Photos: Hiking in the Santa Monica Mountains

Yesterday I went took part in a guided hike in the Santa Monica Mountains. The hike was sponsored by the National Park Service, and the goal was to find local wildflowers in bloom. While the guided hike turned out to be more for hardcore botany enthusiasts, it was great to get outdoors, and we learned some things along the way.

The photo above is one of my new favorite local plants. This is a yucca plant, which comes in many different forms. It is closely related to the agave and the lily, and actually is not a part of the cactus family. These plants grow long flower stalks, and after they bloom, the original plant dies.
These photos are from the Mishe Mokwa Trail, which is close to Mailbu. The drive alone was beautiful, as we drove all the way through Malibu along the ocean, and then turned inland to the mountains. It was pretty amazing that we were only an hour outside of Los Angeles.
The vistas were incredible. We were about 2,000 feet above sea level.

Looking forward to going back soon!

New Painting: Sunset from Mulholland Drive

Sunset from Mulholland Drive, oil on canvas, 2009, 19 x 14 inches

Mulholland Drive is a road in Los Angeles that loosely follows the ridgeline of the Hollywood Hills and the Santa Monica Mountains. Famous for having some of the most exclusive homes in the world, Mulholland Drive is also surprisingly accessible. The road was created as a scenic byway, and there are scenic view points perched along the road. The east stretch of Mulholland Drive reveals sweeping views of downtown LA, while the western stretch displays vistas of the San Fernando Valley.

My friend Lisa was in town from Boston the night of this sunset, and we witnessed the sun go down over the Valley. There is a quality of light in LA--Magic Hour--that is stunning and unique to the area. It never ceases to bring a smile to my face.