Guest Contributor

If you’ve ever hiked in the Thousand Oaks/Westlake Village/Agoura Hills area, chances are it was on a trail managed by the Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency. While these trails are most accessible to the residents of the Thousand Oaks area, they are also fairly close to the San Fernando Valley and Ventura.

As one of the most popular vegetarian proteins on the market, tofu is a common substitute for the holiday turkey. Angelenos eat tofu for many reasons, one often being the belief that this is better for the environment. Consider, though, that much of the soy used to make tofu is genetically engineered, also known as genetically modified.

Do you want to see genetically engineered foods labeled? Help get the California Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act of 2012 ballot initiative passed and attend a local training meeting this week.

Say what you will about professional sports teams in L.A., we attract players at the top of their game. This week’s Overheard in L.A. round-up includes overheard conversation on post-structuralism, upholstered furniture and movie plots.

This Sunday, Royal/T will host the Kimono Girl Retro Pop x American Vintage event to showcase Japanese kimonos past and present with a special fashion show and lecture. Kimono stylist/author Rinko Kimino will discuss the historical background from the Taisho era to modern-day kimonos that blend American vintage, retro, and pop fashion with the traditional style.

As popular as it is, Black Star Canyon Falls has an air of mystery about it. Some describe it as a routine, moderately challenging hike; others tell horror stories of rampant poison oak in the canyon and violent drifters who prey on hikers.

To please people, we sometimes have to soften the truth of our intentions. Our Overheard in L.A. round-up this Thanksgiving week includes overheard conversation on hair trends, exotic fish and Justin Bieber.

Vista Hermosa means “beautiful view” in Spanish, and on clear days, that’s just what this park provides. When the ten-acre park opened in 2008, it was the first new park in downtown Los Angeles in more than one hundred years.

One thing is for sure: the environment over at Occupy LA is never boring. Our Overheard in L.A. round-up this week includes overheard conversation on such thrilling topics as Occupy L.A. fashion, winter in L.A. and the taste of perspiration.

Even if Falls Canyon Falls isn’t a true year-round waterfall, and even if reaching it requires a little more than straight trail-hiking, it has the potential to be one of Los Angeles’s premier hiking destinations.