Ski, hike and surf: It's all in a California day

It was a slow Saturday shift at the office, and outside it was sunny and clear. To the north, the peaks of the San Gabriel Mountains jutted gloriously. And here I sat, bored, in my air-conditioned office building, wishing myself in those mountains or at the beach. Or maybe both.As a native Angeleno, I've bragged to East Coast friends that in Southern California, nature may give us fires and earthquakes, but it has also blessed us with the ability to enjoy mountains, desert and ocean all in one day.

By Tami Abdollah

May 2, 2008