Horsing Around: An Evening Riding (and Eating!) at Sunset Ranch Hollywood

I've known Chris Alexander, the head of PR for 20th Century Fox TV, for years, and got excited for him in recent years as he bought a horse and became a regular rider up in the Hollywood Hills. Chris has a stressful job, and it's wonderful to see him experience so much joy blowing off steam by hitting the Hollywood Hills on his horse several times a week. Chris finally found a way to combine his passion with his job this Sunday, inviting reporters gathered for the TV Critics Association up to the Sunset Ranch Hollywood to ride horses — and hear all about the second season of "Bless This Mess," a sitcom his studio produces for ABC.

The last time I rode a horse was last year, while on vacation in Hawaii, and thankfully I still remembered the basics. This was a simple ride for beginners, of which most of us were. But we got to experience the ride for nearly an hour, and take in the sights of the city from the Hollywood Hills.

Sunset Ranch Hollywood, located in Beachwood Canyon, offers casual rides (starting at $50 an hour), lessons, boarding for your horse, filming options and more. It also has access to "hundreds of miles of tails and bridle paths in Griffith Park." There are a wide variety of tours, including with BBQ options, kids' parties, and even a "proposal package." More pics from our ride:

The View from Above Descanso Gardens

Not only is Descanso Gardens in La Canada Flintridge one of our favorite spots to visit, but hike it a bit and you'll be rewarded with some fantastic views of the foothills.

Later this month, check out Descanso's Cherry Blossom Festival. (Check out more March events here.



Descanso Gardens
1418 Descanso Drive
La Cañada Flintridge, CA 91011
Descanso Gardens is open daily except for Christmas. Hours are 9 am to 5 pm (last entry is 4:30 pm). There is ample free parking.
General $9. Senior/Students $6. Children (5 to 12 years) $4. Guild members and children under 5 free.

FRANKLIN AVENUE IN PALM SPRINGS: The Living Desert

"A zoo in the desert?" asks the promo material for The Living Zoo, located in Palm Desert, not far from Palm Springs. Indeed, it seems like an inhospitable environment for a zoo -- but then again, the earth itself can be a pretty inhospitable place. And as you can see above, the Living Desert boasts some major exhibits, including giraffes and desert animals like coyotes.

Of course, young kids will probably be even more intrigued by the major model railway, which includes miniaturized versions of Southern California and U.S. landmarks. The zoo also boasts a carousel and a play area.

The Living Desert is open every day from October 1 to May 31 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. In the summer, the zoo closes at 1 p.m. (for obvious heat-induced reasons). Tix are $14.25 for adults and $12.75 for seniors, military, AAA card holders. Kids 3-12 are $7.75 and the little ones under 3 are free. Best part: If you're a member of the L.A. Zoo, the Living Desert will offer tix at 50% off -- not bad.



Zebra find some shade.



Rock and cactus garden at the Living Desert.



The Living Desert's model train exhibit.



The mini train's mini Wig Wam Motel.

FRANKLIN AVENUE IN PALM SPRINGS: Palm Springs Aerial Tramway

Sometimes a tourist attraction exceeds expectations. Not often. But for our first visit to Palm Springs, we knew the Aerial Tramway was a must. I knew the ride up to the top would thrill the kids, but once up there, the chance to hike high up in the mountains just 10 minutes after sweating in the desert was a treat.





Built in 1963, the tram is an engineering marvel that takes people from the burning heat of Palm Springs to the cool (and this time of year, the snow) of the San Jacinto mountains. In ten minutes, the ride takes you from Palm Springs' Chino Canyon (elevation 2,643 feet) to the mountain station at 8,516 feet.



Blogger Kid and Blogger Toddler 2.0 enjoyed the ride up -- although the toddler clutched my neck the entire time. (Afterward, he said it was "scary" -- and that he wanted to immediately ride it again. The kid's a thrill seeker.





Once at the top, the mountain station offers a full restaurant, a snack bar and a fully stocked bar, all overlooking Palm Springs, 8,000 feet below. But beyond that, there's plenty of easy, moderate and hard hikes that can take one or several hours to complete. We got ambitious, and walked a 2 mile hike that took us to the very edge, overlooking the Coachella Valley. Even the kids -- excited by all the patches of snow -- were up for it.





The tram cars' rotating floors allow everyone a chance to view both the canyon and the valley as they head up -- although I personally would have preferred a stationary floor. Cars depart at least every half hour; Monday-Friday, the first Tram up is at 10 a.m., and on Saturday, Sunday and holidays, the first Tram up is at 8 a.m. The last Tram up is at 8 p.m. and last Tram down is at 9:45 p.m. After that, I guess you're stuck up there for the night.



Adults are $23.95; kids 3-12 are $16.95. Annual and summer passes are also available. Go here for a coupon worth $3 off admission after 3 p.m.