The other day I realized Summer’s starting to wind down, and I haven’t been to the beach yet.  I’m not a "beach person" per se; I don’t surf, and I don’t revel in laying out in the sun among hordes of people.  But I can get down with some ocean, some warm sand, some scenery.  Which is why I’m planning at least one El Matador trip before August’s end.

Located up the Pacific Coast Highway past Malibu — it’s a drive, but it’s worth it — El Matador is one of a handful of secluded beaches along a stretch of highway that are relatively untouched by beach-goers in L.A.  The interweb tells me the exact address is 32100 PCH, but you’ll only know it by the easy-to-miss, wooden "El Matador" sign (which kind of makes it feel cool and secretive, though a Google search will tell you otherwise).

You park in a small, sandy lot, put your $3 into an honor-system box, and walk down a path that winds along the cliff towards the shore.  The beach is small and private-feeling, and the views are breathtaking.  The scene always reminds me of the more rugged beaches in Northern California, actually.   

If this sounds up your alley, also check out El Pascador and La Piedra, in the same area.

I had no idea what to expect from 88 Boadrum. I’d read about last year’s event in Brooklyn (7/7/07), but it seemed like it could either be an amazing artistic experiment, or a noisy disaster. Consider the formula: 88 indie rock drummers playing at the same time, underscored by ambient noise from the band, The Boredoms.

Friday night (8/8/08 — see a theme yet?) at The La Brea Tar Pits, I joined a couple thousand people who were equally clueless I suspect. Held on a giant lawn, the drum sets spiraled out and away from a small stage in the middle (as a drummer, I was totally nerding out). We staked our spots in the damp grass, and ended up being right next to, I think, the drummer from The Like.

The drummers took to their kits and The Boredoms took the stage (at 8:08pm). The piece began with everyone creating a shimmering sound-scape by playing on their cymbals, the effect being a colassal swarm of bees. The piece, written by The Boredoms’ Yamantaka Eye, continued for the next hour and 40ish minutes in much the same way: visceral, hypnotic sound-scapes. It was probably too long (seems like 88 minutes would’ve been ideal?), but totally worth the experience.

(Photo courtesy of Flickr).

It’s not unusual to hear people talk of their favorite taco truck. I’ve heard great things about the ones in Highland Park, while others are quick to defend the go-to truck in Boyle Heights. Personally, if a taco truck can serve me mouth-watering carne asada AND be directly located on my path home from Dodger Stadium, well there’s really no contest. I’m looking at you, Taco Zone.

I’m lucky enough to be able to walk to Dodger games, a routine that typically entails the following: pre-gaming on $1.50 PBRs at The Short Stop (an event that deserves its own post, really), going to the game (duh), post-gaming at the Short Stop, and walking back down Sunset. By the time my friends and I reach Alvarado, we’re ready for an almost-home snack. Once I see the crowd of people gathered on the sidewalk near Vons, and the smell of sizzling goodness hits me, I’m hooked… and that’s if we haven’t planned our night around eating there, which we also sometimes do.

This weekend I’m moving a mile west, which will land me in walking distance to the shops and bars of Sunset Junction and Los Feliz, but leave me woefully out of reach of my gym: the Silverlake Reservoir. Sure, the reservoir has little in common with an actual gym, but since I could never sustain the motivation to go to an actual gym, it’s become my go-to place for exercise.

At roughly 3 miles around, it’s the perfect distance for part-time joggers like myself. A few years ago, the city made the path around the water pedestrian-friendly, turning the sidewalk on the west side into a path of hard dirt (easier on your body). The east side is still paved, but the view is a little better.

Another reason I exercise here: there are things to look at. Even if the water is separated from you by a chain-link fence, its shimmering surface and the surrounding hills of Silverlake are still superior to the views from a treadmill. I don’t care how much Rock of Love 2 I could catch up on.

But most importantly, the reservoir’s walking distance from my soon-to-be old apartment. I guess I’ll have to make up for it by walking to the bars near me even more.

On Friday I’m driving up to Sequoia to go camping with friends in Tillie Creek. The reason we’re driving three hours to go to a campsite is that we planned the trip at the last minute and during the summer Los Angeles area campgrounds get booked. Fast. While researching campsites I came across many sites I wish we could have booked. So I thought I’d put some of my research to good use and let you know about them.

Point Mugu – With more than seventy-miles of hiking trails, fives miles of ocean shoreline, and two river canyons, this campsite in the Santa Monica Mountains really does have something for everyone. This is the perfect place if you’re looking for beach camping, but it’s not that secluded, so you can hear traffic. If you’re looking for way off-the-beaten track, this isn’t for you. If you want to go to lunch at Neptune’s Nest after a swim, than this place is perfect. This way my first choice for a campsite, but it was booked.

Joshua Tree – If you’re looking for real rugged camping, then this desert spot should be your top pick. Only two campsites in this park have running water and flush toilets (Cottonwood Campground is one of them), so this isn’t for people looking for amenities. If you want to get away from it all and enjoy vast expanses of starry skies and/or if you’re a rock climber, then Joshua Tree is perfect. Just keep in mind that temperatures during the day are broiling (100+) and can be freezing at night.

Big Bear– I used to come here in the winter with my family to stay in a cabin and spend some time in the snow, but I’ve heard great things about their summertime campsites. This is the perfect place to go if you’re looking for some time by a lake but not too far off the beaten path. The Serrano Campground has all the amenities you might need, including showers. And Big Bear is pretty developed, so you can easily drive to places for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

The best website is recreation.gov, the government camping website that lets you book a lot of campsites online. 

I’ll let you know how Tillie Creek was when I get back.

In all the years that I’ve gone to the Farmer’s Market on 3rd and Fairfax, I don’t think I’ve ever actually bought produce. In my defense, the produce here, while fresh and tasty-looking, is the least interesting thing about it. What keeps me coming back is that it’s a combination of some of my favorite things: eating, drinking, and people-watching.

The eating. The Farmer’s Market is a huge outdoor complex. It’s a mix of order-at-the-window restaurants and traditional farmer’s market stands. When I get hungry, my process typically goes like this: First, I’ll check out the line at the Pampas Grill (Brazilian)… and turn around when I see it’s 15 people deep (people who, like me, want to get our hands on some plantains and an assortment of carved meats). Next, I’ll contemplate Greek food, almost get in line for noodles at The Banana Leaf, but usually end up at Loteria for a Pollo in Pipian Rojo burrito (chicken in pumpkin-seed and peanut sauce).

The drinking. There are two traditional bars and a wine bar. If you’re meeting a group of friends, which the market is ideal for, the bars can easily push the afternoon into the evening, the evening into Last Call.

The people-watching. The clientele at the Farmer’s Market runs the gamut. Tourists, tragically trendy L.A. types, Average Joes, celebrities — they’re all represented. People also tend to wander in for relief from The Grove, the mall that’s attached to the market. I don’t blame them. I try to avoid the crowds and consumer mayhem that is the The Grove, unless I’m seeing a movie. In which case, I’ll ready myself with food and drinks at the Farmer’s Market.

I just wrote about some cool things to do next week, but I realize I should probably tell you about some cool goings on this week as well.

Tonight (Tuesday): Comediennes are performing at The Improv in Hollywood to support presidential candidate Barack Obama during tonight’s Barack the Vote! event.

Friday: More comedy happens tonight at the Upright Citizens Brigade theater when very funny people take to the stage to share stories of their most hysterical, depressing, or hysterically depressing nights ever in tonight’s show "The Most F’ed Up Nights of Our Lives."

 Saturday and Sunday: If you haven’t gone to a nighttime screening at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery yet you really should before the summer is over. Saturday’s movie is the classic Orson Welles film "Touch of Evil" and on Sunday it’s the campy Jane Fonda film "Barbarella."

There are so many awesome free things to do in LA next week that I thought I’d give you several day’s heads up so you can plan your schedule around them.

Kicking off the week, on Monday Connor Oberst (aka Bright Eyes) is playing his moody emo folk rock for free at Amoeba Music in Hollywood. It really is one of the best record stores in the world, so bring some cash and buy some CDs or LPs while you’re there. They’ve also got a decent selection of DVDs upstairs.

On Tuesday night there’s a night hike around the Griffith Observatory hosted by the Sierra Club. Bring hiking boots and a flashlight. On Wednesday there’s a free Pedestrian (LA indie rock) concert in Pershing Square in Downtown. And Thursdays is when the Santa Monica Pier’s Twilight Dance Series free concerts happen. The show is AfroPop from Ghana and Zimbabwe. Bring a picnic and sit on the beach, like I always do.

Enjoy!

Lately it seems everyone I meet is from Eagle Rock. Located east of Glendale, but not as far out as Pasadena, Eagle Rock could rightly be called “L.A.’s Nether-Regions” by those of us who didn’t grow up there. But based on the great places I’m discovering, it could also be more succinctly called “Awesome!”

My latest find? The Bucket. As the name might suggest, The Bucket is a few-frills burger joint. You order inside and go out to the shaded patio to wait. And by “wait” I mean “drink.” Did I mention that The Bucket has a great on-tap beer selection? This portion of my lunch was key. As the fifth wheel in a group of people who all knew each other, our pitcher of Stella made conversation that much easier.

The burgers weren’t as mind-blowing as Tommy’s or Fatburger, but they held their own. Anyway, I’m pretty sure the big draw of The Bucket is that it’s a neighborhood destination (it dates back to the ’30s, a relic by L.A. standards). It’s comfortable and unpretentious, ideal if you’re looking to kill a couple hours with friends – or acquaintances, as it were – on a hot summer day.