevated perches (and one ground-level bedroom) woven into the greenery. Guests, including many wedding parties, wake up surrounded by clever carpentry, the burbling river and birdsong. Treehouse builder and author Pete Nelson bought the property with his wife, Judy Nelson, in 2004. Since then, the Nelsons and their team have built seven treehouses on 4 acres with an event space, lodge and pond. If you’ve heard of the Nelsons and treehouses before, it may be because Pete hosted 100 episodes of the series “Treehouse Masters” on Animal Planet from 2013 to 2018, building and touring tree structures worldwide. Though weekend wedding business is brisk, that still leaves plenty of weekday nights for the rest of us. The treehouses, each a unique design, are priced at $325 to $625 a night, usually with a two-night minimum. (For a one-night stay, try a Sunday.) Five have their own water flush toilets and sinks. One has a composting toilet. And one, called Bonbibi, relies on shared access to the bathhouse’s toilets and showers. That’s where I slept. There was a 40-step rain-spattered journey in the wee hours, but I survived. Still, the room was wellheated and watertight, the setting was spectacular, the sound of the river was calming and the photo possibilities were laughably rich. If you can’t spend an overnight, you can book a tour. BONUS TIP: Breakfast is included, but there’s no restaurant on site, and once you check in, you won’t want to leave. So if you’re there in warm weather, try a picnic dinner by the river. Study Huskies on Seattle’s UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON CAMPUS The University of Washington campus, home to 46,000 Huskies, has been growing since the early 20th century at the edge of Lake Washington’s Union Bay. You may have glimpsed a cinematic version of it in the 2023 movie “The Boys in the Boat” (and you can tour real-life locations from that story about UW’s 1936 rowing team). But don’t stop there. The Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, a sleek 2019 building at the northwestern corner of the campus, shows and explains thousands of artifacts, along with some 21st century curatorial rethinking. One display of carved cedar logs, commissioned from Tlingit carvers Nathan and Stephen Jackson, has replaced a pair of totem posts that were stolen from the Tlingit in 1899. (The museum returned them in 2001.) Also, there are dinosaur skeletons on the third floor. Adult admission: $22. If you get hungry, turn to Off the Rez, the museum’s Nativeowned order-at-the-counter cafe, where I had a hearty, juicy braised bison Indian taco ($7.80). From the Burke, head to monumental Red Square (officially Central Plaza) and the Quad, where cherry trees bloom in spring. You can’t miss the neo-Gothic Suzzallo Library, which has a great origin story. The university president who approved it was fired for overspending in 1927, while it was still under construction. But the library (closed Saturday) is named after him anyway. BONUS TIP: The Henry Art Gallery, known for contemporary exhibitions, is steps from Red Square. If the day is gray, head for the gallery’s “Light Reign” installation by James Turrell. The artwork is an oval room with a blue ceiling that’s eerily like a cloudless sky. Suggested adult admission is $20. Abbie Parr Getty Images Christopher Reynolds Los Angeles Times Christopher Reynolds Los Angeles Times Christopher Reynolds L.A. Times Christopher Reynolds L.A. Times

Roam among riotous flowers at BUTCHART GARDENS on Vancouver Island Vancouver is a mostly wild island, but not the Butchart Gardens. This 55-acre haven must be the island’s most carefully coiffed corner, created more than 100 years ago by a wealthy couple, still owned by the Butchart family and enormously popular. Some 900 varieties of plants grow here. Yet part of the gardens were an industrial site. When Robert and Jennie Butchart moved here in 1904, it was to run a quarry and cement plant, drawing on local limestone deposits. By 1912, those deposits had been exhausted, family finances were flush and Jennie Butchart had hit on the idea of carting in topsoil to fill the quarry areas. So began a sunken garden. By the 1920s, the Butcharts (and workers) had created Japanese, Italian and rose gardens. The gardens are about 14 miles outside Victoria. Even in late winter, when bulbs haven’t popped up and many flower displays are indoors, it’s spectacular. Ponds and fountains. A carousel for kids. Twenty-six greenhouses and 50 gardeners. It will remind some people of Huntington Gardens in San Marino, but not for long. There’s no library or art collection at the Butchart Gardens — but pets are allowed. There is a gift shop, and a dining room, casual restaurant, coffee shop and ice cream stand. Adult admission ranges from about $16 to $30, depending on the season. BONUS TIP: If you want to take afternoon tea on Vancouver Island, as many travelers do, why not try it in the Butchart Gardens dining room for $38, rather than spending twice as much at the Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria? Cruise FALSE CREEK by ferry Traveling Vancouver by a False Creek ferry or Aquabus is thrilling and calming all at once: You trade the stress of the streets for the slower pace and open spaces of False Creek, which is wider and deeper than a lot of rivers I know. You also have the thrill of floating beneath the behemoth Granville, Burrard Street and Cambie bridges, of drawing near to the glowing orb of Science World, of reaching the agreeable hurly-burly of Granville Island without touching a car, bus or train. These vessels carry adults, children and pets, up to 20 people at a time. Of the two companies running ferry service, I liked False Creek Ferries (about 15 vessels, calling at nine stops) because those boats go west of the Burrard Street Bridge and because they look like little tugboats. That said, the rival Aquabuses (about 13 of them, calling at eight stops) are decorated in rainbow colors and most are platform boats (barges) that accept bicycles and wheelchairs. They don’t go west of the Burrard Street Bridge but are in and out of Granville Island constantly. With either company, you can buy one ride at a time, a round-trip or a day pass ($14-$15). Be sure to ride at least once after dark, when the city lights are reflected in the water. BONUS TIP: Both companies offer service as early at 7 a.m., as late as 9 p.m. You’ll rarely wait more than 10 or 15 minutes for a ride. Taste and shop postindustrial GRANVILLE ISLAND Fifty years ago, you’d have wanted no part of Granville Island. Now you shouldn’t miss it. Entirely industrial in the early 1970s, this waterfront beneath the Granville Street Bridge has been 99% transformed into a place where visitors and locals eat, drink, play and watch one another. It began in 1979 with a public market (open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily), now joined by artists, artisans, performing arts, dozens of shops and the Granville Island Hotel. It’s also the hub of False Creek Ferry and Aquabus traffic. “It’s a bit of an eye-opener — fresh produce and some of the best seafood in the world,” False Creek Ferry skipper Brad Parker told me as he sidled our vessel to the dock. I liked the pickle stand, Nanaimo bars (a B.C. favorite) and the provocative Nooroongji Books too. I love everything about public markets except that moment when you’re looking at strawberries but beginning to smell fish. Otherwise, fish are fine. In fact, get lunch at Go Fish, which operates in a tin shack 100 yards west of Granville Island on Island Park Walk. Order a grilled salmon tacone (sort of a taco, sort of a cone, with salsa, cream and slaw; about $6). It’s heartier than a taco, tastier than you can imagine. BONUS TIP: Even the portion of Granville Island that’s still industrial — the Ocean Concrete factory — has gone artsy. Brazilian artists Gustavo and Otávio Pandolfo have painted immense, amusing murals on its 70-foot storage silos. You can see them from the creek. Christopher Reynolds Los Angeles Times Christopher Reynolds Los Angeles Times Christopher Reynolds Los Angeles Times BRITISH COLUMBIA UNLESS YOU’RE DEEPLY AFRAID of heights, this one is mandatory. Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, which dates back more than a century, straddles an amazing valley view, often bathed in mist. Besides its signature suspension bridge — which usually stays open in rain and snow and jiggles just enough to deliver a frisson of thrill-seeker satisfaction — the private park features a cliff walk that clings to the granite edges of the canyon. There’s also Raptor Ridge (where live birds of prey are on display), Big Doug (a 200-foot-tall, 500-year-old Douglas fir), hundreds of artfully deployed lights and a restaurant. The park also has a Treetops area, a series of platforms high in the trees, connected by elevated walkways, but it’s closed for an upgrade in 2024. But really, the bridge is worth the price of admission (about $45 and up for adults, $18 to $25 for minors). It’s 450 feet long, 230 feet above the Capilano River, about 5 feet wide. “My first time on a suspension bridge. It moves a lot,” Raul Cruz of Chicago told me, standing shakily midspan. “My God! This is dangerous,” said another man as a teenage girl snickered behind him. I’m guessing they were related. More than 3,000 people per day come through on busy days, so it’s wise to arrive soon after opening (8:30 a.m. in summer). BONUS TIP: The park operates free shuttle buses that run several times a day, so you can catch a ride at Canada Place, the Hyatt Regency or the Blue Horizon Hotel. Christopher Reynolds Los Angeles Times TIPTOE HIGH ABOVE A MISTY FOREST ON THE CAPILANO SUSPENSION BRIDGE S22 SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 LATIMES.COM

Chase history around Victoria’s INNER HARBOR on Vancouver Island The builders of downtown Victoria’s Inner Harbor were not thinking small. Just look at the Parliament Buildings, home to British Columbia’s Legislative Assembly, designed by Francis M. Rattenbury and completed in the 1890s. The main dome is a knockout when the sun hits its green skin of oxidized copper. Then at dusk it gets better: Thousands of lights illuminate the buildings’ contours. On weekdays, you can take free guided tours and the Parliamentary Dining Room is open for breakfast and lunch. A block away stands the Fairmont Empress Hotel, designed by the same architect, completed in 1908, revered for its traditional tea service (11 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily; about $70 per person). In that tea room, British Columbia feels especially British. Also nearby is the Royal B.C. Museum, a humdrum 1960s building that’s open but in awkward transition. Its First Peoples displays have been closed since 2021 “as we work to reimagine them with communities.” For more hints of Victoria 120 years ago, walk down Government Street, Bastion Square and Wharf Street. I loved dinner in the evocative, windowless dining room of Little Jumbo (mushroom risotto, about $24) and wished for more time in the 1909 bank building that houses Munro’s Books. BONUS TIP: The 30-room Abigail’s Hotel is a pleasant, adults-only lodging half a mile from the harbor. Most of the bedrooms are upstairs in historic buildings without elevators. My room cost about $160 at off-season rates, with a threecourse breakfast included. Climb and slide the open-air MALAHAT SKYWALK The Malahat Skywalk, which opened in 2021, is an open-air tower that rises about 105 feet above the rim of Vancouver Island’s Cowichan Valley, 820 feet above the Salish Sea’s Saanish Inlet. The tower is about half an hour northwest of Victoria. Even after parking, you don’t see it at first. After paying ($27 per adult), you walk about 500 yards of elevated boardwalk through a forest of arbutus (Pacific Madrone) trees. Then the cylindrical tower of Douglas fir and steel rises before you, a woodsy Guggenheim Museum. You see a ramp. And no elevator. The ramp, wheelchairfriendly, spirals gently upward. As you rise, you feel the breeze and see more on the horizon, more of the waters at the foot of the slope. “Just gorgeous,” said Maliana Kaui, visiting from Tacoma, as she stood on top. “We get quite a lot of people in wheelchairs,” maintenance worker Travis Nickel told me. “Even on the slide. It was all designed to be accessible.” “The slide” is a 165-footlong twisting steel tube, beginning atop of the tower. As you zoom down, the tube drops 65 feet. It takes about 10 seconds — very smooth, very shiny, like being sucked into a mirror. BONUS TIP: There’s a snack bar with ice cream, a few fire pits and an alternative return path through the woods on the way out. The round trip on foot from the entrance is about 1.4 miles. Savor the game at SALMON & BANNOCK, Vancouver's only Indigenous restaurant Dinner at Salmon & Bannock, Vancouver’s only Indigenous restaurant, is an intimate event. The dining room is tiny — about seven tables inside — and far livelier than the dull stretch of Broadway where the restaurant stands. My food was very good and the vibe was great. If you’re a full-on carnivore, try the bison bone marrow. If not, you’ll find a great veggie risotto further down the menu. (You can get a 4-ounce hunk of salmon on top.) There’s plenty to look at inside. One wall is red. The dining room is crowded full of Native art for sale. For most of my evening there, the background music was First Nations chants and drumming. Then the hostess called the restaurant to attention so we could sing “Happy Birthday” to a guest — and then the Indigenous family at another table volunteered to sing it in their native language. Smiles all around. (There are hundreds of Native languages in the part of North America that’s now Canada, and the restaurant staff’s heritage includes more than a dozen First Nations.) Main dishes are generally $15 to $30. For another $4.50 or so, you can finish up with fresh berries on ice cream. BONUS TIP: The restaurant has a satellite location, Salmon & Bannock On the Fly, at the Vancouver airport. By the way, “bannock” means fry bread but it’s not a wholly Native word. The Canadian Encyclopedia says it came from Gaelic. Pedal (or walk or skate) along the scenic STANLEY PARK SEAWALL Stanley Park, a 1,000-acre green space near the heart of Vancouver, harbors a major aquarium, nine totem poles, a pool, a few casual restaurants, a miniature railway and about half a million trees, one of which is hollow and locally beloved. But that’s not why you need to get there. The park is surrounded on three sides by water — and by the Stanley Park Seawall, a path that draws walkers, runners and cyclists in all seasons. It’s a 6-mile route around the park, taking you past almost as many spectacular views as Tim Horton has doughnuts. (It’s part of the 17-mile Seaside Greenway from Canada Place to Spanish Banks Park.) Start on Denman Street, near the entrance to Stanley Park, where several rental companies compete within two blocks, renting bikes for as little as $5.50 hourly. I chose an e-bike from Bikes and Blades (about $22 for two hours) and paid extra to keep the bike a bit longer. That was worth it. I stopped for the Brockton Point lighthouse, the totem poles, the 364-foot-high Lions Gate bridge, the dramatic outcropping of Siwash Rock and in English Bay, where Yue Minjun’s “A-Maze-Ing” bronze sculptures of 14 laughing men charms children and adults alike. BONUS TIP: There’s often a hot dog vendor next to Morton Park. If you buy one, beware those gulls. Meet a pioneering painter in the VANCOUVER ART GALLERY The Vancouver Art Gallery, the city’s foremost art museum, presides over downtown in an imposing stone building, once a courthouse. But you’re not there for the architecture. You’re there in large part for the paintings of Emily Carr, who loved and portrayed the wet forests of western Canada with the same passion that Georgia O’Keeffe applied to the deserts of the American Southwest. “Emily Carr: A Room of Her Own,” an exhibition of 25 Carr paintings owned by the museum, will be up through Jan. 5. Born in 1871, Carr studied in San Francisco and Europe but returned to spend most of her life on Vancouver Island, painting landscapes and First Nations villages. She also did illustrations and cartoons, taught, bred sheepdogs, kept a pet monkey and wrote several volumes of memoirs. She died in 1945 at 73. “There is something bigger than fact: the underlying spirit, all it stands for, the mood, the vastness, the wildness,” Carr wrote. BONUS TIP: There’s much more to the museum than Carr. Look for the Group of Seven, a collection of Canadian landscape artists. And you’re bound to smile at “Horizons,” a presentation by artist Gary Neill Kennedy (through Aug. 25) in which dozens of the museum’s paintings are rehung so that their horizons line up. Christopher Reynolds Los Angeles Times Christopher Reynolds Los Angeles Times Christopher Reynolds L.A. Times Christopher Reynolds Los Angeles Times Christopher Reynolds L.A. Times Christopher Reynolds Los Angeles Times Board HAVN, a WWII warship turned floating day spa Q: What’s that big gray vessel next to the float plane dock in Victoria’s Inner Harbor? A: It’s called HAVN (and pronounced hahven). It was built to serve in World War II as a U.S. Navy barge. Now it’s a sort of floating day spa, with three sauna rooms, each with a different temperature, scent and view. There are two hot tubs, two cold pools, exfoliation shower, relaxation cabin, boutique and a decktop lounge with views of the harbor. The enterprise, which is locally owned, opened in June 2023. The wooden slats are salvaged cedar driftwood from British Columbia’s Haida Gwaii islands. It never leaves the dock, which is a short stroll from the grandest old buildings on Victoria’s waterfront. Guests get three hours’ run of the place for about $65. Instead of labeling it a spa, management calls it a “floating park environment.” It’s open daily, 9 a.m. to 9:45 p.m., with herbal tea and snacks available, including cheese and charcuterie boards. “We’re a cellphone-free facility. Part of our whole M.O. is to be in the present moment,” said general manager Jayme Beaudry. BONUS TIP: Beaudry said HAVN has been booking up four to six weeks in advance. LATIMES.COM SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 S23

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LATIMES.COM SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 H3 Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 or 2-by-3 box contains every digit from 1 to 9 (or 1 to 6 for the smaller grid). For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit www.sudoku.org.uk. Solution to last week's puzzle More Online For other brain-teasing challenges, go to latimes.com/games. Level: Impossible ©Amuse Labs ACROSS 1 Lullaby opener 5 Brewpub assortment 9 Sacred poem 14 Shore recess 18 In the know about 19 Disney princess and restaurateur 20 Expedition 21 Pt. of EMT 22 10-meter dash? 24 Two trios and a duo 25 Melodic structure of some Indian music 26 Punched metal 27 Nine-digit IDs on some W-9s 28 Nabe near NYU 29 Vinyasa series 31 Game where it's bad to catch a break? 33 Weekend activity for a group of clairvoyant sommeliers? 36 Presuppose 37 Right now 38 Many a dog agility competition 39 More chill 41 Pet container 43 Stone fruit center 46 Autograph on a rare baseball card? 49 Succulent spot 51 Smidgen 52 Smashes into 53 Chip in? 54 Stop making progress 57 Language of a haka chant 59 Domed recess 61 Pilot's fig. 62 Prayer candle depicting Taylor Swift as a saint? 66 Ragdoll or tuxedo 69 Durable wood 71 Swell 72 Shows the ropes 74 Get a lift, but not a Lyft 76 Fender blemish 77 Scrooge's 9-Down 79 A law — oneself 80 Excusing friends who secretly planned a surprise party? 87 Tense WNBA periods, for short 88 Shadow puppet shapers 89 Bygone big Apples 90 Doily fabric 91 Engages in witty banter 92 Strand at the ski lodge 96 Ranking of recipes from most to least appetizing? 101 Like the Ninja Turtles 102 Mercury, but not zinc 103 Soooo many 104 "Auld Lang —" 105 "Modern Comfort Food" author Garten 106 Alleviate 107 Word with circle and peace 109 Turf damage caused by a raucous Czech band? 112 Word before a Mass exodus? 113 "Frozen" sauna owner 114 Winter of "Modern Family" 115 Parisian papa 116 Photoreceptor cells 117 Tree houses 118 Subway Series side 119 Yemeni port DOWN 1 Drink that may be sweetened with honey 2 Strips of gear, as a ship 3 Beekeeper boo-boos 4 Ride-sharing lane: Abbr. 5 Ceramics ovens 6 Corn units 7 Serengeti antelope 8 Japanese honorific 9 "Drat!" 10 Satirist Baron Cohen 11 — Martin: British sports car 12 5G precursor 13 Info about info 14 Skin care brand 15 Yemeni neighbor 16 Like Gardein products 17 Wipe clean 19 Curtain danglers 23 Chemical relative 28 Consume greedily 30 Guard dog's incitement 32 Din 33 Amazed 34 Logical prefix 35 Dribs partner 37 "L'Shana —": Rosh Hashanah greeting 40 Like a Christmas tree at night 41 One-named flamenco guitarist 42 Transfer payment 43 Holiday garland embellishment 44 Defensive take, for short? 45 Ballerina's pivot point 46 Crashes 47 Treasure — 48 —-relief 49 Break room? 50 Queasy 55 Green Power Partnership org. 56 Just peachy 57 Mediterranean island country 58 2022 World Cup winner: Abbr. 59 Pennsylvania in D.C. 60 Back-to-school purchase 63 Pipe trap 64 Important organs for a flutist 65 "Sounds good, man" 67 Oil production? 68 Chinese kitchen general 70 Unit of work 73 University of Arizona city 74 ET's ride 75 Captcha target 76 Greasy spoon 77 Lay on, as a horn 78 MLB postseason semifinal 81 "— a dream ... " 82 Time off 83 Bite playfully 84 British barrister Clooney 85 North London soccer club 86 "It's already taken care of" 90 Goods with a dedicated closet 91 Looks down on 93 Didn't enforce 94 Pretend not to notice, maybe 95 Declutter 96 Pointy fishing tool 97 Memorable Texas landmark 98 Zapped surgically 99 Subway Series side, familiarly 100 Wintry rain 101 Wee ones 104 Skirt feature 108 Glasgow no-go 109 Actress Dawber 110 Mine find 111 Hoppy brew letters Last week’s solution: “To the Contrary” Edited by Patti Varol By Amanda Cook IV Infusion Tribune Content Agency © 2024 SUDOKU Dear Amy: My son “Jack” is 26 years old. Five years ago, he came out to me as gay. While this didn’t fully surprise me, it saddened me. I wanted Jack to have a traditional life. I wanted to have grandchildren. Despite these feelings, I told him I accepted him. Jack has lived on his own for several years. Recently he told me that he has been in a relationship with “Samuel” for six months. He asked if I would be OK if he brought Samuel to a family function. I said it was fine. Samuel was nice enough, but I was not prepared for the feelings that seeing them together would bring up. I thought about what others were thinking. I wondered what I may have done that contributed to him being this way. I felt anger at Jack’s father for never being a positive male role model. I thought about his safety with STDs as well as violence toward gay men. I tried to play the role of the accepting mom. I’m embarrassed to talk to anyone in the family about this. My daughter seems fine with it. Will it ever get easier? Prideless Mom Dear Prideless: Yes, it will get easier. One way to make it easier is for you to realize you can’t separate a person’s identity from the person. Many of your concerns are distortions. Jack can have what you call a “traditional life,” with marriage and children. His choice to bring his boyfriend home to meet the family is the essence of “traditional.” Any sexually active adult can get an STD. And if you are truly worried about violence against gay people, then be the change you want to see in the world and confront your own homophobia. Spend more time with Jack and Samuel. Continue to “play the role of the accepting mom.” Ask Jack if there are ways you could be more supportive to him. PFLAG.org offers support for parents and family members. Its motto: “You are not alone.” Email questions to Amy Dickinson at askamy@ amydickinson.com. ASK AMY In poker, good hands can be few and far between, which is why it is important to maximize value whenever you hold a premium hand. That requires trying to build a big pot, but oftentimes that’s easier said than done. Should you raise or slow play? Try to get it in on the flop, turn, or river? There are so many variables to consider, which I was reminded of in a $400 no-limit hold’em tournament I played at the World Series of Poker Circuit at the Horseshoe Las Vegas. In Level 3 the blinds were 200/300 with a 300 big blind ante. Action folded to me in the cutoff and I looked down at the 10♥ 8♥ and raised to 800. The player on the button called, the small blind came along, and it was three-way action to a flop of 4♥ Q♠ 7♥. The small blind checked and I opted to check my flush draw with a plan to check-raise if the player on the button, who was aggressive, placed a bet. If they didn’t, I would still be disguising my hand if I made the flush on a later street, increasing the likelihood I’d get some value. Indeed, the button checked and the A♥ appeared on the turn to give me the flush. Much to my delight, the player in the small blind led out for 2,000, leaving himself just 6,000 behind. I just called hoping the player on the button would either call or maybe even raise, but instead they folded leaving us heads up to the 9♥ river. This was a terrible card for me as I already had a flush. Now, if my opponent had bet the turn with a hand that contained either the K♥ or J♥, which was very possible, then they’d have made a bigger flush. If the small blind moved all in for their last 6,000, I’d have a tough decision to make. Fortunately, I didn’t have to make that decision as they checked, but that presented a new problem — should I bet? If I moved all in would my opponent call with anything other than the two flush cards that beat me? Probably not. If I were to bet, I knew I’d have to go for thin value, so I bet just 1,500 into the pot of 6,600. I was hoping my opponent had a pair of aces, or maybe even two pair, and would pay off a small bet. That didn’t happen though as they wound up folding, which left me wondering if I should have raised the flop. Alas, I’ll never know what could have been, a common fact that players need to accept when playing the game. Instead, I just collected the pot and placated myself by remembering that winning any pot, no matter the size, is better than losing! Holloway is a 2013 World Series of Poker bracelet winner. POKER Chad Holloway Aries (March 21-April 19): If you try to stop what’s in motion by meeting it directly and pushing back, you just might sprain a wrist. Try a side step or a move that will redirect what’s coming at you. Taurus (April 20-May 20): It feels honorable to abide by limits you set for yourself, but there’s a full range of emotions that could come from abiding by limits set by another. Gemini (May 21-June 21): Avoid gambling of all forms today, not because the cosmic omens portend a loss but because they indicate overconfidence. Cancer (June 22-July 22): It feels unkind to hear someone’s proposal and ask, “What’s in it for me?” It would be worse to proceed half-heartedly, so definitely put your interests front of mind today. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22): You’ll plan ahead and save money because of it. It is also possible that buying ahead can have you spending needlessly, though, if you are not well informed on your subject. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You have so much to gain that it’s worth the risk of rejection. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 23): It’s the ideal time to break away, get autonomy, assemble your crew, and determine the schedule based on your own needs. Scorpio(Oct. 24-Nov. 21): You will notice the same kind of change that had you trembling in fear a year ago now seems to excite and motivate you. Sagittarius (Nov. 22- Dec. 21): Someone is expecting something so unreasonable from you, it’s a setup for letdown. Most likely, the expectant one is you. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): A supersize challenge beckons. Approach as separate individuals and it’s insurmountable. Bond together with one intent and the mountain will shrink. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You’ll field questions you can’t answer. The moral of the story is there’s no story. Wait until the truth rides in. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20): Your compassion will have you holding back in some way. You’ll never be sorry you led with this part of yourself. Even when it loses, kindness wins. Today’s birthday (May 19): Like a well-crafted story, life will be lush with twists and turns, challenges and triumphs. You’ll embrace each chapter with courage and curiosity, for it is in these moments that you truly discover your talents. More highlights: a favor returned with so much extra, you can make a dream come true on the interest. Travel and transportation upgrades. Sagittarius and Capricorn adore you. Your lucky numbers: 2, 22, 1, 19 and 31. Mathis writes her column for Creators Syndicate Inc. The horoscope should be read for entertainment. HOROSCOPE Holiday Mathis

H4 SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 LATIMES.COM IN THE BLEACHERS By Steve Moore NON SEQUITUR By Wiley FRAZZ By Jef Mallett CANDORVILLE By Darrin Bell

Produced by L.A. Times B2B Publishing, dCENTURY CITYRISING FEATURING JMB REALTY PATRICK MEARA + JOE HARRIS COMMERCIALREAL

does not involve L.A. Times editorial staff. EXECUTIVESINARCHITECTURE, FINANCE AND MORE VISIONARIES TOPFIRMS ARCHITECTURE GENERAL CONTRACTORS COMMERCIAL REALESTATE BROKERAGES MAY 2024 LESTATE

for aagile workspaceAll properties are ofered for lease through Irvine Management Company, a licensed real estate broker. Product and amenitieor warranty. ©2024 Irvine Management Company. All Rights Reserved. Flex+ is a registered trademark of Irvine ManagemenCA DRE LIC. #02041810 FlexPlus.com makes it easier than everto find private moready workspace, complete with flexible lease terms, premium furniture options and experience-driven amenithe ultimate “team builder” is as simple as search, find and sign

agile teams e es are subject to availability. Images may not be to scale. Not all features available in all communities. Not a representation nt Company. let’s get to work ove-in ties.

MAY 2024 Chief Strategy SALES Helya Askari Vice Presidenthelya.askari@laNaz Bayazit Senior Executinaz.bayazit@latiHeidi LawrencExecutive, Saleheidi.lawrence@PRODUCTIMelinda MarquDirector, ClientMaximilliano EDirector, Art PrDave NovotneyPrepress SpecKevin Chau Designer Larry TomoyasDesigner Dear Reader: In our 4th annual edarticles that suggemarket. Our cover story putcontinuing infrastrujobs though demanshowing signs of a reducing building emin Southern CalifornIn addition, this issucontractors and thFinally, you’ll find thileadership in their rsustained growth wthe community. To read and share tvisit latimes.com/b2@latimesb2b linkedin.com/shoAnna Magzanyan annamagzanyan B2B PUBLISHING 04 Emerging Trends to Watch Out for in 2024 06 Surge of Manufacturing Jobs Boosts Local Economies 08 Gross Domestic Product Continues To Grow As Land Investment and Property Development Increase 10 Navigating Multi-family Investments – Caution and Strategy 11 Rexford Industrial Acquires Blackstone Industrial Assets in Combined $1-Billion Investment 12 Forecast Less Than Sunny but Varies by Market Sector 14 At the Center of It All 18 Challenge Accepted as Progress Is Being Made in Reducing Emissions 19 New Developments are Redefining the Local Landscape 21 Top Architecture Firms 24 Top General Contractors 28 Top Commercial Real Estate Brokerage Firms 30 Visionaries To purchase additional copies of this magazine or back issues of other B2B publications, scan the QR code or visit shoplatimes.com/b2b Contents MAY 2024 COVER PHOTO: Pat Meara, COO of commercial real estate developer JMB Realty, and Joe Harris, vice president, asset management and development group, at the site of the underconstruction Century City Center. (Photo by Varon Panganiban)

Produced by L.A. Times B2B Publishing, does not involve L.A. Times editorialstaff. COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE 3 Anna Magzanyan & Revenue Oicer & Chief of Staf to Executive Chairman t, Sales times.com ve, Sales imes.com ce es @latimes.com ON uez t Services Enciso roduction y cialist su MARKETING, CONTRIBUTORS&PROJECTS Mike Kechichian Executive Vice President, Client Solutions Christianne Bradley Director, Client Solutions Ellen Varvarian Senior Analyst, Marketing&Planning Matthew Franco Designer Helen Chang Senior Manager, Projects Paul Williams Contributing Editor Alan LaGuardia Strategist, Content David Chee Advertorial Copywriter David Nusbaum Contributing Writer and Research Consultant Taylor Avakian Contributing Writer Karren Adamyan Manager, Projects Wendy Hultgren Coordinator, Marketing Sergio Zaldivar Coordinator, Marketing AJ Moutra Consultant, Research Produced by L.A. Times B2B Publishing, does not involve L.A. Times editorial staff. dition of the Commercial Real Estate Magazine, we present several st a positive outlook for the 2024 Commercial Real Estate (CRE) ts a spotlight on a cornerstone Century City development and its ucture improvements. Reports indicateasurge of manufacturing nd for industrial space is leveling off. The real estate market is recovery albeit under new norms. There is marked progress in missions, and more opportunities indicate a bright future for CRE nia. ue features lists of the top architecture firms, the top general e top commercial real estate brokerage firms. is year’s CRE visionaries. Each has demonstrated strong respective sectors to steer their companies on a path toward while also being prominent members within the digital version of the CRE magazine, 2b/CRE. @latimesb2b owcase/latimes-b2b @magzanyan

Produced by L.A. Times B2B Publishing, does not involve L.A. Times editorial staff. In its 45th edition, the report’s overarching theme is “The Great Reset,” determining that the industry must form new “norms” and can no longer rely on past benchmarks to determine how the market will function in the future. The report includes proprietary data and insights from more than 2,000 leading real estate industry experts, exploring shifts in the property sector since the pandemic, changing investor sentiment toward climate risks, the emergence of impact investing and other real estate issues within the United States and Canada. “Despite economic headwinds and challenges with obtaining credit, there are opportunities available for high-quality properties that meet the needs of investors and tenants,” said Andrew Alperstein,aleader with PwC US’ real estate practice. “Firms must learn to ride out the current short-term risks and adapt their growth strategy to succeed in this period of higher-for-longer interest rates.” Emerging Trends in RReport’s Top Trends Retail outlook is exceeRetail tenant demand hthe past 18 months. The2023 with roughly 35 mnew retail product acrotypes. The industry is cthe nation will keep shogoods and many servicindefinitely, even if e-cotake market share away– due in most part to aof the sector than by anshifts in supply and demHybrid work is here to estate industry has largthe oice sector will nopre-pandemic state, ascommuting preferenceOice buildings have loinvestors with sales trathan twice as much as o4 COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE Emerging TrendsWatch Out for in 2The Urban Land Institute (ULI) and PwC US recently“Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2024,” an annual reunveiling critical data and trends in the developmen

MAY 2024 To view or share this content online, use this QR code. eal Estate eding expectations. has skyrocketed over e United States closed million square feet of oss all shopping center coming to realize that opping for most of its ces in shopping centers ommerce continues to y from in-store retailers collective reassessment ny dramatic recent mand dynamics. stay. The real gely accepted that ot be returning to its s employee work and s are standing firm. ost their appeal to nsactions down more other major property types. While there is a call for repurposing high-vacancy oice buildings, industry leaders caution that not all can be economically converted, and a better solution may be demolishing them and repurposing the land. It’s all about the debt. Rapidly rising federal debt could potentially “crowd out” private investments in the industry, leading to slower economic growth and higher interest rates, both of which would create long-term delays in property construction, investments and returns. Primary debt sources such as originations have fallen, enabling private debt sources to step in where others refuse to lend. Credit has become more expensive and strictly underwritten, leading borrowers to hold onto their existing debt. Despite the lack of credit, some investors are cautiously pursuing deals and lining up to take advantage of undervalued assets. The industry is seeing its highest “buy” rating since 2010, signaling a favorable entry point for acquisitions after a decade of unabating appreciation. CRE learning to navigate AI. AI advancements are showing promise in the real estate industry, ofering capabilities such as enhancing the property search and analysis process, reshaping how investors assess potential investments, improving the customer experience and streamlining due diligence and fraud detection in real estate transactions. However, despite AI’s tenured use in the industry, many of its capabilities are still largely unknown to CRE experts with a lack of understanding and AI misinformation being cited as key barriers to adoption. Adapting for future climate challenges. The number of billion-dollar climate events continues to rise and growing government regulations and ESG mandates, especially in leading CRE markets, mean property owners and managers have more reasons than ever to make ESGapriority. A way to achieve more sustainable development is to reposition the development and design process. Not every building will be converted for each of its uses; some assets will simply become obsolete and need to be demolished. Architects and developers are beginning to explore design for disassembly, which could maximize economic value and minimize environmental impacts of destruction and embodied carbon through reuse, repair, remanufacture and recycling. Read the full report at pwc.com. ©Asiri / Adobe Stock B2B PUBLISHING to 2024 released eport nt sector.

Produced by L.A. Times B2B Publishing, does not involve L.A. Times editorial staff. A recent reportin partnership wmanufacturing jreal estate, loca“Forging the Future: Maand Its Efects on NorthMarkets,” recently publiwritten by Newmark’s Ldirector, National IndusLiz Berthelette, CRE, heresearch and national li“Currently, the U.S. hasexisting square feet of smanufacturing inventorwe are priming for markcould equate to upwardstock–500 million squdecade alone. This unpin North American faciliin recent years underscimpact of global risk codomestic manufacturingthe industrial market,” sSURGE OF MANUFACTUJOBS BOOSLOCAL ECO6 COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE

MAY 2024 [Continued on page 48] published by the NAIOP Research Foundation, with Newmark, examines the surge of jobs reshoring and the impact on industrial al communities and the broader economy. anufacturing Growth h American Industrial ished by NAIOP, was Lisa DeNight, managing trial Research, and ead of Northeast fe science research. less than five billion statistically-tracked y. Comparatively, ket expansion that ds of 10% of that entire are feet–in the next precedented surge ty announcements cores the profound nsiderations and g incentives on said DeNight. Berthelette continued, “The confluence of the CHIPS Act, Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act represents an amount of federal spending aimed at catalyzing industrial development that has few parallels in modern U.S. history – it would likely be appropriate to consider this a watershed moment for the sector.” Reshoring is being driven by several factors including disruptions in global supply chains, tensions between the U.S. and China, and U.S. government spending on infrastructure and subsidies for industries associated with electrification, green energy and strategically important technologies. “The volume of proposed manufacturing projects has the potential to reshape the U.S. URING STS NOMIES ©nordroden / Adobe Stock B2B PUBLISHING

HBuleayeaTobusSBGSSBAdto sJacky Dilfer Executive Director Business Finance Capital

H OW TH E 5 04 LO A N WO RK S Business Owner pays 10% of project costs usiness Finance Capital (BFC) is Southern California’s ading SBA 504 Loan Program expert, with more than 20+ ars in the commercial real estate and finance industries. learn more about how the 504 loan can help your siness, and to get pre-qualified, contact BFC at 1-800- BA-REAL or email to [email protected]. GROW YOUR BUSINESS WITH THE SBA 504 LOAN BA 504 loans, provided by the U.S. Small Business ministration (SBA), offer fixed rates and long-term financing support small business expansion and job creation. bfcfunding.com BFC makes an SBA-guaranteed loan of up to 40% of project costs 50% of total project costs administered through a commercial loan HELPING SMALL BUSINESSES THINK BIG