DIVERSIONS : . . . and Quiet Places : Even the Most Frazzled Southland Resident May Find That Peaceful, Easy Feeling at These L.A. Sites

The telephone is ringing, the stereo is blasting and down the street the neighbors are arguing over a parking space. Even at the library--where quiet is supposed to reign--preschoolers are having a field day.

So where can a person find peace and solitude in Los Angeles? Here are four spots of silence:

* Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine, 17190 Sunset Blvd., Pacific Palisades.

This Eden-like enclave offers something for everybody. According to founder Swami Paramahansa Yogananda, the shrine is “treated for all religions, that all may feel the unity of a common faith.”

The sanctuary is built around a man-made lake ringed by a path. On terraced hillsides are numerous varieties of trees, flowers and shrubbery, benches, a golden lotus archway, a windmill chapel, naves and statues, small waterfall and hummingbird feeder.

People stroll by or sit alone, look over the water, feed the birds, read or talk, sketch or close their eyes and meditate. Plaques quoting sages from the New Testament to the Bhagavad-Gita guide walkers along a path. A number of kiosks contain literature with longer prose and verse.

Open Tue.-Sat., 9 a.m.-4:45 p.m.; Sun., 12:30 p.m.-4:45 p.m. Closed Mondays, holidays and some Saturdays. Donations accepted. (310) 454-4114.

* Point Fermin Park, Paseo del Mar and Gaffey Street, San Pedro.

A Peace Corps volunteer headed for a two-year stint in Africa confided that what she would miss most about her homeland was this park--”the greatest place to run.”

No wonder. The park is perched on palisades overlooking the rocky California coastline, with a view that stretches to Catalina Island. Runners have their pick of scenic routes, and the sea breeze acts like a tonic to keep you in gear.

There’s also a nature trail for those more inclined to hiking, plus shaded picnic facilities, an open air theater, a historic lighthouse and playground. An old wooden stairway connects the park to the shoreline.

If your needs run more to open, grassy hillsides and a more birds-eye view of the harbor, Angels Gate Park is just up Gaffey Street.

Three main sites break up the simple terrain--a playground/picnic area, stylized basketball court, and the Korean Peace Bell, a large copper-based gong housed inside a giant pavilion.

A nearby information hut displays Korean prints--one of which is aptly entitled, “Inquiring for the Ferry of Shangri-La.”

Open daily 6 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Free. (310) 548-7756.

* Descanso Gardens, 1418 Descanso Drive, La Canada Flintridge.

Former owner and Daily News publisher E. Manchester Boddy named these 60 acres of gardens and forests his Rancho del Descanso-- or Rest Ranch--when he bought them in 1937. The description is perfect: everything about the place cries out, “Relax, everything will be OK.”

Sunlit expanses turn to shady walkways, formal gardens to woods, streams to small waterfalls to ponds with fish and birds. The heady fragrance of roses gives way to the smell of wet leaves or fresh-cut grass.

You can explore via a network of paths and trails or on a regularly scheduled tram.

If the weather forces you to run for cover, try the Hospitality House, a cozy estate that offers a horticulture library, local artwork displays and occasional luncheons.

The Japanese Tea House also serves beverages and snacks, and boasts the comforts of a traditional rock garden.

Open daily 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Closed Christmas. General admission, $3 for adults; $1.50, seniors and students; 75 cents, children. Free parking. (818) 790-5571.

* Touch and See Nature Trail (The Braille Trail), Pierce College, 6201 Winnetka Ave., Woodland Hills.

When Pierce College dedicated its “Nature Trail to the Public” in 1970, it presented a poem that urged visitors to “close your eyes and listen with your mind”--a good way to refocus.

It’s also a good way to tap into the world by what--to most of us--is a new approach. Plants and trees with strong, recognizable scents and textures are strategically placed along the trail.

Originally, a rope guided visitors around the entire walk. Whenever you felt three knots in the rope, there would be a sign plus a message on a plaque written in Braille telling you whether to stoop down or reach up to examine a particular tree or plant, and what to do to identify it.

The rope and plaques are no longer here but a tour pamphlet is available on request from the college’s horticulture department.

Open daily during daylight hours. Free. (818) 347-0551.