Do This: Guided Horseback Rides in Griffith Park

There are many reasons to love Los Angeles and one of our favorites is the fact that nature and all that comes with doing outdoors "stuff" is minutes away from our front door step. Example: rock scrambling at Malibu Creek's Rock Pool. Example: neighborhood hikes such as Runyun Canyon in Hollywood and Wilacre in Studio City. Example: horseback riding in Griffith Park.

For $25 the first hour and $20 each thereafter (those charges apply per person and it's cash only), Circle K Riding Stables in Burbank's Equestrian District offers guided rides into the nation's largest urban park (there are other rental places, too). You choose the pace and literally minutes after arriving, paying and signing liability papers, off you go. The experience is pleasant and a two-hour slow paced ride can take you as far as the lookout point where you can view the Hollywood sign on Mount Lee and other views of downtown, the ocean and everything else.

Afterwards, watch neighborhood horses and their owners trot through the streets as you eat at the family run Riverside Cafe.