Trading in a drill for a bike ride, a boat and a burger

Armed with a staple gun and chop saw, Oosterhouse tackles tough carpentry projects with ease on TLC’s home decorating hit “Trading Spaces.” When not traveling around the country transforming homes with Doug, Hildi and the rest of the designers, Oosterhouse takes a break from his Makita by staying active. A major contributor to the “reveals” on “Trading Spaces,” the Michigan native does a reveal of his own, sharing his favorite ways to unwind.

On a clear day

I like to stay active as much as I can. In the winter I love to snowboard on the weekends. My family will rent a condo in Mammoth, and we’ll go up there and stay the weekend. In the summer I generally go to Manhattan Beach. We try to get there as early as possible and secure a volleyball court. I have friends that live down there right on the beach, and we’ll spend the entire day down there. I sail quite a bit too. Usually Hobie Cats.

I try to mountain bike and run as much as I can. I like to bike up the Hollywood hills. One of my favorite things to do is to bike up to the top of Doheny. There are a bunch of little roads that you can take. It’s such a fabulous view at the top of the hill. I always try to beat my previous record. It’s a pretty intense bike ride. It’s definitely a very good workout.

Good eats

I like to go to Doughboys on 3rd. It’s a really small restaurant that has outdoor seating. It gets packed on the weekends so you generally have to get there early. The Doughboys salad is awesome. It’s probably the best salad in town. Their homemade dressing is terrific.

I also like the Baja Cantina in Venice. I usually go there with friends and family -- it’s really a nice relaxing place to go and hang out. They have great fajitas. You can’t see the water but you can smell the salt in the air.

Just like home

If I go out at night, I generally go to Saint Nick’s Pub on 3rd. It’s a little pub right near the Beverly Center. It’s a little dive bar. Me and my friends walk down there from my house. There’s never a line -- I hate lines at clubs in L.A. The people are really friendly there. It’s never too crowded. It’s a younger crowd, but not too young. It reminds me of home [Michigan]. They have the best hamburgers in town. It’s called the Saint Nick’s Burger, I don’t know what they do to them, but they’re the best.

Catching up

On Sundays we celebrate “Super Summer Sundays.” It started at my old establishment at the Moustach Cafe in Westwood where I used to bartend. Somehow the phrase got coined. So every Sunday I go in there and get a bite to eat, hang out, talk with old friends and then later hit up a Dodger game. That’s one of the better Sundays for me. Moustach has a French menu, it’s a wonderful place. It’s not too upscale -- I can go in there with flip-flops on. I get the Virginia striped bass -- it’s the best thing on the menu.

-- Lisa Boone