The Brief

It's one of those ultra-rare California events that if you don't jump on it now, you might miss it for good. Death Valley is now home to an inland lake open to kayaking.

The shallow body of water, informally called Lake Manly, emerged after the atmospheric river from Feb. 4-7 as precipitation collected in the park's Badwater Basin, creating a lake that's about six miles long, three miles wide and one foot deep.

It's not the first time a lake like this has appeared after the rains — though it's something of a once-in-a-generation event. Lake Manly most recently emerged due to rains from the remnants of Hurricane Hilary — though due to flash floods that destroyed park roads and cut off public access, park visitors couldn't see the lake for themselves until the water had nearly dried up. Before that, the last time Badwater Basin collected enough water to kayak was in the winter of 2004-2005.

While the public couldn't kayak in the lake after the rains from Hilary, that rainfall laid the foundation for the most recent iteration of Lake Manly resurface. In early February just before the atmospheric river moved through Death Valley, about half of the lake was still around from last year's rains, which helped the basin fill up again.

What to expect if you go

First things first: If you want to go kayaking in what's normally one of the driest places on the planet, you've got to do it soon. Visitors have at most a couple more weeks to get out there and paddle Lake Manly — the water doesn't drain to the ocean due to the low elevation, but it's only expected to be deep enough to kayak for another week or two, based on projections from the National Park Service.

If you can't get to Death Valley right away, the lake will likely still be there for another couple months — though you'll have to resort to taking pictures rather than paddling the waters yourself. The lake is expected to disappear fully by April, when the temperature heats up and accelerates the its evaporation.

But even that might be worth the trip to go out and see for yourself, said Death Valley park ranger Abby Wines.

"It's particularly beautiful anytime when it's not windy, and the surface will turn into a glass surface that reflects the surroundings," Wines said. "The surroundings are tall mountains. The mountain immediately west of the lake is 11,000 feet tall."

Stars shine bright above Death Valley’s Badwater Basin.

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Michael Kohler

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National Parks Service

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BYOK and a few other tips

• Badwater Basin is busy this time of year even when there's no lake, so be aware the parking lots may be full.
• If you park on the side of a road, make sure to pull fully off the road so traffic can pass.
• Once you're out of the car, make sure to stick to established paths, since any footprints you leave in the mud may remain until the next time the lake appears.

One last thing for any boaters: Since it's the desert and everything, make sure to BYOK (bring your own kayak).

"As you might imagine, there's no place around here to rent a kayak because this is such a rare opportunity," Wines said.

This series of images compares Death Valley’s Badwater Basin before flooding (left) with its more-waterlogged state following each major storm.

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Courtesy NASA

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About the lake

If you've been to Badwater Basin before, you're probably used to it seeing an expansive reach of salt flats flanked by mountains. Most rainstorms that reach Death Valley are subject to a dry "rainshadow" effect that keeps precipitation from hitting the ground, so Badwater Basin rarely gets enough water to hold a lake.

Between 2004 and 2023, lakes formed only twice: in 2008 and in the winter of 2015-16, though Wines said neither body of water was deep enough to kayak in. Going much further back to the ice age, a salt lake existed in Badwater Basin as recently as 10,000 years ago.

A snow-capped mountain above Lake Manly.

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Kristina Skilling

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National Parks Service

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Hilary and the February's atmospheric river from Feb. 4-7 brought way more rain than Death Valley is used to seeing in one go — about 2.2 inches and 1.5 inches respectively, according to the NPS. For context, Death Valley usually gets about 2 inches of rain a year.

Death Valley is famously one of the harshest and driest locations on Earth, though thousands of years ago it was home to an ancient lake system. Lake Manly was last seen during the last ice age — geologists estimate it was 700 feet deep and covered much of what's now Death Valley National Park.

Since it's located in Badwater Basin, 282 feet below sea level the lake also has the distinction of being the lowest body of water in North America, at least for the time being.

Lake Manly joined a number of other temporary lakes in California due to last year's heavy rains, including the massive Lake Tulare in the Central Valley.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta provided guidance this week to childcare providers on new legal requirements to protect children and their families from immigration enforcement activities.

Under a new law that went into effect this year, childcare providers are not allowed to collect information about a child's or family member’s immigration status, unless necessary under state or federal law. Bonta’s office says there currently is no such requirement, though that could change with federal programs like Head Start.

“Childcare and preschool facilities should be safe and secure spaces so children can grow, learn and simply be children,” Bonta said in a statement.

His office says daycare centers also should not keep information about a formerly enrolled child longer than is required by state law.

The new law also requires facilities to inform the attorney general’s office and the state’s licensing agency if they get any requests for information from law enforcement related to immigration enforcement.

Facilities also must ask families to regularly update a child’s emergency contact information to make sure someone can be reached in case a parent is detained by federal immigration officials.

The Santa Ana winds are here to welcome us into the weekend, bringing warmer temperatures.

The winds will reach Point Mugu to the Santa Clarita Valley, down to Orange County and parts of the Inland Empire valleys and foothills east of the 5 Freeway.

Peak gusts are expected to reach 35 to 55 mph. The western San Gabriel Mountains, Highway 14 corridor, Santa Susana Mountains and the western Santa Monica Mountains are under a high wind warning until 6 p.m., when gusts could reach 65 mph.

As for temperatures, highs for L.A. County beaches will reach the upper 70s and up to the low 80s for inland areas.

Parts of Orange County and Coachella Valley will see temperatures in the mid- to upper 80s, with the warmest areas expected to reach 88 degrees.

Getting together with friends at a bar or pub tends to get a lot harder when children and needy pets enter the mix. One solution — Breweries! Beer gardens! Brewpubs!

Because parents (of kids and pets) want to go out, too — and not necessarily to a fast food restaurant with an indoor playground and no beer.

Thankfully, the Orange County suburbs where I live have gotten on board with my family- and pet-friendly craft brewery dreams. The key ingredients for me are spacious patios, a water bowl for the pooch, and food — either made onsite or, at the least, easy and quick to order and get delivered from somewhere else. Board and pub games are an added bonus.

Plus, of course, great beer from small, independent, local breweries. On the beer front, I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of beer I encountered on my self-arranged tour of breweries in the Costa Mesa-Huntington Beach area.

Gone are the dark, dank days of nothing but IPA (IYKYK); now, you can find everything from pickle-tinged blondes, to mild sours, to rich and creamy stouts. If you’re not a big beer fan, every place I visited also had their own craft-made hard seltzers on the menu, as well as some non-alcoholic beverages.

Here are some of my favorites:

Riip (Huntington Beach)

Riip in Huntington Beach has two spots with full kitchens specializing in pizza and a wide variety of IPAs and other beer styles.

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Jill Replogle

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LAist

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Riip has been a family favorite since the company opened its first tasting room in Sunset Beach in 2015, with board games and tables the kids could write on. They have since expanded a lot, with a pizzeria next door and another location near Fountain Valley, which also serves excellent pizza, and has a small arcade to keep the kiddos busy.

One thing they do especially well: For serious IPA drinkers, Riip is your place. They usually have at least half a dozen different IPAs on tap, along with a decent variety of other beers, lighter and darker.

This place is great for … dinner after the kids’ [insert sport] game. Also for date night.

At Flashpoint Brewing Company in Huntington Beach, you can check out the brewing vats and other machinery up close while enjoying the results.

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Jill Replogle

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LAist

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Flashpoint Brewing Co. (Huntington Beach)

I only recently discovered Flashpoint, which opened in 2020 on an industrial street near Huntington Beach Central Park. I actually love this aspect of craft brewery taprooms: they’re often located outside of trendy food and retail areas because they need to be able to actually brew beer there as well as serve it.

Flashpoint has a big patio lit with fairy lights. The tall doors of their brewing area, and an adjacent room with the taps and more tables are rolled up during opening hours, giving it a spacious, indoor-outdoor feel.

One thing they do especially well: All the beers I tried were highly drinkable. In other words, not crazy hoppy or overly heavy on flavors. The nectarine sour was especially good, refreshing with just the right amount of tartness.

This place is great for … An early evening toast, watching the clouds turn pink.

Green Cheek Beer Co. in Costa Mesa serves great beer and food, including shareable, snackable items like pad thai cauliflower.

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Jill Replogle

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LAist

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Green Cheek Beer Co. (Costa Mesa)

Green Cheek Beer Co. now has three locations in Orange County and one in Oceanside. Their Costa Mesa spot is conveniently located not far from the city’s Bark Park. So, naturally, after my pooch has fun, I deserve a cold one.

Green Cheek has a huge covered patio filled with long picnic tables. My dog, Ace, was very happy to find a bowl of water set out for their canine visitors, and lots of pets from the humans.

One thing they do especially well: Green Cheek makes great beer. But what I love most about their Costa Mesa spot is that you can soak up the alcohol with food, including smash burgers, tots, and pad thai cauliflower, from their good and reliably fast kitchen.

This place is great for … reading a book, or making a new friend! Their long picnic tables make it easy to opt in or out of the surrounding social scene.

Bootlegger's Brewery outside the LAB Anti-Mall in Costa Mesa has a quiet patio for day drinking, and a lively trivia night scene.

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Jill Replogle

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LAist

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Bootlegger’s Brewery (Costa Mesa)

Within walking distance of Green Cheek is Bootlegger’s Brewery. Bootlegger’s started in Fullerton, and now also has tasting rooms in Costa Mesa and Redlands.

Their Costa Mesa spot is on the outskirts of the LAB Anti-Mall, a collection of small businesses and restaurants, at least one of which will deliver food to your table. A section of the parking lot has been turned into a nice outdoor patio with sun shades for daytime and heat lamps for chillier evening hours.

One thing they do especially well: Their Kosher Crusher pickle blonde ale. They debuted it last fall and it is seriously good — light, refreshing, and just a little bit zesty.

This place is great for … “working” on a Friday afternoon (I was not the only one there typing one-handed on my laptop with a beer in the other), and then inviting friends to join you for happy hour.

There's an ambiance for everyone at Salty Bear Brewing Co. in Costa Mesa.

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Jill Replogle

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LAist

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Salty Bear Brewing Company

Salty Bear is part of The Camp, an uber-cool retail and restaurant complex also within walking distance of Green Cheek and Bootlegger’s (you can do a tasting tour!).

Salty Bear is worth a visit for the aesthetics alone. It has a great bar with midcentury tiling and dimpled red leather. The sprawling, leafy outdoor patio provides plenty of room for the kids to wander.

One thing they do especially well: Their Coastline Strawberry Blonde made me nostalgic for the fruity beers that got me hooked on craft beer in my 20s — but so much better.

This place is great for … Kickin’ it on the patio with friends, either listening to live music, or letting your kids practice performing on the teepee-themed outdoor stage.

Other options in OC south of the 405:

Steady Kitchen and Taps, 18055 Magnolia St, Fountain Valley

Synth Beer Company, 2960 Randolph Av, Costa Mesa

Brewing Reserve of California, 2930 College Ave D, Costa Mesa