By Gregory Han
Who hasn’t called in sick at least once with a malady more psychological than actually physical in nature? Sometimes you just need to get your Abe Froman, Sausage King vibe on and sneak away for a long lunch, catch an afternoon baseball game, and spend some quality time admiring art, especially now that three paid sick days a year are state law (use ’em or lose ‘em). But the last thing you want to do is get caught playing hooky by the Principal Rooney in your life. Picking the right spot for an under-the-radar day off requires consideration about the “where” and “when.” Here are 5 spots across LA which lend themselves to an inconspicuous day of recuperative leisure (just remember to #latergram those photos, Ferris):
Your Own Private Beach
With names like Sacred Cove and the adjoining Smuggler’s Cove, you know this section of Palos Verdes coast line is a bit off the beaten path, away from the usual hoi polloi of Malibu or Santa Monica. And just south of Inspiration Point, overlooking aquamarine Portuguese Bend, at the very end of the Bow and Arrow Trail (named after the South Bay Archery Club located just above), is a small unnamed pocket beach that’s almost always empty during weekdays (once a popular nudist spot until the community cracked down on exposed crack). You’ll occasionally spy spear divers or frolicking dolphins offshore, and magnificent tide pools filled with an assortment of creatures reveal themselves during low tide. But more importantly, you’ll likely have a stretch of sand to call your very own till the sun sets.
Visit a Lynchian Museum
Sure, there’s the renown collections at The Getty, LACMA or MOCA. Or even the relaxing gardens of the Huntington Library. All worthy of a visit normally. But when flying under the radar is the goal, I’d recommend avoiding these popular institutions of art. Instead, veer down the 10 freeway and exit off onto Venice Blvd. in Culver City. Look for a small green building with a red sign for The Museum of Jurassic Technology. Behind the unassuming doors is “an educational institution dedicated to the advancement of knowledge and the public appreciation of the Lower Jurassic,” offering a series of exhibitions which can be best described as a private collection of imaginary history pieced together by David Lynch. Even if someone you know happens to be there too, the interior’s dramatically illuminated rooms allow for a quick getaway into the shadows.
Where to Eat: Mongolian Mall Cuisine
Here’s where you want to be the most careful while playing hooky. Most of us are naturally inclined to hit up our favorite spots for breakfast or lunch, which more often than not, also happen to be the favorite spots amongst friends, peers, and coworkers. Instead, use this opportunity to explore culinary options in neighborhoods far from your usual grazing zone. There might be no section of Southern California more dense with dining options than in the San Gabriel Valley, where Cantonese, Vietnamese, and Mandarin restaurants line the avenues one after another like a stationary parade of good eats. One of my favorite guilty pleasures is Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot, a worldwide restaurant chain actually originating from Mongolia, and with a flagship location inside the second floor of the San Gabriel Square shopping center. What they serve is a fiery broth of chili peppers, goji berries, jujubes, cardamom pods, ginseng, and Sichuan green peppercorns bubbling hot, accompanied with customized orders of meat, seafood, vegetables, noodles, tofu, and dumplings to cook yourself. The dining room is dark and cavernous, while service is ridiculously efficient for an easy in/easy out lunch.
A $3.00 Afternoon Movie
One of life’s pleasures is having a movie theater all to yourself, and weekday afternoon showings are your best bet for an empty movie house. If you’re okay with watching second run films, but still want a decent sized screen, the Academy Cinemas movie theater in Pasadena is a ridiculously good deal. It’s just $3.00 general admission — and an even better $2.00 for any film screened before 6 p.m. Afterward, head around the corner to The Gourmet Cobbler Factory and treat yourself to some Southern cobbler or pie (just follow your nose, the enticing smell wafts around the block).
A Walk in the Park
I love Griffith Park, but it’s also the most popular green zone in all of Los Angeles, and not conducive to incognito mode. Instead, how about the city’s second largest park, a picturesque locale that practically nobody visits outside of locals? Yet this park is cleaner, quieter, and more scenic than Griffith. For years I’ve been telling people to drive up north to the San Fernando Valley when peace and quiet is in order. Located just west of a community of mid-century Eichler homes (worth a trip in itself) is O’Melveny Park in Granada Hills. Surrounded by the Santa Susana Mountains and rich with both riparian and chaparral ecosystems, the park is a peaceful oasis for picnicking, hiking, or just a long afternoon nap under one of the old, sentinel oaks. There’s also a citrus orchard at the front of the park which has some of the best tasting grapefruits and lemons, but the park recently made it illegal to collect fruit from the trees. Sneak one if you can … you’re already breaking the rules by being there on a work day.
[Photo of Little Sheep Hot Pot: Little Sheep Group Limited]
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