Wile away the days While enlightening yourself in all kinds of new ways

In keeping with what I am right this minute dubbing the theme of the last two days, here are our favorite books to guide you through this weird, big city  of ours. Dinner, movie and a walk on the beach may be the way you go, but if you’ve been going that way ceaselessly for years, it may be time to check out some of our books on all things wacky and marvelous in Los Angeles.

“Did you know that the Ice Age occurred after Noah’s Ark landed on Mount Ararat, or that Neanderthal man was a descendent of Adam and Noah?…Just a short drive from San Diego State University there’s a museum that will illustrate how God…created the Earth and our universe in six twenty-four-hour days…”

The Museum of Creation, pg. 307

L.A. Bizarro: The All-new Insider’s Guide to the Obscure, the Absurd, and the Perverse in Los Angeles by Anthony Lovett & Matt Maranian

“Smack-dab in the middle of the megalopolis is a beautiful lake surrounded by lush semitropical vegetation and a perfect bicycling/running road. For more than half of its 3.25-mile length, the road is closed to motor traffic, and because so few people are aware of this gem, the nonmotorized traffic is pretty light, too.”

Lake Hollywood, pg 103

Short Bike Rides: Los Angeles, by Robert Winning

“This is a most spiritual walk, a hillside stroll without too many stairs through an area once dotted with temples, monasteries, retreats, and church buildings. The English novelist Christopher Isherwood studied meditation here; the Indian spiritualist Krishnamurti lived here; and the Dominican sisters still bake a mean pumpkin bread here.”

Walk #35, Temple Hill, pg. 193

Secret Stairs: A Walking Guide to the Historic Staircases of Los Angeles, by Charles Fleming

“…it’s tempting to use the place as a sort of home away from home at any time of day. Bring your laptop, order a cup of micro-roasted coffee or cinnnamon-fig tea, and work on that screenplay until you’ve got a passable draft. Or buy a Joan Didion novel in the adjacent [Portrait of a Bookstore] and read the afternoon away.”

Peaceful Place #4, Aroma Cafe, pg.7

Peaceful Places Los Angeles: 110 Tranquil Sites in the City of Angels and Neighboring Communities, by Laura Randall

 

“Begin in Brand Park, at the intersection of Mountain St. and Grandview Ave., where you can spend some time exploring the park and the Brand Library & Art Center. The unique and lovely structure combines elements of Spanish, Moorish, and Indian architecture. Stop in to peruse the library’s impressive art and music collections or to admire the latest exhibition in the adjacent gallery. While in the park, you may also want to visit the Whispering Pine Treehouse & Friendship Garden, a lovely little Japanese garden and pond, as well as the Victorian Doctor’s House Museum and Gazebo.”

Brand Park and Kenneth Village, pg. 153

Walking L.A., by Erin Mahoney Harris