Weekend Sherpa
As intern writer for the online adventure magazine Weekend Sherpa, I combined my passion for Orange County outdoor fitness and the arts with my journalism and creative writing skills to publish six articles during Summer 2019. Greatest joy: pitching and writing new ideas for the magazine. Greatest challenge: found my poetry course skills useful in delivering a compelling story and practical reader info in each 200-word-limit article. Lesson learned: every word counts.
Rob a Peak!
Great panoramas don’t all require epic hikes. A 3.5-mile (round-trip) trek up to 1,152-foot Robber’s Peak in Santiago Oaks Regional Park gets you gorgeous vistas of Orange County, iconic mountains, and the Pacific. The trail is also bike-, equestrian-, and dog-friendly. According to legend, outlaw Joaquin Murrieta would make his roost here to prey on traveling stagecoaches. From the parking lot, hike the Santiago Creek Trail for a quarter-mile.
Seven Bridges Paddleboard Tour
SoCal has plenty of surprises in its abundance of mountain trails, but there are some other pathways to explore, like those on the Pacific Ocean! For a bounty of aquatic adventure, get out on the self-guided SUP “Seven Bridges Paddleboard Tour” so-named by Weekend Sherpa’s summer intern, Hannah, who grew up doing this adventure with her family.
Peters Canyon East Ridge Loop
For an inspiring example of a land’s resilience after wildfire, hike the trails of the dog-friendly Peters Canyon Regional Park in central Orange County. Although the 2017 Canyon 2 Fire devastated the wildlife at the north end of the canyon and left charred willows in its wake, today an entire palette of green, yellow, and orange regrowth fills spaces that flames dominated just a few years ago.
Brea Beckoning
The art-centric town of Brea goes beyond museum walls with an “Art in Public Places” program featuring 183+ outdoor sculptures. Amid these treasures, you’ll find the 8-piece sculptural installation by Laguna Beach–based mosaic tile artist Marlo Bartels.
UNESCO, You Know!
It’s hard to be #1 when you live in LA. But Hollyhock House—a Frank Lloyd Wright building—has achieved that status, as the first LA landmark designated a World Heritage Site. See it on an urban tour of LA’s architecture and public art scene, including a Frank Lloyd Wright–themed walk through Barnsdall Art Park.ban Architecture Walk
Murals of La Jolla
You need a map and sense of adventure for this fun journey through the lovely town of La Jolla. The “Murals of La Jolla” project began in 2010 as part of SoCal’s commitment to public art, and you can explore 15 unique murals—some hidden, others in plain sight.