5 Fun Fall Activities To Do In Los Angeles
Posted by Techyscouts | Posted on 12/13/2018
Contrary to the thinking of many outsiders, we all know that Los Angeles still has four seasons. The fact that our fall and winter is much milder than other parts of the country just gives us a chance to spend more time outdoors and enjoy the amazing fall activities that are available for all ages. As the fall season kicks into high gear, the real estate biz gets busier – from brokering trust and probate real estate deals to helping with investment property purchases and conservatorships. Still, Mike Millea and his team make time to enjoy fall and everything it offers. Whether you’re living in South Bay, West LA or Torrance, take some time off and enjoy these five fun fall activities.
1. Take An Apple Picking Excursion
Like in other parts of the country, fall is apple picking season. And although we have plenty of paved streets in the City, there are still plenty of options to find those fresh apples in orchards around Southern California. From October through November, the Oak Glen area of Southern California will be blooming with these delicious fruits just waiting to be picked. You can choose and pick your own to eat, press them into cider, or bake them up in your favorite pie recipe. While it may be an hour or two drive from parts of Los Angeles, many of the orchards around Oak Glen have additional activities to make the trip well worth the experience. Here are some of the orchards that offer a you-pick experience:
- Brian Ranch Airport U-Pick Orchard, Antelope Valley
Located north of Los Angeles, this private airport also grows award-winning apples. There are four varieties of apples that are available at different points in the season. The orchard is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. or by appointment and offers a picnic area for you to partake of your apple pickings! - Willowbrook Apple Farm, Oak Glen
The whole family will enjoy a day outing at this small 100-year-old family farm complete with a miniature donkey and horse. From picking apples, to pressing them into cider or enjoying them covered in caramel, you’ll enjoy the fresh air and the simple things in life. U-pick apples are available Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. beginning on October 6 through November. - Stone Soup Farm & Heritage Orchard, Oak Glen
Their field of heirloom Stayman Winesap trees ripen throughout October and, during a good season, bear fruit into November. Before filling up your bags up, you’ll get a brief lesson from a farmhand on the history of Riley’s, how to properly pick the apples and helpful tips on tasting. While admission is free, you pay for what you pick at $3.25 per pound. - Riley’s at Los Rios Rancho, Oak Glen
Ripe apples are in full bloom at Riley’s at Los Rios Rancho from now through Thanksgiving. There are 18 different varieties available for u-pick and bulk purchase, but be sure to check online to find out which types are ripe and ready to be picked. Fresh pressed cider is available and a necessary way to end your time spent in the orchard. The farm is open for apple picking on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. - Riley’s Apple Farm, Oak Glen
Spend an afternoon at Riley’s Apple Farm (not to be confused with Riley’s Farm) for a blast from the past. Pick from different varieties of apples for $3 per pound. On the weekends, you can enjoy archery, cider pressing, and knife throwing. Be sure to check out their site to see which apple varieties are ready for picking.
2. See The Los Angeles Area’s Fall Foliage
Seriously, we’re not joking. Even in Los Angeles, you can find and enjoy the change of seasons with the changing colors of our amazing fall leaves. So forget about the seasonal colors of the purple jacaranda tree-lined streets and buildings covered in magenta bougainvillea, and head on out to the gardens in L.A. County and the local mountains to enjoy the colorful fall foliage. Here are a few prime spots to take in the yellows, oranges, and rusts!
- Take A Drive. To start your journey, start on the Westside, down Homewood Road in Brentwood or Warner Avenue in Westwood where the changing tree leaves are sometimes a bit unpredictable but should start to turn by late November. Then, travel inland along California Boulevard from Pasadena to Arcadia. Stop off at Griffith Park for a walk along the trails and breathe in the crisp autumn air.
- Los Angeles County Arboretum. Here you’ll find some beautiful autumn colors close to home, plus many other wonders of nature.
- Huntington Library, Art Collections & Botanical Gardens. This lovely museum and gardens in Los Angeles County’s San Marino is always in style. But in November, you can see the unique trees in their full fall foliage.
- Descanso Gardens. Travel north of Pasadena to Flintridge for a delightful trip through the sasanqua camellias and roses and, yes, the changing fall leaves.
- Big Bear. The mountains are always the best place to catch fall foliage, and one of the closest—and easiest to get to—is Big Bear. You’ll see many different trees turning a variety of fall colors around the lake, especially during mid-October to early November. The best locations to see the autumn colors are Mill Creek Road, the Pine Knot Trail and Castle Rock Trail.
- Oak Glen. You don’t have to be a real estate broker to know that Oak Glen has much to offer homeowners and visitors! If you make the trip to the Oak Glen area for apples, you’ll no doubt enjoy plenty of bright-colored fall foliage as well! I win-win trip for the whole family!
3. Cheer On Your Favorite Fall Los Angeles Sports Team
One of the big advantages of buying a home or investment property in Los Angeles is your close proximity to so many amazing college and professional sports teams! Fall is the season that so many popular sports overlap, including baseball, football, soccer, and basketball. Whether you’ve just had the chance to see the Los Angeles Dodgers play in the World Series, or you made it to the Staples Center to watch LeBron James debut his start on the Lakers, there is no shortage of fall sports to enjoy in Orange County and surrounding areas. Choose your favorite team, and bring the whole family out to cheer them on:
- Baseball
- Football
- Soccer
- Basketball
- Ice Hockey
4. Connect With Nature On A Camping Trip
If you love the outdoors but are not crazy about the summer heat, fall is the perfect time for you to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and enjoy the camping opportunities throughout Southern California. Living in Los Angeles gives you the best of all worlds when it comes to camping. From the sandy beaches of the coastline to the glacier lake-dotted mountains, to the desert panorama, you are sure to find the perfect landscape for your adventure. Some are right in our own LA backyard while others are a few hours drive. Here are just a few outdoor camping paradise suggestions listed from closest to Los Angeles to farthest away! Happy camping!
- Angeles National Forest
- Malibu Creek State Park
- San Mateo Campground at San Onofre State Beach
- Leo Carillo State Park
- Lake Arrowhead in San Bernardino
- Los Padres National Forest
- Idyllwild
- Big Bear Lake
- Joshua Tree National Park
- Mojave National Preserve
5. Give Thanks, Give Back to L.A.
It’s true that Thanksgiving, whether in Torrance, South Bay, or throughout the Los Angeles area, means taking a pause to share turkey, cranberries, and pumpkin with family and friends. But it’s also a time for many Angelenos to give back to the community they love through various charity efforts and events that happen throughout the city. If you choose to skip the hectic, hot kitchen and opt for a dinner reservation, L.A has amazing choices. A few of our favorites include Culver City’s Akasha for a modern, prix-fixe menu; Crossroads Kitchen in Melrose for its all-vegan Thanksgiving feast; Lawry’s the Prime Rib in Beverly Hills for tableside-carved turkey with all the trimmings; and Saddle Peak Lodge in the Santa Monica Mountains with its eclectic choices of elk tenderloin, wild-mushroom agnolotti or roasted turkey with sausage-apple stuffing. For the “giving” part of Thanksgiving, there are dozens of social and community agencies and organizations throughout the City that are always looking for volunteers to support their service to the community. Consider these Los Angeles events and organizations as a way to give back this year:
- Westside Thanksgiving
Volunteers serve up a traditional turkey dinner for free, not only to the homeless but also many students, singles, seniors and low-income families. You can volunteer by donating food, money or time, helping to serve food or hand out clothing and blankets. The free, community event also offers free children’s immunizations, haircuts and medical consultations to those in need. Plus—a kid-friendly carnival with games and crafts starts at 8 a.m. The event takes place at the West L.A. Civic Center (1645 Corinth Ave). - Burbank Community YMCA Turkey Trot
Burbank YMCA’s (321 E Magnolia Blvd) Turkey Trot, is a 5K/10K run/walk that draws around 2,500 participants who choose to run, jog, walk, or push strollers. Kids can enter a kiddie 1K run. Proceeds go to the organization’s membership assistance program, which offers free and affordable access to the YMCA’s services for those in need. - Turkey Trot Los Angeles/Midnight Mission Volunteering
Celebrate Thanksgiving with this catchall family-friendly event along Downtown’s Spring Street, chock-full of races, games, and activities. Work off those calories in either the 5K or the 10K run/walk (there’s also a 1K “Widdle Wobble” for kids 10 and under). The race benefits the Midnight Mission. To help during a special event, start with some regular volunteer hours—the Mission’s website has a form you can fill out to help match you with the right service. Downtown’s Midnight Mission offers counseling, education, training and job placement to the city’s homeless population, as well as food, shelter, personal hygiene, and medical care. - Union Station Homeless Services/Dinner in the Park
USHS, the San Gabriel Valley’s largest social services agency, offers year-round community meal programs and other services for the area’s homeless population, including emergency shelter, community shower programs, children’s education and recreational activity and adult classes in parenting, money management, and nutrition. USHS has also hosted Dinner in the Park for over four decades; deemed the biggest potluck in the nation by the L.A. Times, the volunteer-run dinner helps provide warm holiday meals to more than 7,000 low income, homeless and senior citizens. - Thanksgiving Day Run & Food Drive
Another annual 5K run/walk is hosted by the Community Center of La Cañada Flintridge at Memorial Park (1301 Foothill Blvd), open to runners, walkers, kids and even pets (on a leash), with live music and games to boot. Participants bring a non-perishable food item to be donated to families in need. Volunteers are also needed. - The Fred Jordan Mission
The Fred Jordan Mission has provided food, clothing, blankets, and other services to the homeless population of inner-city Los Angeles for more than 50 years. Its Street Banquet on Skid Row offers a traditional turkey dinner to hundreds of the area’s homeless for Thanksgiving. Check the Mission’s website to get involved. - Dana Point Turkey Trot
The Dana Point Turkey Trot at Dana Point Harbor (24921 Dana Point Harbor Dr) is one of the most massive and competitive charity runs. Choose from the 10K, 5K or a Gobble Wobble 1K kids race. If running isn’t your thing, give back to the community by volunteering to help out with the race.
Contact Michael Millea For Your Real Estate Needs
We hope you see from these examples of fun fall activities that living and working in Los Angeles is an amazing experience. If you’re considering buying an investment property, or need assistance with probate or trust real estate transactions, please consider one of the best real estate brokers in the Los Angeles area Mike Millea. Mike and his team have years of experience in the South Bay, Torrance, West L.A., and greater Los Angeles area and will work hard to reach your real estate goals. Reach out to him at (310) 939-9356 in our El Segundo office. He welcomes your questions and looks forward to working with you soon.