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:

A Day at The Races: Visiting the Renovated Santa Anita Racetrack

As the horses returned to Santa Anita this weekend, folks visiting the track noticed something else: A major $15 million renovation, giving the venue a facelift and bringing in more gourmet food and beverage options, among other things. We were invited to visit the track this weekend by America's Best Racing, the marketing arm of the Jockey Club, which is looking to promote horse racing to a younger generation across the country. The Jockey Club has sent a group of brand ambassadors around the country to call some attention to the nation's top racetracks and bring in people who might not otherwise visit.

And indeed, other than a visit years ago to Hollywood Park, the only exposure I've had to horse racing in recent years was the sad events that led HBO to cancel "Luck" (which was shot at Santa Anita). Our recent stops at Santa Anita were for CalPhil concerts and the 626 Market.



But there's something unique about visiting Santa Anita in the morning, early, as the crowds are light, the weather is beautiful and the San Gabriel Mountains shine in front of you. ESPN visited the renovated Santa Anita recently for this report:

They are trying to create a facility that will make the fan experience so special that people, whether new to the sport or regular horseplayers, will keep coming back.

"The experience of racing begins at the track," said Tom Ludt, Senior VP of Racing and Gaming for the Stronach Group, which owns Santa Anita. "No one gets hooked on racing by going to an OTB or watching a simulcast. The sport has been struggling when it comes to attendance and we believe one of the reasons for that is the experience people have at the racetrack. The initiative we have taken here is all about the on-track experience, about the food, the seats, cleanliness, the experience a fan has. It's just like what stadiums and other venues in other sports have done, realizing they had to change."

Several areas of the track have been modernized and improved. A special room reserved for high rollers has been built. Santa Anita has also invested big dollars in how its races are shown in some areas of the building. Certain areas will feature giant "tile technology" TV screens with surround sound audio.

"We have audio visual technology that is off the charts," Ludt said. "When the horses break out of gate and those speakers get booming, you'll feel like you're in a theater atmosphere."

The irony is that Santa Anita, pre-renovation, was already one of the world's most beautiful racetracks. But the management team there realized that if they were going to get people to come back to the racetrack they had to make the place even better.

Even with the renovations, Santa Anita, like so many tracks, will still struggle with the problem of being way too big for its own good. Tracks like Santa Anita and Belmont were built in an era when the buildings needed to accommodate huge crowds. With those days long gone, there can be an emptiness to these tracks that can ruin a fan's experience all by itself. There's just something very depressing about a huge building with no one in it.

More pics from our day at Santa Anita:

FRANKLIN AVENUE IN BANFF: A Week in the Canadian Rockies

Last month I returned to the Banff Media Festival in beautiful Banff, Alberta, Canada, in order to moderate several panels. The highlight, as I wrote here, was my chat with "Late Late Show" host Craig Ferguson. But outside of the TV festival, I also brought the family up this year, in order to share the beauty of the region with them. And it didn't disappoint. The weather may have been overcast, but the mountains, the lakes and the nature still thrilled our city bones. It was a week the Franklin Avenue kids won't forget. Some highlights:


A bird's eye view of the magnificent Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel.


Elk on the side of the street in Banff.


Vermillion Lakes, outside of Banff.


Banff's farmers' market.


Buffalo Dawgs and Buffalo Smokies.


The Buffalo Smokie.


Two rivers run through Banff; here's one of them.


The Blogger Kid on horseback.


Deer on the side of the bike path in Banff.


The Banff Gondola ferries passengers up the side of Sulphur Mountain.


View from the top.


Moraine Lake.


More of Moraine Lake.


The Franklin Avenue boys take in Lake Louise.


More of Lake Louise.


Lake Louise, with the Fairmont hotel overlooking it.


I figured it would be cool, but unlikely, that we'd encounter a bear (from a safe distance, of course) on our trip. But sure enough, as we were driving on the freeway back to Calgary, we spotted this little guy on the side of the road (behind the fence). A quick u-turn and we got close enough to snap a few pics.


So I guess this sign is pretty accurate.


A trip to Canada isn't complete without the required stop at Tim Horton's. We waited until the very last day of our stay up north to finally enjoy a donut the way Canada intended. And here's a shot of the Tim Horton's located at Calgary's airport.

Last year, I wrote at length about The Town of Banff; the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel; the Banff Gondola Ride; and some Canadian Food Finds.