Guest Contributor

Like a fast-spreading benign cancer, Coachella fever has infected Southern California. Your neighbor’s talking about it, your dry cleaner’s talking about it and most importantly, you and your friends are talking about it.

It is the best of hikes; it is the worst of hikes. Fish Canyon Falls, located in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains above Azusa, has one of the more interesting and colorful histories among Southern California hiking destinations.

Many people have watched golf tournaments, or perhaps even played, at the famous Torrey Pines course in San Diego County. Fewer are aware that the course is named after one of America’s rarest trees, the Pinus Torreyana or Torrey Pine. The pines are noted for their rambling, twisted limbs, the result of exposure to the winds on the coastlines where they grow.

The park sits on a plateau at about 2,000 feet above sea level, and it supports a diverse habitat including oaks, eucalyptus trees, spring wildflowers and more. Interesting geology and wide-ranging views (on clear days) that include the Santa Ana Mountains are among the highlights here.

It's known as “Dripping Cave,” for the way the sedimentary rock seems to drip from the ceiling, and also as “Robber’s Cave,” owing to its history as a hideout for gangsters. Whatever you call it, this cave in Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park in south Orange County is well worth a visit, and there are three different ways to get there.

My friends and I had our epiphany at breakfast at Cinnamon Bear Inn in Mammoth Lakes. While our Weekend Warrior compatriots had returned to L.A. the day before, my friends and I had chosen wisely to take March 19—a Monday—off. The Inn owner placed our omelette plates in front of the four of us that morning, greeting us with, "Welcome to The Day of the Year!"

More than 65 years after her mysterious murder in Los Angeles, “Black Dahlia” Elizabeth Short’s unsolved case is now part of the “Elizabeth” exhibit at the Los Angeles Police Museum. The mutilation slaying of 22-year-old Short, nicknamed "Black Dahlia" by reporters, has captivated the public since her bisected body was found on a vacant lot in Leimert Park on January 15, 1947. The exhibit is sponsored by bestselling crime fiction author James Ellroy, who penned The Black Dahlia in 1987.

Currently, some foods may carry the label "non-gmo" and may be certified by third party organizations. However, this is a voluntary measure. We wandered around town this week asking what regular folks think about the prospect of seeing foods labeled "non-gmo." Here's the word on the street.

There is one part of Saint Patrick's Day celebrations here in the US that fill me with anger and disgust: The drink (and now the cupcake) named "The Irish Car Bomb."

If Coachella and Burning Man had a bass addicted, illegitimate love child that creation would be the Do LaB's Lightning in a Bottle. Taking place a short 40 minutes from L.A. in the remarkably desolate Oak Canyon Ranch, the festival is a mix of art, culture and music.

You already know about how you can park-hop from Santiago Oaks Regional Park to Irvine Regional Park in Orange County, but a similar 2-for-1 deal exists in Pacific Palisades. It comes courtesy of the Rivas Canyon Trail, a two-mile route that connects two of the most popular L.A. hiking destinations: Temescal Gateway Park and Will Rogers State Historic Park.

Ballona Creek runs west into the ocean, starting almost ten miles inland. Near the mouth of the creek, it widens and forms both freshwater and saltwater marshes. Runoff from the nearby Baldwin Hills fills the basin. Spring is a particularly attractive time to visit the wetlands, although it’s a nice place to take a break during any season.