California dreamin’ about what to do this summer
Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Thursday, June 1. I’m Julia Carmel, a feature writer for The Times’ Lifestyle section who covers travel, local culture and things to do along the West Coast.
After spending 24 years in New York, I’m used to summer coming out of nowhere. One day it’s 50 degrees and raining and the next it’s humid and sticky enough that you can’t escape the sweat dripping down your back.
But this year I’m learning that in California, summer doesn’t arrive without a heavy dose of May gray and June gloom. For the last few weeks, it’s been cloudy, chilly and all around kind of a bummer, which has made it hard to get into the summer mindset.
Yet even after a dreary Memorial Day weekend, where it was only sunny enough to dip my toes in the ocean, I’m setting big goals for my first full L.A. summer.
First and foremost, I plan to spend as much time as possible in a pool or on the beach. Taking a dip in the Pacific is a guaranteed mood booster for all of my roommates and me, so we’re making that a No. 1 priority and planning days at Crescent Bay (for the dramatic cliffs), Dockweiler (for the fire pits), and of course Ginger Rogers (for the gays).
If you hate the sand but still hope to maximize your swimming time, here are 10 pools and nine swimming holes where you can cool off. I’m not much of a hiker, but I could be swayed to do one of the easier hikes that pass by a waterfall.
As a travel reporter, I spend most of my time reading about fun places to go. My colleague, Chris Reynolds, recently published my favorite annual list: The 101 best California experiences. After reading through it, I’m scheming my own trips to OstrichLand USA, the drive-through redwood and Yosemite National Park.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll also be nailing down the details for my road trip to Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado, where my partner and I will be seeing Big Thief at the end of July. We’re hoping to stop at about a dozen national parks on the way there and back, so please send me any of your favorite roadside attractions and eateries between L.A. and Denver.
Aside from our big road trip, my partner and I are heading up to Seattle to see Madonna on The Celebration Tour and explore Whidbey Island. (Though my last trip to Seattle was via Amtrak’s Coast Starlight, we’ve decided to fly this time.) I’m also hoping to sneak off to Catalina Island for a day or two and maybe make my first visit to Anacapa Island.
There are plenty of other local activities that I’m hoping to check off my summer bucket list. I’m ecstatic to see Janet Jackson’s opening night at the Hollywood Bowl and already got tickets for a romantic “Gremlins” screening with my partner at Hollywood Forever. I’ve also spent months trying to get someone to accompany me to the Petersen Automotive Museum because I desperately want to see their popemobile.
I’m also hoping to find some hidden gems along the way: new botanical gardens to wander around; delicious sandwiches to eat; wide open spaces where I can stargaze; and maybe even a place to watch my first drive-in movie.
As someone who loves to plan a spontaneous date, I’m hoping for a sunset dinner at Yamashiro and looking forward to trying a few fancy cocktails on rooftops with breathtaking views of L.A. I’m also always looking for a reason to visit the Magic Castle, which has now been open for 60 years.
I often drive by JR’s Barbeque in Culver City and it smells absolutely divine, so I’m hoping to grab some ribs there on a nice summer day. As a loyal reader of Jenn Harris’ column, I’ve also been dreaming about this insane burger at Lingua Franca in Elysian Valley and the hamachi at Here’s Looking at You in Koreatown.
And what summer night would be complete without a sweet treat? Though my go-tos are Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt and Salt & Straw, I’m hoping to try a few new spots, like Awan, Antico Nuovo and Ginger’s Divine Ice Creams.
One thing that I both love and hate about L.A. is how easy it is to bail on plans. It doesn’t matter whether the reason is rain, bad traffic or simply bad vibes — people here just love to cancel. And though living with some of my best friends is a huge blessing, this summer seems like a great opportunity for us to leave the house and follow through on more adventurous plans.
I don’t care whether I’m sitting in a park, watching a movie or chit chatting at a birthday party, but I’m promising myself that I’ll get off the couch and away from Netflix as much as possible.
Maybe I’ll take a walk through L.A.’s history and architecture — probably not 25 or 50 miles, but something that still feels like a substantial accomplishment. If I’m feeling extra antsy, I can even try to climb a few staircases and see the city from new perspectives. I might visit a museum or check out an interesting performance highlighted in our L.A. Goes Out newsletter.
And whether or not I make all of these dreams come true, I’m excited to breeze around the city in my convertible and make the most of my first West Coast summer. If you’d like to share some of your own summer goals and So-Cal traditions, I’d also love to hear from you.
And now, here’s what’s happening across California from Ryan Fonseca:
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L.A. STORIES
As SoCal’s summer tourist season ramps up, some 15,000 hotel workers in L.A. and Orange counties could go on strike. With dozens of contracts with hotels in the region set to expire at the end of June, the union representing the workers says negotiations are stalling. Unite Here Local 11 is upping the pressure, asking members to vote on strike authorization as they push for wage increases. Los Angeles Times
L.A. police are investigating a possible hate crime after a transgender teacher’s Pride flag was burned at a North Hollywood elementary school. The incident comes as some parents of kids at Saticoy Elementary School protest an upcoming Pride month assembly on the campus. Los Angeles Times
A beachfront hotel would cost you a pretty penny most places in L.A. But one Venice Beach hotel is catering to tourists and digital nomads with a more modern take on a hostel, featuring personal sleeping pods. Times writer Julia Carmel spent a night in one. Los Angeles Times
POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT
Gov. Gavin Newsom opted out of the traditional State of the State address in March, instead taking a four-day tour of the state to focus on a specific policy area at each stop. That approach cost taxpayers five times more than making the standard speech, public records show. CalMatters
L.A. County supervisors violated the state’s open-meeting law twice earlier this year, The Times claimed in a letter to the government leaders. The alleged violations happened in March and April, when supervisors held closed session meetings as a crisis was unfolding in the county’s Probation Department. The Times is demanding the county turn over transcripts from the two meetings. Los Angeles Times
Some of Gov. Newsom’s fellow Democrats are accusing him of breaking a promise to use revenue generated from health insurance fines to provide financial assistance for people on Covered California. Newsom has been holding onto that money and plans to funnel it into the state’s general fund. Los Angeles Times
A Sacramento County grand jury has recommended that the county and city governments create a new joint powers authority to address the growing homeless crisis. The move could create more transparency and a centralized funding structure, but that’s unlikely to happen. The Sacramento Bee
CRIME, COURTS AND POLICING
Actor Danny Masterson was convicted on two counts of rape Wednesday. The jury was deadlocked on a third count. It was Masterson’s second trial on charges he sexually assaulted several women that he met through the Church of Scientology in the early 2000s. Los Angeles Times
The nation’s largest ghost gun manufacturer will have to conduct background checks on its customers and include serial numbers on its products sold in California, under a new settlement agreement won by the L.A. city attorney’s office. Polymer80 will also pay the city $5 million in civil penalties. Los Angeles Daily News
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HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT
A $24 gadget was pitched as a way for home-owning LADWP customers to conserve water, locate leaks and save money. Does it work? Times’ writer Adam Tschorn took the tech for a spin to find out. Los Angeles Times
UC Santa Cruz is hosting the biggest extinction event in the planet’s history. Don’t panic though — it’s just a simulation in a greenhouse at the university. The goal is to understand how ferns were able to bounce back from the cataclysm that killed the dinosaurs and the majority of living species at the time. Los Angeles Times
CALIFORNIA CULTURE
Disneyland fans soaked up their last log rides for a while. The theme park’s iconic Splash Mountain closed Tuesday for a major renovation project. Disney is removing elements related to “Song of the South,” the racist 1940s film the company has disowned. The forthcoming Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, based on “The Princess and the Frog,” is slated to open in 2024. The Orange County Register
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AND FINALLY
Today’s California landmark is from Karthik Prasad of Los Angeles: the Pigeon Point Lighthouse , perched on the edge of the Pacific coast in Pescadero.
Karthik writes:
While I was driving my way back to El Dorado Hills from Monterey County, I decided to drive along the coast to enjoy the scenic view. It was a gloomy day back in February 2021. A lighthouse caught my eye and I turned around to visit it. I learned that this was one of the largest lighthouses on the West Coast and had quite a history.
What are California’s essential landmarks? Fill out this form to send us your photos of a special spot in California — natural or human-made. Tell us why it’s interesting and what makes it a symbol of life in the Golden State. Please be sure to include only photos taken directly by you. Your submission could be featured in a future edition of the newsletter.
Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com.
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