Apple Picking ~ Inspiration for Fall

Fall has officially arrived in Southern California. The last two day's have been filled with the most beautiful cumulus clouds, sporadic rain showers and the smell of fires. Fall my most favorite season. It's the perfect excuse to load up on fresh baked breads, sleep in late, bundle up in layers, read a good book, take a long bath, be with friends and family..... and pick apples (of course).
Thanks to my good friend, and fellow blogger The Lush Chef, today's itinerary is easy to come up with (because it's hers)!  For a sweet and simple day trip (only 90 minutes from the west side) spend the day in Oak Glen and come home stocked with organic apples for pies and pumpkins for carving. The day itinerary is as follows:

• 9 am – Depart Santa Monica
• 10:30am – Arrive at Rios Los Rancho for apple picking - 
• Noon – Grab lunch at Oak Tree Village
• 2pm – Pick up cider & indulge in mini donuts at Snowline 
• 3pm – Head home

So there you have it. The perfect get me out of LA fall day trip, brought you by my friend with the most outstanding taste. My only addition would be to top off the trip with one of TheLushChef's fall themed cocktails. I mean... The Fig Old Fashioned has me freakin'

Photo courtesy of The Lush Chef blog

I've also posted more fall inspired photos below ~ TGIF everybody

Add caption

ReBlogged from ThatKindOfWoman

Santa Ynez via Sunset Magazine

Continuing my entree into the world of Twitter, yesterday I participated in a @SunsetMag photo contest and submitted a photo from a trip I recently took to Santa Ynez Valley.... The picture (below) was taken during a summer screening at Kalyra Winery, and has since been selected, retweeted and included in Sunset Magazine's Facebook Photo Album!

I couldn't be more excited about this considering Sunset Magazine is by far my favorite publication and this particular trip to Santa Ynez was one of our best trips yet! To build upon this momentum ~ I've quickly put together a list of my top three wineries to visit in the Santa Ynez Valley, each with some pictures and I also listed a dreamy vacation rental I posted about previously, to complete the post.

 Top 3 Wineries in the Santa Ynez Valley

1). Sunstone Winery
Its like a taste of Tuscany only 2 hours from LA.  Bring a picnic, sneak around in the caves or lay out on the lawn, Sunstone Winery is a must-stop for me whenever we are in Santa Ynez. 

2). LaFond Winery & Vineyard
The definition of Spanish Colonial Revival style, with a modern twist, LaFond is in Bullerton but well worth the trip. When we were there, we were the only people tasting....and they even let you take home the glass!

3). Kalyra Winery (Pictured at the Top)
So you know that scene in SIDEWAYS, yes the movie, where Jack (Paul Giamatti) meets the flirtatious Stephanie (Sandra Oh), well that's Kalyra! A fun, funky, laid-back winery with great Gewurztraminer and movies amongst the vines. Its also next to Sunstone, so its an easy 1-2 stop. 

If you want to plan something really special - I'd stay here: 

For just $375 its steal for a house with so much style. Simple Spanish ranch architecture, decadent chandeliers, overly abundant white decor and the clean SoHo lofty feel, the entire property has me swooning!

Carmagedon Take II

Slightly inspired by a Social Media Week travel panel I attend - I've taken to Twitter to come up with some Carmagedon stay-in-LA inspiration.

@DiscoverLA is encouraging eastsiders to curse along Cesar Chavez and Soto Avenue to explore some of LA's famous murals.

@RitzCarlton is recommending we all head south and escape the traffic with a weekend get away to @RCLaugnaNiguel for a beach weekend... Doesn't that look nice!

@HollywoodBowl is helping concert goers like myself Park&Ride to the Wilco show this Sunday. Traffic never deters me from the last summer concert of the season!

Finally, me, @WKimmel  suggests that WestSiders go wine tasting in Malibu for the day (previously posted about here). That way you'll never have to go further east than the PCH.

A Wonderful "Winter" Night in Westwood - Day Trip

My boyfriend and I are hosting his entire family over the Christmas break, and while we've bought our tree and decorated it perfectly (in my own modest opinion) we have drawn a complete blank on fun holiday excursionsin and around LA. I've listed one idea below...but we could really use your help - Do you have a favorite SoCal holiday tradition or outing?  Please leave us a note in the comments section below. xo

My Idea: A Wonderful "Winter" Night in Westwood. For the entire month of December the W Hotel is hosting CHILL - an upscale, eco-friendly, ice rink with the advantages of comfortable seating, tasty comfort foods and, even more importantly, a holiday inspired bar!  Start the festive occasion with a free guided tour of the Hammer Museum (available on Thursdays at 6:15pm and only 3 blocks from the hotel) and end it by bundling up in a rink-side cabana, ordering bites from the Backyard restaurant, sipping on adult hot chocolates and taking a $10 skate.  The rink is open until 10pm every night until January 1st, so let the fake snow fall (which is does every hour) and inject a little faux Rockefeller Center holiday spirit into your Westside night...

Day Trip - Outstanding in the Field

I had an absoulty wonderful weekend. My boyfriend and I had our families in town for a visit, I enjoyed a long overdue yoga class with a friend, and I could not have asked for better weather - the sun was hot but at the same time, the light felt soft and fallish. We ate most our meals together sitting on our front porch, taking in the ocean breeze, and relishing our new Venice Beach home. There is something sort of 'salt of the earth' about eating outdoors which is why today's post will focus on one of my favorite outdoor eating groups - Outstanding In The Field

A roveing culinary adventure, with a mission to re-connect diners to the land and the origins of their food, Outstanding In The Field, is an opertunity to meet new people, enjoy good eats, and linger for hours over good wine - all while enjoying fresh farm air.  Plus, since you buy your ticket ahead of time - the most annoying part of going out to eat (the bill) is already taken care of.

The culinary tour will be making three stops in SoCal in early November: 1). Wednesday, November 2nd at Wattles Farm here in LA. 2). Sunday, November 6th at The Growing Experience in Long Beach and 3). on  November 9th at McGrath Family Farm in Camarillo -  but  be warned - tickets sell fast so purchase them now.

Day Trip - Malibu's Tide Pools

As much as I love the beach, I'm not the best a sitting still. So I'm always looking for ways to enjoy the surf without having to stay put, and recently a co-worker was telling me about a great day trip to explore the tide pools of Leo Carrillo State Park.  Just 30 minutes north on the PCH, and filled with anemones, crabs, sea cucumbers and starfish, it is the perfect ocean side compromise for LA's next hot day.

Or make it a weekend! Just 1.5 miles from the beach, Leo Carrillo State Park also offers lots of campsites shaded by giant sycamores.  Book online at Reserve America!

Lovely Lavender - Ojai Valley Day Trip

If I was planning the perfect day trip for this weekend, it would include packing a  picnic and driving north on the 101 to enjoy the a lazy day in the luscious lavender fields of the Ojai Valley ... sadly I'll be up to my ears in moving boxes. sigh.

Ojai is like my secret LA love affair. Tucked away just an hour north of the 101, but only 20 miles from the pacific coast. The town is a mixture of Spanish colonial glamor and artistic bohemian chic. Not to mention it is home to one of my favorite hotels in whole entire world. This weekend, June 25th, is the 9th annual Ojai Valley Lavender Festival in Libbey Park. From 10am - 5pm, for only $1 per person, you can support the local farmers, purchase local art, and celebrate the annual harvest. 

Rather harvest your own? The New Oak Ranch, which is nestled in the scenic Upper Ojai Valley, is welcoming visitors on weekends through the end of July. You can wander its endless, picturesque rows of curving lavender while clippng your own aromatic bundle, or just have a picnic lunch under a sprawling walnut tree.  Admission to the ranch is free; there is a $5 fee per lavender bunch harvested.

Lavender housewarming gifts are welcome...wink!
xo,
Whit

Malibu's Hidden Hindu Temple - Inner-City Escape

As you may remember, earlier this year I was surprised to find a fuax-ghoast town deep in Malibu mountains. Today, I was equally surprised to find out that the very same mountains have another seemingly-out-of-place secret: a hidden Hindu Temple.

Built in 1981, you may recognize it from a cameo in Beverly Hills Ninja or one of Brittany Spears's baby blessings. But on any given day this beautiful temple offers a serine escape from the city, while providing space for meditation and picknicking. It even has a full stage for special cultural and Hindu programs...

Get Me There: Located in the Malibu Mountains of Calabasas its a quick drive up the 101 or the PCH.  
When Do I Go:  The temple is open every day of the year, with Monday - Friday summer hours of 9:00a to 12:30 Noon & 5 to 8p. But on Weekends its open from 8a to 8p
What Do I Bring: I quite mind, and shoes that are easy to slip off... most people enjoy the temple bare foot. You can also leave your wallet at home because there is no admission and parking is free... I feel relaxed already!

Day Trip ~ The Colony Beach, Malibu

The weather is supposed to be in the 80's this weekend, so deciding what kind of a trip I would post about, was easy: A Beach Trip. But the question still remained... Which Beach? 
I love all of our LA beach but one in particular stands out. So, when Zuma is just too far, and Santa Monica and Venice just too filthy, and Hermosa and Manhattan too flooded with frat boys. Take my advise and head 15 minutes up the PCH to The Colony Beach in Malibu. 

Tucked away and hidden from sunburned tourists and beach going amateurs, The Colony Beach is the perfect place to spend an afternoon with friends, sneak a beer, read a book and beat the heat. On a side note: My boyfriend recently bought me a FlipCam, and on a recent trip to The Colony Beach with a few friends I gave video journalism a go! Its my first attempt, so I'm begging for your patience and understanding, but hopefully it gives you a sense of the beach and gets you excited to go!

Get me there:  From Downtown take the 10 west to the PCH. Head North till you hit the intersection of the Webb Way. Take a Left. At the first stop take a Right onto Malibu Rd. Curise for about 1.2 miles, and on your left hand side between lots 24724 and 24700 you'll find The Colony Beach. Take the sandy steps down to the beach, pick your plot and enjoy.

Give me food: While it pails in comparison to the original in New York, Cafe Habana does the trick after a long day in the sun.  Recommendations: the grilled Mexican corn and a mojito. If you don't want to waste a minute of your day indoors, you can always pick up a sandwich or snack at the Ralph's too.

Let me sleep: Soak up some vitamin D while catching some z's right there on the beach.