At the Drive-In and on the Trapeze the ‘Burbs

In the ‘burbs, daily life can contain the whimsy of the circus and the nostalgia trip of a drive-in movie.

Mastering the

Greatest of Ease

Gaona’s Trapeze School

5702 Lubao Ave., Woodland Hills

(818) 710-8191

Even though she had always dreamed about it, Karen Frischmann initially couldn’t muster the courage to fulfill her lifelong fantasy. “For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to get on a trapeze,” says Frischmann, a Pilates instructor from West Hollywood, “but I still couldn’t stop shaking during my first class.”

Students at Richie Gaona’s Trapeze School must check any fears at the door. Within 30 minutes, they’re strapped into safety harnesses, ready to ascend the 24-foot ladder and reach out to clutch a trapeze bar. Over the last five years, Gaona, a fourth-generation circus performer, has trained hundreds of aspiring trapeze artists on a massive rig in the backyard of his Woodland Hills home. The intimate 90-minute workshops cost $40 and cover basic flying positions, catching maneuvers and landing techniques. The results are thrilling--and addictive. “I hate to sound sacrilegious,” says Tom Moore, a film and TV director from Los Angeles, “but it’s like seeing God when you get caught.”

Ginny Chien

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Perfect Parking

Pacific Vineland Drive-In

443 N. Vineland Ave.,

City of Industry

$5.50. First-run movies.

(626) 961-9262

I know it’s truly summer in L.A. when it’s time to slide behind the wheel of my ’66 T-Bird and head for the City of Industry. At the Vineland Drive-In, I pay, park and settle in for a double feature. I started hitting drive-ins here a decade ago, making big circles around the county to visit them all--Inglewood, Culver City, Long Beach, Chatsworth, Van Nuys. One by one, they closed and dropped off the map. The fate of the Azusa Foothill Drive-In--the last California drive-in on Route 66--is up in the air. It’s closed now while the owner, Azusa Pacific University, decides what to do with the property. It’s worth driving by to see its etched-in-the-mountains, neon-lighted charm.

But for year-round film viewing, there’s only the Vineland. Built during the drive-in heyday of the 1950s, the Vineland can fit 1,600 cars in front of its four screens. Sure, it lacks some of the style and architectural verve of those that have come and gone, but it’s significant, still, that it hasn’t yet been cleared to make way for a Wal-Mart or a multiplex.

T.L. Stanley

*

Cold Spring Rolls

Favori Restaurant

3502 W. 1st St., Santa Ana

(714) 531-6838

What a perfect nosh for a hot, sweaty summer day--bite into their fresh, cold spring rolls and you’ll be hooked. Rolled neatly into a piece of thin, cool, slightly chewy rice paper are shredded lettuce, carrots, mung sprouts, mint leaves, tender bay shrimp and slivers of flavorful pork, all of which you dip into the sweet, purple hoisin sauce. There’s also the simpler version with shredded pork, lettuce and mint, which you flavor with a splash of fish sauce. Equally good, just not as crunchy.

Jessica Strand

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One-Stop Shop

Handmade Galleries

14556 Ventura Blvd.,

Sherman Oaks

(818) 382-3444

As savvy Valley shoppers know, Handmade Galleries on Ventura Boulevard is one-stop shopping for last-minute gifts or some personal pampering. Say that the barbecue starts at 4 p.m. and it’s already 3:37. No problema. The colorful artists’ emporium is a hotbed of ideas. You can show off a pinkie-fresh pedicure with Hand Made’s trendy toe rings or shimmer while you tan with a selection of glittery body lotion. “It’s all rented space, so you’re supporting individual artists,” says manager Amanda Vernon. “We try to keep it eclectic and interesting, even if it’s not 100% handmade, it’s gotta have something special.”

Heidi Siegmund Cuda

*

For What Ails You

Dr. Hogly Wogly’s Tyler Texas BBQ

8136 N. Sepulveda, Van Nuys

(818) 780-6701

This hole-in-the-wall prides itself on having “no ambience” but a “beef brisket that tastes like milk in your mouth.” The meat cooks for eight to nine hours in a wood pit, making it spoon tender with just enough smoky tang to hit the spot. Add classic Texas fixins’ like the sweet BBQ beans and creamy coleslaw laced with plump raisins, and you’ll feel so happy that you’ll thank the barbecue gods above for good ol’ Dr. Hogly Wogly. Dinners range from $12.25 to $20.50 and will feed three hungry people.

Jessica Strand

*

Coaster Wars

Six Flags Magic Mountain

26101 Magic Mountain Parkway, Valencia

(661) 255-4100

Knott’s Berry Farm

8039 Beach Blvd., Buena Park

(714) 220-5220

The roller-coaster war in Southern California this summer won’t be decided by which is the biggest, longest, fastest or baddest. It’s going to be settled by which is open. Six Flags Magic Mountain’s X, which flips riders head over heels in high-tech spinning seats mounted to the side of the coaster’s track, officially opened in January.

But delays and frequent closures have plagued the ride. When X does run, waits of up to five hours are not unheard of. But at least some folks are riding X. Knott’s Berry Farm’s Xcelerator promises a 2.3-second, 0-to-82-mph launch uphill, followed by an immediate 200-foot drop. Xcelerator was slated to open in mid-May. But it missed that deadline, and now a representative said Knott’s hopes to open the coaster “sometime in June.”

Robert Niles

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Day Trip to Mayberry

Sierra Madre

Beantown, 45 N. Baldwin Ave.

Lizzie’s Trail Inn

165 E. Mira Monta Ave.

Mt. Wilson Trailhead

189 E. Mira Monta Ave.

Looking for a lovely time warp to fall into this summer? Grab those comfortable shoes and head to the little town of Sierra Madre at the foothills of the Sierra Madre mountain range, just 18 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles.

This is a slow-paced version of Mayberry, with wide boulevards, tree-lined sidewalks, two huge municipal parks and a handful of outdoor cafes and restaurants that all love your pooch. There’s a small monument at the trailhead of Mt. Wilson that harks back to 1864, when burros were bringing telescope parts up to the first observatory on the mountain. Next door, the tiny Lizzie’s Trail Inn, built in 1890, tells the tale of a lunch stand that became a speak-easy during Prohibition. Admission is free, and the inn is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays.

Another blast from the past is Beantown, the local coffee shop on Baldwin Avenue, the main drag. Beantown sells great java, big pastries and ice cream made the old-fashioned way, with sugar and cream.

Dana Calvo

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Vive la Valencia

Cafe Melisse

24300 Town Center Drive, Valencia

(661) 255-2233

Josiah Citron brings his divine fare to Cafe Melisse in the heart of Valencia. This casual bistro serves French classics such as moules marinieres (steamed mussels), salad Lyonnaise (curly endive with smoked bacon and a soft-boiled egg on top) and Entrecote frites (rib eye with French fries). The glorious digs, decorated in mosaic tile and horseshoe booths, include an endless marble-top bar at which you can sip wine from the extensive list, and an outdoor dining area with a crackling fire.

Jessica Strand

*

That Other Bowl

Starlight Bowl

1249 Lockheed View Drive,

Burbank

(818) 525-3721

www.starlightbowl.com

The Starlight Bowl is a scaled-down version of the Hollywood Bowl with a small-town vibe to match. Tucked into the hills, above an old, tree-lined residential area, it draws a mix of Burbankians looking for squeaky-clean entertainment and hipsters on the hunt for cheesy good fun. The season starts July 4 with a genuine patriotic spectacle dubbed “Proud to Be an American.” Every Sunday night, bands play for a few hours around sunset; sidewalks roll up by 9. Among the lineup this year: Blood, Sweat and Tears, the Fab Four tribute band and perennials Captain Cardiac and the Coronaries. You can buy a picnic dinner or bring your own.

T.L. Stanley